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On Monday night, the James Beard Foundation threw itself a hell of a party. The prestigious national organization handed out 22 awards, honoring the country’s top restaurants and chefs, in a ceremony rightly called the Oscars of the restaurant industry. When the glitter finally settled on the marathon five-hour ceremony, Texas had won its first-ever national awards. The first, captured by Julep in Houston, was for Outstanding Bar Program. In her speech, owner and mixologist Alba Huerta said, “Thank you to my city of Houston for loving immigrants like me and my family.” Edgar Rico of Austin’s Nixta Taqueria won the award for Emerging Chef. And an emotional Iliana de la Vega, chef-owner of Austin’s Oaxacan restaurant El Naranjo, scooped up the award for Best…

The post Inside the Updated Voting Process That Helped Texas Win Its First National James Beard Awards appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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