by Andrew Chalk
If you believe the 2025 James Beard Awards list of 18 "Semi-Finalists" for Best Chef Texas:
The best chefs in Texas are most likely to be in San Antonio (6 candidates);
Houston is a close second (5 candidates);
DFW trails in third (3 candidates);
Austin has as many as Marfa (2 candidates);
The criteria are "A candidate may be from any kind of dining establishment but must have been working as a chef in the region for at least three years." The candidate cannot also have won the award during the previous five years.
There are quirks to this.
There is no limit to the number of years that a chef can be nominated, so in theory those who submit for a city (potentially anybody, but in practice food writers) could continue to submit a name year after year. Submissions do not automatically become "Semi-Finalists" (the, oddly-named, first selection filter). The James Beard Foundation (JBF) has a very non-transparent selection process to choose those who are selected.
The national category Emerging Chef might be considered as a category that should add to the numbers above, as a chef in one category cannot also be in another. In 2025 that would add one to DFW (RJ Yoakum) and one to Houston (Suu Khin).
From the above I conclude that
The JBF list of best chefs is not a list of best chefs. To get closer to such a list add together the nominees from all past years, so long as the chef is active.
The JBF selection process for Best Chef [Region] Semi-Finalists needs to be more transparent. Right now it lacks credibility
If we assume that the list of semi-finalists for Best Chef Texas is actually a delta (i.e. the new best chefs, not the stock of chefs who are actually working) then keep an eye on San Antonio. It used to be a vacation town for Texas parents to take their kids to see a killer whale and visit Six Flags. Now it is in the same culinary league as the other big Texas cities. I say, 'about time" it was recognized.
2025 BEST CHEF TX SEMIFINALISTS | |
Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk, Houston, TX | Houston |
Takéhiro Asazu and Masazumi Saio, Uroko, Austin, TX | Austin |
Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast, Spring, TX | Houston |
Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó, Houston, TX | Houston |
Leo Davila, Stixs & Stone, San Antonio, TX | San Antonio |
Evelyn Garcia, Jūn, Houston, TX | Houston |
Alexandra Gates, Cochineal, Marfa, Texas | Marfa |
Fasicka Hicks and Patrick Hicks, Smoke'N Ash BBQ, Arlington, TX | DFW |
Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, Best Quality Daughter, San Antonio, TX | San Antonio |
Grey Hwang, Shiro Japanese Bistro, San Antonio, Texas | San Antonio |
Evan LeRoy, LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, Austin, TX | Austin |
Beatriz Martines, Xalisko, The Woodlands, TX | Houston |
Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre, San Antonio, TX | San Antonio |
Anais Paniagua and Iris Rojas, Doña Maria, Irving, TX | DFW |
John Ramos and Jonathan Reyes, Chika, San Antonio, TX | San Antonio |
Regino Rojas, Purépecha, Dallas, TX | DFW |
Alex Sarmiento and Brenda Sarmiento, El Pastor Es Mi Señor, San Antonio, TX | San Antonio |
Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo, Marfa, TX | Marfa |
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