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Dallas, Fort Worth, and its sprawling suburbs landed a lot of names on the James Beard Award list of semifinalists for 2023 — one of the biggest and most prestigious culinary awards. That includes multiple nominees in national categories vying for the prestigious awards — a jump from the previous year.
Junior Borges of Meridian, a former Eater Dallas Awards restaurant of the year, earned a slot on the Outstanding Chef list. Lucia finds itself on the Outstanding Restaurant list, while the winner of the 2022 Eater Dallas Awards for restaurant of the year, Restaurant Beatrice, lands on the Best New Restaurant list, alongside Don Artemio in Fort Worth and Tatsu.
And the DFW area more than holds its own in the list of Texas’s best chefs, with multiple notable nominees.
Here is the complete list of semifinalists from the Metroplex:
Outstanding Chef: Junior Borges of Meridian
Outstanding Restaurant: Lucia
Best New Restaurant: Restaurant Beatrice, Don Artemio, Tatsu
Outstanding Bakery: La Casita Bakeshop in Richardson, Kuluntu Bakery
Best Chef — Texas: Reyna Duong at Sandwich Hag; Jalen Heard, Lane Milne, and Jonny White at Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth; Olivia López and Jonathan Percival at Molino Olōyō; Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman at José; and Regino Rojas at Revolver Taco Lounge.
Check out the semifinalists in Houston as well, and Austin.
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.