2024 James Beard Awards
Today, we are proud to announce the 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists for the James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One. Nominees will be announced on Wednesday, April 3, and winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Established in 1990 and first awarded in 1991, the James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards are one of five separate recognition programs of the James Beard Awards. The awards recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.
James Beard FoundAtion
The Local Palate
Chef Melissa Araujo pays homage to her Honduran roots—and her grandmother’s kitchen—at her welcoming Bywater cafe where brunch is a specialty. She channels culinary influences from the homey dishes of her childhood along with specialties of the Garifuna, descendants of an Afro-indigenous population from the Caribbean who were exiled to the Honduran coast in the eighteenth century. Alma, which means soul in Spanish, was five years in the making, with Araujo popping up in various kitchens while she was running a catering business.
It was wildly popular with locals from day one. As time went by and more visitors started coming back to New Orleans, tourists discovered Araujo’s from-scratch menu. The Alma brunch is a best seller—two eggs with refried beans, sweet plantains, avocado, queso fresco, and homemade crema— and plant-based dishes are a feature at every meal. Guests can dine inside and out in the sparse, elegant space, which is decorated with her grandparents’ wedding photo and a tile mural of the Mayan moon goddess Ixchel, a deity of female power and fertility.
the Local Palate Magazine
Rebirth of the Saloon
“Ms. Blackburn has surprised us with her ability to turn pioneer staples into gourmet delights. Her signature cocktails are not merely couched in nostalgia, but are a genuine rebirth of western saloon classics.”
Austin Daily
Uncover the Hidden Gems of New Orleans: Discover the City Beyond the Beaten Path
Alma Café
In the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, also known as the “sliver by the river,” there are some amazing spots for dining, drinking and all-day fun. “Be sure to visit Alma Café – the Honduran-inspired eatery from James Beard: Best Chef South semifinalist Melissa Araujo. At Alma, guests can enjoy both traditional Honduran dishes and creative plates like Baleadas, Celebration of Tomatoes and more. A full bar with stellar cocktails and an exceptional Honduran coffee program round out the experience.” – Lauren Busch, Vice President – Brustman Carrino PR
Eater New Orleans
t’s been a year and a half since Melissa Araujo opened Alma Cafe, her first restaurant, in New Orleans’s Bywater neighborhood, and quickly propelled it to becoming a sought-after brunch destination — all during a pandemic. And soon there will be a new way to experience Araujo’s modern takes on regional Honduran fare when Alma begins serving dinner later this month.
The restaurant has served breakfast and lunch since debuting in October 2020, but Araujo dipped her toes in the water recently with two five-course tasting dinners to close out 2021. “Those two dinners were made intentionally to see if we had a nighttime market,” Araujo says. Courses included salmon crudo with ponzu sauce and calabaza en miel, pumpkin cooked in honey and pistachios — dishes that are examples of what will be on the forthcoming dinner menu, Araujo says. The meal ended with Honduran bread pudding, or budin de pan, served with a cognac, pecan, and pistachio sauce, a dessert set to be on the new menu.
“Alma’s going to keep her essence,” Araujo says. “We’re going to go tapas style for night, with beautiful, handcrafted cocktails. Our vibe is still casual and homey, but dinner will feel more elegant.” There were always plans to add dinner, originally after half a year or so, but Araujo feels ready to introduce dinner now because the front of the house is finally fully staffed up, Araujo says. And while they need one more person in the kitchen, “We’re getting the job done, and we’re ready,” she says.
EATER NEW ORLEANS
Best Sazerac Outside NOLA
“As a New Orleans native, I’m very particular about my sazeracs. The bartenders at Hunter know how to make the perfect, authentic sazerac. That’s just one example of the meticulous care Ms. Blackburn has put into her saloon/restaurant."
Creole Gourmand
Amazing Beer Selection
“Good food and cocktails are one thing, but this place had me sold with its twenty beers on tap. From your regular joes to your craft brew snobs, Hunter has something for everyone and brings the saloon life back to Texas. All they need now is a pianola.”