Every single James Beard Award winner from Arizona, from Chris Bianco to Rene Andrade
Arizona won two James Beard Awards in 2024. Chef Rene Andrade of Bacanora received Best Chef — Southwest and Gary Nabhan a Book Award this year. However, since the inception of James Beard Awards, Arizona chefs, restaurants and food reporters have snagged a total of 19 awards, ranging from America's Classics to Best Chefs of the region and Outstanding Baker to Outstanding Restaurateur.
Some award winners still run restaurants, while others have left the industry or closed their doors. But their legacies remain.
From Andrade to The Fry Bread House, here are all the Arizona James Beard Foundation Award winners through June 2024.
Rene Andrade: Best Chef — Southwest 2024
Rene Andrade of Bacanora and Huarachis won his first James Beard Award in 2024. However, Bacanora was a 2022 finalist for Best New Restaurant and Andrade was a semifinalist for Best Chef — Southwest in 2023.
Gary Paul Nabhan: Book Award 2024
Nabhan's book, "Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals," which he co-authored with David Suro Pi?era, received a James Beard Book Award in the Beverage without Recipes category.
Chris Bianco: Outstanding Restaurateur 2022
Bianco's restaurants Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco and Tratto have been darlings of the Valley and won national attention. Bianco opened a pizzeria in LA and plans to open another restaurant in Napa Valley.
Don Guerra: Outstanding Baker 2022
Guerra made a name for himself through Barrio Bakery in Tucson, which led to a James Beard Award in 2022. In 2023, he brought his award-winning bread to metro Phoenix, using Hayden Flour Mills products.
Charleen Badman: Best Chef — Southwest 2019
Badman, chef and co-owner of FnB in Scottsdale, won a Beard Award for her love of showcasing vegetables. Badman also teaches children where food comes from and how to cook. Moreover, she launched the Blue Watermelon Project to encourage eating healthier in schools.
El Guero Canelo: America's Classics 2018
Tucson-based El Guero Canelo is one of the three Arizona restaurants that have won America's Classics, an award given to "locally owned restaurants that serve quality food, have a timeless appeal, and reflect the character of their communities" and have been open for at least 10 years, according to the Beard Foundation website.
The Fry Bread House: America's Classics 2012
The Fry Bread House won its America's Classics award 20 years after opening and, according to The Republic, became the first Native American restaurant to receive this designation.
Nobuo Fukuda: Best Chef — Southwest 2007
Chef Nobuo Fukuda received Best Chef — Southwest for his restaurant Sea Saw in Scottsdale, which closed in 2009. Since then, he opened and closed Nobuo at Teeter House. Fukuda opened his latest concept, Hai Noon in Scottsdale in 2023.
Barbara Yost: Newspaper Feature Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs 2007
The late Barbara Yost, a dessert lover and feature writer for The Arizona Republic, won for "Bringing a restaurant to life," a story she wrote about Sam Fox. For the story, she traveled to Italy with him while he did research before opening Olive and Ivy.
Bradford Thompson: Best Chef — Southwest 2006
Bradford Thompson won Best Chef — Southwest when he was at Mary Elaine's at The Phoenician.
El Chorro Lodge: America's Classics 2005
El Chorro is one of the concepts by Samuel Marcus Grossman and Becky Rosalie Jacobsen, who changed their hospitality business name to Marc & Rose Hospitality in 2023. It was the first Arizona restaurant to win America's Classics.
Chris Bianco: Best Chef — Southwest 2003
Chris Bianco, who opened Pizzeria Bianco in the back of a grocery store in 1988, won his first Beard Award in 2003.
Robert McGrath: Best Chef — Southwest, 2001
Robert McGrath started as a pre-med major before switching to the culinary arts. He won this award while at Roaring Fork restaurant.
Janos Wilder: Best Chef — Southwest 2000
Janos Wilder of Janos restaurant in Tucson helped establish Tucson as a UNESCO city of gastronomy.
Roxsand Scocos: Best Chef — Southwest 1999
Paris-trained chef Roxsand Scocos (McCreary) of RoxSand at Biltmore Fashion Park was one of the heavy hitters and big names in the '90s. A few years after winning her award, she closed her restaurant and retired to spend more time with her husband.
Alessandro Stratta: Best Chef — Southwest 1998
Stratta won his Beard Award while working at Mary Elaine's at The Phoenician. Since then, he won two Michelin stars in Las Vegas and was "Iron Chef USA" on Food Network. He returned to Phoenix and plans to head the culinary program for five restaurants at Fairmont in downtown Phoenix, slated to open in 2025.
Christopher Gross: Best Chef — Southwest 1995
Chef of Christopher's at the Wrigley Mansion, Gross earned his award when he owned Christopher's and Christopher's Bistro. His attention to detail also garnered him five stars from The Republic's former food critic and a high rating from Gayot.
Penelope Corcoran: Newspaper Restaurant Review or Critique 1994
Corcoran was awarded for her work as The Republic's food critic.
Vincent Guerithault: Best Chef — Southwest 1993
Chef and owner of Vincent's on Camelback, Guerithault was the first Arizona chef to win a Beard award.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: James Beard Awards in Arizona: Every chef and restaurant winner
