The brine from pickles, capers, and other preserved foods is packed with flavor that can supercharge your meals

Do you ever feel thrilled when you buy an ingredient that can be used in multiple ways, excited about an item that makes a huge difference in more than one state of matter? That’s how I get about pickles, capers, feta, and any ingredient kept in salty liquid or vinegar.

I have always, always loved fermented foods. Blame it on my Iranian genetics, which are primed to prefer anything soaked in vinegar or created with a little microbial growth — like yogurt-enveloped salads not unlike the Jell-O and mayonnaise creations of lore; assorted pickled vegetables; torshi, named after the Farsi word for “sour”; doogh, a fermented, carbonated yogurt drink spiked with mint. Unintentional puns aside, fermented foods are my culture, and my heart leans towards dishes and drinks that constantly hum.

That’s why I consider it my duty to tell you: do not sleep on the liquid that immerses pickles, capers, pepperoncini, feta, and more. The liquid lurking in the random jars and containers cluttering your refrigerator makes up a library of flavors that can enhance your meals at no additional cost.

What’s more, it tends to last: Pickle, olive, and caper brines will keep for up to a year in the fridge once opened, while dairy brines like those for yogurt and feta will last four to six weeks after opening. Before you use a liquid, give it a quick examination to ensure it’s still good. If it’s cloudy or foul-smelling, it should be discarded.

Learning exactly how to utilize brine, whether as a base for a marinade, sauce, or dressing, a vehicle for creating quick pickles, or simply a condiment poured directly onto food, will grant you a lot of power in the kitchen. So instead of thinking of leftover vinegar as something to be poured down the drain, see it for what it is: an opportunity to resourcefully add a punch of flavor at any stage of the cooking process. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Whip up an instant marinade or salad dressing

Anyone familiar with Middle Eastern cuisine, or at the very least a good shawarma recipe, knows that yogurt is the MVP of marinades. Or perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to taste the wonder that is pickle-brined fried chicken. Soaking your meat in salt juice doesn’t just amplify the taste: “When you brine meat, it enhances the flavor and results in a juicy, tender texture,” says chef Nate Cayer of Sorry Charlie’s in Savannah, Georgia. “The high salt content also helps eliminate any unwanted bacteria.”

If you want to experiment with brine as a marinade, opt for jarred liquid or even the saline treasure that comes in your tub of feta.

“For most proteins, 16 to 24 hours is the sweet spot for brining, as it gives the salt and seasonings ample time to penetrate the meat and enhance its natural flavor and juiciness,” Cayer says. “Larger cuts, like pork shoulders or roasts, can benefit from up to 36 hours in the brine, ensuring the seasoning reaches deep into every fiber.” And take care with your timing: “If the brining time is too short, the flavors won’t fully develop, and if it’s too long the texture could be compromised.”

These liquids can also make a strong foundation for a salad dressing. Simply whisk a little bit into your favorite neutral oil for a topper that accentuates lettuces and beans, or a substitute dressing for mayonnaise-based tuna salads.

Enjoy infinite pickles

This one’s a double whammy because you’re utilizing extra liquid and stray vegetables that would otherwise lose their crunch. You can extend the life of leftover pickle liquid and your extra cucumbers or carrots by dunking them straight into the jar. Since saline is a preservative, hacking your own pickles will keep alliums edible for two more weeks and other veggies palatable for up to two months. Enjoy those briny treasures straight from the jar, or use them to add some zip to your sandwiches and snack plates. For more information on quick pickles, here’s a comprehensive guide.

Just pour it on top!

If you feel your dish is missing something, may I suggest a bit of pickle juice or vinegar? Chicken piccata gets a little extra zing when you add capers and their juice. Just a dash makes stovetop greens delectable, especially when you cook them in it. Once, seconds after adding greens to a saute pan, I realized I’d run out of salt. So I opened my fridge and reached for the saltiest thing I could find, which happened to be pepperoncini juice. It led to the best greens I’d ever made, with tingly pepper spice thrumming at the base and salinity at the top. I’d kept the stove’s temperature low, so the leaves were soft and forgiving — a perfect complement to the flavor bomb I’d poured right on top.

Sarra Sedghi is a writer based in Atlanta.

From mango to Major Grey, there are styles of chutney for grilled cheese and charcuterie plates, chutneys to eat on eggs, chutneys to use as marinades, and more

My fridge is quickly approaching condiment critical capacity. Over the past few years there have been trend waves of hot sauces, chile crisps, specialty mayonnaises, and more, with most winding up languishing in the back of my shelf after one or two tries.

I never have that problem with chutney, a style of condiment I believe to be one of the most versatile things you can have in your fridge. Yes, I cook and eat a lot of Indian food. But even if you don’t, there is a style of chutney to fit your lifestyle. “Chutney” is sort of a catchall term for a variety of achaars, relishes, and sauces, sometimes pickled and sometimes fresh. And outside of South Asia, there are products like apple chutneys and Major Grey’s Chutney, which are more like heavily spiced fruit jams, a result of British occupiers in India attempting to make chutneys with produce more readily available in England.

The diversity of chutney works to your advantage. There are chutneys that work well on grilled cheeses and charcuterie plates, chutneys to eat on eggs, to use as marinades for meat, and to swirl into yogurt dips or salad dressings. There are chutneys to put on ice cream, and those to just mix with rice when you have no clue what else to do for dinner. Here are my favorites.

The best mango chutneys

The best tamarind chutneys

The best green chutneys

The best wild card chutneys

Oreos, like every other brand, have been going all-in on pop-culture collabs

What even is an Oreo anymore? I once found comfort in the fact that Oreos were basically like chocolate chip cookies — you pretty much always knew exactly what you were going to get. An Oreo consisted of just two perfect things: chocolate cookie and creme, amen. In recent years, however, that feeling has been destabilized — an Oreo can be anything.

Just yesterday Oreo announced its newest twist: “a first-of-its-kind swirled creme combining salted caramel and shortbread flavor creme, sandwiched between an OREO chocolate cookie and a signature golden cookie,” according to the press release. It’s a collaboration with the musician Post Malone, who is by now no stranger to big food collabs; in 2023, he began a partnership with the chicken chain Raising Cane’s.

As delicious as the Post Malone Oreo sounds, it raises the same existential question I often have with these kinds of celebrity food collabs, whether it’s a namesake Oreo or a themed meal at McDonald’s: What should the flavor be? Should it call to mind the essence of the celebrity in some way? In which case, I see how a partnership with someone like Jelly Roll might be obvious; Post Malone less so. Should it just be a flavor they like? That seems to be the case here.

Mondelēz International

Either way, the move represents the continuation of Oreo’s celebrity-partnership strategy. In 2020, the company released Lady Gaga Oreos: pink cookies with green creme filling (in flavor, no different from a golden Oreo). This trend extends globally too. 2020 saw the release of an Oreo partnership with the blogger Chiara Ferragni in Italy (a Double Stuf Oreo with branded packaging), and a partnership with the Korean musical group BLACKPINK (black Oreos with strawberry filling and pink Oreos with chocolate filling) debuted in Korea and parts of Southeast Asia in 2023.

