The culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars was announced on Monday, and three Texas chefs were among the winners in 25 categories of restaurants and chefs honored at the ceremony for the James Beard Awards in Chicago.
Adrian Torres, of Maximo in West University Place in Houston, was named Best Emerging Chef and Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, of JŪN, also in Houston, were named Best Chef in Texas.
While they didn’t come away with the top prize this year, nearly a dozen other Texans were nominated including Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, for Outstanding Restaurateur with H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Xochi, Urbe and others); Mixtli in San Antonio was nominated for Outstanding Restaurant; Agnes and Sherman, in Houston, were nominated for Best New Restaurant; Tavel Bristol-Joseph, of Nicosi in San Antonio and Maggie Huff, of Lucia in Dallas, were nominated for Outstanding Pastry chef or Baker; Junil Rodil, of March in Houston, was nominated for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service; and five others joined Garcia and Lu in being nominated for Best Chef in Texas. Ope Amosu, of ChòpnBlọk in Houston; Scott Girling, of Osteria II Muro in Denton; Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, of Café Piro in Socorro; and Finn Walter, of The Nicolett in Lubbock…