These Arizona chefs and restaurants are semifinalists for James Beard Awards 2024

Endia Fontanez, Arizona Republic
Updated ·5 min read

Arizona once again has 12 chefs, restaurateurs and a bar in the running for James Beard Awards, including Best Chef — Southwest, Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker and Outstanding Restaurateur.

The 2024 James Beard Award semifinalists were announced on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

In 2023, 12 Arizona chefs and restaurants also were semifinalists. All 12 were shut out of the finals. The previous year, Arizona congratulated Chris Bianco for Outstanding Restaurateur and Don Guerra for Outstanding Baker in the nation.

Winning a James Beard Award is one of the highest honors a chef or restaurant can receive. It is basically the Oscars of the food industry.

Here are the Arizona semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards.

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Barista Del Barrio

Flavia Briones of Barista Del Barrio in Tucson was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. Briones opened the restaurant in 2017. It's known for build-your-own breakfast burritos filled with potatoes, eggs or cheese and beans plus proteins and toppings.

Details: 1002 N. Grande Ave., Tucson. 520-244-5285, baristadelbarrio.com.

Chef Rene Andrade poses for a portrait at Bacanora on March 5, 2021.
Chef Rene Andrade poses for a portrait at Bacanora on March 5, 2021.

Bacanora

Rene Andrade of Bacanora was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. Andrade was nominated for the same award in 2023. Bacanora also was a finalist for Best New Restaurant in 2022 and was named one of Esquire's best new restaurants in America in 2021.

Details: 1301 NW Grand Ave., Unit 1, Phoenix. bacanoraphx.com.

Glai Baan

Pornsupack "Cat" Bunnag of Glai Baan was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. The Thai restaurant was recognized last year as a finalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program.

Details: 2333 E. Osborn Road, Phoenix. 602-595-5881, glaibaanaz.com.

Source

Claudio Urciuoli of Source was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. Source opened in December 2022 at Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert, offering Mediterranean-inspired sandwiches, soups, salads and bowls with freshly baked bread as the focal point for many dishes.

"It's a collective effort to bring Gilbert quality at a very good price point," Urciuoli told The Republic. "It was exciting to be in a new part of town... to be recognized for the effort that we put in for the last year, to try and show people that you can do high-quality food with paper plates."

Urciuoli thanked his team of chefs at Source, whom he said "run the operation."

"I'm very excited to be nominated and to get this honor for the team and for everybody that works hard every day to make good food for the community," he said.

Details: 3150 E. Ray Road, Suite 104, Gilbert. 480-687-7732, eatatsource.com.

Forêt

Sam Greenhalgh of Forêt in downtown Flagstaff was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. The cafe serves breakfast all day including an omelette au fromage, croque madame, an egg and cheese croissant and breakfast burrito.

Greenhalgh told The Republic he was "very shocked" when he heard the news of his nomination.

"I didn't see the list, I just had about 27 texts from people congratulating me and I didn't know what was going on," Greenhalgh said.

"I appreciate that my peers recognize how seriously I take it and how hard I work," Greenhalgh said. "I strive to get better every day and try to give the customers the best experience every day."

He said he would not have been able to achieve what he has without support from his mother.

Details: 2 S. Beaver St., Suite 170, Flagstaff. 928-214-7280, foretflagstaff.com.

Tumerico

Wendy Garcia of Tumerico in Tucson was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest. She received the same nomination last year. The scratch kitchen offers vegetarian Latin food from a menu that changes daily.

Details: Tumerico Cafe, 2526 E. Sixth St., Tucson. 520-240-6947. Also, Tumi on 4th, 402 E. Fourth Ave., Tucson. 520-392-0224, tumerico.com.

Valentine

Crystal Kass of Valentine was nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. She was also nominated in 2023 for her unique pastries such as a coconut corn cookie and piñon croissant.

Details: 4130 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-612-2961, valentinephx.com.

Feb 2, 2023; Tempe, AZ, United States; Husband and wife Armando Hernandez, left, and Nadia Holguin pose for a photo at Cocina Chiwas in Culdesac Tempe on Thursday. Feb. 2, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gould/The Republic
Feb 2, 2023; Tempe, AZ, United States; Husband and wife Armando Hernandez, left, and Nadia Holguin pose for a photo at Cocina Chiwas in Culdesac Tempe on Thursday. Feb. 2, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gould/The Republic

Cocina Chiwas and Tacos Chiwas

Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin of Cocina Chiwas and Tacos Chiwas were nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur. Tacos Chiwas is a fan-favorite Mexican restaurant with three locations in metro Phoenix. Its sister restaurant Cocina Chiwas opened in 2023 and immediately became a Tempe staple.

Holguin was previously nominated for Best Chef — Southwest for her work at Roland's, which closed in 2019.

Details: Cocina Chiwas, 2001 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe. 480-916-3690, cocinachiwasaz.com. Tacos Chiwas, 1028 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-358-8830. Additional locations at tacoschiwas.com.

Little Rituals

Little Rituals was nominated for Outstanding Bar for the second time. Its first nomination was in 2020. The bar opened in downtown Phoenix in 2019 and was named one of the best cocktail destinations in the U.S. in 2022.

"We've worked diligently since we opened to improve," owner Aaron Defeo said. "You know, we were nominated in 2020 and I think we were doing some good things. But I think as we go, we're getting better and better. And you know, this is just great for the team. It really helps push people forward, push Phoenix forward."

Details: 132 S. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-603-2050, littleritualsbar.com.

Andreoli Italian Grocer

Andreoli Italian Grocer in Scottsdale was nominated for Outstanding Hospitality. Chef Giovanni Scorzo was also nominated for Best Chef — Southwest in 2022. The restaurant serves sandwiches including tizio and porchetta plus pasta dishes like gnocchi alla corsara and spaghetti with clams.

Details: 8880 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale. 480-614-1980, andreoli-grocer.com.

Ava Bakery

Ava Bakery was nominated for Best New Restaurant. The tiny Persian bakery opened in November 2022 and offers Bandari sandwiches, baklava and haleem — a shredded meat porridge topped with sugar and cinnamon.

Details: 814 E. Union Hills Drive, Suite C-6, Phoenix. 480-906-9757, @ava.bakeryaz on Instagram.

Chef Roberto Centeno grills a tomahawk steak at Bacanora on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in Phoenix.
Chef Roberto Centeno grills a tomahawk steak at Bacanora on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in Phoenix.

Espiritu

Roberto Centeno of Espiritu in Mesa was nominated for Emerging Chef. Centeno was previously nominated for Best Chef — Southwest alongside Rene Andrade for Bacanora in 2023. Espiritu opened in January 2022 and offers a limited menu that includes ceviche mixto, queso fundido, potato tacos and Arizona long rib.

Details: 123 Main St., Mesa. 480-272-6825, espiritumesa.com.

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Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: James Beard Awards 2024: These Arizona chefs are semifinalists