Photo: Emma Friedman/ WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The semi-finalists for the 36th annual James Beard Awards were announced on Wednesday, and a Cambridge culinary school is watching for some familiar faces. The James Beard Awards are a prestigious culinary event, with many considering it the ‘Oscars of the culinary world.’
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts is used to cooking up some James Beard winners. Simone Montali, a chef instructor and Assistant Director of Education, is proud of the work he’s done with chefs around Massachusetts.
“To be a chef in a restaurant, you have to have a very multifaceted set of skills, starting with delicious food obviously,” said Montali. “We graduate over 100 chefs a year, and we teach over 20,000 people every year.”
With past winners gracing the CSCA kitchens, it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of buzz when the awards come around.
“We’ve had a few graduates of CSCA win James Beard Awards, we especially had three recently. One of them is Karen Akunowicz, she is a restaurateur in Boston, she has two restaurants in South Boston,” said Montali.
For the 2026 awards, 16 Mass. restaurants were named as semi-finalists, something Montali is proud of.
“We’re excited about it, we believe in consistent education, and we believe in creating delicious food every single day. We love when folks are recognized for excellence and excellent work in the culinary industry,” said Montali.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.