Costa Mesa Chef Chosen As James Beard Awards Semifinalist

COSTA MESA, CA — The prestigious James Beard Foundation list of 2022 semifinalists was announced on Wednesday, and an Orange County chef is included in the honor.

Carlos Salgado of Taco María in Costa Mesa is a semifinalist in the category of Best Chefs of California.

"Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 13, 2022, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago," the semifinal's announcement states.

Salgado has been named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award every year since 2016, according to the Taco María website.

The restaurant specializes in what it calls "Alta California" cuisine, blending Mexican and American cultures, the Taco María website read.

"When Chef Carlos Salgado opened Taco María in 2013, he made a decision to honor his family’s culture and their hard work by making Mexican-inspired food with a reverence for its provenance," the restaurant's website said. "Salgado works to create a syncretic Alta California cuisine that represents Mexican food by putting real corn at the foundation."

Here are the 2022 California James Beard Award semifinalists, by category and restaurant:

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Greg Dulan, Dulan's Soul Food Restaurant, Los Angeles
• Willy Ng, Koi Palace, Dragon Beaux, and Palette Tea House, San Francisco

Outstanding Chef

• Reem Assil, Reem's, Oakland and San Francisco, CA
• Niki Nakayama, n/naka, Los Angeles

Outstanding Restaurant

• Paragary's, Sacramento, CA
• Post & Beam, Los Angeles

Emerging Chef

• Casey Felton, Banh Oui, Los Angeles
• Crystal Wahpepah, Wahpepah's Kitchen, Oakland, CA
• David Yoshimura, Nisei, San Francisco

Best New Restaurant

• ABACÁ, San Francisco
• Angry Egret Dinette, Los Angeles
• Horn BBQ, Oakland, CA

Outstanding Pastry Chef

• Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles

Outstanding Baker

• Joseph, Archalous, and Caroline Geragosian, Old Sasoon Bakery, Pasadena, CA

• Clement Hsu, Katherine Campecino-Wong, and James Wong, Breadbelly, San Francisco

Outstanding Hospitality (Presented by American Airlines)

• House of Prime Rib, San Francisco

Outstanding Wine Program

• The Punchdown, Oakland, CA

Outstanding Bar Program

• Friends and Family, Oakland, CA
• Genever, Los Angeles

Best Chefs (Presented by Capital One) — Best Chef: California

• Chris Barnum-Dann, Localis, Sacramento, CA
• Sylvan Mishima Brackett, Rintaro, San Francisco
• Val M. Cantu, Californios, San Francisco
• Keith Corbin, Alta Adams, Los Angeles
• Srijith Gopinathan, Ettan, Palo Alto, CA
• Tony Ho, Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant, Rosemead, CA
• Judept Irra, Tamales Elena y Antojitos, Bell Gardens, CA
• Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu's, San Francisco
• Matthew Kammerer, The Harbor House Inn, Elk, CA
• Bryant Ng, Cassia, Santa Monica, CA
• Heena Patel, Besharam, San Francisco
• Natalia Pereira, Woodspoon, Los Angeles
• Melissa Perello, Octavia, San Francisco
• Minh Phan, Phenakite, Los Angeles
• Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai, Los Angeles
• Carlos Salgado, Taco María, Costa Mesa, CA
• Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong, Jitlada, Los Angeles
• James Syhabout, Commis, Oakland, CA
• Pim Techamuanvivit, Nari, San Francisco
• Anthony Wells, Juniper and Ivy, San Diego

See the full list of James Beard semifinalists here.