Since 1994, no one in Dallas-Fort Worth has won a James Beard award for Best Chef. That didn’t change in 2025, when the awards did not sway in the favor of North Texas’ top toques.

Of the five competitive awards for a D-FW chef or restaurant, none in our region won. Again.

There’s no crying in the kitchen, however, because Dallas managed to have a memorable night. Dallas chef Chad Houser was honored as Humanitarian of the Year for his work at Cafe Momentum, a restaurant that hires teenagers who have been arrested and/or incarcerated.

That’s an honor he already won, back in April 2025. The evening of the James Beard ceremony, Houser talked about his mission to help kids who need it.

“For me, it’s all about chances,” Houser said in a red carpet interview.

Second chances aren’t enough: It’s about “first [chances] through one hundredth.”

Perhaps that point of view could apply to the Dallas restaurateurs who left empty-handed at the Chicago ceremony.

Oren Salomon, whose North Texas bagel shop Starship Bagel did not win for Outstanding Bakery, said in a text message as the ceremony concluded that he’s proud of where he’s from.

“With or without recognition, I love serving where I’m from and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he texted.

“I’m thankful for Dallas.”

Dallas had five chefs or restaurants up for James Beard Awards in its final round in 2025, in addition to the noncompetitive Humanitarian of the Year honor. Let’s remember them one more time:

Chad Houser of Cafe Momentum

Winner, Humanitarian of the Year

Houser started Cafe Momentum as a small operation meant to help teenagers in a big way. Fast-forward 10 years, and more than 1,200 men and women between the ages of 15 and 19 have gone through the Cafe Momentum program, where each teen learned to serve customers and cook restaurant-quality food alongside required life skills classes.

The Dallas nonprofit will move to a bigger facility in 2026 and establish a new headquarters, thanks to the generosity of Dallas group The Meadows Foundation.

Cafe Momentum has expanded to Pittsburgh and has plans to open next in Atlanta and Denver.

“I’m often asked if Cafe Momentum has to be a restaurant,” he said as he accepted the award, “and I always say, ‘emphatically yes.’ Our industry is an integral part of every single community across the country.”

He said 60,000 children are incarcerated in the United States.

His message to them: “We see you, we’re ready for you, we’re here for you.”

RJ Yoakum, formerly of Georgie

Nominee, Emerging Chef

RJ Yoakum’s menu at Georgie, a fine-dining restaurant at Knox and Travis streets, received a Recommended rating from Michelin in 2024.

Yoakum was removed from his executive chef role at Georgie just days before the James Beard Award’s June 16 ceremony. The owner of Georgie has been tight-lipped about why he was let go, and Yoakum has not responded to questions for comment.

Yoakum worked previously at The French Laundry, a 3-star Michelin restaurant regarded as one of the best in the United States.

Other nominees for Emerging Chef were Kaitlin Guerin of Lagniappe Bakehouse in New Orleans, Nikhil Naiker of NIMKI in Providence and Jane Sacro Chatham of Vicia in St. Louis. Winner: Phila Lorn of Mawn in Philadelphia.

Regino Rojas of Purépecha in Dallas

Nominee, Best Chef: Texas

Seven times, D-FW chef Regino Rojas has been a semifinalist for Best Chef. That’s quite a run for the chef-owner of the casual Revolver Taco Lounge and its Michoacan tasting room, Purépecha, which share a retaurant space in Deep Ellum.

Netflix’s third season of Taco Chronicles featured chef Rojas and his pulpo (octopus) taco. D named sibling restaurant Purépecha the best restaurant in the city.

Other nominees for Best Chef: Texas were Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó in Houston, Emil Oliva of Leche de Tigre in San Antonio and Michael Anthony Serva of Bordo in Marfa. Winner: Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast in Spring, Texas.

Mābo in Dallas

Nominee, Best New Restaurant

Tiny restaurant Mābo, which opened in Dallas’ Preston Center in 2024, is a yakitori omakase restaurant. Chef Masayuki Otaka cooks skewered meat and vegetables on a Japanese grill, serving each course to diners on the other side of the sushi-style bar.

At $200 per person, Mābo is one of the priciest fixed dinners in Dallas.

Chef Otaka is one of the quieter chefs in a bustling Dallas dining scene, but he has more experience than most: He co-opened Japanese restaurant Teppo on Dallas’ Greenville Avenue in 1995.

Other nominees for Best New Restaurant were: Alma Fonda Fina in Denver, Atoma in Seattle, Ema in Houston, Fet-Fisk in Pittsburgh, Mita in Washington, D.C., Ômo by Jônt in Winter Park, Fla., Penny in New York and The Union in Helena, Mont. Winner: Bûcheron in Minneapolis.

Bar Colette in Dallas

Nominee, Best New Bar

When Bar Colette opened in 2023, tucked inside the West Village shopping center in Uptown Dallas, we called it “one of Dallas’ most interesting bars.” The opening cocktail menu was a journey to London, Paris and Mexico City, all from the middle of Dallas.

Brothers Brandon and Henry Cohanim and their team of bartenders have kept the adventure going as the food menu and the cocktail menu shape-shifted in new and interesting ways.

Other nominees for Best New Bar were: Agency in Milwaukee, Merai in Brookline, Mass., and ViceVersa in Miami. Winner: Identidad Cocktail Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Starship Bagel in Lewisville and Dallas

Nominee, Outstanding Bakery

After winning Best Bagel in 2023 and Schmear of the Year in 2024 at New York BagelFest, it wasn’t surprising to see Dallas-Fort Worth-based Starship Bagel make James Beard’s short list for Outstanding Bakery.

The shop has expanded from Lewisville to downtown Dallas and North Dallas’ Hillcrest Village.

Other nominees for Outstanding Bakery were: Atelier Ortega in Jackson Hole, Wy., Gusto Bread in Long Beach, Calif., and Super Secret Ice Cream in Bethlehem, N.H. Winner: JinJu Patisserie in Portland.