Houston sent some of its best chefs and restaurateurs to Chicago last night for the James Beard Awards 2026 at the Lyric Opera. The annual event shines a light on the hospitality industry’s best professionals. Named for chef and cookbook author, the late James Beard, the recognition is a highly coveted one.
The evening started off strong for Houston’s finest with young executive chef, Adrian Torres of Maximo, taking honors for Emerging Chef. The Mexican restaurant in West University Place opened in April 2024 from Local Foods Group, bringing in Torres in March 2025. The Mexico native has created a stellar and unique tasting menu, along with Seth Siegel-Gardner, culinary director at Local Foods Group.
For Outstanding Restaurateur: H-Town Restaurant Group’s power couple Tracy Vaught and Hugo Ortega were nominated. Vaught has been nominated multiple times, while husband and chef Ortega won the JBA Best Chef: Southwest in 2017. Their recent opening of Zaranda has garnered much acclaim as the newest jewel in their restaurant empire. However, the top prize for Outstanding Restaurateur this year went to Dana Street of Portland, Maine.
In the Best New Restaurant category: Houston was represented by chef Nick Wong and managing partner Lisa Lee for Agnes and Sherman. The Michelin-recommended “diner” draws on the Asian American diversity of its founders and Houston itself with dishes like Taiwanese Disco Fries, a whimsical twist on poutine, and egg foo young with crawfish. Despite its creativity, Agnes and Sherman was bested by Lei, a Michelin-recognized wine bar in New York City’s Chinatown.
Goodnight Hospitality’s CEO and Master Sommelier, June Rodil, was a finalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. Most Houstonians will recognize Rodil from the Michelin starred restaurant, March, for which she was a finalist. Rodil lost out to Lee Campbell of Borgo, a highly-acclaimed Italian restaurant in New York City.
The last category for Houston finalists was Best Chef: Texas and Houston had two of the five nominations. Chefs Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu were nominated for JUN, their ground-breaking restaurant in the Heights that blends flavors from Southeast Asia, Mexico and other Latin countries that also stays true to the Houston culinary landscape.
Chef Ope Amosu of ChopnBlok was also a finalist for the dynamic West African cuisine at his Montrose restaurant which has earned numerous accolades, including a Michelin Bib Gourmand. With Houston’s strong showing, it was no surprise that one of the nominees would take home the top award and this time, it was Garcia and Lu for JUN, no strangers to JBA nominations.
Earlier in the weekend, June 13, the James Beard Media Awards were held at the Art Institute of Chicago. At the event, Houston’s Southern Smoke Foundation was honored as a James Beard Awards Impact Honoree with founders Chris Shepherd, and wife Lindsey Brown all smiles as they accepted the award. Shepherd is also a James Beard Award-winning chef.
So, it was a great weekend for Houston’s culinary heroes, restaurateurs, chefs and professionals. But it was also a moving highlight of the many immigrants and their descendants that have influenced and elevated the food and beverage scene in America.
James Beard Awards 2026 Finalists:
(JBA Winners denoted by asterisk)
Outstanding Restaurateur: Tracy Vaught and Chef Hugo Ortega (H Town Restaurant Group)
Best New Restaurant: Agnes & Sherman (Chef Nick Wong and Managing Partner Lisa Lee)
Emerging Chef: Adrian Torres (Maximo) *
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: June Rodil (MARCH, Goodnight Hospitality)
Best Chef Texas: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu (JUN) *
Best Chef Texas: Ope Amosu (ChopnBlok)
