PHOENIX — Multiple Arizona eateries and restaurant professionals have been recognized by The James Beard Foundation, which honors outstanding culinary talent.
The 2022 nominees were announced Friday in Paradise Valley. Restaurants and chefs from Arizona were nominated for four separate categories including:
- Chris Bianco of Tratto, Pane Bianco, and Pizzeria Bianco for Outstanding Restaurateur: A restaurateur who uses their establishment(s) as a vehicle for building community, demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship and integrity in restaurant operations, and is making efforts to create a sustainable work culture.
- Bacanora in Phoenix for Best New Restaurant: A restaurant opened in 2020 or 2021 that already demonstrates excellence in cuisine and hospitality and seems likely to make a significant impact in years to come.
- Don Guerra of Barrio Bread in Tucson for Outstanding Baker: A baker of breads, pastries, or desserts who displays exceptional skill. Must consistently sell goods directly to the public but does not need a brick-and-mortar presence and must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past three years.
- Giovanni Scorzo of Andreoli Italian Grocer in Scottsdale for Best Chef: Southwest
Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 13, 2022, in Chicago.
The 2022 awards are the first to be held in a couple of years due to the pandemic. In 2020,the James Beard Foundation said it would not announce any more winners for its prestigious food industry awards that year and was canceling the 2021 awards. The New York-based nonprofit’s decision was made in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its potentially devastating consequences for the hospitality industry.
