Photographs of the 2019 James Beard Awards in Chicago, MN. Photo by Eliesa Johnson courtesy of the James Beard Foundation.
Oak Cliff is home to some of Dallas’s best restaurants, and three have received one of the highest honors in the culinary world.
Two Oak Cliff restaurants and one bakery were named James Beard Award semifinalists today, a press release from the James Beard Foundation announced.
Beloved Italian hotspot Lucia is a semifinalist in the Best Restaurant category.
This is not Lucia’s first flirt with the James Beard Award. In 2019, Chef David Uyghur received a semifinal nomination in the Best Chef category.
Restaurant Beatrice came to Oak Cliff in early 2022 and has already caused quite the culinary stir. In December, the creole and cajun eatery was named Restaurant of the Year in the Eater Awards.
And now, Restaurant Beatrice has a James Beard nod in the Best New Restaurant category.
The award is given to restaurants that opened during 2022, and “that already demonstrates excellence in cuisine, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.”
The third Oak Cliff shoutout comes in the Outstanding Bakery category, which is new in 2023.
“This category recognizes a baker of breads, pastries, or desserts that demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations while contributing positively to its broader community,” the press release said.
Kuluntu Bakery was recognized in the category, and was one of two bakeries from Texas to make the list.
The final awards will be given out during an awards ceremony in Chicago this June.
