Culinary “Oscars” Recognize Immigrant Restaurateurs

The James Beard Awards are, according to the AP, the “culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars.” The JBF Foundation says the awards are meant to “recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.”

Among this year’s “outstanding restaurateur” nominees are Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, owners of Baobab Fare in Detroit, “Bringing the vibrant flavors of East Africa to Detroit.” Mamba and Nijimbere are refugees from Burundi who have been in the U.S. for about a decade. (SIDEBAR: **Dear law schools in Detroit, I will come and speak to your immigration classes in exchange for fried plantains. Just sayin’. **)

Another “outstanding restaurateur” nominee is Yenvy Pham of The Boat pho shops in Seattle. Her parents, the AP notes, are “credited with bringing the first pho shop to the city in the 1980s” after immigrating from Vietnam.

-KitJ