The James Beard Foundation held its annual awards presentation Monday night in Chicago. The event is often referred to as the Academy Awards for the culinary industry, though not necessarily because both have issues with diversity and tend to recognize restaurants and chefs that already enjoy a certain popularity.

This year’s great hope for Central Florida was Kaya, the Filipino restaurant in the Mills 50 District that already has the distinction of having a Michelin Green Star. Kaya was a finalist for Best New Restaurant, a category that pit it against nine others across the nation. In regional awards, Central Florida competes in Best Chef – South, which also includes Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Puerto Rico and Louisiana. With Louisiana in the mix, the Best Chef award goes to someone in New Orleans more times than it does not.

Kaya, unfortunately, did not win the award. And to rub Himalayan pink sea salt into the wound, the foundation’s voters awarded the distinction to Dakar NOLA in New Orleans.

But in a refreshing change, Best Chef – South went to a Miami cook: Valerie Chang of Maty’s. See the full list of winners at jamesbeard.org. Central Florida had no finalists in the Best Chef category this year. In 2023, Kabooki Sushi’s Henry Moso became the first local chef to reach the finals.

A full contingent of Kaya staffers, including co-owners Lordfer Lalicon and Jamilyn Salonga Bailey, went to Chicago for the ceremony, which was held at the Lyric Opera.