Community watch party scheduled tonight for James Beard Awards Show Burnt Bean Co. vying for Best Chef in Texas Award

(Seguin) – Here’s one party that everyone is invited to.

The city of Seguin tonight is partnering with the Seguin ISD to host a community watch party. The party is to cheer on Burnt Bean Co. chefs as they vie for the coveted title of “Best Chef: Texas” during the James Beard Awards, an annual celebration of chef restaurateurs and industry leaders.

Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland, the dynamic duo behind Burnt Bean’s wildly popular craft barbecue, are among five finalists for the award and title.

Initiating the plan to host the awards show on the big screen at Seguin High School’s Matador Stadium is Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen. Dodgen says it’s not every day, Seguin is represented at this elite level.

“I just thought it would be a fun function for a community event and for us to support an incredible restaurant that is at basically the Academy Awards for food and you know I love food. So, we just couldn’t let it go. Win or not, they are there. They were runner up last year. We need to celebrate that as a community. It’s a win-win for us,” said Dodgen.

Dodgen says the event is free and simply a way to cheer on these hometown BBQ pitmasters as they represent not only Seguin but the state and barbecue chefs everywhere.

“Some cities have three (James Beard winners). Atlanta, I think has three within blocks of each other. I mean it’s just all over the nation. It’s just something that people in the food industry are very much aware of and they look at it as the Academy Awards for food. It’s a gold standard so even to be up there as top chef for the state of Texas, to be nominated for that – it’s amazing and as a barbecue place. I know it’s boutique and it’s special but to be a barbecue place – I think there are only two others – like they are the second who have been nominated as a barbecue restaurant,” said Dodgen.

The James Beard Awards is considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honor, recognizing exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries. Awards, pg. 3

Park, continued.

Jones says the sidewalk work is being performed in accordance with the Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Master Plan. He adds that portions of the sidewalk looped on the west side of the park will be closed at times over the course of the construction.

Jones says the community has been anticipating these improvements and new additions to Bauer Park for a very long time.

“The community lost – I mean the library was there for 50 plus years – so that side of town lost an amenity, a quality-of-life amenity and we are excited to bring it back. Another quality-of-life amenity because really Bauer Park was the first park in Seguin going back to 1910. There used to be an old fountain there and kind of an open space where people met and gathered there and we are hoping to recreate the open space, the gathering place at the pavilion, things for kids to do and families to do so we are excited about getting this project underway. I know there’s a lot of people out there that live around that park and that side of town that are looking forward to this day. So, we are hoping to get it done as quickly as we can,” said Jones.

Generous community donations have also been made to enhance the park located at 707 E. College St. Thanks to Caterpillar, Niagara Bottling, and the Guadalupe County MHMR agency, three inclusive playground pieces and two park benches will be included in the overall project.

The park renovation is expected to be done in time for a grand opening celebration in August.

Awards, continued.

In addition to being selected as finalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards, Burnt Bean is ranked #4 on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints and was voted Best BBQ Joint in the 2021 BBQ Battle sponsored by GVEC.

The chefs will celebrate at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. A livestream of the awards program will be broadcast on www.eater.com.

The community is invited to come together and view the award ceremony beginning today at 5:30 p.m. Matador Stadium is located at 1315 E. Cedar in Seguin.