The biggest night in the restaurant world has rolled back around, preceded by plenty of excitement and drama. At a black-tie ceremony at Chicago’s Lyric Opera on June 5, the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of its Restaurant and Chef Awards. The night included a number of exciting firsts.
This year, Gregory Gourdet took home the award for Best New Restaurant, with his debut Haitian restaurant Kann in Portland, Oregon. Rob Rubba of sustainability-focused Oyster Oyster in Washington, DC, received the Outstanding Chef award. Meanwhile Damarr Brown of Chicago restaurant Virtue was named Emerging Chef, and Yoli, a tortilleria in Kansas City, Missouri, took home the award in a new Outstanding Bakery category.
In the regional Best Chef categories, Junghyun Park of New York Korean tasting menu spot Atomix took home the award for best chef in New York State and Sherry Pocknett of the indigenous restaurant Sly Fox Den Too in Charlestown, Rhode Island received the award for the Northeast. Pocknett becomes the first Indigenous woman to win a James Beard award. Natalia Vallejo of Cocina al Fondo in San Juan, Puerto Rico was named Best Chef in the South, making her the first chef from Puerto Rico to receive the award.
This year’s finalists, announced March 29, included exciting bright spots and BA favorites including Shaina Loew-Banayan of Cafe Mutton in Hudson, New York (one of BA’s 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022), and Amanda Shulman of Her Place Supper Club in Philadelphia, (one of our 50 Best New Restaurants of 2022). The glitzy ceremony draws intrigue from restaurateurs, chefs, and diners who regard the awards as a pinnacle of achievement in the food world.
In the past few years though, the intrigue surrounding the awards has leaned in the direction of scrutiny, as the foundation faces an ongoing flurry of controversy. This year’s ceremony is the second following a two-year hiatus, during which JBF launched an internal audit promising to radically overhaul its practices in the service of diversity, equity, and, more broadly, transparency. JBF’s much-anticipated return in 2022 was received positively, seeing a pool of winners markedly more diverse than in past years.
Still, the rollout of a new vetting process and updated disciplinary procedures for violating JBF’s code of ethics has been met with mixed reviews. Some chefs and committee members have expressed discontent over a continued lack of transparency and communication regarding disciplinary measures, and the foundation mostly refuses to shed light on its approach.
Despite it all, the show goes on. The Restaurant and Chef Awards remains one of the food world’s biggest events, and winning can help propel a chef’s career to new heights. Read on for a full list of winners for this year’s James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.
Outstanding Restaurateur
Winner:
- Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group, Philadelphia
Nominees:
- Brandon Chrostowski, EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute, Cleveland
- Greg Dulan, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, Dulan’s on Crenshaw, and Dulanville, Los Angeles
- Aaron Hoskins, Sarah Simmons, and Elie Yigo, CITY GRIT Hospitality Group, Columbia, South Carolina
- Venvy and Quynh Pham, Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Pacific Standard Time, The Boat, Seattle
- Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group, Philadelphia
Outstanding Chef
Winner:
- Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, DC
Nominees:
- Rachel Miller, Nightshade Noodle Bar, Lynn, Massachusetts
- Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles
- Erik Ramirez, Llama Inn, Brooklyn
- Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, DC
- Hajime Sato, Sozai, Clawson, Michigan
Outstanding Restaurant
Winner:
- Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
Nominees:
- Copine, Seattle
- Coracora, West Hartford, Connecticut
- Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia
- Lucia, Dallas
- Mita’s, Cincinnati
Emerging Chef
Winner:
- Damarr Brown, Virtue, Chicago
Nominees:
- Damarr Brown, Virtue, Chicago
- Rashida Holmes, Bridgetown Roti, Los Angeles
- Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans
- Charlie Mitchell, Clover Hill, NYC
- Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia
Best New Restaurant
Winner:
- Kann, Portland, Oregon
Nominees:
- Causa, Washington, DC
- Dept of Culture, Brooklyn
- Don Artemio, Fort Worth
- Kann, Portland, Oregon
- Lupi & Iris, Milwaukee
- Neng Jr.’s Asheville, North Carolina
- Nolia, Cincinnati
- Obélix, Chicago
- Restaurant Beatrice, Dallas
- Tatemó, Houston
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Winner:
- Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles
Nominees:
- Veronika Baukema, Veronika’s Pastry Shop, Billings, Montana
- Elaine Uykimpang Bentz, Café Mochiko, Cincinnati
- Vince Bugtong, ABACÁ, Oakland
- Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles
- Shawn McKenzie, Café Cerés, Minneapolis
Outstanding Bakery
Winner:
- Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, Missouri
Nominees:
- Angelo Brocato, New Orleans
- La Casita Bakeshop, Richardson, Texas
