Barbs-B-Q in Lockhart, Texas has been nominated for the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Best New Restaurant award, making it the only Texas location among the nominees. The restaurant offers a variety of barbecue dishes and private classes, and the award presentation is set to be livestreamed on June 10. Two other Texas restaurants, Convenience West in Marfa and Mixtli in San Antonio, were also nominated for the foundation’s top honors.
The James Beard Foundation has announced the nominees for its 33rd annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards, with two Texas restaurants, Convenience West in Marfa and Mixtli in San Antonio, nominated for the most "outstanding" restaurant. Convenience West is a Texas barbecue spot known for its limited dining hours and nationwide shipping, while Mixtli is a Mexican restaurant with a changing menu and ticketed dining experience. The winner will be revealed at the awards ceremony on June 10.
Vietnam Restaurant in Philadelphia, founded by Vietnamese immigrants who arrived with very little, has been honored with a James Beard America’s Classics award for serving quality food and reflecting the character of their community. The restaurant, opened in 1984, has a remarkable journey intertwined with the Lai family's perseverance and hard work. Known for classic Vietnamese cuisine, it has become a beloved date-night destination and a model of consistency for decades.
The James Beard Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2024 America's Classics Award, honoring locally owned restaurants that reflect the character of their communities. The winners include Mandalay in San Francisco, Vietnam Restaurant in Philadelphia, Pheasant Restaurant and Lounge in South Dakota, Sylvia’s Restaurant in New York, Wade’s Restaurant in South Carolina, and Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge in Las Vegas. These establishments have been recognized for their timeless appeal and contribution to American food culture.
The James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2024 Restaurant and Chef awards, with D-FW receiving eight nods, down from last year's 15. Three North Texas restaurants received semifinalist spots, and five Dallas chefs made the list in the Best Chef Texas category. Most of this year’s North Texas picks have been previous nominees, with some chefs making multiple appearances as semifinalists and nominees. Unlike last year, no North Texas restaurants are semifinalists for Best New Restaurant or Outstanding Restaurant.
Andrew Black, the chef and owner of Grey Sweater in Oklahoma City, has won one of the world's most prestigious culinary awards, beating four other finalists for the James Beard Foundation 'Best Chef of the Southwest' award. Black, who has been in the city for just under two decades, got his start at his grandmother's in Jamaica and has since cooked at resorts and restaurants across the world. He also owns the Black Walnut next door to Grey Sweater.
Four out of five Portland-based nominees won their categories at the 2023 James Beard Media Awards, including Eater Portland's Brooke Jackson-Glidden, who won the Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award. Other winners include chef Hannah Che for her cookbook "The Vegan Chinese Kitchen," All The Homies Network for their reality show episode featuring Vietnamese food cart Matta, and the podcast Copper & Heat for their episode "Abalone: The Cost of Consumption." The awards recognize excellence in food media across cookbooks, broadcast media, and journalism categories.
The James Beard Foundation announced the winners of its 2023 Media Awards, which cover cookbooks, food journalism, and broadcasts. The winners include Maurizio Leo's The Perfect Loaf in the bread category, Eating While Black by Psyche A. Williams-Forson in the food issues and advocacy category, and Andy Baraghani's The Cook You Want to Be in the general cookbook category. The restaurant and chef categories will be announced at a gala ceremony in Chicago on June 5.
Birmingham chef Adam Evans showed his support for Johnny’s executive chef and owner Timothy Hontzas after he was disqualified as a finalist for the James Beard Award for best chef in the South. The James Beard Foundation said that, following an independent investigation, its ethics committee “found it more likely than not” that Hontzas had violated the foundation’s code of ethics. Hontzas has denied the allegations. Evans said he believes “something good will come out of it” for Hontzas, who is “too good of a guy, too hard of a worker, to not come out better on the other side.”
Veronika Gerasimova, owner of Veronika's Pastry Shop in Billings, Montana, has been named one of five finalists for best pastry chef in the United States by the James Beard Foundation. Gerasimova, who immigrated to the US from Uzbekistan in 1999, opened her pastry shop in 2017 and has since made tens of thousands of European and Russian-style pastries. She was selected as a finalist from a pool of 20 semifinalists and will find out if she has won the award on June 5.
The James Beard Foundation has announced the finalists for its 2023 restaurant and chef awards in categories such as best new restaurant and outstanding chef. Multiple chefs and restaurants in New York City made the shortlist, with winners to be announced in June. The awards were canceled in 2020 and 2021 following a public reckoning, but have returned with new categories and a commitment to diversity and equity.
