Detroit's Warda Bouguettaya wins prestigious James Beard Award

The country's top pastry chef is based in Midtown.

Driving the news: Warda Bouguettaya of Warda Pâtisserie won the prestigious James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef at a ceremony held in Chicago Monday night.

• It's her first-ever nomination for the pastry world's top award.

What she's saying: "Detroit has been my home from day one and so it is an honor for me to bring this back," Bouguettaya, an Algerian immigrant who moved to Michigan in 2004, tells Axios Chicago's Monica Eng.

• "Detroit deserves to have more nominations and coverage because it is the best city."