Shutout at the Beard awards for ATL
Tuesday, June 16 — Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the table.
In today’s “Family Meal,” I’m giving you an update on the James Beard Awards. While Atlanta didn’t garner any wins last night, I’m taking stock in the many text messages I received making it clear not to mess with ATLiens when it comes to our restaurant scene. Read more about why below.
For my “Editor’s Pick” this week, I’m providing you with three restaurant recommendations with dishes to order and drinks to sip.
Finally, we’re continuing our World Cup recipes series. Through mid-July, expect recipes from local restaurants representing some of the countries playing at Atlanta Stadium. This week, Monday Night Brewing shared a recipe for Czech sausage rolls in honor of the Czechia versus South Africa match in Atlanta this Thursday.
Cheers!
🍸 Beth
🎻 Broadway, fiddle tunes, and cowboy songs — come celebrate America@250 when your Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs the ultimate all-American playlist, from Bernstein’s unforgettable West Side Story to Copland’s breathtaking classic Appalachian Spring. Tomorrow, June 17, at 8 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Atlanta’s James Beard Shutout
🏅 The James Beard Foundation announced the chef and restaurant winners at its annual awards in Chicago last night, known as the “Oscars of the food world.”
I spent three hours listening to the livestream, hoping that at least one of the three Atlanta finalists would bring home an award.
As the names of other restaurants and chefs were announced in the categories I was following for Atlanta, my texts began blowing up with messages from local food writers and editors, industry professionals, and fervent supporters of our food scene.
⛔ By 10 p.m., it was clear: Atlanta had been shut out of the Beards – and for the second straight year.
“Another year, another shutout. What’s going on with Atlanta,” one person texted me. Other people simply texted words like, “robbed,” “ugh,” or “WTF!?” Some people sent emojis summing up their mood (😡, 🤬,the 🐦, 🥴).
Those texts, however, proved to me that win, lose, or draw, supporters of Atlanta’s food scene are as loyal as the fandoms surrounding SEC football teams. Wagons will be circled, no matter the outcome. Move over, Texas. Don’t mess with ATL, y’all.
The Beards breakdown
Out of the 11 semifinalists, Chef J. Trent Harris of Mujō and the team from Aria, along with Meherwan and Molly Irani of Chai Pani Restaurant Group (Asheville/Decatur), represented Atlanta and Georgia at the June 15 awards.
Aria was up for Outstanding Hospitality, with Harris nominated for Best Chef: Southeast and the Iranis nominated in the Outstanding Restaurateur category.
➡️ In the end, Providence in Los Angeles took home the Outstanding Hospitality award, Taylor Montgomery of Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester, NC nabbed Best Chef: Southeast, while Dana Street of Fore Street, Scales, and Standard Baking Co. in Portland, ME won Outstanding Restaurateur. (Chai Pani-Asheville won Outstanding Restaurant at the James Beard Awards in 2022.)
But Atlanta’s showing at the awards ceremony yesterday was strong and included three of our finest in categories stacked with tremendous talent from across the country. And yes, it is indeed an honor to be recognized. Frankly, just getting to Chicago in June, dressed to the nines and pinned with a “Nominee” name tag as you walk the step-and-repeat at Lyric Opera, is a pretty big deal.
My dear friend and James Beard Award-winning writer Mike Jordan got right to the heart of the matter this morning: celebrate Atlanta’s finalists (always) and submit more ATL restaurants for consideration to awards like the Beards.
Aria returns to the Beards
This was Aria’s second trip in a row to the awards, nominated again for Outstanding Hospitality.
Andrés Loaiza took over ownership of Aria in 2025, after founder Gerry Klaskala retired from the restaurant industry. Days later, Klaskala and Loaiza traveled to Chicago for the awards ceremony. The 2025 award for Outstanding Hospitality ultimately went to Atomix in New York City, but the nomination became a fitting tribute to Klaskala and his 55 years in restaurants.
🧑🍳 Loaiza brought on a new executive chef last week to replace Joseph Harrison, who had taken over for Klaskala upon his retirement. Harrison recently departed Aria for personal reasons. Following Harrison’s departure, Loaiza tapped former Lazy Betty Chef de Cuisine Austin Goetzman to lead the kitchen. The move to Aria brings Goetzman full circle at the critically acclaimed restaurant in Buckhead. He worked under Klaskala as a line cook at Aria nearly a decade ago.
Goetzman left Lazy Betty in April, along with several other staff members, including the Michelin-starred restaurant’s executive chef and co-founder, Aaron Phillips.
J. Trent Harris’ awards debut
This was Harris’ first James Beard Award nomination, vying for Best Chef: Southeast. Harris has worked as a sushi chef for more than 20 years, having trained and worked under master sushi chefs at award-winning restaurants in New York City and Tokyo.
🍣 He founded Mujō as a pop-up during the pandemic, operating it in partnership with Castellucci Hospitality Group out of Cooks & Soldiers on Howell Mill Road. Mujō opened as a full-service restaurant next door in 2022, offering an intimate edomae-style omakase experience. Under Harris, Mujō has racked up numerous “best of” awards and garnered a Michelin star in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
This spring, he and Castellucci Hospitality opened Japanese restaurant and bar Koshu Club in Buckhead. While Mujō specializes in edomae-style dishes, Koshu Club leans into Japan’s Shōwa-era cuisine, or a fusion of Western (yoshoku) and traditional Japanese dishes (washoku).
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Editor’s Pick
🇯🇵 Koshu Club in Buckhead (pictured)
Cuisine: Japanese
Price tag: $$$$
Eat this: Yamitsuki cabbage; mushroom doria; nodoguro shioyaki
Drink this: Flying V martini (umami-heavy with Murrell’s Row Gin Mignonette, Baldoria Dry Umami vermouth, and Le Quintinye Royal Blanc)
🐔 Wyld Bird at Homegrown in Reynoldstown
Cuisine: Pollo asado
Price tag: $$
Eat this: Miami bone-in chicken plate with rice and beans, passion fruit mojo (ask for extra mojo)
Drink this: Amigo in Montenegro(coconut-washed mezcal, pineapple oleo saccharum, Montenegro, lime)
🇹🇭 Tum Pok Pok in Chamblee
Cuisine: Isan Thai
Price tag: $$
Eat this: Muak-yang (grilled squid); pork boat noodles; gai pad gratiem prik thai (garlic and pepper chicken; can sub for tofu)
Drink this: Leo (lager); Thai tea
World Cup Recipe
🌭 In honor of the World Cup matches taking place in Atlanta, we’re sharing recipes representing some of the countries playing in the tournament in June and July.
This week, Monday Night Brewing shared a recipe for Czech sausage rolls, which are inspired by two iconic Central European foods: kolaches and Pražská klobása, also known as Prague sausage.
Czech immigrants started bringing kolaches and klobása (aka kielbasa) to the United States in the mid-19th century. Both became incredibly popular in states with Czech enclaves, like Texas and Illinois.
🎻 Broadway, fiddle tunes, and cowboy songs — come celebrate America@250 when your Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs the ultimate all-American playlist, from Bernstein’s unforgettable West Side Story to Copland’s breathtaking classic Appalachian Spring. Tomorrow, June 17, at 8 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall. SPONSOR MESSAGE
➡️ Get double the Atlanta food and dining coverage with “Family Meal,” edited by Beth McKibben, on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and “Side Dish,” edited by Sarra Sedghi, on Thursdays at noon. Subscribe to both here.
