James Beard Foundation Awards 2022: All the Chef and Restaurant Winners

The James Beard Foundation Awards has returned with a more inclusive agenda, following a two-year hiatus. The event in Chicago, hosted by Kwame Onwuachi, had over 1000 of the U.S restaurant industry’s biggest names attending the gala ceremony at the Lyric Opera House.

“We are delighted to finally be back in Chicago celebrating the 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards and bringing attention to our industry, that still needs support," said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. "Tonight, as we recognise outstanding food and beverage professionals, we also honour our entire industry—and the incredible resilience, fortitude, talent and leadership so many have shown over the past two years.”

The Best New Restaurant award went to Owamni, Minneapolis, led by chef Sean Sherman, while the Outstanding Restaurant award, sponsored by Acqua Panna, was presented to Chai Pani in Asheville, NC.

^{Sean Sherman on stage at James Beard Foundation Awards 2022 - Jeff Schear/Getty Images for James Beard Foundation}

Mashama Bailey from The Grey in Savannah was named Outstanding Chef and in the Emerging Chef category, sponsored by S.Pellegrino, it was Edgar Rico, from Nixta Taqueria, Austin, who took home the prize.

^{Mashama Bailey on stage at James Beard Foundation Awards 2022 - Jeff Schear/Getty Images for James Beard Foundation}

Grace Young was recognized as Humanitarian of the Year, and Martin Yan was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Below is a full list of winners from the James Beard Foundation Awards 2022.

Outstanding Restaurateur  

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

Outstanding Chef  

• Mashama Bailey, The Grey, Savannah, GA

Outstanding Restaurant  (Presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water)

• Chai Pani, Asheville, NC

Emerging Chef (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water)

• Edgar Rico, Nixta Taqueria, Austin

Best New Restaurant (Presented by BentoBox)

• Owamni, Minneapolis

Outstanding Pastry Chef 

• Warda Bouguettaya, Warda Pâtisserie, Detroit

Outstanding Baker 

• Don Guerra, Barrio Bread, Tucson, AZ

Outstanding Hospitality (Presented by American Airlines)

• Cúrate, Asheville, NC

Outstanding Wine Program 

• The Four Horsemen, NYC

Outstanding Bar Program

• Julep, Houston

Best Chefs (Presented by Capital One):

Best Chef: California 

• Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu's, San Francisco

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

• Erick Williams, Virtue Restaurant & Bar, Chicago

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

• Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia

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

• Dane Baldwin, The Diplomat, Milwaukee

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

• Caroline Glover, Annette, Aurora, CO

Best Chef: New York State  

• Chintan Pandya, Dhamaka, NYC

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

• Nisachon Morgan, Saap, Randolph, VT

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

• Robynne Maii, Fête, Honolulu

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

• Ricky Moore, SALTBOX Seafood Joint, Durham, NC

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

• Adam Evans, Automatic Seafood and Oysters, Birmingham, AL

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

• Fernando Olea, Sazón, Santa Fe

Best Chef: Texas 

• Iliana de la Vega, El Naranjo, Austin

See all the media award winners here.