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November 9, 2026
Unpretentious Palate’s 2026 People of the Year
Seaboy named 2026 Restaurant of the Year
by TM Petaccia
Monday, November 9 was a night to celebrate the vitality, creativity, and business savvy of the area’s locally owned bars, restaurants, food artisans, and farms — and the people who make them possible. A sold out crowd of over 200 gathered at Charlotte’s historic Visulite Theatre to see twenty receive Unpretentious Palate’s People of the Year awards as well as celebrate the achievements of over fifty finalists.
Together, this year’s winners and finalists reflect a Charlotte food scene rich in talent, character, and possibility. Their businesses create jobs, support other local producers, and give neighbors places to gather and connect. The community, in turn, helps them thrive with every reservation, market purchase, and recommendation to a friend. That relationship gives our region its vitality and makes its continued success something we can all help shape and be proud of.
Thanks to our gold sponsors: Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, International Gourmet Foods, Toast, and Plaid Penguin for their continued support of Charlotte hospitality.
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Congratulations to all of our winners and finalists!
Farmers of the Year
Winners: Greg & Kelly Shell
8:28 Farms
Greg and Kelly Shell are our first-ever farmer finalists focused primarily on animal proteins. At 8:28 Farms in Conover, their Mangalitsa pigs, a Hungarian heritage breed prized for rich meat and luxurious fat, are a particular standout. They supply pork to Counter-, North Carolina’s only Michelin-starred restaurant; its sister concept Spaghett; and Hickory restaurant and jazz club The Downbeat, as well as direct to consumers at Charlotte’s Uptown Farmers Market and Five Points Farmers Market in Conover. The Shells also raise Berkshire pigs, sheep, and chickens, all of whom spend the majority of their time roaming the farm’s woods and pastures rooting and foraging, adding to the animals’ overall fitness as well as flavor. The farm has also expanded its produce offering and now boasts a bee apiary for honey.
Finalists:
Katherine & Tim Belk, Wild Hope Farm
Wisdom & Cherie Jzar, Deep Roots CPS Farm
Food Artisans of the Year
Winners: Rachel Klebaur & Jose Espinosa
Orrman’s Cheese Shop
Rachel Klebaur and Jose Espinosa bring artistry to selecting, caring for, and presenting exceptional cheeses. Their curated case at Orrman’s Cheese Shop spans local farmstead favorites, standout American selections, and international classics. Daily attention to ripeness, thoughtful pairings, and cheeses cut to order honor the work of the makers they champion. This year’s move to Myers Park builds on thirteen years at The Market at 7th Street, with more room for specialty cheeses, pantry goods, and wine. Through carefully composed boards, tastings, and knowledgeable guidance, the couple turns curiosity into appreciation, giving artisan cheesemakers a stronger presence at Charlotte’s tables.
Finalists:
Ann Marie & Jean Luc Barrucand, Chocolatier Barrucand
Lauren & Ben Kallenbach, Virtuoso Breadworks
Food Truck of the Year
Winner: Dulce Dreams Café
UPPY 2024 Food Artisan of the Year finalist Norma Zuniga has taken Dulce Dreams Café from farmers market tables and pop-ups to her charming van, La Conchis. The move has expanded her offerings to specialty coffee and matcha drinks, including horchata cold brew and cajeta matcha. Her signature conchas, soft Mexican sweet breads, range from vanilla and cajeta to guava-filled and cookies and cream versions. Ube tres leches cake and brown butter piloncillo chocolate chip cookies add to a menu both rooted in heritage and open to experimentation. Her growing business brings Mexican sweets and café culture to Charlotte’s mobile dining scene.
Finalists:
Rollo’s Wings
El Venemo
Non-restaurant Chefs of the Year
Winner: Cristian Villalvazo & Jeni Hollomon
Carnal
Cristian Villalvazo brings a deeply personal Mexican-American perspective to Carnal, drawing on family recipes and the creativity of contemporary Mexican chefs. Working alongside his partner and fellow chef Jennifer “Jeni” Hollomon, he develops seasonal menus with tortillas made from scratch and thoughtful takes on quesadillas, flautas, and other traditional dishes. His tuna tostada, layered with herb crema, pickled onions, and fresh herbs, captures his gift for pairing familiar forms with refined detail. Experience in top Charlotte kitchens, including Customshop, informs the care behind each pop-up. Villalvazo honors the traditions that shaped him while giving diners a broader view of Mexican cuisine.
