New York Ag Connection - James Beard Foundation Names America's Classics Honorees

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James Beard Foundation Names America's Classics Honorees
New York Ag Connection - 02/25/2020

The James Beard Foundation announced today the six recipients of its 2020 America's Classics Award. Over the course of the last week, the James Beard Foundation has revealed two honorees daily via the Foundation's Instagram page in partnership with a selection of prominent food industry friends of the Foundation located in each of the honorees' regions.

The America's Classics Award is given to locally owned restaurants that have timeless appeal and are beloved regionally for quality food that reflects the character of its community. This year's honorees join the ranks of over 100 restaurants across the country that have received the Award since the category was introduced in 1998. They will be celebrated at the annual James Beard Awards Gala on May 4 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The 2020 James Beard Foundation America's Classics Award winners are:

- Zehnder's of Frankenmuth, Frankenmuth, Mich., owned by Al Zehnder, Susan Zehnder and Martha Zehnder Shelton.

- Lassis Inn, Little Rock, Ark.; Owners: Elihue Washington Jr. and Maria Washington

- Puritan Backroom, Manchester, N.H.; Owner: Arthur Pappas, Chris Pappas and Eric Zink

- Oriental Mart, Seattle, Wash.; Owner: Mila Apostol and Joy Apostol

- El Taco de Mexico, Denver, Colo.; Owner: Sasha Zanabria

- Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que, Brownsville, Texas; Owner: Armando Vera

The 2020 James Beard Awards will mark the 30th anniversary of America's most coveted and comprehensive honors for chefs, restaurants, journalists, authors, and other leaders in the food and beverage industry. Throughout their three-decade history, the Beard Awards have both sparked and reflected trends in America's food culture. To commemorate the past, honor the present, and look to the future, the Foundation is celebrating the nominees, winners, events, and milestones that have created the dynamic and ever enlightening food and restaurant community we have today.

Embodying the Foundation's mantra, Good Food for Good, the Beard Awards also support sustainability, gender equality, inclusion, equity, and access for all. As the preeminent benchmark for culinary excellence, the Awards will continue to support the James Beard Foundation's mission to make America's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone: celebrating the past while championing the future.

The Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists will be announced Feb. 26. Nominees for all award categories will be revealed March 25. The celebrations will begin in New York City on April 24 at the James Beard Foundation Media Awards presented in association with HOUSTON FIRST, an exclusive event honoring the nation's top cookbook authors, culinary broadcast producers and hosts, and food journalists that will take place at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers.

The events then move to Chicago with the Leadership Awards Dinner taking place on May 3, where honorees will be recognized for their work in creating a more healthful, sustainable, and just food world. The James Beard Awards Gala will take place on May 4, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. During the event, which is open to the public, awards for the Restaurant and Chef and Restaurant Design categories will be handed out, along with special achievement awards Lifetime Achievement, Design Icon, and America's Classics. A gala reception will immediately follow, featuring top chefs and beverage professionals from across the country.

The 2020 James Beard Awards are presented by Capital One, the official credit card and banking partner of the James Beard Foundation. Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, Capital One cardholders enjoy exclusive access across signature James Beard Foundation programs including the Taste America tour, JBF Greens: Foodies Under Forty, and the iconic James Beard House.

The 2020 James Beard Awards are presented by Capital One, the official credit card and banking partner of the James Beard Foundation. The James Beard Awards are proudly hosted by Choose Chicago and the Illinois Restaurant Association and presented in association with Chicago O'Hare and Midway International Airports and Magellan Corporation, as well as the following partners: Premier Sponsors: AllClad Metalcrafters, American Airlines, the official airline of the James Beard Foundation, HMSHost, Lavazza, S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water; Supporting Sponsors: Marriott Bonvoy, National Restaurant Association, Skuna Bay Salmon, Tabasco Sauce, Valrhona, White Claw Hard Seltzer, Windstar Cruises, the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation; Gala Reception Sponsors: Ecolab, Front of the House, Kendall College, with additional support from VerTerra Dinnerware. Intersport is the Official Broadcast Partner of the 2020 James Beard Awards.

Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields and further the Foundation's mission to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. The first James Beard Awards were given in 1991. The James Beard Awards are governed by the volunteer Awards Committee. Each Awards program (Restaurants and Chefs, Books, Journalism, Design, Broadcast Media, and Leadership) has its own subcommittee made up of industry professionals who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective Awards programs. All James Beard Award winners receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia.

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