Chai Pani, which serves affordable Indian street food in North Carolina, has been awarded as the best restaurant in America. The name of the restaurant translates as tea and water.
On Monday, the Asheville-based Indian restaurant was named America’s most outstanding restaurant at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago, topping other nominees like Brennan’s in New Orleans.
The ceremony was held after two years of a hiatus due to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021. So, the foundation could remove systemic bias, especially as lockdowns during the past two years forced the temporary closure of many US restaurants.
Furthermore, the awards come at a time when Americans are facing the highest food prices in four decades amid rising inflation that is threatening the economy in general.
The award recipients and nominees for this year were more diverse to better reflect the makeup of the United States. Besides geographic diversity, more winners came out of Chicago and New York than in years past.
There’s a variety of Indian snacks called ‘chaat’ on the menu at Chai Pani. Chaat is a mix of spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. The Best New Restaurant award went to Native American restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis, which has 75% indigenous employees.
Baker of the year went to Don Guerra from Barrio Bread in Tucson, Arizona, where he uses ancient grains grown in a desert environment.
Among the top chefs in the country is Mashama Bailey of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia. The Outstanding Restaurateur Award was given to Chris Bianco, owner and operator of Tratto, Pane Bianco, and Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix.
Dawn Padmore, vice president of awards, said the foundation did a ‘deep dive’ on itself during its hiatus. “Looking at the audience and seeing so many different people, it feels different. It’s about reflecting the true diversity of the industry,” she said.
