After a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic’s effect on restaurants and hospitality, as well as concerns about the diversity of finalists and accusations against various nominees, the James Beard Award returned to celebrate many 2022 winners, according to The New York Times.
Mashama Bailey of the restaurant The Grey in Savannah, Georgia was named this year’s outstanding chef, and Owamni by the Sioux Chef in Minneapolis, Minnesota won this year’s Best New Restaurant award.
“Today, a little Black girl or a little Black boy can see themselves as a future Outstanding Chef,” said Bailey, who won Best Chef: Southeast in 2019, when accepting her award. “They can see themselves in a space that they have never seen before and do what they could not think is possible. And until just a few minutes ago, that was me.”
Hosted by Kwame Onwuachi, the James Beard Foundation’s 2019 Rising Star Chef, the event celebrated the most diverse group of nominees and winners to date.
Following are the rest of the Award winners:
Outstanding Restaurant: Chai Pani, Asheville, North Carolina
Outstanding Restaurateur: Chris Bianco, Tratto, Pane Bianco, and Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix
Outstanding Hospitality: Cúrate, Asheville, North Carolina
Emerging Chef: Edgar Rico, Nixta Taqueria, Austin, Texas
Outstanding Baker: Don Guerra, Barrio Bread, Tucson, Arizona
Outstanding Pastry Chef: Warda Bouguettaya, Warda Pâtisserie, Detroit
Outstanding Wine Program: The Four Horsemen, New York
Outstanding Bar Program: Julep, Houston
Best Chef, California: Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco
Best Chef, Southwest region: Fernando Olea, Sazón, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Best Chef, Midwest region: Dane Baldwin, the Diplomat, Milwaukee
Best Chef, Mountain region: Caroline Glover, Annette, Aurora, Colorado
Best Chef, Northwest and Pacific regions: Robynne Maii, Fête, Honolulu
Best Chef, Texas: Iliana de la Vega, El Naranjo, Austin, Texas
Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic region: Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia
Best Chef, New York State: Chintan Pandya, Dhamaka, New York
Best Chef, South region: Adam Evans, Automatic Seafood and Oysters, Birmingham, Alabama
Best Chef, Southeast region: Ricky Moore, Saltbox Seafood Joint, Durham, North Carolina
Best Chef, Northeast region: Nisachon Morgan, Saap, Randolph, Vermont
Best Chef, Great Lakes region: Erick Williams, Virtue Restaurant & Bar, Chicago
As a result of diversity concerns, the foundation added that, in addition to culinary excellence, winners must also demonstrate a “commitment to racial and gender equity, community, environmental sustainability and a culture where all can thrive,” according to The New York Times. Full Story
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