AUSTIN, Texas — The James Beard Awards announced the finalists for their Restaurant and Chef Awards on Wednesday, and quite a few Texans made the list.
The James Beard Foundation created the awards in 1991 with the goal of recognizing culinary talent across the country.
Along with the Best Chef: Texas nominees, Texas restaurants received six finalist spots in the categories of Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Bar and Outstanding Hospitality, which feature competition from all across the U.S.
Dallas had two national finalists, Lucia chef David Uygur in the Outstanding Chef category and American Bistro restaurant Gemma in the Outstanding Hospitality category.
Uygur is no stranger to the James Beard Awards. He was named a semifinalist five times in the Best Chefs category starting in 2014. Lucia also was a finalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category just last year.
Texas restaurants took two of the five spots in the Outstanding Restaurant Category with barbecue joint Convenience West in Marfa and Mexican restaurant Mixtli in San Antonio.
Convenience West opened in Marfa in 2017 to high praise, with Texas Monthly calling its food “a work of art.” This is the restaurant's first time being recognized by the James Beard Awards, while Mixtli’s chefs were previously semi finalists for Best Chefs in the Southwest in 2018.
Barbs-B-Que in Lockhart secured its first James Beard Awards nod in the category of Best New Restaurant. The highly-anticipated barbecue restaurant opened last May and is open only two days a week, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until they sell out.
Down south in Brownsville, Las Ramblas was recognized as a finalist in the Outstanding Bar category. This isn’t the craft cocktail lounge’s first rodeo. Just last year, Las Ramblas was a finalist in the same category.
Five Texas chefs will also vie for the Best Chef: Texas award.
Last year, no Austin restaurant or chef made the list of finalists, but this year, one Austin chef made the cut in the Best Chef: Texas category – Birdie’s chef and co-owner Tracy Malechek- Ezekiel. Houston also only had one finalist this year in the same category – Tatemó chef Emmanuel Chavez. The category was rounded out by Cullum’s Attaboy chef Christopher Cullum of San Antonio, Petra & the Beast chef Misti Norris of Dallas and Ana Liz Taqueria chef Ana Liz Pulido of Mission.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Monday, June 10, in Chicago.