Oreo has been doing more pop-culture tie-ins across the board, like the recent Super Mario Oreos (standard in flavor, but with themed prints) and Star Wars Oreos (with red and blue creme featuring “kyber-inspired” sugar crystals). To be a simple cookie-and-creme Oreo is no longer enough — bring on the prints and pizzazz!

But what this trend of Oreo collabs really seems to represent is an attempt at making a package of Oreos another coveted collector’s item. On eBay, a four-pack of BLACKPINK Oreos is currently listed for $30, not including the $23 shipping from Indonesia. The Lady Gaga Oreos hover at similar prices. Yes, many of these Oreos are now years old. And of course, just like rare sneakers, you can find the Supreme Oreos on StockX. There, one listing reads: “(Not Fit For Human Consumption).”

When I decided to make chewy biang biang noodles at home, I learned that patience — and good thwacking skills — are the key to success

The sound of biang biang noodles is like a siren call to me. Sure, the rhythmic thwacking isn’t Beethoven’s Fifth or anything, but I know on the other side of those slapping notes are delightfully chewy ribbons ready to be submerged in hot soups or dressed in chile crisp.

Growing up in Los Angeles’s San Gabriel Valley, hand-ripped noodles have always been readily available to me. When I lived in New York City, Xi’an Famous Foods’ cumin-kissed lamb noodles were a mere subway ride or stroll away. The abundance of noodles means that I never even thought about making the noodles at home, as fun and musical as it seemed.

But with the rising cost of dining out, and my own desire to strengthen my culinary prowess in the kitchen, I decided to attempt making hand-ripped noodles at home.

I enlisted the help of sisters Sarah and Kaitlin Leung, who with their parents, Billy and Judy, run the Woks of Life blog and authored the subsequent cookbook of the same name. Across the Woks of Life blog, there are dozens of noodle recipes, including one for biang biang cumin lamb. The family themselves went to Xi’an Famous Foods to perfect their technique, learning from another parent-child duo, David and Jason Wang — so I knew they could give me expert tips on making my own noodles.

To begin, it’s important to distinguish biang biang noodles from hand-pulled noodles. “The hand-pulled noodles take real training and time to master that Lanzhou style,” Sarah explains. Lanzhou-style noodles require evenly pulling and bringing noodles together and pulling again, like a cat’s cradle that produces infinite strands. Biang biang noodles, by comparison, have a simpler approach. “For biang noodles, you basically take a rectangle of dough and you sort of slap it to stretch it before you rip it in half,” Sarah adds. Instead of dozens of threads, biang noodles are one long ribbon, split in two. “I’ve also heard them described as hand-ripped noodles.”

The ripping of biang noodles makes them less uniform than their Lanzhou-style counterparts, which is perfect for me, someone who is decidedly not a perfectionist and just wants to eat well. I also love the way the ripping leads to ruffled edges, which chile oil seems to cling to. “The charm of it is the irregularity because it gives it a unique mouthfeel,” Kaitlin says. “Also, the dough is super simple, so I definitely think this is doable at home.”

The dough requires a mere three ingredients: bread flour, salt, and water. Everything can be mixed by hand; in fact, when the Leung sisters went to learn from David Wang at Xi’an’s Famous Foods, they noticed he did all the work this way. “If you want to be closer to your dough, then do it by hand,” Sarah suggests.

If you have a stand mixer, however, the recipe becomes even more simple. I threw my flour, salt, and water in my mixer fitted with a dough hook, turned on the machine, and walked away. The Woks of Life recipe suggests letting the dough knead for 20 minutes so I followed that advice. By the end of the 20 minutes, my dough ball was smooth and elastic enough to break off a piece and stretch it slightly, an indicator the Leung sisters use to tell that the dough is done. From there, it’s all about resting.

“The key to making the dough and ensuring it is elastic enough to pull is letting it rest,” Kaitlin says. The Leungs’ recipe says to allow the dough to rest for an hour or two, but after the first hour, mine still felt pretty tight and inflexible. I wound up letting the dough rest for four hours until it was pliable and stretchy, the way it’s supposed to feel when it’s time to start thwacking away.

Once the dough was ready, I divided it into 10 relatively equal parts and, using my palm, flattened each into a small rectangle roughly five inches long, two inches wide, and a quarter-inch thick. Although this method differs slightly from the Woks of Life’s, it comes from another good source: Jason Wang. I knew I wasn’t going to use all the dough right away, so I took two rectangles for noodle-pulling and covered the rest in plastic to chill in the fridge.

From there, I used a chopstick to indent both rectangles down the center lengthwise, pressing hard enough that a mark remained but not so hard that the dough became translucent. This guiding line helps when it comes time to tear the noodle in half after stretching.

From there, it was time to make music. If you’re lucky, you have a kitchen island or prep table that is large enough for banging noodles. I, unfortunately, do not, so I tried creating my own prep table by placing a large sheet pan over my stovetop. For the purpose of creating imperfect noodles, this worked out just fine.

I began wiggling the noodles and banging them down onto my sheet pan, pulling and stretching in what felt like an awkward rhythm. Sure enough, the noodles began to elongate, but not without some fight. I kept my fingers pinched on each end of the noodle and twisted my wrists, swaying the strand this way and that, trying to get the dough to stretch even further. I have to admit, it’s a lot harder than it looks! The dough, at times, felt resistant, trying to shrink back to its original rectangular shape. When all was said and done, I was able to stretch my noodle out about three feet. Although I’ve seen hand-ripped noodles pulled far longer than this, I didn’t mind so much because I prefer thick and chewy noodles.

After all the thwacking, I found the indentation and pulled my noodle apart, so instead of one long strand it became a lengthy, thinner circle of dough. The best part about this recipe is that after all the time spent waiting for the dough to rest, the noodles take a single minute and change in boiling water to finish cooking.

You can do all sorts of things with the noodles once they’ve been made. “The two ways to serve them for me are in soup or in a sauce,” Sarah says. “I’ve never actually tried to stir fry them; I make the sauce and then just toss it in the wok.”

A traditional route would be to make a spicy lamb stew layered with the flavors of cumin, like the most popular dish at Xi’an Famous Foods. You can add the noodles to soups or make a version of you po mian, or sizzling chile oil noodles.

I went with the laziest method I could conjure (hey, I had just spent hours waiting for these noodles to be stretchable) and topped mine with Chinese black vinegar, store-bought chile oil, soy sauce, and some sliced green onions. Even with such a simple application, the dish was a revelation. The chewy noodles became a canvas for the tang of vinegar and savory hit of chile oil. I later used the leftover noodle dough for a Lao-inspired chicken noodle soup; in a dish with less heat and more simplicity, the noodles still remained the star.

The texture of the noodles is the best part, so bouncy and toothsome that it’s hard for me to believe they cost nearly nothing to make. The most expensive ingredient was time, which, seeing that it was mostly inactive, felt well worth it to me.

Would I make these hand-ripped noodles again? Definitely. In fact, I think prepping the noodle dough in the morning to have fresh noodles by dinner time is a routine I want to incorporate into the new year. And with Lunar New Year coming up, and noodles’ symbolism for longevity and good fortune, I definitely will be thwacking my way to chewy, blissful prosperity again soon.

Lily Fossett is a freelance illustrator based in Bath, UK. She has a passion for portraying narrative in her illustrations and uses digital media to explore color and texture.

