San Antonio cuts a nice culinary profile. A set of chef-led eating places attracts meals vacationers to Pearl. A Michelin–starred restaurant enchants in Southtown. Rising culinarians seem in Meals & Wine and on the Meals Community. The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) produces award-winning cooks. San Antonio flexes as a UNESCO Artistic Metropolis of Gastronomy.
For all its culinary muscle and sparkle, the town lacks the shine of a meals business Oscar. San Antonio has but to win a James Beard award.
Bruce Auden (Biga on the Banks) has been a James Beard finalist seven instances for Greatest Chef: Southwest. Steve McHugh (Cured) has been a Greatest Chef finalist six instances, Andrew Weissman (Le Rêve) a finalist 4 instances.
Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin (Greatest High quality Daugher) has earned three nominations, together with as soon as as Greatest Rising Chef. Different native cooks have acquired nominations for the reason that class was modified in 2020 to Greatest Chef: Texas. However nobody has received for the reason that James Beard Basis started recognizing distinctive achievement within the culinary arts 34 years in the past.
“A James Beard award would put San Antonio on the map,” mentioned Hinnerk von Bargen, chef and teacher at CIA. “It will draw extra expertise into San Antonio and make it extra attention-grabbing for culinary professionals to work right here. It will encourage others.”
May this be the yr of a Beard breakthrough?
San Antonio at present has six semifinalists for Greatest Chef: Texas, probably the most of any metropolis within the state: Dobbertin of Greatest High quality Daughter; Emil Oliva of Leche de Tigre; John Ramos and Jonathan Reyes of Chika; Gray Hwang of Shiro Japanese Bistro; Leo Davila of Stixs & Stone, which lately closed; and siblings Alex Sarmiento and Brenda Sarmiento of El Pastor es mi Señor.
One other semifinalist, Southtown’s Michelin-starred Mixtli, is up for Excellent Hospitality, after incomes a nomination for Excellent Restaurant in 2022.
“We’re actually excited,” mentioned Diego Galicia, Mixtli co-owner and chef. “That is the second time we get nominated for a nationwide award and people are significantly particular. We have now a stellar staff.”
An awards committee of business volunteers, meals writers and judges selects semifinalists, finalists and winners. Finalists might be introduced on Wednesday, winners on June 16.
Final yr’s winner for Greatest Chef: Texas, Ana Elizabeth Pulido, studied beneath von Bargen on the CIA. She graduated in 2019, labored in San Antonio, then moved to Mission the place she opened Ana Liz Taqueria in 2021.
“I bear in mind her as a really quiet and typically timid pupil,” von Bargen mentioned. “I’m extraordinarily excited for her and really completely happy to see how a lot she’s grown.”
Judges typically discover culinary achievement in sudden locations. Pulido had 5 tables when she was named Greatest Chef: Texas. She has since expanded, greater than quadrupling her taqueria in measurement to accommodate 50 prospects.
El Pastor es mi Señor can accommodate 22 prospects inside and 20 exterior. Though the taqueria has been featured in Texas Month-to-month — “This San Antonio Joint Would possibly Serve the Greatest Tacos al Pastor in Texas” — the homeowners by no means thought-about a James Beard nomination doable.
“We had been utterly blindsided when it occurred,” mentioned CEO and chef Brenda Sarmiento. “I logged into the James Beard web site out of curiosity. I needed to see if any of our buddies had made it. After I noticed our title, I needed to do a double-take. Like, what? I texted my brother. It was early within the morning. ‘Are you sitting down?’”
Alex Sarmiento was moving into the bathe when his sister texted him.
“It was a brilliant shock,” Alex mentioned. “We by no means thought they’d even take into account us. After I obtained the textual content, I believed we would not make it to the subsequent spherical, so let’s not make an enormous deal out of it.”
The siblings aren’t your typical Tex-Mex culinarians. They grew up in Mexico Metropolis, developed a love for sushi and opened their first restaurant, Yellowfish Sushi, as a daring fusion experiment. They known as it “Japamex.”
The Sarmientos’ launched a digital restaurant, Pink Fish, in 2017 earlier than opening their taqueria in 2020.
“Even when we don’t make it to the subsequent spherical,” Alex mentioned, “the truth that we had been thought-about, that our work was acknowledged is a second for us to replicate and be actually grateful. No matter what occurs, it’s an honor for us.”
James Beard was a pioneering chef, prolific cookbook creator and the primary to host a cooking program on tv. A James Beard award elevates careers and eating places. A nomination usually triggers a lift in site visitors.
“It helped us,” Brenda mentioned. “Enterprise has been nice.”
Austin led all cities within the state final yr with 5 semifinalists for Greatest Chef: Texas, adopted by San Antonio, Houston and Dallas with three apiece. San Antonio leaped to the entrance this yr with six nominees, adopted by Houston with 4, Austin and Marfa every with two, and Dallas and a number of other smaller cities with one apiece.
“It means San Antonio is up and coming,” von Bargen mentioned. “The culinary scene is getting extra vibrant, gaining extra notoriety and drawing individuals into the town.”
As Wednesday’s announcement approaches, anticipation is constructing. Some cooks are tamping down expectations, attempting to keep away from disappointment. Others are embracing the second.
“I’ve it as a calendar occasion so I’ll be excited to test the information once I get up,” Dobbertin mentioned. “I’m completely happy for anybody who makes it to the subsequent spherical, and hoping San Antonio can convey residence their first win this yr.”
