Heading into the James Beard Foundation’s finalist ceremony on June 15, South Carolina had one chef, one restaurant and one bakery with a chance to take home a coveted James Beard Award.
The awards, first held in 1991 and considered the Oscars of the food world, highlight culinary talent from across the U.S.
Joe Cash, owner of Scoundrel in Greenville, was one of five nominees in the Best Chef: Southeast category, previously won by Charleston chefs Mike Lata, Jason Stanhope and Rodney Scott.
Merci, a 26-seat European-inspired restaurant that debuted in downtown Charleston in March 2025, was named a finalist in the Best New Restaurant category.
And Weltons Tiny Bakeshop, which has taken Charleston by storm since opening in 2022, was nominated in the Outstanding Bakery category, added to the awards in 2023 by the James Beard Foundation.
At a June 15 ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, each of them came up empty-handed.
South Carolina last won a James Beard in the Restaurant and Chef categories in 2024, when Lula Drake Wine Parlour in Columbia took home the Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program award.
In Charleston, Rodney Scott (Best Chef: Southeast) and FIG (Outstanding Wine Program) were the most recent James Beard Award recipients, taking home their awards in 2018.
Dining and Cooking