Rob Rubba made D.C. proud, taking home a James Beard Award on Monday, June 5.
Rubba of Oyster Oyster was endowed with the national award for Outstanding Chef.
“Your thoughtfulness is contagious,” Rubba said of his family and business partner Max Kuller at the ceremony, according to Axios. As for the next generation of chefs and restaurateurs, he added, “I just hope every day I can give [them] everything I have so they can progress and succeed.”
The win was lauded in D.C. where no finalists took home an award in 2022.
Rubba was among three 2023 finalists that were named Wednesday, March 29, alongside Causa for Best New Restaurant, and Michael Rafidi of Albi for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.
Initially, fourteen D.C. chefs and establishments were named semifinalists on Wednesday, January 25.
Established in 1990 with the first awards distributed in 1991, the James Beard Foundation “celebrates and supports the people behind America’s food culture, while pushing for new standards in the restaurant industry to create a future where all have the opportunity to thrive,” according to the foundation.