After a two-year hiatus, the James Beard Awards are back. The lauding of notable restaurants and influential chefs feels a touch different this time, and for good reason.
Back in 2020, the James Beard Foundation abruptly canceled its awards, even after naming the nominees. It later came out that several finalists were embroiled in controversy (one for serving moldy jam and allegedly stealing recipes, another for anonymous accusations of bad behavior). There also wasn’t a single Black winner represented in the 23 award categories, according to The New York Times.
The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee (disclosure: our Allecia Vermillion is vice chair) spent 2021 overhauling the awards procedures to address the lack of equity and
→ Continue reading at SeattleMet