A five-time semifinalist for "Best Chef: Southeast,” Meherwan Irani was elated when his eatery Chai Pani, located in Asheville, North Carolina was declared "Outstanding Restaurant” at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony in Chicago on June 13, 2022. Chai Pani won over four other semifinalists – Brennan’s in New Orleans, Butcher & Bee in Charleston, South Carolina, Parachute in Chicago and The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle. The results were announced on the website of the James Beard Foundation, jamesbeard.org, "a nonprofit organization with a mission to celebrate, support and elevate the people behind America’s food culture......