Finalists:
James Barker, Vivienne
Ammalu Saleh, Serengeti Kitchen
Sommelier of the Year
Presented by 3 Keys Wine Distributing
Winner: Terrell Johnson
Omakase Experience by Prime Fish
Terrell Johnson brings expertise in both fine wines and sake to the Michelin-recommended Omakase Experience by Prime Fish. His background at La Belle Hélène, McNinch House, and other Charlotte fine-dining restaurants informs his work alongside chef Robin Anthony. Johnson generally builds pairings around the food, responding to the subtle flavors and textures of a seasonal omakase menu. Occasionally, the collaboration works in reverse, with a compelling wine or sake inspiring the chef to create a new dish. His enthusiasm and informative explanations turn each pour into an opportunity to learn. Johnson makes refined beverage service an essential part of the omakase experience, adding depth and discovery to the progression of courses.
Finalists:
Alex Bridges, Emmy Lou’s
Michael Klinger, Supperland
Mixologists of the Year
Winner: Roger Kongkham & Daniel Villa
R+D Bar
It’s only fitting these longtime Charlotte bartenders share this finalist status. The duo works together on nearly every cocktail at R+D Bar, some of which took more than two years to develop before the concept inside Thai Taste launched in April. They primarily draw on Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Japanese flavors to create innovative, well-balanced cocktails. This includes nontraditional cocktail ingredients like fish sauce to balance coconut, banana, and pandan, or tare syrup and fat-washing to evoke yakitori in a Japanese whisky Old Fashioned. Paired with a willingness to share recipes and welcome collaborators, that patient, collective approach gives Charlotte a bar program with a distinctive voice and a generous spirit.
Finalists:
Mike Guzmán, Blue Door
Ashley Sarkis, Yunta Nikkei
General Manager of the Year
Winner: Elyse Stefaney
Albertine
Elyse Stefaney leads the 2025 UPPY Restaurant of the Year’s opulent dining room, where attentive service leaves guests room to enjoy themselves. Her team offers informed recommendations and brings a polished confidence to the floor, with even younger servers displaying the poise of seasoned professionals. Her prior experience in beverage leadership at Kindred and sommelier work at Counter- gives Stefaney a broad understanding of how food, wine, and service shape an evening. She helps sustain the hospitality behind the accolades, ensuring that an ambitious menu and elegant setting are matched by a warm, consistently well-executed experience.
Finalists:
Connor Berryhill, Yafo / Plaza Midwood
Winter Voss, Seaboy
Chef to Watch
Winner: Adriana Cavazos
Emmy Lou’s / Customshop
Adriana Cavazos brings the focus needed to move between two demanding disciplines: savory cooking and pastry. As chef de cuisine at Emmy Lou’s and pastry chef at Customshop, she pairs kitchen leadership with a broad creative range. Her work spans scallop crudo with blackberry leche de tigre and a carrot-and-maple pie with gingersnap crust that earned a place on Customshop’s menu. Self-taught and mentored by Andres Kaifer, Cavazos continues to develop her technique and confidence as a leader. Her ability to make an impression across an entire meal gives her a strong foundation for what lies ahead.
Finalists:
Tucker Bell, Victuals Supper Club
Christian English, Rada
Michael G. Bowling UPlifting Industry Member of the Year
This year, the Charlotte culinary community lost one of its most locally-minded and inspiring citizens when chef Michael Bowling passed away. In his honor and lasting memory, we are naming this award for him in celebration of his life, his work, and the countless people he enriched with his friendship.
Winner: Jay Ziobrowski
ACF Charlotte / Chefs Against Cancer
Jay Ziobrowski brings an educator’s generosity and an emcee’s energy to Charlotte’s culinary community. As chairman of ACF Chefs of Charlotte, he helps colleagues share knowledge and build relationships. His “5 a Day the Color Way” program has introduced children to healthier eating since 2012. He has also prepared breakfasts for wounded veterans and put fellow chefs in the spotlight as emcee of the fundraiser now known as Chefs Against Cancer. Known as “Chef Jay Z,” he makes learning engaging and service inviting. His enthusiasm gives people a reason to get involved and the encouragement to keep showing up.
