Sazón Chef Fernando Olea, 71, carefully pulls roasted chiles out of the oven for use in his signature molé as he prepares for the dinner crowd Wednesday at Sazón. A 30-year veteran of kitchens and dining rooms in Santa Fe, Olea was named Best Chef for the Southwest region by the James Beard Foundation on Monday.

Chef Fernando Olea of Sazón in Santa Fe was named Best Chef in the Southwest Category at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday. Held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, this year marked the return of the awards after a hiatus in 2020 and 2021. A New Mexico chef can add his name to the prestigious list of James Beard Award recipients.