- Kuluntu Bakery, Dallas
- Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, Missouri
- Zak the Baker, Miami
Outstanding Hospitality
Winner:
- The Quarry, Monson, Maine
Nominees:
- The Black Cypress, Pullman, Washington
- Bottega, Birmingham, Alabama
- Lula Drake, Columbia, South Carolina
- The Quarry, Monson, Maine
- Sepia, Chicago
Outstanding Bar
Winner:
- Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI
Nominees:
- Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu
- Drastic Measures, Shawnee, Kansas
- Garagiste Wine Room/Merchant, Las Vegas
- Las Ramblas, Brownsville, Texas
- Rob Roy, Seattle
Outstanding Wine Program
Winner:
- Ototo, Los Angeles
Nominees:
- Cote, New York, NY
- Lazy Bear, San Francisco
- Nancy’s Hustle, Houston
- Ototo, Los Angeles
- Spencer, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Best Chef: California
Winner:
- Justin Pichetrungsi, Anjak Thai, Sherman Oaks, California
Nominees:
- Gilberto Cetina Jr. Holbox, Los Angeles
- Kyle and Katina Connaughton, Single Thread, Healdsburg, California
- Brandon Hayato Go, Hayato, Los Angeles
- Justin Pichetrungsi, Anjak Thai, Sherman Oaks, California
- Carlos Salgado, Taco María, Costa Mesa, California
Best Chef: Great Lakes
Winner:
- Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago
Nominees:
- Omar Anani, Saffron De Twah, Detroit
- Diana Dávila, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago
- Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago
- Andy Hollyday, Selden Standard, Detroit
- Sarah Welch, Marrow, Detroit
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Winner:
- Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia
Nominees:
- Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi, Philadelphia
- Dionicio Jiménez, Cantina La Martina, Philadelphia
- Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski, Apteka, Pittsburgh
- Michael Rafidi, Albi, Washington, DC
- Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia
Best Chef: Midwest
Winner:
- Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, Madison, Wisconsin
Nominees:
- Sanaa Abourezk, Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Gregory León, Amilinda, Milwaukee
- Francesco Mangano, Osteria Papavero, Madison, Wisconsin
- Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, Fairchild, Wisconsin
- David Utterback, Yoshitomo, Omaha
Best Chef: Mountain
Winner:
- Kris Komori, KIN, Boise, Idaho
Nominees:
- Slavador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, Idaho
- Michael Diaz de Leon, Brutø, Denver
- Suchada Johnson, Teton Thai, Teton Village, Wyoming
- Kris Komori, KIN, Boise, Idaho
- Ali Sabbah, Mazza, Salt Lake City
Best Chef: New York State
Winner:
- Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York
Nominees:
- Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn
- Mary Attea, The Musket Room, New York
- Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy, New York
- Shaina Loew-Banayan, Cafe Mutton, Hudson, New York
- Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York
Best Chef: Northeast
Winner:
- Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, Rhode Island
Nominees:
- Valentine Howell, Krasi, Boston
- Christian Hunter, Community Table, New Preston, Connecticut
- Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, Rhode Island
- Yisha Siu, Yunnan Kitchen, Boston
- Renee Touponce, The Port of Call, Mystic, Connecticut
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific
Winner:
- Vince Nguyen, Berlu, Portland, Oregon
Nominees:
- Joshua Dorcak, MÄS, Ashland, Oregon
- Vince Nguyen, Berlu, Portland
- Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Portland
- Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupa, Juneau, Aalaska
- Aaron Verzosa, Archipelago, Seattle
Best Chef: Southeast
Winner:
- Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, Georgia
Nominees:
- Sam Fore, Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites, Lexington, Kentucky
- Josh Habiger, Bastion, Nashville
- Sam Hart, Counter-, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, Georgia
- Paul Smith, 1010 Bridge, Charleston, West Virginia
Best Chef: South
Winner:
- Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Nominees:
- Ana Castro, Lengua Madre, New Orleans
- Timothy Hontzas, Johnny’s Restaurant, Homewood, Alabama
- Alex Perry and Kumi Omori, Vestige, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
- Henry Moso, Kabooki Sushi, Orlando
- Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Best Chef: Southwest
Winner:
- Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City
Nominees:
- Oscar Amador, Amima by EDO, Las Vegas
- Kaoru Azeuchi, KAISEKI YUZU, Las Vegas
- Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City
- Jeff Chanchaleune, Ma Der Lao Kitchen, Oklahoma City
- Justin Pioche, Pioche Food Group, Upper Fruitland (Doolkai), Navajo Nation, New Mexico
Best Chef: Texas
Winner:
- Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston
Nominees:
- Reyna Duong, Sandwich Hag, Dallas
- Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston
- Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland, Burnt Bean Co., Seguin, Texas
- Emiliano Marentes, ELEMI, El Paso
- John Russ, Clementine, San Antonio