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SAVORY Explores: 2023 James Beard Award Winners

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Editorial Staff

Jun 07 2023
James Beard Award

The 2023 James Beard Award winners have been announced.

The James Beard Foundation released their 2023 Restaurant and Chef awards. To receive a James Beard nomination is an honor; to actually win is an incredible accomplishment. Our congratulations go out to all the James Beard Award winners.

We were lucky enough to have Savory Traveler writers dine at both Kann and Grey Sweater, two restaurants that received a James Beard Award this year.  

The James Beard Foundation, a nationally recognized nonprofit, whose mission is “to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability.” has been a pillar of the restaurant world for over 30 years.  

Below are the 2023 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.  

Outstanding Chef 

Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C. 

Outstanding Restaurant

Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA 

Best New Restaurant

Kann, Portland, OR 

Check out our review of Kann!

Outstanding Restaurateur 

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

Emerging Chef Presented  

Damarr Brown, Virtue, Chicago, IL 

Outstanding Bakery 

Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, MO 

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker 

Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles, CA 

Outstanding Hospitality Presented 

The Quarry, Monson, ME 

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program 

OTOTO, Los Angeles, CA 

Outstanding Bar 

Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI 

Best Chef: California 

Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai, Sherman Oaks, CA 

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

Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago, IL 

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

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA 

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

Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, Fairchild, Madison, WI 

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

Kris Komori, KIN, Boise, ID 

Best Chef: New York State 

Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York, NY 

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

Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, RI 

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

Vince Nguyen, Berlu, Portland, OR 

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

Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, PR 

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

Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, GA 

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

Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City, OK 

Check out our review of Grey Sweater! 

Best Chef: Texas 

Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston, TX 

Humanitarian of the Year Award 

The 2023 Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are the co-founders of the Black Farmer Fund: social entrepreneur and impact investor Olivia Watkins, and farmer and activist Karen Washington. 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

The 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree is legendary cookbook author, writer, teacher, and actress Madhur Jaffrey CBE.