Chef Rosa Medina of Donkey Taqueria Is a James Beard Award Finalist

When Rosa Medina opened Donkey Taqueria in a former laundromat on Grandville Avenue in 2018, her goal was straightforward: make the food she grew up eating in Guerrero, the same food she cooked in Mexico City restaurants for six years before moving to Detroit, available on the southwest side of Grand Rapids. Seven years later, she's a James Beard Award finalist.

The James Beard Foundation announced Thursday that Medina is one of five finalists for Best Chef: Great Lakes, the organization's regional award covering Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. It's the first time a Grand Rapids chef has reached the finalist stage since Brandon Johns of Grove in 2019, and the first time a Latinx chef from the city has been nominated at any level.

Medina's menu has evolved from its original birria-and-al-pastor focus into something more wide-ranging — mole negro with duck confit, tlayudas with Michigan-sourced beans, a rotating weekend caldo that draws regulars from across Kent County. She runs the kitchen with her sister Elena, who handles pastry and the restaurant's acclaimed tres leches. The 42-seat space on Grandville is typically booked two weeks out for Friday and Saturday dinners.

The awards ceremony is June 16 in Chicago. Donkey will be open that night, with the ceremony streaming on the restaurant's Instagram. "Win or lose, we'll be serving tacos," Medina said.