PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Fet-Fisk is a big fish in a small pond.

Bloomfield’s Scandinavian eatery was named a Best New Restaurant nominee by the James Beard Foundation. Owned by Chef Nik Forsberg, who was a James Beard Award Semi-Finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2023, Fet-Fisk launched in 2019 as a pop-up concept featuring classic European-style cooking with Nordic- and Western Pennsylvania-inspired twists.

Winners will be revealed at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The James Beard Awards, the nation’s foremost culinary honors, is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year by introducing new beverage-service categories as well as the Impact Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations advancing standards for a more equitable, sustainable and economically viable food industry.

PHOTOS BY KRISTY GRAVER

The Humanitarian of the Year Award honoree is Chad Houser, founder and CEO of Café Momentum, a Dallas-based nonprofit restaurant with a location in Downtown Pittsburgh. Last month, the cafe relaunched with a new management team, menu, lunch hours and an invigorated commitment to helping teens break the cycle of incarceration.

Houser, a chef, launched the concept in 2015 after teaching kids at a local juvenile detention center how to make ice cream. Feeling inspired, he partnered with local justice departments and community partners and opened the flagship eatery in Dallas. There’s another Cafe Momentum in Atlanta and a Denver site is planned for 2026.