She started with a dream. The chef at a small Thai restaurant situated next to a convenience store in Houston's East End is bringing home one of the biggest awards in the culinary world. Benchawan Jabthong Painter of Street to Kitchen, 6501 Harrisburg Blvd., was named the Best Chef in Texas on Monday at the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago. "I moved to Houston, Texas, like eight years ago with a dream one day I can stand up right here," Painter, a native of Thailand, said during her acceptance speech. "And today the dream has come true. I'm really, really happy." 📸: Street to Kitchen (streettokitchen) via Instagram #HoustonNews #JamesBeardAwards #ThaiFood #HoustonFoodie