The annual James Beard Awards were held Sunday night in Chicago, with twelve New York restaurants and chefs named among the winners. The ceremony came at a tense moment for the city’s dining industry. Over the past month, reports of stepped-up ICE enforcement have left many kitchens on edge, especially in neighborhoods with large immigrant workforces.
One of the city’s highest-profile winners was chef Leticia Ramos of El Puente, a Dominican spot in Washington Heights. Ramos addressed the crowd via video from her restaurant, declining to travel out of state. Staff at El Puente said Monday morning that the dining room would open late, citing concerns for coworkers’ safety.
Other local winners included Saffron Table in Astoria, recognized for Outstanding Restaurant, and pastry chef Marcus Lee of Lower East Side’s Nightjar. Both establishments reported a surge of reservations following the ceremony. Saffron Table’s co-owner, Mitali Singh, said the team would dedicate their win to "everyone who makes this work possible, seen and unseen."
The awards come as the city’s restaurant workforce, heavily reliant on immigrants, faces fresh scrutiny. Several owners spoke this weekend of contingency plans and legal consultations. At a press event Monday, the Restaurant Workers’ Alliance called for renewed protections for undocumented staff.
The summer season is typically a boom for New York’s restaurants, with sidewalk tables full and late-night dining stretching into the early hours. This week, the mood is celebratory and anxious in equal measure.