UPDATE: A spokesperson for the James Beard Foundation reached out to clarify information about the beneficiaries of this event. The dessert has also been changed. Both changes are reflected in this article.

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San Antonio appeared three times in the 2023 James Beard Awards as finalists, but none made the winner's circle this time. Still, there's much to see in the Alamo City for serious foodies, so the James Beard Foundation is stopping by on its national touring dinner series.

On March 6 at Best Quality Daughter, Capital One presents Taste America, which travels between 20 cities organizing collaborative dining experiences with top chefs. That means both sit-down dinners and self-paced tastings showing off the best independent restaurants across the nation, including this San Antonio staple.

James Beard-level dining doesn't have to be done in historic steakhouses or super-modern rooftops, and Best Quality Daughter is a testament to this more relaxed greatness, after a very successful few years in business. The whimsical, but stylish Asian-American restaurant brings the homey vibes to a sometimes-stuffy category with its family-style dinner service, classic dishes, and cute pink wallpaper.

Chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin — of Best Quality Daughter and the dinner series' cohort called TasteTwenty — will welcome a guest chef from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to help cook this meal. That chef is TasteTwenty Chef Cristian Pontiggia of Sassella, known for adventurous fine Italian dining.

Between the two chefs' styles, it looks like Pontiggia will have a strong effect on the boundary-pushing and plating, and Dobbertin might inject some sense of comfort cooking. Both are often involved in conversations about authenticity and tradition, given their passion for representing the best of their heritage.

This dinner will come in four courses:

• Scallion pancakes with salted Kerrygold butter
• House-made burrata and pears
• Duck larb (chopped) spaghetti, featuring duck crackling, prik nam pla (like Thai salsa), garlic confit, toasted rice powder, and herbs. A vegetarian alternative will use an Impossible-brand substitute.
• Chinese mango ‘pudding’ with milky oolong coconut cream and crispy mung beans

This is where the fine dining stereotypes kick in; It's not priced for a spontaneous weeknight meal. This dinner will set true foodies back $350 per pair. However, these funds are being put to work benefitting the participating chefs and the James Beard Foundation’s national impact programming, which aims to foster equity, sustainability, women’s leadership, and an overall inclusive culinary industry.

Tickets for the March 6 Taste America at Best Quality Daughter are available at jamesbeard.org. The event starts at 6 pm at 602 Avenue A. The menu is subject to change, and guests must be 21 years or older with a valid ID.