Oklahoma City chef gets second James Beard award finalist nod
Could Oklahoma be headed to a James Beard award three-peat? The state just inched closer to that with its latest finalist nomination. Oklahoma City chef Jeff Chanchaleune has been named a Finalist for the second consecutive James Beard award. This follows a three-time winner from Oklahoma City, Andrew Black, who won the Best Chef: Southwest title last year. This year, five Oklahoma chefs were named as semifinalists, including Tabb Singleton, Jacque Sigfried, Jordan Hawley, and Alexandre Figueira, of Doctor Kustom, a Brazilian restaurant at Tulsa's Mother Road Market. The latest nomination comes as Ma Der Lao Kitchen continues to garner national attention, being named on USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year list earlier this year.
Publié : il y a un mois par JaNae Williams dans Lifestyle
Could Oklahoma be headed to a James Beard award three-peat? The state just inched closer to that with Oklahoma City three-time James Beard Semifinalist, Jeff Chanchaleune being named a Finalist for the second year in a row.
Last year, chef Andrew Black joined Oklahoma's original James Beard Foundation Award winner Florence's, 1437 NE 23 St., in the exclusive winners club when he brought home the Best Chef: Southwest title. Florence Kemp was awarded the foundation's America's Classics Award in 2022.
This year, Chanchaleune was among five Oklahoma chefs named as semifinalists among a field of 10.
The other Oklahoma semifinalists included Tabb Singleton, of Phat Tabb’s barbecue in Idabel, Jacque Sigfried, chef-owner of Broken Arrow restaurant NĀTV, and two Tulsa-based chefs: Jordan Hawley, of Italian spot il seme, and Alexandre Figueira, of Doctor Kustom, a Brazilian restaurant at Tulsa's Mother Road Market.
Now named a finalist for a second time, Chanchaleune, nominated for Ma Der Lao Kitchen, 1634 N Blackwelder Ave., Suite 102, will head to Chicago in June in hopes of bringing the award for Best Chef: Southwest back to Oklahoma again.
"I have all sorts of feels today. I’m so excited, honored, and relieved. I’ve been anxious about this since the long list came out," Chanchaleune said.
"Just because you were a finalist last year and up for it again this year doesn’t mean you’ll get it. I’ve seen it happen, but making top five is a win in itself. That medallion will just be the cherry on top. Getting this second finalist nomination is proof to me that hard work, dedication, and perseverance can help achieve big dreams. I really hope this is finally the year this dream comes true."
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Chanchaleune faces four other finalists in the category — Rene Andrade of Bacanora in Phoenix, Arizona, Steve Kestler of Aroma Latin American Cocina in Henderson, Nevada, Steve Riley of Mesa Provisions in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Eduardo Rodriguez of Zacatlán in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The latest nomination for Chanchaleune comes as Ma Der continues to garner national spotlight, being named to USA TODAY's inaugural Restaurants of the Year list earlier this year.
Les sujets: Food & Drink