The culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars was announced on Monday, and three Texas chefs were among the winners in 25 categories of restaurants and chefs honored at the ceremony for the James Beard Awards in Chicago. Adrian Torres, of Maximo in West University Place in Houston, was named B est Emerging Chef and Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, of JŪN, also in Houston, were named Best Chef in Texas. While they didn’t come away with the top prize this year, nearly a dozen other Texans were nominated including Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, for Outstanding Restaurateur with H Town Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Xochi, Urbe and others); Mixtli in San Antonio was nominated for Outstanding Restaurant; Agnes and Sherman, in Houston, were nominated for Best New Restaurant; Tavel Bristol-Joseph, of Nicosi in San Antonio and Maggie Huff, of Lucia in Dallas, were nominated for Outstanding Pastry chef or Baker; Junil Rodil, of March in Houston, was nominated for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service; and five others joined Garcia and Lu in being nominated for Best Chef in Texas. Ope Amosu, of ChòpnBlọk in Houston; Scott Girling, of Osteria II Muro in Denton; Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, of Café Piro in Socorro; and Finn Walter, of The Nicolett in Lubbock. The winners this year represent 15 states and Washington, D.C. The James Beard Foundation established the awards in 1990 and has bestowed them since 1991, except in 2020 and 2021, when the organization scrapped them as the restaurant industry was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants apply for the awards. Judges, who mostly remain anonymous, try the cuisine before voting. Nominees are reviewed for the food and for a behavioral “code of ethics,” including how employees are treated. State by state: James Beard Award winners We’ve broken out by location the winners for all categories, including Outstanding Restaurateur, Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Emerging Chef, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Bakery, Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, Outstanding Hospitality, Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, Outstanding Bar, Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service and Best Chefs by region. View all winners here. You can view the previously published list of nominees here. California winners Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco, CA — Outstanding Chef Providence, Los Angeles, CA — Outstanding Hospitality Kato, Los Angeles, CA — Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA — Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service Dave Beran, Seline, Santa Monica, CA — Best Chef: California Colorado winners Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO — Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY) Illinois winners Jacob Potashnick, Feld, Chicago, IL — Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH) Louisiana winners Serigne Mbaye, Dakar NOLA, New Orleans, LA — Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR) Maine winners Dana Street, Fore Street, Scales, Standard Baking Co., and others, Portland, ME — Outstanding Restaurateur Missouri winners Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO — Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI) Montana winners Wild Crumb, Bozeman, MT — Outstanding Bakery Nevada winners Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV — Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK) New Hampshire winners Evan Hennessey, Stages, Dover, NH — Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) New York winners Lei, New York, NY — Best New Restaurant Lee Campbell, Borgo, New York, NY — Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY — Best Chef: New York State North Carolina winners Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester, NC — Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV) Oregon winners Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR — Outstanding Bar Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR — Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA) Pennsylvania winners Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA — Outstanding Restaurant Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA — Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA) Rhode Island winners Loma, Providence, RI — Best New Bar Texas winners Adrian Torres, Maximo, West University Place, TX — Emerging Chef Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston, TX — Best Chef: Texas Washington, D.C. winners Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C. — Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker ...read more read less