The James Beard Foundation last night named Miami’s Valerie Chang the South’s best chef, and it’s a reward not only for a talented young restaurateur but also a long-deserved recognition for an entire state.
Chang’s award is the first time a Florida chef has won the Best Chef: South category since Michael Schwartz claimed the recognition way back in 2010—remarkably 14 years ago.
It’s a point Chang made from the podium at the awards ceremony in Chicago. “Miami—finally, we won! We got something for Miami!” Chang’s voice mixed with laughter and exuberance as she triumphantly held up the medal.
Chang’s Midtown restaurant Maty’s is an homage to her heritage, her Peruvian immigrant parents and to her grandmother, the restaurant’s namesake. At the podium last night, Chang talked about the emotional rollercoaster of winning the award not long after losing her grandmother. “To my grandmother who passed away five days ago, and you know I named the restaurant after her, and I can't believe I'm standing here.”
Her brother and business partner Nando Chang said in the comments of an Instagram post: “What a way to honor Maty. @chifitachang I love you very much and I’m so proud of you.”
If you haven’t been to Maty’s, chances are it’s going to become harder to score a reservation after last night. But it's well worth whatever wait is required, with oysters bathed in a tangy leche de tigre, charred cauliflower with ocopa sauce and what's become the restaurant's signature dish, a whole dorado splayed open above a delicate and rich aji amarillo beurre blanc. From Time Out’s review in early 2023, we noted Maty’s is “the rookie-makes-it-big story we all love.”
Before last night, James Beard continually snubbing Florida had become something of a rallying cry for chefs and restaurateurs, who saw it as a bias against a state known for Florida Man memes. As a former James Beard Awards judge, I saw how talented Florida chefs earned nominations in the early rounds, only to drop off before the finals.
Val represents everything good about Miami.
I asked Schwartz by text about it this morning. His restaurant, Michael’s Genuine, has been a longtime favorite in town, and he also oversees Harry’s Pizzeria and Amara at Paraiso. Schwartz replied: “It's a long time coming. Too long. Val represents everything good about Miami. A new guard that stands for principals and sets the bar high. It's about the Miami that some of us know and love. Not the flash and glitz and bottle service and celebrities, but about authenticity and honesty and darn good hospitality. And inventive, creative and really tasty food that crosses cultural boundaries but makes total sense. I could not be more proud of Val and all she accomplished and feel quite comfortable passing the Beard baton to such capable hands.”
Norman Van Aken, who won the Best Chef: South award in 1997, told me this morning that Florida’s long drought in the category shows just how significant this is for Chang. “When one counts how many Michelin restaurants are in Florida and contrasts that with those having earned a James Beard award, it is evident how significant her win is,” Van Aken said.
Van Aken said he remembers what it was like standing up there accepting the award that Chang received. "You are in a room with people you've been reading about for years. American legends. Mentors and heroes from afar, and they are hearing and learning your name, and in my case what I was trying to do for South Florida.”
After accepting her award, Chang was quick to acknowledge her restaurant staff. “They're really the ones who make the magic, and I just get to stand next to them and watch them do everything and create really, a dream.”