Arizona restaurants and chefs shut out of 2023 James Beard Award finals. What we know

Bahar Anooshahr, Arizona Republic

March 30, 2023 at 4:01 AM·2 min read

The finalists for the 2023 James Beard Awards were announced on Wednesday morning and Arizona had no finalists.

None of Arizona's semifinalists, including chef Silvana Salcido Esparza and restaurants Glai Baan and Proper Meats + Provisions, made it to the final round.

The last time no Arizona chefs or restaurants advanced as finalists was 2018. El Guero Canelo of Tucson did receive the James Beard Foundation's 2018 America's Classics Awards.

The 2023 winners in the restaurant and chef categories will be announced at the James Beard Foundation award ceremony on June 5, 2023, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The James Beard Awards, the most prestigious in the culinary world, were established in 1990. The first awards ceremony took place in 1991. They recognize excellence in a range of food categories, from casual to fine dining, from newcomers to culinary masters.

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How Arizona chefs reacted to the James Beard Award announcement

Chef Christian Lowe, who cooks at Shift Kitchen & Bar in Flagstaff and was a semifinalist in the Emerging Chef Category, posted an Instagram story saying, "Congratulations to those who made it." Chef Dara Sprinces Wong, the owner of Shift, posted a story addressed to Lowe, "Even thought Chef didn't make it on this list, I'm super proud of you."

Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza's Instagram story had a photo of Susan Lucci with a medal and award superimposed on it. The caption read, "Always a bridesmaid #9." Esparza owns Barrio Cafe in Phoenix.

Chef Jaren Bates of The Table at Junipine in Sedona, said, "Life goes on."

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