These Mexican indigenous communities share the carefully preserved kernels internationally

There are nearly 60 heirloom corn varieties in Mexico, with families and communities cultivating the different “breeds” of corn for hundreds of years. Masienda, a dry corn and masa flour distribution company, works to distribute eight lesser known varieties of corn to chefs and restaurants around the world, sourcing from those local Mexican farmers. “I was so curious to see what the rest tasted like,” said Masienda founder Jorge Gaviria, referring to lesser known heirloom corn. “How to kind of understand the nuances in between each one and how to share that story with chefs.”

One of those farmers, Juan Velasco Meza, explains how four different types of heirloom corn are grown in the rich, red-hued soil of Santa Ana Zegache, which produce a higher yield and impart a sweet flavor. Corn stalks are cut and dried out in the field for 15 to 20 days before ears are picked off, manually unhusked, completely de-kerneled with passed down tools, and sorted by kernel size to be sold. The seeds from the corn are saved after each harvest and passed down by each generation, with families relying on the high quality grains for every meal. “Without corn, at least in Oaxaca, life wouldn’t be possible,” Meza says. Masienda and these indigenous communities are working together to preserve these “maize landraces,” so that one day all of the unique heirloom varieties in Mexico can be shared with the world.

Gaviria explains the difference between heirloom corn and hybrid GMO corn, which is bred to produce more ears but isn’t as tasty or nutritious as the former. To preserve those heirloom corn varieties, Meza and other farmers only use single-colored corn, avoiding corn that has been cross-pollinated with varieties grown by other farms nearby. Gaviria also highlights how Masienda tries to involve as many producers as possible in their corn products, growing from 12 to 2,000 producers over the years to make sure that the families and communities are only selling their surplus of heritage corn and can still subsist on their crop. Recruiting all those producers was a long process, with Masienda using indigenous radio stations and loud speakers playing messages in different languages on top of pizza delivery cars to reach farmers that would want to sell their corn overstock.

Native corn producers walk through how they cook the heirloom corn with traditional techniques, including the process of nixtamalization, where corn is cooked down in alkaline water to break down the cell walls and unlock plenty of nutrients in the kernels. Zapotec women then mill the corn, turning it into masa dough that is used in tortillas and plenty of other dishes. Cosme, a world-renowned NYC restaurant, was Masienda’s first customer. Thousands of miles away from where the corn is produced, the restaurant has built their menu of tortillas and memelas around the homemade masa they make from the shipped kernels.

Watch the latest episode of Vendors to learn more about how Masienda is bringing Mexican heirloom corn to chefs while preserving the traditional crop.

Here’s who made the list this year

Today, the James Beard Foundation announced this year’s semifinalist nominees, revealing the chefs and restaurants potentially up for consideration for the 2025 James Beard Awards, considered one of the biggest honors and acknowledgments in the restaurant industry.

This year’s awards include three brand-new categories: Best New Bar (given to a new “wine bar, beer bar, cocktail bar, coffee bar, or any other business whose primary offering is beverage” that “already demonstrates excellence”), Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. They join the existing Outstanding Bar and Outstanding Wine and Other Beverage Program categories as awards that specifically celebrate the drinking aspect of hospitality; nominees in these two new categories must be at least seven-year industry veterans.

This year also marks the five-year anniversary of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought several changes to the awards. Amid unprecedented chaos that shuttered thousands of restaurants across the country and killed more than 1 million U.S. residents, the organization canceled its ceremonies in 2020 and 2021. Following criticisms of racial inequity and lack of diversity, the organization announced an audit of procedures, and has, in recent years, created newer categories — such an Emerging Chef with no age cutoff, and separate awards for states such as Texas, California, and New York — to recognize age and regional diversity, thereby reaching a broader group of winners.

This semifinalist list reflects the restaurant and chef categories; finalists in these categories will be announced on April 2. Winners will be awarded at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Here are the 2025 semifinalists:

2025 James Beard Awards: Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists

Outstanding Restaurateur

A restaurateur who uses their establishment(s) as a vehicle for building community, demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship, and integrity in restaurant operations

• Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy, Sof Hospitality Group (Hamsa, Badolina Bakery, and Doris Metropolitan), Houston, TX
• Nikki Berglund and Ryan Nitschke, Luna Fargo, Sol Ave. Kitchen, Nova Eatery and others, Fargo, ND
• Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, The Anchovy Bar, State Bird Provisions, and The Progress, San Francisco, CA
• Cara Chigazola-Tobin and Allison Gibson, Honey Road and Gray Jay, Burlington, VT
• Sue Chin and Jason Chin, Good Salt Restaurant Group (Seito Sushi, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Osprey, and others), Orlando, FL
• Gerard Craft, Niche Food Group (Brasserie, Pastaria, None of the Above, and others), St. Louis, MO
• Scott Crawford, Crawford Hospitality (Crawford and Son, Brodeto, Jolie, and others), Raleigh, NC
• Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You), Washington, D.C.
• Benjamin Goldberg, Max Goldberg, and Josh Habiger, Strategic Hospitality (Bastion, Locust, Kisser, and others), Nashville, TN
• Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d’ Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY
• Mason Hereford, Turkey & the Wolf, Molly’s Rise & Shine, Hungry Eyes, and others, New Orleans, LA
• Brian Jupiter and Aaron Torricelli, Pioneer Tavern Group (Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern), Chicago, IL
• Douglas Katz, Edgewater Hospitality (Amba, Zhug, Kiln, and others), Cleveland, OH
• Simon Kim, Gracious Hospitality Management (COTE, Undercote, and COQODAQ), New York, NY
• Lavanya Mahate, Saffron Valley Restaurants, Salt Lake City, UT
• Elliot Nelson, McNellie’s Group (McNellie’s and others), Tulsa and Oklahoma City, OK
• Quynh Pham and Yenvy Pham, Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat, Seattle, WA
• Daisy Ryan and Greg Ryan, Companion Hospitality (Bell’s, Bar Le Cote, Priedite BBQ, and others), Los Alamos, CA
• Sara Stayer and Martin Stayer, Nobie’s, Toasted Coconut, and Nonno’s, Houston, TX
• Douglass Williams, MIDA, Boston, MA

Outstanding Chef

A chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals.

• Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis, MN
• Lisa Becklund, FarmBar, Tulsa, OK
• Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.
• Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Canje, Austin, TX
• Gilberto Cetina, Holbox, Los Angeles, CA
• William Dissen, The Market Place, Asheville, NC
• Suzette Gresham-Tognetti, Acquerello, San Francisco, CA
• Francis Guzmán, Vianda, San Juan, PR
• David Kirkland and Ernest Servantes, Burnt Bean Co., Seguin, TX
• Gabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther, New York, NY
• Gregory León, Amilinda, Milwaukee, WI
• Sarah Minnick, Lovely’s Fifty Fifty, Portland, OR
• Ricky Moore, Saltbox Seafood Joint, Durham, NC
• Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 Foodbar, Grand Junction, CO
• Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA
• Carlos Portela, Orujo Taller de Gastronomía, San Juan, PR
• Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR
• Greg Vernick, Vernick Fish, Philadelphia, PA
• Lee Wolen, Boka, Chicago, IL
• Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY

Outstanding Restaurant

A restaurant that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Benu, San Francisco, CA
• Chubby Fish, Charleston, SC
• Coquine, Portland, OR
• The Dabney, Washington, D.C.
• Don Angie, New York, NY
• ELEMI, El Paso, TX
• The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn, NY
• Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
• Galit, Chicago, IL
• Georges French Bistro, Wichita, KS
• Ghee Indian Kitchen, Miami, FL
• GW Fins, New Orleans, LA
• Havana, Bar Harbor, ME
• Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA
• Kimball House, Decatur, GA
• Nonesuch, Oklahoma City, OK
• Oberlin, Providence, RI
• Pasjoli, Santa Monica, CA
• Selden Standard, Detroit, MI
• Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis, MN

Emerging Chef

A chef who displays exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability, and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.

