Tag: Onyx Coffee Lab

The James Beard Awards, among the most prestigious honors in American gastronomy for more than three decades, included coffee-world representatives among its 2026 finalists for the first time. Onyx Coffee Lab received a nomination in the “Most Outstanding Bar” category, while Jack Benchakul — barista and sole staff member behind Endorffeine, a coffee bar in Los Angeles’s Chinatown — became the first coffee professional ever nominated for “Outstanding Professional in Hospitality.” A former pastry chef and molecular biochemist, Benchakul has turned Endorffeine into an almost laboratory-like space offering a nine-course tasting menu inspired by his Thai heritage. The nominations are seen as a symbolic moment for the industry: for the first time, they place specialty coffee in direct competition with top restaurants and chefs, a sign that the line between “coffee shop” and “culinary experience” is blurring in the eyes of American critics.

Discover the coffee selection at Mister Tabaco.

Source: sprudge.com

The specialty coffee industry is having a milestone moment: Onyx Coffee Lab has become the first coffee shop to reach finalist status in the “Outstanding Bar” category of the prestigious US James Beard Awards, a category long dominated by cocktail bars and established wine programs. In the same cycle, Jack Benchakul of LA’s Endorffeine became the first coffee professional ever nominated for “Outstanding Professional in Hospitality.” The James Beard Awards have honored America’s top restaurants and chefs for more than three decades, and a nomination now puts a coffee shop in direct competition with established culinary institutions. While the coffee world has its own competitions — barista championships, roasting contests — validation from outside food and hospitality institutions is seen as a more meaningful form of recognition, and a sign the category has reached cultural maturity.

For those exploring specialty coffee, Mister Tabaco carries a varied selection in its Coffee category.

Source: Perfect Daily Grind