“Our Raleigh dinner is a celebration of two phenomenal chefs,” says Siobhan Flaherty Haber, vice president of events for the James Beard Foundation. She describes the collaboration as an opportunity to showcase the creativity, community spirit, and leadership that influence American food culture.

Rahman opened Peregrine inside Raleigh’s The Exchange, where his cooking draws connections between his South Asian heritage and the ingredients, foodways, and agricultural traditions across the state.

Rahman says participating in the TasteTwenty class and bringing Taste America back to Raleigh carries special significance.

“Sharing the night with Kultura’s Nikko Cagalanan, coming in from Charleston, feels like the perfect embodiment of what we’re all working toward,” Rahman says.

Cagalanan, a 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Emerging Chef, is known for presenting Filipino food through a contemporary Lowcountry perspective at Kultura. The Charleston restaurant has earned national attention for dishes influenced by Cagalanan’s heritage, personal experiences and relationships with regional farmers and producers.