Sometimes, it’s worth celebrating when history repeats itself.

Two Buffalo restaurants—Waxlight Bar a Vin and Southern Junction—have been named as semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards. Nominees (finalists) will be announced on April 2, with the awards to follow on June 16 in Chicago. This is the second year in a row for both establishments, which used to be neighbors in the business incubator space on Chandler Street in Black Rock.

“Considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors, the James Beard Awards recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to equity, sustainability, and creating a culture where all can thrive,” the organization says. “The Restaurant and Chef Awards—established in 1990 with the first awards given in 1991—celebrate excellence across all types of dining experiences, from fine dining to casual establishments, and are one of several recognition programs of the awards.”

Waxlight is nominated in the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program; Ryan Fernandez, chef at Southern Junction, is nominated in the Best Chef - New York State category.

The full list is available here.

In a celebratory post Wednesday afternoon, Waxlight said, “Ahem! Let’s run it back, Buffalo!” before congratulating Fernandez for his nomination in a later post.

For Southern Junction, the nomination was announced with a similar Instagram post: “Too many emotions for words right now. Be back in a bit.” followed by a post congratulating Waxlight, the restaurant’s “dear friends and former neighbors.”

https://www.instagram.com/stories/southernjunction716/3551233081975566053/?hl=en

Congratulations to both establishments—this is your year!

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