• Jordan Anthony-Brown, The Aperture, Cincinnati, OH
• Jesus “Chuy” Cervantes, Damian, Los Angeles, CA
• Bhavin Chhatwani, Tamasha Modern Indian, Raleigh, NC
• Paolo Dungca, Hiraya, Washington, D.C.
• Jason Eckerson and Kate Hamm, Fish & Whistle, Biddeford, ME
• Danny Garcia, Time & Tide, New York, NY
• Daniel Garwood, Acru, New York, NY
• Kaitlin Guerin, Lagniappe Bakehouse, New Orleans, LA
• Spencer Horowitz, Hadeem, San Francisco, CA
• Suu Khin, Burmalicious, Houston, TX
• Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA
• Nikhil Naiker, NIMKI, Providence, RI
• Anna Nguyen and Ni Nguyen, Sắp Sửa, Denver, CO
• Kayla Pfeiffer, Bicyclette Cookshop, Naples, FL
• Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago, IL
• Keoni Regidor, Lehua, Hilo, HI
• Jane Sacro Chatham, Vicia, St Louis, MO
• Marcela Salas, BibiSol, Sioux Falls, SD
• Lawrence “LT” Smith, Chilte, Phoenix, AZ
• RJ Yoakum, Georgie, Dallas, TX

Best New Restaurant

A restaurant opened between October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, that already demonstrates excellence in cuisine, seems likely to make a significant impact in years to come, and demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, CO
• Atoma, Seattle, WA
• Bad Idea, Nashville, TN
• Bridgetown Roti, Los Angeles, CA
• Bûcheron, Minneapolis, MN
• Café Carmellini, New York, NY
• Cariño, Chicago, IL
• Casa Balam, Decatur, GA
• Corima, New York, NY
• Ema, Houston, TX
• FamilyFriend, Seattle, WA
• Fet-Fisk, Pittsburgh, PA
• Figulina, Raleigh, NC
• Four Kings, San Francisco, CA
• Kisa, New York, NY
• Lao’d Bar, Austin, TX
• Le Rêve Restaurant & Raw Bar, Sheridan, WY
• LUNE, Dennis Port, MA
• Mābo, Dallas, TX
• Maude & the Bear, Staunton, VA
• Mita, Washington, D.C.
  Noche, Tulsa, OK
• Ômo by Jônt, Winter Park, FL
• Penny, New York, NY
• Porgy’s Seafood Market, New Orleans, LA
• Santo Arcadia, Phoenix, AZ
• Somaek, Boston, MA
• The Union, Helena, MT
• Vecino, Detroit, MI
• Vinai, Minneapolis, MN

Outstanding Bakery

A baker of breads, pastries, or desserts that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• 17 Berkshire, Memphis, TN
• Atelier Ortega, Jackson Hole, WY
• Bellegarde Bakery, New Orleans, LA
• Carissa’s the Bakery, Easthampton, NY
• Coda, Albuquerque, NM
• Dan The Baker, Columbus, OH
• Fan Fan Doughnuts, Brooklyn, NY
• Gusto Bread, Long Beach, CA
• JinJu Patisserie, Portland, OR
• Koffeteria, Houston, TX
• The Local General Store, Honolulu, HI
• Machine Shop, Philadelphia, PA
• Nathaniel Reid Bakery, Kirkwood, MO
• Patisserie Jacqui, Bisbee, AZ
• Quail and Condor, Healdsburg, CA
• Saint Bread, Seattle, WA
• Secret Bakery, Ferndale, MI
• Starship Bagel, Lewisville, TX
• Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH
• Vienne, Bozeman, MT

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

A pastry chef or baker who makes desserts, pastries, or breads. Candidate demonstrates exceptional skills and can be affiliated with any food business and does not need a brick-and mortar presence.

• Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
• Cat Cox, Country Bird Bakery, Tulsa, OK
• Brant Dadaleares, Gross Confection Bar, Portland, ME
• Abigail Dahan, Provenance, Philadelphia, PA
• Adalberto Diaz, Fillings and Emulsions, Salt Lake City, UT
• Monique Feybesse, Tarts de Feybesse, Oakland, CA
• April Franqueza, The Dining Room at High Hampton, Cashiers, NC
• Chris Hanmer, CH Patisserie, Sioux Falls, SD
• Mateo Herrera, La Puerta del Sol, El Paso, TX
• Antonia Kane, Course, Scottsdale, AZ
• Crystal Kass, Valentine, Phoenix, AZ
• Alexandra La Valle, Larder, Cleveland, OH
• Yohann Le Bescond, Yohann Le Bescond, Ocala, FL
• Helen Jo Leach, The Town Company, Kansas City, MO
• Lucia Merino, Lucia Patisserie, San Juan, PR
• Camari Mick, Raf’s, New York, NY
• Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos, Poulette Bakeshop, Parker, CO
• Leigh Omilinsky, Daisies, Chicago, IL
• Hana Quon, Patisserie HQ, Honolulu, HI
• Nicole Rucker, Fat + Flour, Los Angeles, CA

Outstanding Hospitality

A restaurant, bar, or other food and drinking establishment that fosters a sense of hospitality among its customers and staff that serves as a beacon for the community and demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Archipelago, Seattle, WA
• Aria, Atlanta, GA
• Atomix, New York, NY
• Baobab Fare, Detroit, MI
• Bluebeard, Indianapolis, IN
• Compère Lapin, New Orleans, LA
• Harbor House Inn, Elk, CA
• Holly Hill Inn, Midway, KY
• Kai, Gila River Indian Community, AZ
• Little Fish, Philadelphia, PA
• Manoli’s, Salt Lake City, UT
• Melba’s, New York, NY
• Mixtli, San Antonio, TX
• Mucci’s, Saint Paul, MN
• Persimmon, Providence, RI
• République, Los Angeles, CA
• Simon’s, Des Moines, IA
• Tail Up Goat, Washington, D.C.
• Taj Indian Cuisine, South Portland, ME
• Vestige, Ocean Springs, MS

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

A restaurant that demonstrates exceptional care and skill in the pairing of wine and other beverages with food. This includes the selection, preparation, and serving of wine, cocktails, spirits, coffee, tea, beer, or any other beverage with outstanding hospitality and service that helps inform and enhance a customer’s appreciation of the beverage(s). Ethical sourcing will also be considered.