Finalists:
Brittany Cochran, Cookies, Cocktails & Canapés / Cookies For Kids’ Cancer
Matt Martin, Freshlist
Nonprofit of the Year
Winner: Carolina Farms Fund
The Carolina Farms Fund addresses one of the greatest threats to local food: lack of access to affordable farmland. Guided by program manager Eva Caison and Farms Fund director Krisztian Varsa, The Conservation Fund initiative acquires land threatened by development and helps farmers work toward ownership. It pairs farmland conservation with business assistance and connections to local buyers. Its projects include 44 acres for Deep Roots CPS Farm and 96 acres for Boy & Girl Farm. By keeping productive land within reach of working farmers, the program protects the foundation beneath Charlotte’s farmers markets, restaurant kitchens, and local food community.
Finalists:
Chefs Against Cancer
Community Culinary School of Charlotte
Pastry Chef of the Year
Winner: Samantha Ward
L’Ostrica
Samantha Ward brings a sense of wonder to L’Ostrica’s final courses. Our 2022 Pastry Chef of the Year matches the creativity of the savory kitchen with desserts that unite precise technique, thoughtful flavor combinations, and an artist’s eye for presentation. Her pumpkin and sorghum cake with sage, walnut crumb, and rye caramel illustrates her ability to give familiar comforts unexpected depth. Ward is also quick to volunteer her talents for events including Chefs Against Cancer; Cookies, Cocktails & Canapés; Giving Kitchen, and a host of other fundraisers. Her generosity extends her craft beyond the dining room, supporting neighbors and colleagues with the same care she brings to guests.
Finalists:
Faith Gamble, Counter-
Ann Marie Stefaney, Restaurant Constance / Grey’s Diner
New Restaurant of the Year
Winner: PostScript
Chef Dean Orr and co-owner Amber Donoghue have made PostScript feel deeply connected to Plaza Shamrock from its first months. Their menu draws on French, Italian, and American comforts, with seasonal local ingredients shaping dishes such as chicken scarpariello and mushroom stroganoff cavatelli. Orr’s handmade plateware adds another personal touch, while the Letty’s Old Fashioned, developed by Erica Bodiker, honors the space’s previous occupant. Donoghue’s emphasis on making guests feel looked after gives the restaurant its warm and welcoming character. PostScript brings skilled cooking and personal hospitality to a familiar neighborhood address, creating the kind of place people readily make their own.
Finalists:
Grey’s Diner
The Story of Mi Cariño
Chef of the Year
Presented by International Gourmet Foods
Winner: Robin Anthony
Omakase Experience by Prime Fish
Robin Anthony’s ambition comes with an exacting attention to detail. At Michelin-recommended Omakase Experience by Prime Fish, the self-taught chef pairs Edomae sushi technique with seafood from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, freshly grated wasabi, and prized Yubari King muskmelon. His restaurant is the only one in the Carolinas registered to serve authentic and certified Kobe beef, offering A5 cuts with the same care he gives to rice, temperature, and seasoning. Luxurious ingredients find purpose in a carefully paced progression, with precise knife work and restrained preparations revealing their character. Anthony rewards the trust at the heart of omakase, continuing to broaden what Charlotte diners can experience.
Finalists:
Sam Diminich. Restaurant Constance / Grey’s Diner
Juan Romero, Catalú
Restaurant of the Year
Winner: Seaboy
Chef Jonny Cox, bar director Dana Jordan, general manager Winter Voss, and a well-trained staff make Seaboy’s ambitious dining feel personal. The Cornelius restaurant’s historic house creates the intimacy of a dinner party, while Cox’s seasonal menu brings precision and global influences to coastal seafood and Carolina produce. Yellowfin crudo with benne seeds and North Carolina beets with preserved lemon show that breadth. Attentive hospitality and a relaxed coastal setting complete the experience, giving diners a place to explore new flavors, savor familiar ones, and settle comfortably into an evening with friends.
Finalists:
L’Ostrica
Leluia Hall
Thank You UPPY Award Event Sponsors!
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UNPRETENTIOUS PALATE is a digital publication covering food and drink in Charlotte. At UP, you’ll find ethical food journalism that isn’t based on free meals. We’ll be your taste testers around the city, letting you know where you can’t miss and where to skip. And we’ll ban any condescending food-writer speak. We’ll tell you the dishes we love, where to go on date night, and the best places for cocktails. You can trust us.
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