The culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars was announced on Monday, and three Texas chefs were among the winners in 25 categories of restaurants and chefs honored at the ceremony for the James Beard Awards in Chicago.
Adrian Torres, of Maximo in West University Place in Houston, was named Best Emerging Chef and Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, of JŪN, also in Houston, were named Best Chef in Texas.
While they didn’t come away with the top prize this year, nearly a dozen other Texans were nominated including Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, for Outstanding Restaurateur with H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Xochi, Urbe and others); Mixtli in San Antonio was nominated for Outstanding Restaurant; Agnes and Sherman, in Houston, were nominated for Best New Restaurant; Tavel Bristol-Joseph, of Nicosi in San Antonio and Maggie Huff, of Lucia in Dallas, were nominated for Outstanding Pastry chef or Baker; Junil Rodil, of March in Houston, was nominated for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service; and five others joined Garcia and Lu in being nominated for Best Chef in Texas. Ope Amosu, of ChòpnBlọk in Houston; Scott Girling, of Osteria II Muro in Denton; Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, of Café Piro in Socorro; and Finn Walter, of The Nicolett in Lubbock.
The winners this year represent 15 states and Washington, D.C.
The James Beard Foundation established the awards in 1990 and has bestowed them since 1991, except in 2020 and 2021, when the organization scrapped them as the restaurant industry was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants apply for the awards. Judges, who mostly remain anonymous, try the cuisine before voting. Nominees are reviewed for the food and for a behavioral “code of ethics,” including how employees are treated.
State by state: James Beard Award winners
We’ve broken out by location the winners for all categories, including Outstanding Restaurateur, Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Emerging Chef, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Bakery, Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, Outstanding Hospitality, Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, Outstanding Bar, Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service and Best Chefs by region.
View all winners here. You can view the previously published list of nominees here.
California winners
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco, CA — Outstanding Chef
Providence, Los Angeles, CA — Outstanding Hospitality
Kato, Los Angeles, CA — Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA — Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service
Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA — Best Chef: California
Colorado winners
Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO — Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)
Illinois winners
Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago, IL — Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Louisiana winners
Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA — Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)
Maine winners
Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, ME — Outstanding Restaurateur
Missouri winners
Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO — Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Montana winners
Wild Crumb, Bozeman, MT — Outstanding Bakery
Nevada winners
Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV — Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)
New Hampshire winners
Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH — Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
New York winners
Lei, New York, NY — Best New Restaurant
Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY — Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY — Best Chef: New York State
North Carolina winners
Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, NC — Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Oregon winners
Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR — Outstanding Bar
Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR — Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
Pennsylvania winners
Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA — Outstanding Restaurant
Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA — Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
Rhode Island winners
Loma, Providence, RI — Best New Bar
Texas winners
Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, TX — Emerging Chef
Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston, TX — Best Chef: Texas
Washington, D.C. winners
Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C. — Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker