Gusto Bread and Ammatoli have been named semifinalists for the 2026 James Beard Award, one of the most prestigious honors in the food industry.
For the third year in a row, Gusto is a semifinalist in the outstanding bakery category.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for that, and I think it’s a great win for Long Beach. I’m proud to represent Long Beach,” owner Arturo Enciso said.
Enciso started learning how to bake simply out of curiosity and soon started a business selling bread out of his kitchen in 2017. He opened his brick-and-mortar on Fourth Street in 2020 and hasn’t looked back since.
Gusto is known for using local ingredients to make a variety of pan dulces like their seasonal Pan de Muerto, artisan breads and pastries.
“We really care about making people feel welcome. People will feel nourished from eating our food,” Enciso said.
Gusto is up against 19 other bakeries from across the nation.
Ammatoli also made the semifinalist list this year in the outstanding hospitality category.
“At Ammatoli, hospitality is rooted in our Levantine culture where generosity, warmth, and presence come before anything else. We are proud to share that spirit every day,” the business said in an Instagram post.
While this is the first time Ammatoli has been recognized in the outstanding hospitality category, it is not the first time the downtown restaurant has made it on the James Beard semifinalists list. In 2024, owner Dima Habibeh was named as a semifinalist in the Best Chef: California category.
This year, there are 19 other restaurants competing for the award in the outstanding hospitality category.
Finalists will be announced on March 31 and the winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 15.
Gusto Bread is at 2710 E. Fourth St.; Ammatoli is at 285 E. Third St.