After making headlines as a semi-finalist for the prestigious James Beard Award some time ago, Chef Ricky Moore has finally taken home the gold as of Monday night’s 2022 James Beard Award ceremony in Chicago, where he was named “Best Chef in the Southeast.”

Moore’s title as “Best Chef in the Southeast” encompasses finalists from Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, and the win for Saltbox Seafood joint means another culinary feather in the cap for the Triangle.

Moore was born in New Bern, NC, and opened the first Saltbox Seafood Joint in 2012 with inspiration from coastal seafood shacks and fish camps found around North Carolina. Featuring fresh, seasonal seafood fresh caught and quickly delivered, Saltbox has become a local staple and regional icon in a relatively short time, and a second location opened in 2017.

Saltbox’s unique coastal offerings in Durham have attracted attention and local awards, but recognition as a James Beard finalist — and now winner — well and truly puts Moore’s culinary skill on the map.

(featured image via Saltbox Seafood Joint)


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