James Beard nominee: Chancho King

María Delia La Mota of Jacksonville’s Chancho King is on the 2026 James Beard Awards shortlist for Best Chef: South. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation published its restaurant and chef nominees on March 31, 2026, and said winners will be announced June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) Chancho King operates at 1120 Edgewood Ave. S. in Jacksonville’s Murray Hill neighborhood and describes itself as an “Ecuadorian inspired diner.” Its posted hours run Wednesday through Sunday, with a Sunday ceviche service. (chanchoking.square.site) The nomination puts an Ecuadorian-rooted restaurant into one of the James Beard Awards’ regional chef races, a category that covers the South. The foundation has run the awards since 1990 and calls them a top honor in the United States restaurant industry. (jamesbeard.org 1) (jamesbeard.org 2) Chancho King had already reached the semifinal round on January 21, when the James Beard Foundation named María La Mota and Chason Spencer among the 2026 Best Chef: South semifinalists. The March 31 list narrowed that field to nominees. (jamesbeard.org 1) (jamesbeard.org 2) Local coverage in Jacksonville identified La Mota and Spencer as the husband-and-wife team behind the restaurant and reported that Chancho King recently added a second location. (jacksonville.com) When Chancho King opened in 2023, Florida Times-Union reported it as the first Ecuadorian restaurant in Northeast Florida. That made the Murray Hill opening a rare dedicated Ecuadorian entry in the region’s dining scene before the national awards attention arrived. (usatoday.com) The next marker is June 15 in Chicago, when the James Beard Foundation will turn this nomination into either a win or a near miss. For now, Chancho King has moved from a neighborhood Jacksonville restaurant into a national awards conversation. (jamesbeard.org)