For the second consecutive year, Southern Junction and its founder, Ryan Fernandez, are competing for one of the top James Beard Foundation awards, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious culinary honors in the nation.
The founder of the popular West Side barbecue-themed eatery is one of five finalists for the “Best Chef in New York State” award.
For his part, Fernandez is both shocked and in awe, being a Beard Foundation finalist for the second year in a row. Last year he was a finalist for the “Best Emerging Chef” award.
"My phone just blew up, and it was just a bunch of folks saying congratulations, and I was like, for what?" Fernandez said. "I looked up the list, and the list had my name, so until that moment, I had no idea they even knew who I was."
Fernandez was selected after a number of visits by “secret chefs” who came to Buffalo to check out the restaurant, its food and its operations. The other four finalists for the award are from the immediate New York City area. The winner will be announced on June 16 in Manhattan.
Southern Junction’s menu of barbecued meat items comes from Fernandez’s roots of being born in India but raised in Dallas. His recipes marry Texas-style barbecue with some Indian spices.
Southern Junction opened as a take-out-only operation in Rocco Termini’s Food E incubator along Chandler Street in early 2020. It moved to the former Black Sheep restaurant site at 365 Connecticut Street two years ago and added a sit-down element.
