Kansas City’s food scene got a major boost on Tuesday when Anjin, the Japanese-inspired izakaya in the Crossroads, was named a finalist for the 2026 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
The restaurant opened in July 2025 and is now one of 10 finalists nationally, putting a relatively new Kansas City spot on one of the biggest stages in American dining.
For a restaurant that opened less than a year ago, the recognition is a big deal. Anjin was previously a semifinalist, and on March 31 it moved into the final round.
The James Beard Foundation says restaurants in this category must have opened between Oct. 1, 2024 and Sept. 30, 2025, and must already show culinary excellence and promise. Anjin fit that bill quickly, joining a finalist list that includes restaurants from cities such as St. Louis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York.
The restaurant’s owners say the moment means a lot. Co-owner Leslie Newsam Goellner said, “I couldn’t feel more honored and more excited for all of us.”
She said the recognition feels especially meaningful because it reflects the team effort behind the restaurant and because it gives the Midwest more national attention.
Anjin was created by chef and owner Nick Goellner and his sommelier wife Leslie Newsam Goellner.
The restaurant draws inspiration from the lively spirit of Japanese izakayas, with an intimate dining room, handcrafted dishes, sake flights, and a small-plates menu built around sharing.
Anjin has space as a 20-seat bar anchored by an open kitchen, and it sits at 17th and Oak streets in the Crossroads.
Inside, the concept is as personal as it is culinary. Newsam Goellner said that the restaurant was meant to honor their love of Japan, and she pointed to family history and repeated trips to Japan as part of the inspiration behind the space.
Read More: Ashnikko Packs Out Uptown Theater for a Sold-Out Kansas City Stop on the Smoochies TourThe restaurant’s name also connects to that history, since “Anjin” refers to the Japanese word for a ship pilot.
The James Beard recognition also places Kansas City more firmly in the national food conversation.
Other Kansas City-area chefs and businesses were also semifinalists this year, including names tied to The Town Company, Fern Bar, Swetha Newcomb at Of Course, and Drastic Measures in Shawnee.
That wider list shows that the region’s dining scene continues to gain traction beyond one standout restaurant.
For Kansas City, a young Crossroads restaurant has gone from opening its doors in 2025 to becoming a national finalist in 2026.
That kind of rise is the sort of thing local dining scenes remember, especially when it happens this fast.
The James Beard Awards will be held in Chicago in June, and Anjin will now head there with a real shot at one of the industry’s most respected honors
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