Bed-Stuy Cheap Eats Icon Gets a Prestigious James Beard Award

Bed-Stuy Trinidadian mainstay A&A Bake & Doubles Roti just gained a spot in the James Beard canon. The foundation, which runs one of the country’s biggest restaurant awards, named the counter-service spot one of America’s Classics — an honor for regional institutions that have been around for more than 10 years.

Geeta and Noel Brown, from Trinidad, opened the shop in the neighborhood in 2002 and have since become known for their doubles, the deep-fried flatbreads stuffed with curried chickpeas. It shuttered briefly but moved around the corner last spring into a much bigger space at 1337 Fulton St., near Verona Place. The doubles still cost $1.50, and still can come loaded up with addictive tamarind and pepper sauces. But now, the Browns offer a longer menu too, with goat roti, shrimp bakes, and other affordably priced Trinidadian classics.

Other restaurants on the list include Pho 79 in Orange County, a West Virginia steakhouse called Jim’s Steak & Spaghetti House, Shenert’s Bakery & Bieroc Cafe in Nebraska, and LGBTQ haven Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse in D.C.

In the past, New York food businesses like Sahadi Fine Foods, 2nd Avenue Deli, Barney Greengrass, Peter Luger Steak House, and Keens Steakhouse have won the America’s Classics award. Restaurants that win the award are not necessarily ineligible for the other James Beard restaurant awards, but they tend to be overlooked in the more famous categories.