James Beard 2023 Awards Season Kicks Off With Its America's Classics Winners
While chefs wear their winners' medals proudly during the annual James Beard Awards Gala, those chefs' culinary creativity is only one portion of the James Beard organization's mission to support and elevate America's food culture. Although the innovative menus and intricate dishes lead to great applause during the "chef's prom," the American culinary collective is more robust. The annual America's Classics winners honor select restaurants' contributions to regional food and being an integral part of the culinary community. Awarded since 1998, eligible restaurants must be "in existence for at least 10 years" and showcase how the long-standing business continues to offer excellence in all that it does.
Joining the more than 100 restaurants that have earned this honor are 2023 America's Classics winners: Joe's Bakery & Coffee Shop in Austin, Texas; San Juan, Puerto Rico's La Casita Blanca; Manago Hotel in Captain Cook, Hawaii; Nezinscot Farm in Turner, Maine; Butte, Montana's Pekin Noodle Parlor, and Wagner's Village Inn in Oldenburg, Indiana. Although these restaurants might not show up in an episode of "Top Chef" or be continuously featured on Food Network, their place in the culinary community has been earned through consistently offering delicious food and impeccable service. Whether it's plates of fried chicken in the Midwest or the Puerto Rican restaurant that feels as if diners are stepping into someone's home, these establishments are rooted in tradition, nostalgia, and a commitment to celebrating regional cuisine.
Why the America's Classics award is vital to food culture
The idea of a restaurant being "timeless" can take on many interpretations. Although American gastronomy is quite diverse, sometimes a straightforward approach to great food in an unpretentious setting needs its moment to shine. With the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics award, the restaurants are celebrated more for providing enjoyable meals in an affable setting than for cutting-edge feats of culinary wizardry. As seen over the years, the honored restaurants capture the character and cultural traditions of their respective communities.
The 2023 America's Classics winners allow diners to immerse themselves in regional flavors and locale. From a taste of old Hawaii at Manago Hotel with local fish and heaping side dishes in a setting straight from 80 years ago to Pekin Noodle Parlor, considered the "the oldest continuously operating Chinese family restaurant in America," these restaurants offer a flavor of both the past, present, and future. From harnessing local ingredients into nostalgic recipes to being an open door in times of need, they have ingrained themselves into their environs, where there is support both ways as business and patron. Without the continual support from locals, these restaurants would not have thrived, and vice versa. Even if these restaurants might not serve the latest food trends or offer that Instagram-worthy bathroom moment, the reality is that standing the test of time has value both on and off the table.