James Beard Finalists revealed

San Antonio chef scores prestigious James Beard Award nomination

Steve McHugh has scored a James Beard nomination.

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The Alamo City is represented among this year’s finalists for the James Beard Awards. Considered the Oscars of the culinary world, the Beard Awards recognize chefs, restaurants, and media in dozens of categories.

Overall, San Antonio's bars and restaurants turned three semifinalist nominations into a single finalist:

Cured chef Steve McHugh (Best Chef: Texas)

For the first time, the foundation has designated Texas as its own region in the restaurant and chef awards. In addition to the chefs listed above, this year’s finalists also include:

Emmer & Rye chef-owner Kevin Fink in Austin (Best Chef: Texas)
Olamaie chef-owner Michael Fojtasek in Austin (Best Chef: Texas)
Pondicheri chef-owner Anita Jaisinghani in Houston (Best Chef: Texas)
Crawfish & Noodles chef-owner Trong Nguyen in Houston (Best Chef: Texas)
Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston (Outstanding Bar Program)

The Beard Awards finalist announcements come at a time of unprecedented challenges for America’s restaurants. Initially, May 4 should have been the day the foundation revealed the winners of this year’s awards, but it delayed the finalist announcement due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While Texas’ dining rooms have been allowed to reopen in a limited way, most dining rooms across the country remain closed. Some may never reopen. Celebrity chefs such as Tom Colicchio and David Chang — both multiple Beard Award winners — have been among those leading the call for government intervention to provide financial assistance to allow restaurants to survive.

In an essay, Beard foundation chief strategy officer Mitchell Davis explained why the organization decided to move forward with Monday’s announcement:

We consulted with chefs, restaurateurs, and industry professionals from across the country to get their perspective on what the industry wanted and needed right now.

It was clear that those whose work in 2019 led them to be selected as a semifinalist—and perhaps ultimately a nominee or a winner—deserved the recognition they earned. Those we consulted felt the Awards could also offer a glimmer of hope to an industry looking for light in a very dark time.

The foundation’s media award will be announced online on May 27. The restaurant and chef winners will be awarded in Chicago on September 25.

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Better Days, Same Burgers

Shuttered San Antonio burger joint stages surprising comeback

Teddy B's/Facebook

Teddy B's has made a surprise comeback.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of Teddy B's life. In October, the popular burger joint shuttered its decade-old location on Babcock Road, grieving a loss of foot traffic and rising costs. On November 20, the spot revealed a plot twist. The owners are now slinging patties at 9903 Fredericksburg Rd.

"Dear Teddy B's customers, we have good news," the restaurant posted on social media. "We are back in business...We are waiting for our new sign, but we are up and running."

The unexpected comeback is the culmination of a tumultuous year for the business. As the restaurant marked its 10-year milestone this summer, the outlook was much darker. On August 4, the restaurant took to social media to warn that closure could be imminent. A traffic decline affected Teddy B's ability to maintain its affordable price point.

The messaging worked, at least in the short term. Days later, the restaurant reported an increase in business. The marketing language was hopeful until October 13, when the restaurant abruptly announced it was closing for good.

The news of Teddy B's rebirth came just as suddenly. After a month-long social media silence, the restaurant announced it had taken over the former home of Burger Haven. The latter restaurant was little known, appearing to operate mainly as a ghost kitchen.

Assumably, burgers will be back on the menu, but it is unclear whether other favorites will be eliminated to streamline the operation. The business has not posted any revisions, and its website is down at press time.

The burger joint's comeback manifests as other shuttered legacy restaurants like The Lion and Rose and Fratello's have staged their own returns. While Teddy B's has offered no reasoning for getting back into the game, it is a testament to the resiliency of San Antonio's culinary community.

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