The James Beard Awards include some of the biggest awards in the restaurant business. As it turns out, Michigan is well represented in the 2022 selection. We shouldn’t be surprised, since Michigan has some great restaurants and chefs.
The James Beard 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees were revealed this week during a live ceremony. Two Michigan chefs and one Michigan restaurant are among the nominees.
Up for “Best New Restaurant” is BARDA Detroit in Detroit. The restaurant is located at 4842 Grand River Avenue. Up for “Outstanding Pastry Chef” is Warda Bouguettaya of Warda Pâtisserie in Detroit. Finally, up for “Best Chef: Great Lakes” is Omar Anani at Saffron De Twah in Detroit. Barda first opened last spring. It features a range of Argentinian-inspired food. Warda Pâtisserie expanded into the city from Eastern Market last year and offers delicious pastries. Saffron De Twah, located on Gratiot Avenue near Warren Avenue, features Moroccan-inspired food.
“The Awards are a great reminder that we are among innovators, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers who represent a wide range of regions, cultures, and cooking philosophies,” Tanya Holland, chair of the James Beard Awards Committee, said in a statement. “And this year, in particular, is a great reminder of how incredibly diverse our industry is. I am proud of the changes the James Beard Foundation has made to the Awards program to ensure equity and inclusion, and though it is just the beginning of an ongoing commitment, we are already seeing the impact. This is the most diverse list I’ve seen in Awards history, and I am honored to be a part of that change.”
A special James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, June 13, 2022, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The event will honor the 2022 nominees and winners. For the full list of nominees, go here.