The James Beard Awards have returned. After a two-year hiatus, the James Beard Foundation revealed its semifinalists for its 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards.
Considered the Oscars of the food world, the awards recognize outstanding chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories ranging from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant and a range of media categories. This year will be the first time the foundation has given an award for Best Chef: Texas, which it created after the 2019 awards to recognize the state’s diverse collection of talent.
Houston restaurants and bars are well represented among both the national and regional awards. Overall, the city earned five national nominations and leads the way with seven nominations for Best Chef: Texas.
They are:
- Outstanding Restaurateur: Chris Williams, Lucille’s Hospitality Group
- Best New Restaurant: Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House
- Outstanding Pastry Chef: Ruben Ortega, Xochi
- Outstanding Hospitality: Hugo’s
- Outstanding Bar Program: Julep
Best Chef: Texas nominees:
- Alex Au-Yeung, Phat Eatery
- Aaron Bludorn, Bludorn
- Sylvia Casares, Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen
- Christine Ha and Tony J. Nguyen, Xin Chào
- Quy Hoang, Blood Bros. BBQ
- Kaiser Lashkari, Himalaya Restaurant
- Felipe Riccio, March
Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth garnered five national five Best Chef: Texas nominations. San Antonio earned four national and four Best Chef: Texas nominations. Austin trailed with two national nods, both for Emerging Chef, and two Best Chef: Texas nominees.
Barbecue pitmasters faired well in the Texas category. In addition to Hoang, Esaul Ramos Jr. (2M Smokehouse in San Antonio), Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland (Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin), and Damien Brockway (Distant Relatives in Austin) all lead barbecue joints that named to Texas Monthly’s recent 50 best list.
Including pitmasters reflects the foundation’s goal to broaden the types of chefs and restaurants that it considers for its awards. After the foundation canceled its 2020 awards, the New York Timesreported that none of 2020’s Black nominees won their categories. The organization also faced criticism that it nominated people accused of unethical behavior.
After an audit, the foundation overhauled the awards process. Nominees must now provide an alignment statement that demonstrates their support for at least one of the foundation’s stated values of equity, transparency, respect, integrity, community, and passion. In addition, the foundation changed eligibility requirements for voting. Whether these changes are enough to satisfy critics remains to be seen.
The Beard Foundation will announce the finalists for its restaurant and chef awards as well as the honorees for the Leadership, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Humanitarian of the Year Awards on March 16. Media award finalists will be revealed on April 27. Winners will be awarded in Chicago on June 13.
Alex Au-Yeung, Phat Eatery.
