LEEDS — A chef in Leeds has been nominated for a prestigious culinary award.
Efren Hernandez, executive chef at Casa Susanna in Leeds, was announced as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award under the Best Chef: New York State category.
The award is considered one of the most prestigious culinary honors, and awards those dedicated to creating exceptional food, food media content and better food systems.
The awards also focus on how recipients demonstrate a commitment to racial and gender equity, community and sustainability.
Hernandez opened Casa Susanna, located in the Camptown Hotel in Leeds, in March 2023.
The restaurant serves modern Mexican cuisine and focuses on fresh produce that celebrates Hernandez’s family heritage.
In November 2023, Hernandez was recognized as a rising star by Esquire magazine, which also named Casa Susanna one of the best new restaurants in America.
“I’m honored to have been nominated for a James Beard Award this week. I’m feeling very grateful to those I work with every day and for the wider industry recognition from the James Beard Foundation,” Hernandez said in a statement. “I’m proud to see my name among so many talented chefs I admire and to see more Hudson Valley-nominated chefs on this year’s list.”
Hernandez, a first-generation Mexican-American originally from Los Angeles, moved to New York City to attend film school at New York University.
While living in Brooklyn, Hernandez took a job working in the kitchen at Nitehaw Cinema in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which kickstarted his love of cooking.
Hernández worked on teams behind various restaurants, including Faro in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where his team earned a Michelin Star in 2017.
From there, he became executive chef at sister restaurants MIMI and BABS in New York City. Hernández relocated to upstate New York in 2020 with his wife and daughter and took over the Tavern at Rivertown Lodge in Hudson, as well as opening Casa Susanna at Camptown in Leeds.
The final list of nominees for awards will be announced April 3, and the awards ceremony will take place on June 10 in Chicago.
Clare Reichenbach, chief operating officer of the James Beard Foundation said in a press release that she was “thrilled” for the return of the awards.
“As we’ve heard time and again from honorees, receiving this recognition has the potential to be truly transformative — and so the awards remain a vital platform for supporting and elevating the independent restaurant industry as a whole. Congratulations to our 2024 semifinalists and best of luck this awards cycle,” she said.