Latest news with #ThomasBille
Eater
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Thomas Bille of Belly and the Beast Takes Home James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas
On June 16, the winners of the 'Oscars of food,' as the James Beard Awards have been called, were announced. From Houston, the sole winner is Thomas Bille at Belly of the Beast in the Best Chef: Texas category. Bille tells deeply personal stories through his cooking, unraveling his family history and formative years living in Los Angeles. The restaurant began as a pop-up in 2018 and later opened as a counter-service restaurant in Old Town Spring in February 2020. COVID impacted the nation the following month, and in 2021 Bille was forced to close Belly of the Beast after a dispute over increased rent with the landlord. It reopened at its current location in 2023. The menu at Belly of the Beast combines his Mexican American heritage, French culinary training, and family memories into dishes that are personal, playful, and genre-defying. Previously, Belly of the Beast earned a Bib Gourmond at the first-ever Texas Michelin Awards ceremony. The 2025 nominees for Houston included Ema for Best New Restaurant; March for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program; and Emmanuel Chavez at Tatemó in the Best Chef: Texas category. Each year, the James Beard Foundation recognizes restaurants, bars, and hospitality professionals in categories such as Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best New Chef. The first James Beard Awards ceremony was held in 1991, when chefs such as Rick Bayless, Nancy Silverton, and Wolfgang Puck emerged as winners. In recent years, the awards have been under increased scrutiny following the cancellation of its programming in 2020 and 2021 due to allegations of misbehavior and abuse against nominated chefs, as well as a lack of nominated and winning Black chefs in the categories. In response, the James Beard Foundation conducted an internal audit to make its voting processes more inclusive and equitable, with plans to return in 2022. In recent years, the awards have shifted the Best Chef category to a regional model to better recognize the diversity and depth of talent. Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards. See More:
Axios
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast named Best Texas Chef
Belly of the Beast chef Thomas Bille took home the title of Best Chef in Texas at this year's James Beard Awards on Monday, beating out top talent from across the state. Why it matters: The award spotlights the Houston region's culinary clout in Texas in what's long been considered the Oscars of the culinary world. Bille beat out four finalists in the regional category and was the only Houston-area win at the award ceremony in Chicago on Monday. Houston had 13 semifinalists and four finalists this year. Zoom in: Belly of the Beast in Spring blends traditional Mexican flavors with Texan and global influences like Texas Wagyu with kimchi, tuna tostadas with nori and street corn agnolotti. Thomas and his wife Elizabeth first opened the restaurant in Old Town Spring in 2020. After a pandemic hiatus, they reopened in a new space in Spring in late 2023. Within a year, Belly of the Beast earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its innovative meals at an approachable price point. What they're saying: "My flabbers have been gasted," Bille told Axios after he won his award, adding that it feels like "validation." "So many people in this in this field have like imposter syndrome, which I had for a very long time, working under a lot of chefs that I never got recognition for ... And to be able to create my own table, my own chair, and have my own concept without any financial vacuum — my wife and I just doing it all on our own — it is gratifying to see that our hard work is paying off for my team."
