Auburn’s Restaurant Josephine lands national James Beard nod. ‘This is just unbelievable.’

The Abridged version:

• Restaurant Josephine in Auburn was named a semifinalist in the Best Chef: California category of the James Beard Awards.
• Chefs and co-owners Courtney McDonald and Eric Alexander opened the French-inspired bistro in June 2021, after pandemic-related delays.
• “To see Auburn listed alongside cities across California is incredibly humbling,” McDonald said.

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When the James Beard Foundation released its list of semifinalists for the 2026 awards this week, Auburn found itself mentioned alongside some of California’s most established culinary destinations. Restaurant Josephine, a French-inspired bistro in Auburn’s historic downtown, was named a semifinalist in the Best Chef: California category — one of the most competitive distinctions in American dining.

For chefs and co-owners Courtney McDonald and Eric Alexander, the moment landed not with celebration plans or speeches, but with a sense of disbelief.

McDonald was in the middle of her workday when she answered a call on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after learning her restaurant made the list.

“Restaurant Josephine, this is Courtney,” McDonald said. She was preparing for the evening dinner, and the restaurant was not open for several more hours. McDonald said she and her husband Eric Alexander had not been following the awards cycle at all.

“This wasn’t even on our radar,” she said. “We’re aware of the awards, of course, but it’s not something we were watching or chasing.”

Why the James Beard nod carries weight

Often referred to as the highest honor in American food culture, the James Beard Awards recognize excellence across the hospitality industry, from chefs and restaurateurs to writers. The awards are not based on submissions. Restaurants do not apply or campaign. Instead, nominees are identified through a confidential, peer-driven process that values consistency, leadership and a meaningful connection to community.

The best chef category is especially selective, typically dominated by chefs working in large metropolitan markets. For a restaurant in a smaller city like Auburn to earn a semifinalist nod signals more than technical skill. It suggests a restaurant has developed a clear identity and sustained it over time.

“This has never been our motivation,” McDonald said. “We didn’t open our restaurant to get awards. To be recognized on a national level like this is just unbelievable.”

Finalists will be announced later this spring, with winners revealed at a ceremony in Chicago in June. Even without advancing further, semifinalist status places Restaurant Josephine among an elite group of restaurants recognized on a national level.

Building something by hand

Part of what makes the recognition resonate is how Restaurant Josephine was built. McDonald and Alexander describe themselves as deeply hands-on owners.

“We don’t have a PR team. We don’t have a marketing team,” she said. “We’re here every day doing the work.”

That work extended far beyond the kitchen. The couple designed the space themselves, cut floor tiles and shaped the restaurant piece by piece.

“It feels real and authentic and fun and loud and delicious,” McDonald said. “To be nominated like this feels validating, not just of the food, but of the way we’re running our business.”

Restaurant Josephine opened in June 2021, after a delayed and uncertain start during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many restaurants, its early days were shaped by changing rules, limited staffing and financial risk. Surviving that period, McDonald said, made them more certain about what they wanted the restaurant to be.

“We wanted to open a restaurant that we would want to eat at,” she said. “Something refined, but not pretentious. Something rooted in care.”

A name, a history, a philosophy

The restaurant’s name carries deep personal meaning. Josephine is named after the couple’s daughter, Josephine, and after Alexander’s great-grandmother, whose Ellis Island immigration papers inspired the restaurant’s logo.

“Eric’s great-grandmother Josephine’s signature from her actual Ellis Island immigration papers is our logo,” McDonald said.

That family history subtly informs the menu.

While Restaurant Josephine is, at its core, a French bistro, McDonald said the food often carries Eastern European influences drawn from family heritage. One example is a rotating seasonal pasta inspired by dishes such as pierogi, filled with ingredients that change throughout the year and sourced from local farms.

Right now, the dish features a traditional potato filling. In spring, it shifts to peas. In summer, house-made farmer’s cheese. In fall, squash.

“It’s heart cooking,” McDonald said. “We have refinement, but we don’t over-finesse. We want it to feel welcoming.”

That philosophy extends to the menu as a whole. Diners might order oysters or caviar or choose a burger.

“At the end of the day, it’s just, what do you want to eat?” she said.

Rooted in Auburn

McDonald is from Auburn, and the decision to open the restaurant there was intentional. She describes the city not just as a backdrop, but as part of the restaurant’s identity. The kitchen works closely with local farmers, and the dining room reflects a community that values familiarity as much as craft.

“We are both French trained and met 25 years ago at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park in New York, and worked in many French restaurants across the country for 20 years,” she said. “We’re both in our mid-40s now, you kind of know what you want, and we came home.” 

The James Beard recognition, she said, feels meaningful partly because it places Auburn in a statewide and national conversation about food.

“To see Auburn listed alongside cities across California is incredibly humbling,” she said.

Still doing the work

For now, little has changed day-to-day at Restaurant Josephine. When McDonald spoke about the recognition, the nomination was still sinking in and she was focused on the evening’s menu.

That may be the clearest reflection of the restaurant itself. Nationally recognized, yes. But still grounded in the daily work of cooking, hosting, and caring for a community — one table at a time.

All while sticking true to the heart of the restaurant.

“We did kind of question naming it after Josephine in the beginning, because what if it failed?” McDonald said. “But we decided this is our heart project work. We’re going to give it the name.”

It more than worked. Both Josephines should be incredibly proud.

Rob Stewart is an executive producer for PBS KVIE and reports for Abridged.