Each year, foodies anticipate the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America Culinary Series, a nationwide event that brings together chefs, diners, and guests to celebrate local independent restaurants and further the organization’s mission to support and elevate the people behind America’s food culture, while championing a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability.
Smaller, independent restaurants are celebrated because they provide a more authentic experience, offering unique menu items; often it’s what’s available that day from local suppliers. They showcase the chef's particular talents and fit diners’ needs better because they're local and more affordable than larger chain restaurants. On a not-too-busy night you can probably even meet the chef.
This year, Taste America returns to Miami with a special chef’s dinner on Thursday, Oct. 17 at Maty’s, in Miami's Midtown neighborhood. Several seatings are available. Guests will enjoy a delectable one-of-a-kind multi-course menu, created by chef Valerie Chang and the Maty’s team, in addition to wine pairings and cocktails.
(Courtesy of The James Beard Foundation's Taste America )
Swag bags ready for guests at a previous James Beard Foundation's Taste America Culinary Series dinner.
Chang is the recent winner of the James Beard Award's Best Chef: South. Despite all the culinary talent in Miami, the last time a Florida chef won that title was Michael Schwartz of Michael's Genuine in the Miami Design District, 14 years ago. Chang is one of 20 chefs in the James Beard Foundation’s annual class of TasteTwenty, a group of “chefs to watch” who, in addition to presenting the Taste America pop-up dinners, will come together in 20 cities across the country and showcase their talents through chef dinners and walk-around tastings, putting the spotlight on culinary creativity across the nation, and promoting the foundation’s vision of “good food for good.”
(Courtesy James Beard Foundation)
Chef Valerie Chang of Maty's will host a special chef's dinner, part of the James Beard Foundation's Taste America Culinary Series.
Chang opened Maty's after working with her brother, chef Nando Chang, at Itamae, a Peruvian-Japanese restaurant which has now reopened as Itamae AO, focusing on an omakase menu. Her specialization is contemporary Peruvian food, and Maty's is her paean to her Peruvian heritage and to her grandmother, for whom the restaurant is named.
“The James Beard Foundation has given us a platform to collectively put Miami on the map as a culinary destination,” says Chang. “For many years, the city has been overlooked, and with the support from JBF, we are able to highlight the rich immigrant culture from around the world, sharing with our community what makes us so proud to call this city home."
Collaborating with Chang on the dinner is Miami chef Tam Pham of Tâm Tâm, a Vietnamese restaurant in Downtown Miami. Pham created Tâm Tâm with Harrison Ramhofer, who is not only his partner in Tâm Tâm, but also his partner in life. The couple started out doing dinners at their home and their friends’ homes, which evolved into a supper club among friends. Pham recently won the coveted Michelin Guide Florida 2024 Young Chef Award, and Tâm Tâm was awarded a new Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, which is given to restaurants that offer good value.
(Courtesy James Beard Foundation)
Chef Tam Pham will collaborate with Valerie Change on the Oct. 17 dinner at Maty's.
“I am very excited and honored to accompany Chef Valerie, a proud winner of this year's James Beard Foundation Best Chef Award,” said Pham. “We are thrilled to host this dinner, highlighting one of the foundation's most important missions: showcasing the people behind America's food culture.”
Even before the menu is announced, culinary fans vie for a coveted ticket to the chef’s dinner each year.
"The menu is going to be a beautiful marriage of Peruvian and Vietnamese cuisines through the lens of Chef Valerie and I,” said Pham. “Being able to elevate and put the cuisines we hold near and dear to our hearts on a platform like that of the foundation is a dream come true.
Tickets for the James Beard Foundation's Taste America Miami dinner at Maty’s are $150 and available at jamesbeard.org/tasteamerica.