PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A fan favorite of South Philly won one of the top culinary awards in the region.
Cristina Martinez of South Philly Barbacoa was named best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region in this year’s James Beard Awards.
Martinez has been nominated twice before, in 2019 and 2017. She was a semifinalist in the latter. Barbacoa chef Benjamin Miller was also a semifinalist for best chef in 2017.
Martinez’s restaurant was one of four Philly institutions nominated this year. Others included Jesse Ito of Royal Izakaya and Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon of Kalaya Thai Kitchen, both for best chef Mid-Atlantic, and Ellen Yin of High Street Hospitality Group for outstanding restaurateur.