March 29, 2023

Sanaa Abourezk was cooking for today’s lunch at her restaurant when she found out she’s one of five finalists for a James Beard Award.

Abourezk, owner of Sanaa’s 8th Street Gourmet in downtown Sioux Falls, was named as a semifinalist earlier this year for Best Chef: Midwest.

Now, she’s competing against chefs from Omaha, Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, for the title, which will be announced June 5 in Chicago.

“I was cooking, and my daughter called, and usually my heart jumps out of my chest because she’s in New York and I’m thinking what’s wrong. She said, ‘I just want to let you know that you are a finalist for the James Beard Award.'” Abourezk expressed disbelief, and her daughter, Alya, said, “Mom, I’m serious.”

Abourezk went to her office to check her email, and, sure enough, the James Beard Foundation had notified her.

She said she’s excited and honored to be recognized.

“The James Beard Awards celebrate outstanding achievement and exceptional culinary talent, as well as all those doing incredible work on behalf of our communities and wider food system. This year’s nominees, winners, and honorees are inspiring exemplars of that,” Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, said in a news release. “We congratulate all those recognized today and look forward to celebrating them at another exciting awards weekend in Chicago this June.”

Abourezk, who started her restaurant nearly two decades ago, is the author of several cookbooks and organizes fundraisers every year for several charities, including Feeding South Dakota and for World Central Kitchen after natural disasters.

Just last week, she was in Chicago helping chefs there raise $100,000 for earthquake relief efforts. Her native Syria, where she has family, was hit by an earthquake in February, along with Turkey.