• Bar Brava, Minneapolis, MN
• Campo at Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM
• Càphê Roasters, Philadelphia, PA
• Charleston, Baltimore, MD
• Elske, Chicago, IL
• Hawksmoor, New York, NY
• Hop Alley, Denver, CO
• JJ’s Restaurant, Kansas City, MO
• Kitchen Istanbul, San Francisco, CA
• Leo’s House of Thirst, Asheville, NC
• Ltd Edition Sushi, Seattle, WA
• Lucian Books and Wine, Buckhead, GA
• Macchialina , Miami, FL
• March, Houston, TX
• Oyster Club, Mystic, CT
• Pluck Wine Bar and Restaurant, New Orleans, LA
• Spencer, Ann Arbor, MI
• Strong Water, Anaheim, CA
• Taconeta, El Paso, TX
• Waxlight Bar à Vin, Buffalo, NY

Outstanding Bar

A wine bar, beer bar, cocktail bar, coffee bar, or any other business whose primary offering is beverage and that demonstrates consistent excellence in curating a selection or in the preparation of drinks, along with outstanding atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.

• Apothecary, Dallas, TX
• Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge, Milwaukee, WI
• Café La Trova, Miami, FL
• Chandelier Bar, New Orleans, LA
• Devil’s Toboggan, Bozeman, MT
• John Brown’s Underground, Lawrence, KS
• Kumiko, Chicago, IL
• Law Bird, Columbus, OH
• Leyenda, Brooklyn, NY
• Little Rituals, Phoenix, AZ
• Lone Wolf Lounge, Savannah, GA
• Roquette, Seattle, WA
• Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR
• Techo Mezcaleria & Agave Bar, Austin, TX
• The Bar at Willett, Bardstown, KY
• The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA
• Thunderbolt, Los Angeles, CA
• True Laurel, San Francisco, CA
• Water Witch, Salt Lake City, UT
• Wolf Tree, White River Junction, VT

Best New Bar

A wine bar, beer bar, cocktail bar, coffee bar, or any other business whose primary offering is beverage, opened between October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024, that already demonstrates excellence in beverages, seems likely to make a significant impact in years to come, and demonstrates consistent excellence in the preparation of drinks, sourcing, service, hospitality, atmosphere, and operations.

• The Abbey, Brunswick, ME
• Agency, Milwaukee, WI
• The Bar Beej, Durham, NC
• Bar Cana, Washington, D.C.
• Bar Colette, Dallas, TX
• Bar Contra, New York, NY
• Bisous, Chicago, IL
• Equal Measure, Boston, MA
• The Halfway Club, San Francisco, CA
• Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, PR
• Kampar Kongsi, Philadelphia, PA
• Kid Sister, Phoenix, AZ
• Marietta Proper, Marietta, GA
• Merai, Brookline, MA
• Roma Norte, San Diego, CA
• Sip & Guzzle, New York, NY
• Sophon, Seattle, WA
• Traveling Mercies, Aurora, CO
• Truce, Chicago, IL
• Vice Versa, Miami, FL

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

A service professional who curates and serves wine, beer, or other offerings such as sake, lowand non-alcoholic beverages in a restaurant or bar setting; or winery, distillery or brewery that also serves food. Candidate has set high standards; demonstrates creativity and consistency in excellence, innovation, hospitality; is making efforts to create a sustainable work culture; and has served as an exceptional example or mentor for other beverage professionals.

• Allegra Angelo, Vinya Table, Miami, FL
• Natasha Bahrami, The Gin Room, St. Louis, MO
• Christopher Bates, F.L.X. Table, Geneva, NY
• Ian Bennett, The Study, Oklahoma City, OK
• Alisha Blackwell-Calvert, Madrina, Webster Groves, MO
• Andres Blanco, Le Jardinier, Houston, TX
• Jacob Brown, Lazy Bear, San Francisco, CA
• Jose Medina Camacho, Adios, Birmingham, AL
• Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie’s, Austin, TX
• Cassandra Felix, Daniel, New York, NY
• Joel Gunderson, Heavenly Creatures, Portland, OR
• Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon, Scratch Brewing, Ava, IL
• Thomas Kakalios, Asador Bastian, Chicago, IL
• Mary Allen Lindemann, Coffee By Design, Portland, ME
• Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale, The Koji Club, Brighton, MA
• Cristie Norman, Delilah, Las Vegas, NV
• Michael Ochsner, PLONK, Bozeman & Missoula, MT
• Femi Oyediran and Miles White, Graft Wine Shop, Charleston, SC
• Tonya Pitts, One Market, San Francisco, CA
• Linda Milagros Violago, Canlis, Seattle, WA

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

A service professional who creates and serves cocktails or other offerings such as low- and nonalcoholic beverages. Candidate has set high standards; demonstrates creativity and consistency in excellence, innovation, hospitality; is making efforts to create a sustainable work culture; and has served as an exceptional example or mentor for other beverage professionals.

• Anu Apte, Rob Roy, Seattle, WA
• Kursten Berry, Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, Atlanta, GA
• Jax Donahue, Carry On, Phoenix, AZ
• Kate Gerwin, Happy Accidents, Albuquerque, NM
• Abigail Gullo, LOA Bar, New Orleans, LA
• McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver, CO
• Colleen Hughes, Supperland, Charlotte, NC
• Ignacio Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY
• Andra “AJ” Johnson, Serenata, Washington, D.C.
• Dre Levon, Clavel, Baltimore, MD
• Danny Louie, KAIYŌ, San Francisco, CA
• Christopher Marty, Best Intentions, Chicago, IL
• Nathaniel Meiklejohn, The Jewel Box, Portland, ME
• Dave Newman, Pint + Jigger, Honolulu, HI
• Jay Sanders, Wild Child, Shawnee, KS
• Tobin Shea, Redbird, Los Angeles, CA
• Oscar Simoza, The Wig Shop, Boston, MA
• Mike Stankovich, Longfellow, Cincinnati, OH
• Alan Walter, The Brakes Bar, Baton Rouge, LA
• Takuma Watanabe, Martiny’s, New York, NY

Best Chefs (by region)

Chefs who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities and who are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions.

Best Chef: California

• Roberto Alcocer, Valle, Oceanside, CA
• Evan Algorri, Etra, Los Angeles, CA
• Darryl Bell, Stateline Road Smokehouse, Napa, CA
• Jonny Black, Chez Noir, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
• Val Cantu, Californios, San Francisco, CA
• Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbeque, San Juan Capistrano, CA
• Danielle Duran Zecca, Amiga Amore, Los Angeles, CA
• Elvia Garcia and Alex Garcia, Evil Cooks, Los Angeles, CA
• Richard Lee, Saison, San Francisco, CA
• Melissa López, Barra Santos, Los Angeles, CA
• Gaby Maeda, Friends & Family, Oakland, CA
• Jordan Makableh and Saif Makableh, Mazra, Redwood City, CA
• Tara Monsod, ANIMAE, San Diego, CA
• Charles Namba, Camélia, Los Angeles, CA
• Laura Ozyilmaz and Sayat Ozyilmaz, Dalida, San Francisco, CA
• Kosuke Tada, Mijote, San Francisco, CA
• Kwang Uh, Baroo, Los Angeles, CA
• Ari Weiswasser, Glen Ellen Star, Glen Ellen, CA
• Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles, CA
• Nite Yun, Lunette, San Francisco, CA

