Dallas Is Shut Out at the James Beard Awards, Except For Cafe Momentum's Chad Houser
On June 16, the 'Oscars of food,' as the James Beard Foundation Awards are colloquially known, went down, and Dallas had one honoree break the city's losing streak of 31 years. Chad Houser, the founder and CEO of Cafe Momentum, accepted the Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work with children and teens who the justice system has impacted. Cafe Momentum will receive $20,000 to continue its work from the Michael Phillips Humanitarian Fund.
While introducing him, Andrew Zimmern, chef and host of Bizarre Foods , choked up and dropped an f-bomb. 'What this man does affects me and my family,' Zimmern said. 'It's a personal, personal thing and I'm a huge admirer of this human being and what he's done for so many, especially as a formerly incarcerated person.'
Houser's first word after Zimmern put the James Beard medal over his head? 'Fuck.' In his speech, Houser listed his thanks, and said, 'I'm often asked if Cafe Momentum has to be a restaurant and I always say 'Yes.' Our industry is an integral part of every single community across the country. We provide a gathering space to celebrate, to breathe, and sometimes to have a conversation you didn't know you needed to have.' He went on to say that the Beards honor acknowledges that Cafe Momentum can change the outcomes of kids in the justice system 'one meal, one conversation at a time.'
Houser turned out to be the only Dallas nominee to bring home an award — despite having the most finalists in the state of Texas, the city was locked out of any other wins. The 2025 James Beard Award finalists from Dallas were Mabo for Best New Restaurant, Bar Colette for Best New Bar, Regino Rojas of Purépecha as Best Chef: Texas, Starship Bagel for Outstanding Bakery, and RJ Yoakum in the Emerging Chef category. On the day of the awards, it was announced that Georgie parted ways with Emerging Chef nominee RJ Yoakum.
Each year, the James Beard Foundation recognizes restaurants, bars, and hospitality professionals in categories such as Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best New Chef. The first James Beard Awards ceremony was held in 1991, when chefs such as Rick Bayless, Nancy Silverton, and Wolfgang Puck emerged as winners. In recent years, the awards have been under increased scrutiny following the cancellation of its programming in 2020 and 2021 due to allegations of misbehavior and abuse against nominated chefs, as well as a lack of nominated and winning Black chefs in the categories. In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable, with plans to return in 2022. In recent years, the awards have shifted the Best Chef category to a regional model to better recognize the diversity and depth of talent.
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards. See More:
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