By Marnie Hunter and Forrest Brown, CNN

An Indian street food restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, an Indigenous restaurant in Minneapolis and an African American chef at a fine dining restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, earned three of the American culinary community’s top awards on Monday night.

Mashama Bailey, chef at The Grey in Savannah, is 2022’s James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Chef.

“Black and brown folks, immigrants, mom-and-pop shops have been bubbling underneath the surface of this industry, working hard for a long time establishing our place in American food. I stand on the backs of many of them and today a little Black girl or a little Black boy can see themselves as a future Outstanding Chef,” Bailey said in accepting the award.

Chai Pani, an Asheville restaurant serving bright, crispy Indian street snacks, earned the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant.

“Restaurants are so much greater than the sum of what’s inside the four walls. A restaurant has the power to transform — transform the people that work there, transform the people that come in, transform the communities we’re in, transform society. Restaurants can transform the world,” said Meherwan Irani, chef and founder at Chai Pani, which also has a location in Decatur, Georgia.

Owamni, an Indigenous restaurant in Minneapolis from Dana Thompson and chef Sean Sherman, won the award for Best New Restaurant.

Sherman noted the centuries of racism and colonialism that people of color have endured.

“This is showing that we can get through that, that we’re still here. You know, our people are here, our ancestors are proud tonight because we’re doing something different. We’re putting health on the table, we’re putting culture on the table and we’re putting our stories on the table,” Sherman said.

Hard work, dedication and resilience

The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony was held Monday night at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot welcomed the awards ceremony to Chicago and said it bolstered the city’s foodie bona fides. She was one of many speakers who talked about the difficulties caused by Covid-19.

“Your hard work, your dedication and resilience … in conquering challenges of this great pandemic is a testament to the adage: ‘What doesn’t break you makes you stronger.'”

The 2022 awards mark the first bestowed under new policies and procedures and a new code of ethics sparked by allegations of chefs’ bad behavior and a lack of diversity.

The awards in many key categories were abruptly called off in 2020 and remained on pause in 2021 amid the industry’s pandemic upheaval and the foundation’s work on the new framework.

The nonprofit James Beard Foundation was established more than 30 years ago, shortly after “pioneer foodie” James Beard’s death, “to celebrate, support and elevate the people behind America’s food culture.”

Beard was the host of “I Love to Eat,” the first food program on network television in 1946 and was called the “Dean of American Cookery” by The New York Times in 1954.

Here’s the full list of the 2022 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees. The winners in each category are listed in bold.

Outstanding Restaurateur 

• Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group (Rasika, Bindaas, Annabelle, and others), Washington, DC

• WINNER: Chris Bianco, Tratto, Pane Bianco, and Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

• Kevin Gillespie, Red Beard Restaurants (Gunshow and Revival), Atlanta

• Akkapong “Earl” Ninsom, Langbaan, Hat Yai, Eem, and others, Portland, Oregon

• Chris Williams, Lucille’s Hospitality Group, Houston

• Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, a.kitchen + bar, High Street Philly, and others), Philadelphia

