This affordable Indian street food restaurant voted best in United States
Premium- The Indian eatery Chai Pani was named America’s most Outstanding Restaurant at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago
Serving affordable and delicious Indian street food in North Carolina, Chai Pani has been voted the best restaurant in America. The Asheville eatery was named America’s most Outstanding Restaurant at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago on Monday, topping nominees such as Brennan’s in New Orleans, according to a Bloomberg report.
The Conde Nast Traveler, in its review, called Chai Pani “a blast of color, street art, and music that resembles a dizzying ride down one of Mumbai's crowded streets. Its specialty is chaat—street food—and so it's vibe is lively, and fun."
The menu at Chai Pani, whose name literally translates to tea and water, features delicious and famous Indian street snacks like chaat that are known for a mix of spicy, sweet and tangy flavors. Other winning restaurants included the Native American restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis, where the staff is 75% indigenous, as Best New Restaurant.
Following a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was the first time the honors were awarded after being canceled in the years 2020 and 2021. This was done so the foundation could remove systemic bias and lockdowns to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus that had forced the temporary closure of many US restaurants.
Additionally, the awards came amid reports suggesting that Americans are paying the highest prices for food in four decades due to surging inflation that is threatening the broader economy.
Notably, this year’s award recipients and the nominee slate were more diverse to better reflect the makeup of the US. There was also more geographic variety, rather than years past when many winners came out of New York or Chicago.
Outstanding Baker was Don Guerra at Barrio Bread in Tucson, Arizona, where he uses ancient grains that have seeds adapted to grow in the desert. Mashama Bailey of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia, was named Outstanding Chef.
Dawn Padmore, vice president of awards, said the foundation did a “deep dive" on itself during its hiatus. “Looking at the audience and seeing so many different people, it feels different," she said. “It’s about reflecting the true diversity of the industry."