Boston Chef Wins James Beard Award

BOSTON — Boston is home to one of the best chefs in America. So says the James Beard Foundation, which honored a Boston chef with one of the coveted James Beard Awards at a ceremony in Chicago Monday night. The awards are considered the Oscars of the culinary industry.

The awards were presented in the restaurant, chef and restaurant design categories on Monday. Special achievement awards were presented for Lifetime Achievement, Design Icon, America’s Classics and Humanitarian of the Year.

In Boston, the James Beard Foundation recognized Tony Messina of UNI as one of the best chefs in the U.S. The only other name that was recognized in all of New England was Rob Tod of Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine. He was recognized as the "Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Producer."

In February, there were nine semifinalists from Boston, including Tiffani Faison of Tiger Mama and Irene Li of Mei Mei on the Brookline-Boston border. After a panel of more than 600 judges made their way through only five Boston-area names made the finals in March. And then the was one.

The menu at UNI highlights global street food-inspired small plates, makimono, nigiri and sashimi. It's also known for its ramen. In 2017, Messina was named a semifinalist in the James Beard Awards’ Best Chef: Northeast category, and in 2018 he was named a Best Chef: Northeast nominee. In 2018, Boston Magazine named UNI number one on their list of Boston's Top 50 Restaurants. It sits inside the Elliot Hotel on Commonwealth Avenue.

Here's a look at who made the Best Chefs in America list:

• Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio): Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark, Parachute, Chicago;
• Mid-Atlantic (District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia): Tom Cunanan, Bad Saint, Washington, D.C.;
• Midwest (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin): Ann Kim, Young Joni, Minneapolis
• New York City (Five Boroughs): Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, Via Carota;
• Northeast (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York state, Rhode Island and Vermont): Tony Messina, Uni, Boston;
• Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming): Brady Williams, Canlis, Seattle;
• South (Alabama, Arkansas, Puerto Rico, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi): Vishwesh Bhatt, Snackbar, Oxford, Mississippi;
• Southeast (Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia): Mashama Bailey, The Grey, Savannah, Georgia;
• Southwest (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah): Charleen BadmanFnB, Scottsdale, Arizona;
• West (California, Hawaii and Nevada): Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles.

Go here to see all the winners.

The James Beard Foundation has presented the awards for more than 30 years. This year’s theme was “Good Food For Good,” which the foundation says is synonymous with its mission.

Gala reception chefs from across the country included past James Beard Award winners and many who are involved in the foundation’s signature impact-oriented initiatives, from Smart Catch to Women’s Leadership Programs to the Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change.

Nearly 2,000 people attended the gala, held at Lyric Opera in Chicago. The ceremony was emceed by Emmy-nominated actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson. VIP guests were treated to a multi-course dinner and experience in the mezzanine boxes during the awards show prepared by chefs from the esteemed Union Square Hospitality Group.

Related:

• Boston James Beard Finalists 2019: See Who Made The List
• James Beard Award 2019 Semifinalists: Boston
• Sofra Cafe's Maura Kilpatrick Named 2019 James Beard Finalist

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).