It’s no secret to anyone living in the South that the region is home to some of the country’s most talented and creative chefs. But sometimes, it’s nice to see them get a little recognition on the national stage! That’s precisely what happened on Monday night, June 13, 2022, when a host of restaurants and chefs across the region were big winners at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, often referred to as “The Oscars of the Food World.”
At a gala ceremony at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House, in front of many of the industry’s luminaries and a gathering of nominees and foodies, the South showed out, winning multiple awards across categories like Emerging Chef, Outstanding Bar Program, Outstanding Hospitality, and America’s Classics. In addition to the regional awards, Southern representatives also swept the two biggest awards of the evening: Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurant. Here’s a recap of our culinary winners!
This year, for the first time at the Beard Awards, Texas was split off as a separate region from the rest of the Southwest, demonstrating the breadth of culinary talent in the Lone Star State. The spotlight is indeed deserved, and Texans took home some major awards for their accomplishments. Best Chef: Texas went to Iliana de la Vega for her work at her Austin restaurant El Naranjo, where she pays homage to the Mexican cuisine of her Oaxacan upbringing.
Another Austinite, chef Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria, was recognized as the premier Emerging Chef, not only for his outstanding cooking but also for his dedication to the community and investigations of heritage corn and tortilla traditions. Working out of a tiny 100-square-foot kitchen, Rico has made a tremendous impact on the culinary scene in Austin and the community as a whole.
Another Texan who tells stories through food and drink is Alba Huerta, winner of Outstanding Bar Program for her Houston establishment, Julep. Huerta and her bar staff create delicious cocktails, both classics steeped in history and modern innovations that tell the stories of the immigrant culture of Houston through their ingredients. Committed to both education and hospitality, Julep is truly an important bar.
The concept of Southern hospitality is real, so the fact that three of the five finalists for Outstanding Hospitality were from the South should come as no surprise. Hugo’s in Houston and Atlanta’s Ticonderoga Club were worthy nominees, but the winner was Asheville Spanish tapas bar and restaurant Cúrate.
This category used to be known as “Outstanding Service,” but the James Beard Awards committee changed the name this year to reflect the importance of how both customers and staff are treated to create a truly hospitable experience. Chef Katie Button and her husband, Félix Meana, have worked for more than a decade to create a welcoming environment at Cúrate, and this award is the culmination of their efforts.
If you thought that only fancy white-tablecloth restaurants win James Beard Awards, SALTbox Seafood Joint in Durham proves that isn’t necessarily the case. Chef Ricky Moore has worked in fine dining restaurant kitchens worldwide, but when he wanted to open his own seafood spot, he didn’t even bother with plates. Every dish at SALTbox is served on a cardboard tray, a sustainable choice that fits in with the restaurant’s casual vibe. It’s the amazing food on the trays that earned Moore the honor of Best Chef: Southeast. Sourcing the freshest seasonal seafood has earned him legions of fans and now a Beard Award, to boot.
Another seafood specialist won the award for Best Chef: South as well. Chef Adam Evans honed his craft working in restaurants across the South and New York City before bursting onto the national culinary scene as the opening Executive Chef at Ford Fry’s excellent Atlanta seafood restaurant, The Optimist. Evans carried that seafood experience with him to his own restaurant in Birmingham, Automatic Seafood & Oysters, and it only took him a few years to win his first Beard Award.
Three Southern restaurants made the finals for the national award of Outstanding Restaurant, and the winner was a bit of a surprise. Not because the food at Chai Pani in Asheville isn’t fantastic. It absolutely is! Chef and owner Meherwan Irani presents his version of Indian street food, creatively updated for the modern dining audience, but in a fairly small and humble restaurant. Up against big hitters like Brennan’s in New Orleans, Butcher & Bee in Charleston, and other famous restaurants around the rest of the country, it was a delightful upset for Irani to bring home the hardware. In his acceptance speech, the chef talked about the transformative power of restaurants, and it became clear that the judges saw what makes Chai Pani so special.
The top chef award went to Mashama Bailey of The Grey in Savannah. Along with her business partner Johno Morisano, Bailey also operates three other restaurants in Savannah and Austin. Still, it’s her work in the kitchen at The Grey that earned her the title of Outstanding Chef. Back in 2019, she was named Best Chef: Southeast. Her efforts to tell the history of Black cooks through updated versions of classic Southern cuisine are made even more dramatic considering that The Grey is situated in a former bus station that was segregated during the days of Jim Crow laws.
Finally, an iconic Atlanta soul food restaurant – which was also an important site in the struggle for civil rights — was recognized with an “America’s Classic” award by the James Beard Foundation. For over 75 years, Busy Bee Cafe has been serving up some of the best fried chicken in the South, so beloved that it became a favorite meeting spot for the leadership of civil rights movement. Frequent diners included Dr. Martin Luther King, jr, Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy, and others who planned strategies over platters of chicken and sides of collard greens and mac n’ cheese. America’s Classic winners were announced earlier this year, but owner Tracy Gates accepted the award from the stage of the Lyric Opera House during the ceremony.
Kudos to all these deserving chefs and restaurateurs for how well they represented our home region in the national culinary arena!
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