Alma Bea chef is a James Beard Finalist
- Steven Keith
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Plus, I have the original Ray's Deli menu readers have requested
James Beard lightning has struck twice in the Mountain State.
For the second time in three years, a West Virginia chef has been named a James Beard Finalist for Best Chef Southeast, one of the most prestigious honors a chef can attain.
During a national press event at 10:30 am this morning, Chef Mary Ellen Diaz from Alma Bea in Shepherdstown was named one of five finalists as the best chef in a six-state region that includes West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
That region includes chefs and restaurants from heavy-hitting food cities like Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Raleigh, Charlotte, Louisville and more.
The four other finalists Diaz is now up against for the top award are Joe Cash from Scoundrel (Greenville, SC), J. Trent Harris from Mujō (Atlanta, GA), Taylor Montgomery from Montgomery Sky Farm (Leicester, NC) and David Willocks from The Baker's Table (Newport, KY).
The winner will be announced at the James Beard Awards gala on June 15 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.
Just two years ago, Chef Paul Smith from 1010 Bridge Restaurant in Charleston won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in 2024, after also being named a finalist in both 2023 and 2024. Since that win, Smith has gone on to open Paulie’s Fine Italian in Charleston and the new Bad Happy Burritos in Hurricane.
And just last month, Figaretti's Restaurant in Wheeling was named a James Beard America's Classics winner, honoring its decades of serving great Italian food and preserving the local traditions of its community.
Diaz said she was “completely surprised” to hear the news this morning as she was on her way to a meeting.
“It was a huge honor just to be a semifinalist and all of the other nominees looked really outstanding,” she said after the news sunk in, adding that she was grateful to her team and wonderfully supportive community.
“I can’t help but keep thinking about an important food memory in my life, shucking lima beans and drinking sweet wine with my great aunt Glady’s and my grandma Carolina on the front porch of their house in Charleston,” Diaz said.
“I just wish they were here to see this. What a joy to be able to celebrate and honor the rich food traditions of West Virginia and all of Appalachia.”
A local tourism official in Shepherdstown said this achievement was also a big deal for West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.
“This is incredible news for our area and the entire state of West Virginia,” said Annette Gavin Bates, executive director of the Jefferson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which promotes travel to Shepherdstown, Harpers Ferry, Charles Town and surrounding communities.
”We are in the storytelling business and there’s no better story than this one. We are absolutely thrilled for Mary Ellen and her entire team at Alma Bea.”
The James Beard Awards have served as the pinnacle of culinary recognition in the U.S. for the past 40 years.
“The restaurant and chef nominees recognized today embody exceptional talent and leadership within the independent restaurant industry,” the foundation said in a statement.
A full list of this year’s James Beard Finalists can be found at www.jamesbeard.org.
Reader pulls through with Ray’s Deli menu
Ginny Miller, you are my hero!
After sharing a reader’s plea for a sandwich recipe from the old Ray’s Deli in Kanawha City last week, Ginny came through in the clutch.
“For your reader, Donna Chambers, I just remembered that I still had this menu after so many years,” Ginny wrote. Attached to her email was a weathered copy of a menu from Ray’s Delicatessan & Pizza Pub, as it was officially called, from when the restaurant operated decades ago.
On it, sure enough, was a description of the very item Donna was trying to track down. That sammie, The Yachtman, featured baked ham, turkey, tomatoes, onions and Swiss cheese on grilled Italian bread.
Since so many readers through the years have had similar requests for old Ray’s Deli creations, here’s a full lineup of all of the “Famous Combination Sandwiches” featured on that menu. And yes, that includes “by far our most popular sandwich,” the signature Almost Heaven I’ve heard so much about.
Almost Heaven: turkey, spicy salami, tomatoes, onions and special sauce topped with mild banana peppers and Swiss on grilled Italian bread
Kool Bleu: pastrami, tomatoes, onions, Swiss and homemade bleu cheese dressing on grilled light rye
Ray’s Ruben: Chicago pastrami, barrel-cured sauerkraut, special sauce and Swiss on grilled light rye
Mardi Gras: baked ham, pepperoni, tomatoes, onions, special sace, green olives, celery, herb-spice mix and Provolone on a grilled roll
The Devil: smoked Polish sausage, tomatoes, onions, pastrami, sauerkraut, special sauce and Swiss on grilled light rye
New Sandwich: roast beef, baked ham, tomatoes, onions, cheddar and special sauce on a grilled hard roll
Ray’s Special: chopped liver, pastrami and turkey breast on light rye
Ray’s Sailor: beef frank with pastrami and Swiss on grilled light rye
Ray’s Hamlet: baked ham, pineapple and Swiss on Italian bread
The Dana: Swiss, tomatoes, onions, sauerkraut and mild banana peppers on grilled light rye or Italian
Ray’s also offered a variety of other sandwiches – corned beef and pepper beef, liverwurst and knockwurst, German and Italian salami – plus a selection of pizzas, salads, soups, even a bagel with Nova Scotia lox and cream cheese.
That magic menu I received wasn’t the only trip down Memory Lane that Donna’s recipe request stirred up.
“I was happy to see your reference to Ray’s Deli, as it brought back many happy memories,” reader Ditty Markham wrote.
“When we were first married, Ray’s wife Gloria took it upon herself to teach me how to make matzo ball soup for my Jewish husband. (The secret is not opening the lid or stirring them for 40 minutes.) My husband, Gary, and I were regulars there.”
She also told me that Ray’s father owned the original Max’s Deli on Washington Street East.
“Gary’s family used to go there after Sunday School at the Temple, get sandwiches and take them to the Capitol fountain to have a picnic lunch,” Ditty recalled. “It was easy then because Washington Street went straight through the Capitol complex, and you could park right beside the fountain. Max’s Deli smelled like a true New York deli, with salamis and other meats hanging from the ceiling. Gary thanks you for rekindling that pleasant memory!”
Steven Keith is a food writer and restaurant critic known as “The Food Guy” who writes a weekly column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and has appeared in several state, regional and national publications. Follow him online at www.wvfoodguy.com or on Facebook, X, Instagram and Pinterest as “WV Food Guy.” He can be reached at wvfoodguy@aol.com.