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

• Marcos Ascencio, Mariscos San Pedro, Chicago, IL
• Javier Bardauil, Barda, Detroit, MI
• Avishar Barua, Agni, Columbus, OH
• Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson, The Cooks’ House, Traverse City, MI
• Jonathan Brooks, Beholder, Indianapolis, IN
• Vinnie Cimino, Cordelia, Cleveland, OH
• Missy Corey, Pennyroyal Cafe and Provisions, Saugatuck, MI
• Thai Dang, HaiSous, Chicago, IL
• Diana Davila, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Chicago, IL
• Bo Fowler, BiXi Beer, Chicago, IL
• Joe Frillman, Daisies, Chicago, IL
• David Jackman, Wildweed, Cincinnati, OH
• Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading, Chicago, IL
• Ji Hye Kim, Miss Kim, Ann Arbor, MI
• Lamar Moore, ETC., Chicago, IL
• Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago, IL
• Sujan Sarkar, Indienne, Chicago, IL
• Zeeshan Shah and Yoshi Yamada, Superkhana International, Chicago, IL
• Jeremy Umansky, Larder, Cleveland, OH
• John Yelinek, Ladder 4 Wine Bar, Detroit, MI

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

• Matt Adler, Cucina Morini, Washington, D.C.
• Anthony Andiario, Andiario, West Chester, PA
• Juan Carlos Aparicio, El Chingon, Philadelphia, PA
• Henji Cheung, Queen’s English, Washington, D.C.
• Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss, Pascual, Washington, D.C.
• Michael Correll, Ruse, St. Michaels, MD
• Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia, Washington, D.C.
• Antimo DiMeo, Bardea Food & Drink, Wilmington, DE
• Yun Fuentes, Bolo, Philadelphia, PA
• Ruben Garcia, Casa Teresa, Washington, D.C.
• Fernando Gonzalez, 2Fifty Barbeque, Riverdale, MD and Washington, DC
• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA
• Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski, Apteka, Pittsburgh, PA
• Jasmine Norton, The Urban Oyster, Baltimore, MD
• Cagla Onal Urel, Green Almond Pantry, Washington, D.C.
• Dan Richer, Razza, Jersey City, NJ
• Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA
• Jarad Slipp, Tremolo, Middleburg, VA
• David Viana, Lita, Aberdeen, NJ
• Wei Zhu, Chengdu Gourmet, Pittsburgh, PA

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

• Ross Bachhuber and Samuel Ek, Odd Duck, Milwaukee, WI
• Nick Bognar, Sado, St. Louis, MO
• Chuckie and Jamie Brown-Soukaseume, Ahan, Madison, WI
• Linda Duerr, The Restaurant at 1900, Mission Woods, KS
• Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado no Mise, Minneapolis, MN
• Abraham Gessesse, Hyacinth, St. Paul, MN
• Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, EsterEv, Milwaukee, WI
• Kyle Knall, Birch, Milwaukee, WI
• Johnny Leach, The Town Company, Kansas City, MO
• Katie Liu-Sung, Chewology, Kansas City, MO
• Mateo Mackbee, Krewe, Saint Joseph, MN
• Cody Monson, Huckleberry House, Bismarck, ND
• Diane Moua, Diane’s Place, Minneapolis, MN
• Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
• Tim Nicholson, The Boiler Room, Omaha, NE
• Rozz Petrozz, Saltwell Farm Kitchen, Overbrook, KS
• Joseph Raney, Skogen Kitchen, Custer, SD
• Andy Schumacher, Cobble Hill, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, St. Paul, MN
• David Utterback, Ota and Yoshitomo, Omaha, NE

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

• Joshua Adams, Campione, Livingston, MT
• Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, ID
• Benjamin Barlow, Stanley Supper Club, Stanley, ID
• Mike Blocher and Nick Fahs, Table X, Salt Lake City, UT
• Erasmo Casiano and Diego Coconati, Lucina Eatery & Bar, Denver, CO
• Rémi Courcenet and Nathan Whitley, Terroir, Boise, ID
• Brandon Cunningham, The Social Haus, Greenough, MT
• Cal Elliott, The Avery, Boise, ID
• Andrew Fuller, Oquirrh, Salt Lake City, UT
• Matthew Harris, tupelo Park City, Park City, UT
• Linda Huang, Hummingbird’s Kitchen, Bozeman, MT
• Porter Koury and Jacob Scott, Sitti’s Table, Cody, WY
• Bo Porytko, Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails, Denver, CO
• Paul C. Reilly, Coperta, Denver, CO
• Hosea Rosenberg, Blackbelly, Boulder, CO
• Nick Steen Gullings, Walkers Grill, Billings, MT
• Kenneth Wan, MAKFam, Denver, CO
• David Wells, The Tasting Room at Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa, Pray, MT
• Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO
• Nick Zocco, Urban Hill, Salt Lake City, UT

Best Chef: New York State

• Fariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar, New York, NY
• Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY
• Ayo Balogun, Dept of Culture, Brooklyn, NY
• Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, New York, NY
• Chris Cipollone, Francie, Brooklyn, NY
• Suzanne Cupps, Lola’s, New York, NY
• Clare de Boer, Stissing House, Pine Plains, NY
• Aretah Ettarh, Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY
• Ryan Fernandez, Southern Junction, Buffalo, NY
• Marcus Glocker, Koloman, New York, NY
• Efrén Hernández, Casa Susanna, Leeds, NY
• Eiji Ichimura, Ichimura, New York, NY
• Brian Kim, Oiji Mi, New York, NY
• Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY
• Atsushi Kono, Kono, New York, NY
• Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York, NY
• Shaina Loew-Banayan, Café Mutton, Hudson, NY
• Kwame Onwuachi, Tatiana, New York, NY
• Hillary Sterling, Ci Siamo, New York, NY
• Emily Yuen, Lingo, Brooklyn, NY

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

• Robert Andreozzi, Pizza Marvin, Providence, RI
• Avery Buck, May Day, Burlington, VT
• John DaSilva, Chickadee, Boston, MA
• Conor Dennehy, Tallula, Cambridge, MA
• Subat Dilmurat, Jahunger, Providence, RI
• Lee Frank, Lee Frank’s, South Berwick, ME
• Michelle Greenfield, Allium Eatery, Westport, CT
• Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, RI
• Valentine Howell, Black Cat, Jamaica Plain, MA
• Kwasi Kwaa, Comfort Kitchen, Boston, MA
• Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT
• Charlie Menard, Canteen Creemee, Waitsfield, VT
• Rachel Miller, Nightshade Noodle Bar, Lynn, MA
• Erin Miller, Urban Hearth, Cambridge, MA
• Nicole Nocella, Stalk, Dover, NH
• Nick Rabar, Honeybird Kitchen & Cocktails, East Providence, RI
• Jordan Rubin, Mr. Tuna, Portland, ME
• Michael Serpa, Select Oyster, Boston, MA
• Jake Stevens, Leeward, Portland, ME
• Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI

