Published On: 01.23.25 | 

By: Michael Tomberlin

Three Alabama culinary professionals nominated for James Beard Awards

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Nominated for 2025 James Beard Awards from Alabama are, from left, David Bancroft, José Medina Camacho and Arwen Rice. (contributed)

Two Alabama chefs and a mixologist are up for James Beard Awards, the top honor for culinary professionals.

Competing for Best Chef: South are David Bancroft from Acre restaurant in Auburn and Arwen Rice from Red or White restaurant in Mobile.

Up for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service is José Medina Camacho from Adiõs in Birmingham.

Semifinalist names in a wide range of categories were released Wednesday.

For Bancroft, it’s a return to the semifinals. He was nominated for the same award in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. He also famously defeated celebrity chef Bobby Flay on Food Network’s “Iron Chef Showdown” in 2017. Last year he made news as a mentor to Alabama’s first Master Chef Junior winner Bryson McGlynn.

David Bancroft, chef and owner of Acre restaurant in Auburn, is a James Beard Award semifinalist for the fifth time. (Andrew Murray)

“I am honored to be nominated once again for the James Beard Best Chef: South award in 2025,” Bancroft said. “I am grateful to my entire team for their hard work and dedication to our restaurant and look forward to sharing this exciting time with my family and our community.”

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Acre is often held up as one of Alabama’s best restaurants with Bancroft’s rustic and refined approach to food, with an emphasis on freshness that includes house-made sausages and produce grown onsite.

This is the second straight year for Rice in the semifinals. The longtime executive chef at Red or White in Mobile was raised in New Mexico. She started working in restaurants as a teenager, eventually winding up in Mobile. The restaurant focuses on foods that pair well with wines, which opens the door to a wide range of creativity, of which Rice takes full advantage.

Arwen Rice, executive chef at Red or White in Mobile, is nominated for a James Beard Award for the second straight year. (contributed)

RELATED: Red or White is an Alabama wine-pairing paradise

Bancroft and Rice are up against 18 other chefs in the region, which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico.

This is the first James Beard nomination for Camacho, who opened Adiõs in Birmingham in 2022 with partners Jesús Méndez and Vinh Tran – the same group that opened taqueria Salud in Birmingham last year. Adiõs was a semifinalist for a Spirited Award in 2023.

RELATED: Salud: The story behind the dishes that define Birmingham, Alabama’s must-visit taqueria

“I’m honored to be nominated amongst the other amazing nominees,” Camacho told Alabama News Center. “I’m appreciative of my staff, past and present, who believe in my vision. I look forward to continuing to bring new experiences to Birmingham and the surrounding community. Thank you, Birmingham.”

José Medina Camacho of Adiõs in Birmingham is nominated for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. (Adiõs Instagram)

Camacho is competing in a new category for the James Beard Awards. Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service is described as “A service professional who curates and serves wine, beer, or other offerings such as sake, low- and non-alcoholic beverages in a restaurant or bar setting; or winery, distillery or brewery that also serves food. Candidate has set high standards; demonstrates creativity and consistency in excellence, innovation, hospitality; is making efforts to create a sustainable work culture; and has served as an exceptional example or mentor for other beverage professionals.”

This national award pits Camacho against 19 others from Florida, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, California, Oregon, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, South Carolina and Washington.

Five finalists in each category will be named Wednesday, April 2.