Ecuadorian chef nominated

María Delia La Mota, the Ecuadorian co-chef behind Chancho King in Jacksonville, is a 2026 James Beard Awards nominee 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 on June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) El Universo reported on April 14 that La Mota’s nomination is shared with Chancho King co-founder Chason Spencer, her husband and business partner. The paper identified her full name as María Delia La Mota Guerra. (eluniverso.com) Chancho King is in Jacksonville’s Murray Hill area, and News4JAX said the restaurant was built around La Mota’s Ecuadorian heritage. The station said the business began as a tent pop-up about six years before moving into a brick-and-mortar space. (news4jax.com) El Universo said Chancho King’s menu includes arroz con menestra, chancho sandwiches, llapingachos, and shrimp encocado, tying the nomination to dishes identified with Ecuadorian cooking. (eluniverso.com) The Best Chef: South field covers Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico, according to El Universo’s summary of the category. That places Chancho King in a regional race that spans much of the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. (eluniverso.com) The James Beard Foundation has called its awards a top honor in American dining for nearly four decades, and the 2026 nominee list frames this year’s class as part of the independent restaurant industry. (jamesbeard.org) For La Mota and Spencer, the next date is June 15. That is when Chancho King’s Ecuadorian cooking will find out whether a nomination turns into a James Beard win. (jamesbeard.org)