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MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota has once again gained recognition both nationally and regionally for its excellent food service, landing seven restaurants on the list. List of Semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards.
The list, announced by the foundation Wednesday, includes local spots competing for Outstanding Chef, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, and Outstanding Bar awards nationally, while three Twin Cities-area businesses compete for Best Chefs of the Midwest Region.
National:
- Featured Chef: Daniel del Prado, Porzana, Minneapolis, MN
- Best New Restaurant: Oro by Nixta, Minneapolis, MN
- Featured Pastry Chef or Baker: Marc Heu, Marc Heu Pâtisserie Paris, St. Paul, MN
- Exceptional Bar – Meteor, Minneapolis, MN
Regional:
Top Chefs Midwest Region
- Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis, MN
- Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis, MN
- Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, St. Paul, MN
Bay City’s Lisa Carlson and Carrie Summer, Chef Shack Bay City of Wisconsin, were also nominated for the regional honor. While the restaurant is now located in Wisconsin, Carlson and Summer first launched their business in the Twin Cities.
KARE 11’s Gordon Severson spoke with Oro’s owners, Kate and Gustavo Romero, who said they never imagined their small Mexican restaurant in northeast Minneapolis would be nominated for a national award.
“We are very grateful,” said Gustavo.
The idea came about during the pandemic, when both were working at other local restaurants. They said when things got really tough, they looked for other ways to help pay the bills.
“We just did what we could,” Kate said.
“…which were tortillas,” added Gustavo.
Tortillas became popular, so they tried ready meals and takeout. Finally, they decided to open a small restaurant that offered authentic ingredients and lots of corn. That’s where the name of your company comes from, and it’s the message behind these words hanging in your dining room.
“Without corn we have no country.”
The duo brings corn directly from Mexico and uses several different types in their recipes.
While the Romeros say it’s all very exciting, they say they’re not really prepared for what might happen next.
“It’s only been a couple of hours,” Kate said.
“That was the first thing we thought: ‘What’s going to happen now?'”
James Bear Award finalists will be announced on April 3, followed by the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Many establishments and restaurateurs in Minnesota have already received the distinct honor of being nominated in recent years, including the 2022 Best Restaurant winner, Owamni by the Sioux Chef, which was curated by business partners Sean Sherman and Dana Thompson.
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