Oxford’s very own, Chef Vishwesh Bhatt was named the Best Chef South at the James Beard Awards Monday night, May 6, in Chicago.
Following his award winning night, Vishwesh Bhatt and award winning chef, John Currence will host the annual Oxford Bourbon Festival and Auction held to benefit Move On Up Mississippi, a nonprofit dedicated to funding educational youth initiatives focused on health, well being, and physical activity. The festival will be held May 24–25 for a weekend celebrating all things bourbon, with tastings, concerts, and dinner followed by a rare and antique bourbon auction at the south end zone field house of Vaught Hemingway Stadium.
Friday Evening, May 24
- Bourbon tasting tour in historic Oxford homes
Friday Night, May 24t
- Concert featuring Grammy nominated Cha Wa at The Lyric Theater
Saturday Evening, May 25
- Rare & Antique Bourbon Auction and dinner by guest chef Vishwesh Bhatt at the south end zone field house of Vaught Hemingway Stadium.
2019 James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef South and Southern Living Southerner of the Year, Vishwesh Bhatt joined City Grocery in 1997.
Under the tutelage of Chef John Currence, Bhatt began working as a line cook. After a brief hiatus to earn a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University, Vishwesh returned to CGRG as Catering Chef in 2002.
In 2009 Chef Bhatt opened CGRG’s SNACKBAR, where using his years of culinary experience and exposure to worldwide cultures he has created a menu that intertwines Southern and subcontinental foodways. His work earned him a People’s Best New Chef nomination from Food & Wine in 2011.
SNACKBAR has been recognized by local and national media as one of the finest restaurants in the South.
Vishwesh resides in Oxford with his wife Teresa and their pets Tula and Bitbit.
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