And the James Beard Award winner is …

The honors, among the nation’s most prestigious in the culinary industry, will be announced Monday. The Twin Cities has three nominees up for awards.

Oro by Nixta is one of ten finalists up for Best New Restaurant. Oro’s chefs and co-owners are Kate and Gustavo Romero. The northeast Minneapolis eatery highlights Mexican heirloom corn.

Also nominated: Christina Nguyen of Hai Hai in northeast Minneapolis and Ann Ahmed of Khaluna in East Harriet. Both are nominated for Best Chef of the Midwest.

Ahmed told MPR News host Tom Crann she has worked hard in all of her restaurants since she opened her first one nearly 20 years ago.

“This has been awesome because it’s been a recognition not for myself but my whole team,” she said.

Ahmed specializes in Laotian food. She is also chef and owner of Gai Noi in Loring Park and Lat14 Asian Eatery in Golden Valley. 

Nguyen serves Southeast Asian street food at Hai Hai in northeast Minneapolis, but the self-taught chef first opened Hola Arepa in south Minneapolis.

Nguyen told Cathy Wurzer earlier this year that she doesn’t do her work for awards, but she is “super honored” to be nominated again. She was nominated in 2019 and 2020 for Best Chef of the Midwest.

“But it is absolutely a nice acknowledgment to have, for me and our entire team, who work so hard all the time,” Nguyen said. Hai Hai has gotten busier since her nomination, she added.

On Oro by Nixta’s Instagram page a few days ago, “Team Tortilla,” presumably the restaurant’s staff, took over the account to shower praise on the Romeros.” 

“Corngratulations chef y chefona. And mil gracias – for giving so many of us a place to belong and feel at home. We’re so proud of you.”

The 2024 Restaurant and Chef Award announcements will be streamed here beginning at 5:30 p.m. CST.