A Columbia-area restaurant wins prestigious James Beard Award. Here’s what to know
For the first time, a Columbia-area restaurant has won a prestigious James Beard Award.
Lula Drake Wine Parlour, located on Columbia’s Main Street, was presented with the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program honor at Monday night’s James Beard Awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.
There were two James Beard finalists from the Midlands in the running Monday night: Robbie Robinson of West Columbia’s City Limit Barbeque, who was up for Best Chef - Southeast, and Lula Drake Wine Parlour in the wine category.
The winner in the Best Chef - Southeast category was set to be announced later in Monday night’s awards program.
The James Beard Foundation Awards were established in 1990 and, according to the foundation’s website, “are among the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries, and those in the broader food systems.” Beard, himself, was a culinary expert and prolific cookbook author who helped pioneer cooking on television.
Gardner opened Lula Drake in November 2016, and in the years since it has become widely known for its unique, precisely curated wine offerings. The cozy, tony wine bar and restaurant has been a popular draw in the 1600 block of Columbia’s Main Street, perhaps the key block in the revitalization of Main Street that has accelerated in the last decade-plus.
According to the Beard Awards, the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program honor are presented to an establishment “that demonstrates exceptional care and skill in the pairing of wine and other beverages with food while contributing positively to its broader community.” That would include “the selection, preparation, and serving of wine, cocktails, spirits, coffee, tea, beer or any other beverage with outstanding hospitality and service that help inform and enhance a customer’s appreciation of the beverages.”
In January, Kitwanda “Kiki” Cyrus and Tyrone Cyrus, of Columbia’s Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles, also were nominated as semifinalists for Best Chef - Southeast in this year’s Beard Awards. However, they did not move on to the finalist round.
This was the second consecutive year that Columbia had three semifinalists in the running. The 2023 semifinalists included City Grit Hospitality Group’s Sarah Simmons, Aaron Hoskins and Elie Yigo; Jessica Shillato of Spotted Salamander Cafe and Catering; and Lula Drake, which was nominated for Outstanding Hospitality the first time around. Both Lula Drake and City Grit advanced to the finalist round in 2023.
After long looking on as neighboring Charleston and Greenville gathered Beard honors, this was the first time Columbia had nominees in back-to-back years.
Robinson started City Limits as a food truck back in 2016, and the business made a name for itself with both Texas- and Carolina-style barbecue. Then, in 2023, City Limits found a more permanent, brick-and-mortar location on Methodist Park Road in West Columbia.
Per the James Beard Awards, the Best Chef honors are presented to those who “set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities, and who are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions while contributing positively to their broader community.”
This story will be updated.
