June 14: An Indian restaurant, Chai Pani, located at 22 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, North Carolina, has been named the best restaurant in America, at the James Beard Foundation Awards, held in Chicago, last evening. The annual awards were held after a gap of three years. The awards honor the best of the country’s independent restaurants and bars.

The Outstanding Restaurant category is designated to the restaurant that “demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations, while contributing positively to its broader community.”

“Every day, every act you do is an act of service,” said co-owner Meherwan Irani, of Chai Pani (meaning in Hindi ‘Tea Water’), accepting the award. Meherwan’s wife Molly Irani is the other co-owner of the restaurant. The restaurant is known for its affordable Indian street food.

Check out Chai Pani’s menu here.

Chintan Pandya, chef of Dhamaka, located in New York City, was voted ‘Best Chef: New York State’. Check out Dhamaka’s menu here. Dhamaka’s standout dish is a ‘Rajasthani Khargosh’ (The dish priced $210 is described as: ‘whole rabbit, yogurt, cloves, sides, serves 3-4 guests. First come, first served. Only one order per day. Pre-orders accepted as early as one month in advance, and no later than 48 hours prior to dining experience.’)

The restaurant is owned by Pandya and restaurateur Roni Mazumdar of the critically acclaimed Adda Indian Canteen.

Check out the full list of winners of the James Beard Foundation Awards here.

“The evening was a celebration of the culinary industry and foundation. The 2022 James Beard Awards marked the awards program’s return after a two-year hiatus, due to the COVID-19 and the foundation postponing the ceremony another year to revamp its policies and procedures to address issues of bias, transparency and accessibility while upholding its mission and values.”: Citizen Times