James Beard Awards 2023: Will a Birmingham restaurant win?
A reminder: The 2023 James Beard Awards are being presented tonight at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
But given all that has transpired over the past few weeks, it is easy to understand why many of us here in Alabama who follow such things may have lost interest in this year’s restaurant and chef awards.
And while, officially, two nominees from Alabama are still listed among the finalists for a coveted James Beard medallion this year, one of them has already been disqualified.
Confused? Join the club.
Last month, Timothy Hontzas, the chef and owner of the much-loved Homewood meat-and-three Johnny’s Restaurant, revealed in an interview with AL.com that he was told in an email that he had been disqualified as a finalist for best chef in the South after an independent investigation determined it was “more likely than not” that he had violated the foundation’s Code of Ethics. The investigation followed anonymous accusations that Hontzas had yelled at his staff and customers, Hontzas said at the time.
You can read more about that here and here.
Yet, because the foundation keeps its ethics investigations confidential — and in the spirit of maintaining that confidentiality — Hontzas’ name has not been removed from the list of finalists on the foundation’s website.
Along with Hontzas, the other nominees for best chef in the South are Ana Castro of Lengua Madre in New Orleans; Alex Perry and Kumi Omori of Vestige in Ocean Springs, Miss.; Henry Moso of Kabooki Sushi in Orlando; and Natalia Vallejo of Cocina al Fondo in San Juan, P.R.
Meanwhile, the only other James Beard Award finalist from Alabama tonight is Birmingham’s Bottega restaurant, which is one of five nominees for the outstanding hospitality award.
The other four nominees are the Black Cypress in Pullman, Wash.; Lula Drake in Columbia, S.C.; The Quarry in Monson, Maine; and Sepia in Chicago.
RELATED: Bottega dining room reopens after months-long renovation
Bottega is part of the Stitt Restaurant Group, which has a long history at the James Beard Awards that goes back more than 20 years.
Frank Stitt, the celebrated Southern chef whose Highlands Bar and Grill put Birmingham on the restaurant map, was named best chef in the Southeast in 2001. (At the time, chefs in Birmingham and Alabama were in the Southeast region; they are now part of the South region.)
Then, in 2018, after 10 consecutive years as a finalist, Highlands Bar and Grill won the top award as the most outstanding restaurant in America. That same year, Highlands pastry chef Dolester Miles also won for outstanding pastry chef.
Five years later, it could be Bottega’s night to take home a James Beard Award.
If you would like to follow tonight’s awards show, here’s what you need to know:
When does the James Beard Awards ceremony start?
The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. Central at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, which has hosted the event since 2015. Chefs Eric Adjepong, Esther Choi and Andrew Zimmern and cookbook author and “Top Chef” judge Gail Simmons will co-host tonight’s ceremony.
How can I watch the awards ceremony?
The food website Eater has partnered with the James Beard Foundation to livestream tonight’s ceremony, which begins with red carpet-coverage that starts at 5:30 p.m. To watch the livestream, go here.
What are the James Beard Awards and why are they a big deal?
Named for the celebrated chef, cookbook author and television personality James Beard — whom the New York Times called “the dean of American cookery” — the James Beard Awards were first presented in 1991 and have since become known as “the Oscars of the food world.”
In addition to Stitt, Miles and Highlands Bar and Grill, previous winners from Alabama include:
Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, best chef in the South, 2012.
The Bright Star, Bessemer, America’s Classic winner, 2010.
Adam Evans, Automatic Seafood and Oysters, Birmingham, best chef in the South, 2022.
For a full list of the 2023 James Beard Award restaurant and chef nominees, go here.
READ MORE ON THE JAMES BEARD AWARDS:
5 Alabama chefs and 2 restaurants that could be our next James Beard winner
Two Alabama restaurants, one chef among semifinalists for 2023 James Beard Awards
Alabama chef, restaurant named finalists for 2023 James Beard Awards