Fort Worth Mexican restaurant named one of 10 finalists for this James Beard Award

A Fort Worth restaurant has been named a finalist in the 2023 James Beard Foundation Awards.

Don Artemio is one of 10 finalists for Best New Restaurant. Other Texas restaurants on the list include Restaurant Beatrice in Dallas and Tatemó in Houston.

Since 1991, the James Beard Foundation has been recognizing outstanding eateries across the country. Chefs and restaurants are honored in 23 categories each year at the awards ceremony on June 5.

Don Artemio co-owner couldn’t stop crying

When Adrian Burciaga, general manager and co-owner at Don Artemio, heard about being a finalist he was overwhelmed with emotion.

“I’m trying to stop crying,” Burciaga told the Star-Telegram Wednesday morning. “I still have chills. Oh man, this is fantastic.”

Burciaga and his wife were in Oaxaca, Mexico, doing some research and development for the restaurant when they saw the news. Unlike when the nomination surprised Burciaga in January, he was tuned in to the James Beard Instagram page, ready to see if Don Artemio made the cut.

The James Beard announcement had a small delay, so Burciaga and his wife kept refreshing and loading the page to see if there was any news. Finally, they got a notification that Don Artemio was tagged in the “Best New Restaurant” finalists post.

“I started crying and then I checked with a couple of friends and they said, ‘Yes you made it to the next round’,” Burciaga said. “And I cried some more.”

A year of food and celebration at Don Artemio

Burciaga and Chef Juan Ramón Cárdenas opened Don Artemio in April 2022 with the goal of transporting guests to Mexico, not only with the food but the architecture.

Since the James Beard nomination was announced in January, the Fort Worth restaurant has been busy, Burciaga said. Now that they’re a finalist, Burciaga expects the phones to be ringing off the hook and tables will be full.

A few must-trys at Don Artemio are the nopalitos fritos tacos appetizer, cabrito al horno or slow cooked goat dish, the Chilean sea bass in a Oaxacan black mole and the deconstructed tres leches cake. The restaurant also has 31 Mexican wines ready to open.

Burciaga credits the Don Artemio staff and the Fort Worth community for the restaurant’s success and James Beard recognition. Burciaga celebrated a birthday on Tuesday, wishing nothing more than for the restaurant to advance.

“I got a big gift,” he said.

Don Artemio is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at 3268 W. 7th St.