Sioux Falls’ Sanaa Abourezk Finalist for Best Chef in Midwest Award

These days we're being bombarded with endless award shows for television, movies, and music, but a number of Tri-State (Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota) food service veterans are paying close attention to another prestigious list of honorees.

The James Beard Foundation has released its 2023 Semifinalists for what many consider to be the equivalent of an Oscar or Grammy in the restaurant business.

Eight Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota restaurants are among the nominees.

Get our free mobile app

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Shawn McKenzie, Café Cerés, Minneapolis

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

• Sanaa Abourezk, Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean, Sioux Falls, SD
• Ann Ahmed, Khâluna, Minneapolis, MN
• Samuel Charles, Rodina, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis, MN
• Joseph Raney, Skogen Kitchen, Custer, SD
• Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, Saint Paul, MN
• Yia Vang, Union Hmong Kitchen, Minneapolis, MN

The finalists will be announced on March 29, and the winners' gala will be on June 5 in Chicago.

The awards are named after the late James Beard, who was the host of the first food program on television back in 1946.

In 1955, he established the James Beard Cooking School and continued teaching cooking for the next 30 years before his death in 1985 at 81.

The first James Beard Foundation Awards for excellence in the food and beverage and related industries were given out in 1991.