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

• Janet Becerra, Pancita, Seattle, WA
• Jay Blackinton, Houlme, Orcas Island, WA
• Ki Chung, Bar Māze, Honolulu, HI
• Logan Cox, Homer, Seattle, WA
• Joshua Dorcak, MÄS, Ashland, OR
• Aisha Ibrahim, Canlis, Seattle, WA
• Ed Kenney, Mud Hen Water, Honolulu, HI
• Hyun Kim, O’Kims, Honolulu, HI
• Kevin Lane, The Cookery, Seward, AK
• Andrew Le, The Pig and the Lady, Honolulu, HI
• Isaiah Martinez, Yardy Rum Bar, Eugene, OR
• Ajay Panicker, Kathakali, An Indian Eatery, Kirkland, WA
• Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado, Portland, OR
• Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
• Sarah Schafer, Humble Spirit, McMinnville, OR
• Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, AK
• Kari Shaughnessy, Hayward, McMinnville, OR
• Sheldon Simeon, Tiffany’s, Wailuku, HI
• Jun Takai, Takai by Kashiba, Bellevue, WA
• Timothy Wastell, Antica Terra, Amity, OR

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

• Nikhil Abuvala, Roux 30a, Santa Rosa Beach, FL
• Melissa Araujo, Alma Cafe, New Orleans, LA
• David Bancroft, Acre, Auburn, AL
• Madonna Broussard, Laura’s II, Lafayette, LA
• Ana Castro, Acamaya, New Orleans, LA
• Nando Chang, Itamae AO, Miami, FL
• Matthew Cooper, Conifer, Bentonville, AR
• Hunter Evans, Elvie’s, Jackson, MS
• Kevin Garcia, La Faena AgroCocina, Guaynabo, PR
• Gabriel Hernandez, Verde Mesa, San Juan, PR
• Lordfer Lalicon, Kaya, Orlando, FL
• Nicole Cabrera Mills, Pêche Seafood Grill, New Orleans, LA
• Angel David Moreno Zayas, El Gallo Pinto, Guayama, PR
• Sean “Sonny” Nguyen, Domu, Orlando, FL
• Carol Reyes, Bóveda, San Juan, PR
• Arwen Rice, Red or White, Mobile, AL
• Rafael Rios, Yeyo’s El Alma de Mexico, Bentonville, AR
• Tresse Sumrall and Austin Sumrall, White Pillars, Biloxi, MS
• Arvinder Vilkhu and Ashwin Vilkhu, Saffron Nola, New Orleans, LA
• Jordan Wright, Wright’s Barbecue, Johnson, AR

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

• Andrew Adams and Wally Joe, Acre, Memphis, TN
• Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, Louisville, KY
• Sara Bradley, Freight House, Paducah, KY
• Brandon Carter and Joseph Harrison, Common Thread, Savannah, GA
• Chase Collier, Ristorante Abruzzi, Charleston, WV
• Sam Diminich, Restaurant Constance, Charlotte, NC
• Sunny Gerhart and Lauren Krall Ivey, Olivero, Wilmington, NC
• Julio Hernandez, Maíz de la Vida, Nashville, TN
• Jake Howell, Peninsula, Nashville, TN
• Silver Iocovozzi, Neng Jr.’s, Asheville, NC
• Chayil Johnson, Community Matters Cafe, Charlotte, NC
• Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang, Talat Market, Atlanta, GA
• Bruce Logue, BoccaLupo, Atlanta, GA
• Christopher Prieto, Prime Barbecue, Knightsdale, NC
• Robbie Robinson, City Limits Barbeque, West Columbia, SC
• Drew Ryan, Blue Honey Bistro, Germantown, TN
• Ashleigh Shanti, Good Hot Fish, Asheville, NC
• Brian So, Spring, Marietta, GA
• Dung “Junior” Vo, Noko, Nashville, TN
• Fu Li Zhang, LanZhou Ramen, Doraville, GA

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

• Olivier Bouzerand, Fait Maison, Edmond, OK
• Jose Contreras, Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen, Tucson, AZ
• DJ Flores, Milpa, Las Vegas, NV
• Tahnee Francis, Naija Wife Kitchen, Oklahoma City, OK
• Donald Hawk, Valentine, Phoenix, AZ
• Stephen Jones, The Larder & The Delta, Phoenix, AZ
• Bernie Kantak, Beginners Luck, Scottsdale, AZ
• Kevin Lee, Birdie’s, Edmond, OK
• Yotaka Martin, Lom Wong, Phoenix, AZ
• Cory Oppold, COURSE, Scottsdale, AZ
• Cristian Pontiggia, Sassella, Santa Fe, NM
• Kattia Rojas, Buen Provecho, Albuquerque, NM
• Fernando Ruiz, Escondido, Santa Fe, NM
• Sean Sinclair, Level 5, Albuquerque, NM
• Eric Smith, The Crown, Oklahoma City, OK
• Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV
• Michael Vakneen, Double Zero Pie & Pub, Las Vegas, NV
• Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas, NV
• Zack Walters, Sedalia’s, Oklahoma City, OK
• Joseph Wrede, Joseph’s Culinary Pub, Santa Fe, NM

Best Chef: Texas

• Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk, Houston, TX
• Takéhiro Asazu and Masazumi Saio, Uroko, Austin, TX
• Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast, Spring, TX
• Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó, Houston, TX
• Leo Davila, Stixs & Stone, San Antonio, TX
• Evelyn Garcia, Jūn, Houston, TX
• Alexandra Gates, Cochineal, Marfa, Texas
• Fasicka Hicks and Patrick Hicks, Smoke’N Ash BBQ, Arlington, TX
• Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, Best Quality Daughter, San Antonio, TX
• Grey Hwang, Shiro Japanese Bistro, San Antonio, Texas
• Evan LeRoy, LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, Austin, TX
• Beatriz Martines, Xalisko, The Woodlands, TX
• Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre, San Antonio, TX
• Anais Paniagua and Iris Rojas, Doña Maria, Irving, TX
• John Ramos and Jonathan Reyes, Chika, San Antonio, TX
• Regino Rojas, Purépecha, Dallas, TX
• Alex Sarmiento and Brenda Sarmiento, El Pastor Es Mi Señor, San Antonio, TX
• Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo, Marfa, TX
• David Skinner, Ishtia, Kemah, TX
• Eugenio Uribe, Le Rêve, Brownsville, TX

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards.

Biden appointed the celebrated chef to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in 2022

In addition to a slew of first-day executive orders, the newly inaugurated President Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he’s officially dismissed the chef José Andrés from his role in the previous administration.

President Biden had appointed Andrés — who is behind restaurants like Zaytinya as well as the food relief organization World Central Kitchen — to help lead the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (PCSFN) in 2022. Andrés served as co-chair along with basketball player Elena Delle Donne. Donne was not mentioned in Trump’s post, but he also publicly dismissed Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars, and Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President’s Export Council. Andrés and the three others named “are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again,” Trump wrote.

But not so fast, the chef retorted a little over six hours later: “I submitted my resignation last week ... my 2 year term was already up,” Andrés wrote on X. That term, he wrote, included a partnership between the White House and major sports leagues to promote physical activity and nutrition programming for kids. Earlier this month, President Biden had also awarded Andrés with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his humanitarian work.

Famous figures often hold brief terms on the PCSFN. During President Trump’s first term in office, he appointed volleyball player Misty May-Treanor, football player Herschel Walker, and baseball player Mariano Rivera as co-chairs for a two-year term.