Outstanding Chef 

• Reem Assil, Reem’s, Oakland and San Francisco

• WINNER: Mashama Bailey, The Grey, Savannah, Georgia

• Peter Chang, Peter Chang, Virginia and Maryland

• Jason Vincent, Giant, Chicago

• Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle

Outstanding Restaurant 

• Brennan’s, New Orleans

• Butcher & Bee, Charleston, South Carolina

• WINNER: Chai Pani, Asheville, North Carolina

• Parachute, Chicago

• The Walrus and the Carpenter, Seattle

Emerging Chef

• Angel Barreto, Anju, Washington, DC

• Calvin Eng, Bonnie’s, New York City

• Cleophus Hethington, Benne on Eagle, Asheville, North Carolina

• Serigne Mbaye, Dakar Nola, New Orleans

• WINNER: Edgar Rico, Nixta Taqueria, Austin

• Crystal Wahpepah, Wahpepah’s Kitchen, Oakland, California

Best New Restaurant

• Angry Egret Dinette, Los Angeles

• Bacanora, Phoenix

• BARDA, Detroit

• Dhamaka, New York City

• Horn BBQ, Oakland, California

• Kasama, Chicago

• Leeward, Portland, Maine

• WINNER: Owamni, Minneapolis

• Oyster Oyster, Washington, DC

• Roots Southern Table, Farmers Branch, Texas

• Ursula, New York City

Outstanding Pastry Chef

• WINNER: Warda Bouguettaya, Warda Pâtisserie, Detroit

• Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles

• Claudia Martinez, Miller Union, Atlanta

• Ruben Ortega, Xochi, Houston

• Caroline Schiff, Gage & Tollner, New York City

Outstanding Baker

• Maya-Camille Broussard, Justice of the Pies, Chicago

• Atsuko Fujimoto, Norimoto Bakery, Portland, Maine

• WINNER: Don Guerra, Barrio Bread, Tucson, Arizona

• Caroline Schweitzer and Lauren Heemstra, Wild Crumb, Bozeman, Montana

• Zak Stern, Zak the Baker, Miami

Outstanding Hospitality

• WINNER: Cúrate, Asheville, NC

• House of Prime Rib, San Francisco

• Hugo’s, Houston

• Sylvia’s Restaurant, NYC

• Ticonderoga Club, Atlanta

Outstanding Wine Program

• WINNER: The Four Horsemen, New York City

• Frenchette, NYC

• The Little Nell, Aspen, CO

• Maydan, Washington, D.C.

• Rebel Rebel, Somerville, MA

Outstanding Bar Program

• Alley Twenty Six, Durham, North Carolina

• Attaboy, Nashville, Tennessee

• barmini by José Andrés, Washington, DC

• WINNER: Julep, Houston

• Nobody’s Darling, Chicago

Best Chefs

Best Chef: California

• WINNER: Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco

• Bryant Ng, Cassia, Santa Monica, California

• Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong, Jitlada, Los Angeles

• James Syhabout, Commis, Oakland, California

• Pim Techamuanvivit, Nari, San Francisco

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

• Omar Anani, Saffron De Twah, Detroit

• Jason Hammel, Lula Cafe, Chicago

• Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago

• John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, Smyth, Chicago

• WINNER: Erick Williams, Virtue Restaurant & Bar, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA) 

• Angel Barreto, Anju, Washington, DC

• Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, DC

• Jesse Ito, Royal Izakaya, Philadelphia

• WINNER: Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia

• Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya Thai Kitchen, Philadelphia

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI) 

• WINNER: Dane Baldwin, The Diplomat, Milwaukee

• Karen Bell, Bavette La Boucherie, Milwaukee

• Jorge Guzmán, Petite León, Minneapolis

• Gregory León, Amilinda, Milwaukee

• Sean Sherman, Owamni, Minneapolis

• Yia Vang, Union Hmong Kitchen, Minneapolis

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

• Jose Avila, El Borrego Negro, Denver

• Cody Cheetham, Tavernetta, Denver

• WINNER: Caroline Glover, Annette, Aurora, Colorado

• Dana Rodriguez, Work & Class, Denver

• Eric Skokan, Black Cat Farm Table Bistro, Boulder, Colorado

Best Chef: New York State 

• Amanda Cohen, Dirt Candy, New York City

• JJ Johnson, FIELDTRIP, New York City

• Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shuka, New York City

• WINNER: Chintan Pandya, Dhamaka, New York City

• Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York City

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

• Vien Dobui, CÔNG TỬ BỘT, Portland, Maine

• Tiffani Faison, Orfano, Boston

• Courtney Loreg, Woodford Food & Beverage, Portland, Maine

• WINNER: Nisachon Morgan, Saap, Randolph, Vermont

• Damian Sansonetti, Chaval, Portland, Maine

Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA) 

• Carlo Lamagna, Magna Kusina, Portland, Oregon

• WINNER: Robynne Maii, Fête, Honolulu

• Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Oma’s Hideaway, Portland, Oregon

• Sheldon Simeon, Tin Roof, Kahului, Hawaii

• Mutsuko Soma, Kamonegi, Seattle

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

• Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, North Carolina

• Greg Collier, Leah & Louise, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Philip Krajeck, Rolf and Daughters, Nashville

• Cheetie Kumar, Garland, Raleigh, North Carolina

• WINNER: Ricky Moore, SALTBOX Seafood Joint, Durham, North Carolina

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR) 

• Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith, Saint-Germain, New Orleans

• WINNER: Adam Evans, Automatic Seafood and Oysters, Birmingham, Alabama

• Timothy Hontzas, Johnny’s Restaurant, Homewood, Alabama

• Melissa M. Martin, Mosquito Supper Club, New Orleans

• Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK) 

• WINNER: Fernando Olea, Sazón, Santa Fe

• Martín Rios, Restaurant Martín, Santa Fe

• Salazar Brothers, La Guelaguetza, Albuquerque, New Mexico

• Giovanni Scorzo, Andreoli Italian Grocer, Scottsdale, Arizona

• Jamie Tran, The Black Sheep, Las Vegas

Best Chef: Texas

• Tiffany Derry, Roots Southern Table, Farmers Branch

• Christine Ha and Tony J. Nguyen, Xin Chào, Houston

• Quy Hoang, Blood Bros. BBQ, Bellaire

• Steven McHugh, Cured, San Antonio

• WINNER: Iliana de la Vega, El Naranjo, Austin

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