Chef Joe Cash James Beard finalist

Joe Cash, chef and owner of Scoundrel in downtown Greenville, was named a 2026 James Beard Awards finalist in the Best Chef: Southeast category on March 31, according to the James Beard Foundation and local reports. The nomination put Cash on the final shortlist for one of the foundation’s regional chef awards after semifinalists were announced in January. Scoundrel opened in Greenville in 2022, and the restaurant received a star in the inaugural Michelin Guide American South in 2025, according to the Greenville Journal and Greenville News. The James Beard Foundation is scheduled to announce winners in its Restaurant and Chef Awards on June 15 in Chicago. ### When did Joe Cash become a finalist, and for which award? The James Beard Foundation released its 2026 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees on Tuesday, March 31, and Cash was listed in Best Chef: Southeast. The foundation’s nominees page identifies the annual Restaurant and Chef Awards as part of its broader James Beard Awards program. (greenvillejournal.com) Greenville Journal reported on March 31 that Cash was a finalist for the award and said the winners would be announced June 15. Greenville Online also reported that Cash, Scoundrel’s owner and head chef, had been named a 2026 finalist nominee. ### What is Scoundrel, and why has the restaurant drawn attention? (jamesbeard.org) Scoundrel is a French-inspired restaurant in downtown Greenville that Cash opened in 2022, the Greenville Journal reported. The same report said the restaurant received a Michelin star in 2025 in the inaugural Michelin Guide American South. (greenvillejournal.com) Greenville has had limited national awards recognition compared with larger dining markets, and Cash’s finalist spot places the city on a regional James Beard list that also includes chefs from North Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia and Kentucky, according to the Greenville Journal. (greenvillejournal.com) ### How does the James Beard process work this year? The James Beard Foundation announced semifinalists on Jan. 21 and said at the time that Restaurant and Chef nominees would be named on March 31, with winners celebrated on June 15, 2026, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. That sequence means Cash advanced from the semifinal round into the final nominee list released in spring. (greenvillejournal.com) The foundation’s awards page says the James Beard Awards recognize talent and achievement across culinary arts, hospitality, media and the broader food system. The Restaurant and Chef Awards are the part of that program that covers categories such as Best Chef by region. ### Who else is in the Best Chef: Southeast field? The Greenville Journal reported that the other Best Chef: Southeast finalists are based in North Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia and Kentucky. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation’s nominees page lists finalists across regional chef categories as part of the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards slate. (jamesbeard.org) ABC News, summarizing the finalists list, said the restaurant and chef finalists were announced by the James Beard Foundation on March 31 and described the June 15 ceremony as the point when winners will be revealed. ### What happens next for Cash and Scoundrel? The James Beard Foundation says the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards will be held on Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (greenvillejournal.com) Tickets for the ceremony are already on sale through the foundation’s awards page. June 15 is the next named milestone for Cash, Scoundrel and the other Best Chef: Southeast finalists, when the foundation is set to announce the category winner in Chicago. (abcnews.com) (jamesbeard.org)