Key Highlights :
The San Francisco Bay Area had three finalists in the running for the country’s top culinary awards but came up empty when the James Beard Foundation medallions were bestowed on chefs, restaurateurs and others Monday evening in Chicago.
Modern French pastry chef Margarita Manzke of Republique in Los Angeles won the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker award over a field of finalists that included Vince Bugtong of Abaca in San Francisco (formerly of Oakland’s dessert and cocktail bar, Viridian). Ototo, a Los Angeles sake bar, took home the Beard award for Outstanding Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, beating out Lazy Bear of San Francisco and three other finalists.
In the regional Best Chef: California contest, Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks won the award over Kyle and Katina Connaughton of Healdsburg’s Michelin-starred SingleThread and three Los Angeles finalists.
San Francisco wasn’t the only celebrated dining capital to be shut out of the JBFs. For the second year, no New Orleans chefs won awards, according to Eater. Minneapolis also was shut out, after winning the Best New Restaurant award in 2022. This ceremony was just the second Beards since 2019. The awards had gone on hiatus in 2020 and 2021, with the foundation citing the pandemic-caused disruption to the industry.
In the interim, the foundation established a code of ethics as a guideline for all entrants, semifinalists and nominees, as well as its voting body. An independent volunteer ethics committee was set up to provide oversight.
Overall, a diverse collection of chefs won Beard medallions on Monday. Natalia Vallejo became the first Puerto Rican woman to receive an award, winning as Best Chef: South award. She is the chef-owner of Cocina al Fondo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Best Chef: Northeast honoree was indigenous chef Sherry Pocknett of the Rhode Island restaurant Sly Fox Den Too. “This is something I never even dreamed of,” she said, noting that the award came on the birthday of her grandmother, one of her mentors. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to trailblazing Indo-American chef and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrrey, who has been writing recipes since 1973.
Despite the Bay Area’s shutout at the James Beard Awards this year, the region is still home to some of the best chefs, bakers, and bar programs in the country. San Francisco is home to a thriving culinary scene and continues to be a destination for food lovers from all over the world. From Michelin-starred restaurants to hidden gems, the Bay Area has something for everyone. While the Bay Area chefs, bakers, and bar programs may not have taken home the top honors this year, they are still some of the best in the country and deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication.