Mystic Chef Finalist For Prestigious James Beard Award

MYSTIC, CT — A Mystic chef has been selected as one of the finalists for the James Beard Awards. Reneé Touponce, executive chef at Oyster Club and The Port of Call in Mystic, was nominated in the Best Chefs of the Northeast category, according to an Instagram post from the restaurant.

Touponce will travel to Chicago for the award ceremony June 5. Touponce has been working in the business for more than two decades and has been with the 85th Day Food Community, a Mystic-based restaurant group, for 7 years, according to Forbes.

"Reneé’s multicultural background influences both her cuisine and view of the world," according to her bio. "Her upbringing is a blend of Italian and Puerto Rican, with memories of rice and beans on the stove, a lasagna in the oven, and food bringing her family together. Her inventive, locally-sourced, sustainable cuisine, pays homage to the rich, coastal heritage of New England, investigating the ingredients of her region of Mystic and surrounding communities while recreating the flavors of her youth."

Previously, Touponce was named Chef of the Year at the Connecticut Restaurant Association's 2022 CRazies Awards.

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