Israeli-American Chef Wins James Beard Award
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya.
Israeli-American chef Alon Shaya was named best chef in the South by the James Beard Foundation.
Shaya, 37, broke through as the winner after being a finalist in the category for the past three years.
He was recognized for his work as the executive chef at the Domenica restaurant in New Orleans, which he opened in 2009 with the prominent chef and restaurateur John Besh. His newly opened Shaya restaurant in the same city offers an Israeli-inspired menu using local ingredients.
Shaya moved with his family from Israel to Philadelphia when he was four years old. He attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York.
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