That Andrés wouldn’t be part of the Trump administration isn’t at all surprising: The chef has long been an ardent critic of the president. Their acrimonious public relationship goes back to 2015, when Andrés pulled out of a restaurant deal with Trump’s Washington, D.C. hotel after his derogatory comments regarding Mexican immigrants and crime. (This led to a two-year lawsuit.) Since then, he’s frequently been critical of President Trump. In 2017, he posted on X: “Thank you @realDonaldTrump for showing me everyday that we did the right thing pulling out of your hotel...#smartbusinessdecision.”

Andrés’s parting words are more diplomatic than his old tweets, however. Staying true to his mission statement of “bringing people together through the power of food,” the chef urged the president to work toward unity: “May God give you the wisdom, Mr. President, to put politics and name calling aside ... and instead lift up the everyday people working to bring America together. Let’s build longer tables...”

Chocolate clam ceviche at a rustic locals joint, cochinita pibil tacos for the morning surf crowd, mushroom ramen at Enrique Olvera’s secluded stunner, and more of Cabo’s best meals

There’s so much more to Cabo San Lucas’s food scene than buckets of margaritas with melted ice and all-you-can-eat buffets housed in identical resorts. Not surprisingly, some of the best seafood anywhere can be found in and around Cabo, and visitors would be remiss not to enjoy the elegant chocolate clams, meaty lobsters, and smoked marlin the peninsula is known for.

Though it’s the country’s fine dining scene that garners most of the international attention, thanks to star chefs like Enrique Olvera of Mexico City’s Pujol who are working some of the most innovative menus in all of Mexico, it’s the meals that don’t require silverware that capture the region’s essence. The item most emblematic of casual, fished-this-morning Baja cuisine is the signature fish taco that was once — but no longer — made from shark meat. Wrapped in a warm flour tortilla typical of the cooking along Mexico’s northern border, the white fish is lightly battered and breaded, doused in lime, and topped with red cabbage. Another quintessentially Baja staple is the seafood tostada, in which different types of fish, prepared raw or in ceviche form, are piled onto a toasted tortilla and topped off with avocado.

But Los Cabos isn’t just for seafood lovers. In fact, thanks to the area’s Mediterranean climate that makes it ideal for growing beautiful produce, Baja is a vegetarian’s paradise. Restaurants across the peninsula are creating colorful menus that take advantage of farm-to-table principles, often sourcing ingredients for artisanal pizzas, tostadas, and homemade ice cream from on-site vegetable gardens. The cucumbers here are so crisp, the tomatoes so juicy, the strawberries so huge, only the seafood can outshine them.

Nili Blanck is a Mexican American writer whose work has appeared in GARAGE, Remezcla, and T Magazine. She lives in Mexico City with her dog, Claudio.

Clarice Lam’s bomboloncini calls for an entire Ferrero Rocher that is encased in mochi and deep-fried

The ultimate Lunar New Year gift may be a red envelope full of cash, but competing for a close second is neither a platter of tangerines nor an assortment of fancy teas. Instead, it’s a shiny box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, the hazelnut-flavored truffles found at Costco, Target, and practically every Asian grocery store.

Wrapped in distinctive gold foil, the chocolates were a fixture at every gathering that pastry chef Clarice Lam had with her family especially during Lunar New Year. “Ferrero Rocher is the fancy gift that you bring to any celebration in any Asian culture, but especially in Chinese culture,” Lam says. “Because it’s wrapped in gold, it has some sort of correlation to wealth and prosperity.” So when she began writing her debut cookbook, Breaking Bao, she found a way to spin them into something new: Ferrero mochi bomboloncini.

Lam’s recipe is a reinterpretation of her mom’s jian dui, which also makes an appearance during the new year. “These fried sesame balls are typically served at dim sum and filled with red bean paste or lotus paste,” Lam explains. Her mom prefers her jian dui to be hollow, but Lam decided to incorporate an entire Ferrero Rocher chocolate in the center. “It’s deep fried so it’s crispy and warm and you get that nice crunch from the sesame,” Lam says. The fry also helps to melt the chocolate interior, resulting in a nutty dessert with a crisp-chewy deep-fried mochi exterior and a sweet and chocolaty core. To Lam’s surprise, her mom loves her take on jian dui. “She now refers to my cookbook to make recipes,” Lam laughs. “That, to me, is really a gold star.”

Lam initially invented her take on jian dui for Kimika, a Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant in New York City. Instead of Ferrero Rocher, she filled the bomboloncini with chilled Nutella.

For her cookbook, however, Lam streamlined the recipe to make it more approachable for home cooks. Ditching the Nutella for a whole Ferrero Rocher was the start. “This recipe is actually really, really simple,” she says. “I figured if you boil the water first and turn it into a sugar syrup and then pour it into the glutinous rice flour, it activates the chewiness and it’s much easier to mold.” Although the mochi dough starts out quite sticky, enough kneading makes it smooth to the touch and easy for encasing an entire truffle. If hazelnut is not your thing, Lam also suggests going the traditional route with red bean filling or lotus seed paste, or getting experimental with marzipan or tea-scented ganache.

The recipe has become Lam’s new Lunar New Year tradition. “I created [this dessert] so the end product would be reminiscent of looking like a Ferrero Rocher,” Lam says. “It’s so auspicious.”

Ferrero Mochi Bomboloncini

Ferrero Rocher–Filled Fried Sesame Balls

Makes 8 bomboloncini

Ingredients:

¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1¼ cup (140 grams) Mochiko or glutinous rice flour
8 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, unwrapped
4 cups (960 ml) vegetable oil
½ cup (70 grams) white sesame seeds

Instructions:

Step 1: In a small pot bring ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (95 ml) of water and ¼ cup (50 grams) of the sugar to a boil.

Step 2: In a medium mixing bowl, add the Mochiko. Pour the sugary syrup into the rice flour and stir using chopsticks or a rubber spatula until it forms a shaggy mass. Knead by hand until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover the dough loosely with a piece of plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

Step 3: Roll the dough into a log and cut into eight equal (30-gram) pieces. Take one piece, roll it into a ball, and then flatten into a 3-inch disc. Place a Ferrero Rocher in the center and wrap the dough around, pinching the seams to seal. Roll into a smooth ball once again and set aside. Repeat with the rest.

Step 4: In a large heavy-bottomed pot over high heat, bring the vegetable oil to 330 degrees F.

Step 5: Set up for dipping: Fill a small bowl with water and place the sesame seeds in a separate bowl. Dunk one ball into the water and shake off any excess, then roll in the sesame seeds to coat. Repeat with the rest.

Step 6: Fry in two batches, four at a time, until golden brown and crispy on the outside, 10 to 12 minutes. Roll the balls around every now and then to make sure all the sides get fried. Keep an eye on the oil temperature, regulating when necessary.

Step 7: Place the remaining ½ cup (100 grams) of sugar in a small bowl. Using a spider or tongs, transfer the bomboloncini to a paper towel–lined plate. While still warm, toss each one into the sugar to coat. Serve immediately.

Pro Tips & Storage

•These are best eaten the day of.

•The balls can be assembled in advance and stored flat on a baking sheet double wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Frying times will obviously be longer.

Excerpted from Breaking Bao: 88 Snacks and Bakes from Asia and Beyond by Clarice Lam © 2024. Published by Chronicle Books. Photographs © Evan Sung.