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When the James Beard Foundation contacted Matt Sehnert, he wasn’t sure what to make of the news the caller had to share: That his southwest Nebraska family-owned bakery and cafe, which opened in 1957, had won a national award.

“I wondered if I needed to give them some money and they would send me a plaque,” he said, chuckling.

So Matt and his wife, Shelly, scheduled a phone call with the Beard Foundation, which explained that Sehnert’s Bieroc Cafe, in McCook, was Nebraska’s first-ever James Beard America’s Classic Award winner.

“We came away from that going ‘holy cow, this is real.’ ”

It is real. On Tuesday morning, the James Beard Foundation announced that Sehnert’s was one of the winners via an Instagram post. The full list of 2019 winners has not yet been announced. The James Beard Awards, which are given to restaurants, chefs, authors and wine experts, among other food industry professionals, are considered the Oscars of the food world.

Even after the official announcement, Sehnert still seemed surprised. When this reporter told him he was the first winner in Nebraska, he said, “Is that true? Wow.”