James Beard names two Chicago chefs to TasteTwenty

The James Beard Foundation on Thursday named Chicago chefs Zubair Mohajir and Rishi Kumar to its 2026-2027 TasteTwenty, the organization’s annual list of “ones to watch” tied to its national Taste America event series. (jamesbeard.org) The foundation listed the pair under Chicago and identified their restaurants as Mirra and Mariela. The announcement appeared on the foundation’s TasteTwenty page and on its broader Taste America series page. TasteTwenty chefs are selected to represent 20 markets around the country at dinners and walk-around tastings, the foundation said. ### Who were the Chicago chefs named on Thursday? (jamesbeard.org) Zubair Mohajir and Rishi Kumar were the two Chicago chefs included in the 2026-2027 cohort, according to the James Beard Foundation roster published Thursday. The foundation’s listing identifies them with Mirra and Mariela in Chicago. Mirra’s own site says Mohajir and Kumar are part of the hospitality team behind the restaurant, alongside beverage director David Mor. A separate James Beard Foundation event page for a February 3 dinner at Mirra described Mohajir and Kumar as chef-partners at the Bucktown restaurant. (jamesbeard.org) ### What is TasteTwenty, exactly? The James Beard Foundation says TasteTwenty is its annual selection of chefs it considers “ones to watch” in the industry. The cohort is part of Taste America, the foundation’s national culinary series. The Taste America page says the cohort represents 20 markets and will host dinners and walk-around tastings that spotlight culinary creativity across the United States. (jamesbeard.org) The foundation also says the chefs are chosen for culinary talent and for contributions beyond the kitchen, including work tied to sustainability, team investment and food-system resilience. (mirrachicago.com) ### Which restaurants are tied to Mohajir and Kumar? Mirra is the restaurant most directly tied to both chefs on James Beard Foundation pages. The foundation’s February event listing for Mirra said the restaurant is in Bucktown at 1954 W. (jamesbeard.org) Armitage Ave. and described its cuisine as exploring intersections between Mexican and Indian food. Mariela is the second restaurant named in the TasteTwenty roster. Mariela’s website says the Chicago restaurant is built around coastal cooking and “oceans and origins,” while recent coverage and the restaurant site identify Mohajir and Kumar as the chefs behind it. (jamesbeard.org) The restaurant opened in Chicago on May 6, according to local coverage and company-backed material surfaced in search results. ### How does this fit into the James Beard calendar? The James Beard Foundation’s 2026 Taste America page says tickets for September events went on sale to the general public on June 2. The same page lists Taste America: New Orleans at The Josephine on September 16 as an upcoming event in the series. (jamesbeard.org) The foundation’s separate 2026 awards nominees page says the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony is scheduled for June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. That means the TasteTwenty announcement lands less than two weeks before the foundation’s main restaurant awards ceremony in the city. (jamesbeard.org) ### Where can readers see the full roster? The full 2026-2027 TasteTwenty list is posted on the James Beard Foundation’s TasteTwenty chefs page. The broader Taste America series page also links readers to the new class and lists upcoming events, beginning with New Orleans on September 16. (jamesbeard.org 1) (jamesbeard.org 2) (jamesbeard.org 3)