Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
Last night chefs and restaurateurs from around the country gathered in Chicago for some of the most respected culinary awards in America. The annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards “recognizes exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary, arts, hospitality, media and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability and a culture where we can all thrive.”
In January, the Dallas area got a total of 15 nods in the semifinals, including outstanding chef nominee Junior Borges; three best new restaurants: Restaurant Beatrice, Don Artemio and Tatsu: and two best bakeries: Kuluntu and La Casita.
In March that was whittled down to six finalists, and we wrote about how Dallas Shines. Kuluntu Bakery and La Casita Bakeshop made the cut. Lucia in Bishop Arts made the final cut for Outstanding Restaurant. And for Best New Restaurant, Restaurant Beatrice in Oak Cliff and Don Artemio in Fort Worth were both contenders. Up for Best Chef Texas there was chef Reyna Duong of Sandwich Hag.
Alas, none of these local finalists won an award. However, if you look through many of the nominees’ social media channels, you’ll see it was still a prestigious honor to be there, including an especially poignant message from La Casita Bakeshop’s Maricsa Trejo:
Here’s a highlight reel of the big winners from last night:
Outstanding Chef: Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C.
Outstanding Restaurant: Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
Best New Restaurant: Kann, Portland, Oregon
Outstanding Restaurateur: Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group
Outstanding Bakery: Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, Missouri
Outstanding Bar: Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu
Best Chef Texas: Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston
