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Eater
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Where James Beard Nominees Ate and Drank in Chicago
The top chefs, restaurateurs, bartenders, and sommeliers descended on Chicago last weekend for the 35th annual James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, and they came hungry. While some nominees arrived the night before or even the day of the gala on Monday, June 16, at Lyric Opera, leaving only time for a quick bite at their hotel or a fast-food run, most spent the weekend attending or working at the many James Beard Awards pop-ups and events and hitting up some of the best restaurants in Chicago. From tasting menus to carnitas picnics, here are the best dining and drinking experiences James Beard Award nominees had in the Windy City. 'I went to Kasama and was able to meet chef Timothy [Flores]. I was super blown away by the pork belly adobo and that breakfast sandwich.' — Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre , San Antonio, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Texas) 'There was this lemon mascarpone ice cream with caviar at Monteverde that was delicious: sweet, savory, and funky.' — Ryan Castelaz, Agency , Milwaukee, (2025 finalist, Best New Bar) 'We had ramen at High Five Ramen. We had two different ones, both broths were incredible. Love the basement ambiance of it all.' — Jay Blackinton, Houlme , Orcas Island, Washington, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific) 'We had dinner at Boka last night and it was absolutely an incredible experience from start to finish. [We ate] essentially the entire menu. There was maybe only one thing we didn't try, and everything was from top to bottom pretty much a hit.' — Joseph Harrison, Aria , Atlanta, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Hospitality) 'We had a beautiful omelet this morning at Lula Cafe that was just fluffy and delicious with a little bit of onion relish on top of it.' — Andrés Loaiza, Aria , Atlanta, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Hospitality) 'We went to another of our fellow nominee's bars, Kumiko, and had some phenomenal cocktails. I couldn't even pick just one. I feel really honored to be recognized in the same group because they're excellent.' — Max Overstrom-Coleman, Wolf Tree , White River Junction, Vermont, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Bar) 'We went to Uncle Mike's Place for breakfast and it really hit the spot. The lugaw on the table when you first walk in is like the most nourishing, delicious bite, and it's a really good way to start the day. [They have] excellent pork chops. It's absolutely fantastic.' — Silver Iocovozzi, Neng Jr.'s , Asheville, North Carolina, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southeast) 'Late night empanadas at Estereo.' — Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro , Portland, Oregon, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific) 'Carnitas Uruapan. We just had a picnic at the park right next to it. It's one of those places that I always say when you're in Chicago, go there for carnitas by the pound. It just hits all the spots.' — Johnny Curiel, Alma Fonda Fina , Denver, (2025 finalist, Best New Restaurant) 'We got the duck a la presse from the Alston. When you see that on the menu, you have to order it.' — Brandon Cunningham, The Social Haus , Greenough, Montana, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Mountain) 'We ate the shawarma chicken at Avec. It was absolutely delicious. We also were at Asador Bastian and had one of their steaks, which is also surreal.' — Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez, Superbueno , New York City, ( 2025 winner, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service ) 'We had dinner at Alinea. That was definitely a once in a lifetime experience that we were looking forward to the whole trip here. That was beautiful.' — Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon , Las Vegas, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southwest) 'Monteverde is an amazing restaurant. We were just recapping again for the fourth time all the pastas, especially that eggplant that [chef Sarah Grueneberg] does. It's unreal.' — Stuart Brioza, Atomic Workshop , San Francisco, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Restaurateur) 'Every time I go to Chicago, going back all the way to 2005, I stop at Avec. I always have to stop at Avec. It's old, it's classic, but it reminds me of a long time ago. We did a really great dinner at HaiSous. We had a wonderful time. We did a wonderful event at Bar Sótano. It's Chicago. You always find good food.' — Zack Walters, Sedalia's Oyster & Seafood , Oklahoma City, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southwest) 'I'm a sucker for Avec. I love Avec so much. The vibe, especially the one in the West Loop, is so close and intimate you always end up sharing food with someone random next to you. The sight of the kitchen and all of the flavors are great.' — Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean , Louisville, Kentucky, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southeast) 'We went to an all-you-can-eat wagyu Japanese barbecue spot, Wagyu House, that was like from the future. I love seeing different forms of dining and that's something that I could just enjoy — just pure product on a plate. I haven't had a bad meal here. We did a sandwich crawl yesterday. I have a sandwich shop and we tried about nine to 10 different sandwiches. The [best was the] dip from Bari. I could have just had a gravy bread from there. It's too hot in West Texas for me to do that there, but there's nothing better than broth and bread.' — Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo , Marfa, Texas, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Texas) 'We had dim sum at MingHin and it was amazing. The shumai was incredible. Then we went to Loba for pastries and there was a mole strawberry croissant that was amazing.' — Jake Howell, Peninsula , Nashville, Tennessee, ( 2025 winner, Best Chef: Southeast ) Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025 . All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. See More:
Eater
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Overheard at the 2025 James Beard Awards
A version of this post originally appeared on June 18, 2025, in Eater and Punch's newsletter Pre Shift , a biweekly newsletter for the industry pro that sources first-person accounts from the bar and restaurant world. Subscribe now for more stories like this. Along with the usual flood of tourists and locals enjoying the summer weather, downtown Chicago was packed this weekend due to both the 'No Kings' march that brought tens of thousands of people to protest the Trump administration, and the parties and pop-ups tied to the 35th annual James Beard Awards. The tension between resistance and revelry was felt throughout Monday's celebration at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. Finalists shared their thoughts with Eater, discussing what the awards mean to them, ways the honors can continue to evolve, the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitality industry, and the biggest challenges they face when it comes to making the best food— from housing, to staffing, to protecting their teams from ICE raids. '[After being nominated] we were busier right away. The response has been incredible. It's such a good burst of business in January, at a time that's classically slow, that we are mostly grateful for. It's been amazing.' — Jeanie Janas Ritter, Bûcheron , Minneapolis (2025 winner, Best New Restaurant) 'We have so many people visiting Buffalo to just come hang out. Every Saturday, people fly in, eat barbecue, see [Niagara] Falls and fly back out. Our volume has increased probably like 45 times [since being nominated].' — Ryan Fernandez, Southern Junction Barbecue , Buffalo, New York (2025 finalist, Best Chef: New York State and 2024 finalist, Best Emerging Chef) 'I love that the [James Beard Awards] expanded and added these new categories for beverages. I think that it's so important to continue to see that the front of house and the back of house work together. Of course, the chef is the star of the show. People go to restaurants to eat, but you've got to have something to drink too. I think continuing to expand on the front-of-house recognition would be a great call.' — Cassandra Felix, Daniel , New York City (2025 finalist, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service) '[I'd love to see an award that] celebrates general managers. I just hired Daniel Harrington and he has shifted the dynamic in such a beautiful way. I'm a very hands-on owner. I'm either there way too much or I'm traveling somewhere and he's that anchor. He keeps me steady. He executes. No one really recognizes the GM. They make less money than everyone else and typically work way more hours, much like chefs. I think GMs could use a little bit of love.' — Julia Momosé, Kumiko , Chicago (2025 winner, Outstanding Bar) 'I love beverages and I'm a horrible cook. Like, I can't cook for shit. I would love to see a little bit more separation of spirits, nonalcoholic, beers, and wine [categories] so there's more representation of beverages just like we do the chefs.' — Felipe Riccio, March , Houston (2025 finalist, Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program) 'I wonder if coffee [could] be an additional [James Beard] category. Coming from Portland, we have so much coffee, and Chicago does, too.' — Tommy Klus, Scotch Lodge , Portland, Oregon (2025 finalist, Outstanding Bar) 'We live on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere, so every single thing makes it a little harder. Employee housing is really, really tough for where we are. It's kind of become an affluent area, and so finding places reasonably priced for our talented team to live is difficult.' — Jay Blackinton, Houlme , Orcas Island, Washington (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific) 'Where we are in the world, which is a pretty small community with 50,000 to 100,000 people, it's very difficult to retain really strong talent. That's always been the focus of our restaurant, to do exactly that, to retain and keep our people as long as possible. At first, our mission statement was to create well-paying, long-term hospitality jobs. After 2020, that has shifted to retaining [them]. We do care about quality of life with the way we operate the restaurants, with the way that the kitchens operate. We just try to make as pleasant an environment as possible.' — Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 , Grand Junction, Colorado (2025 finalist, Outstanding Chef) 'Post-pandemic, a lot of people left the industry just because they got so stressed out during that crazy time. Finding good people [is my biggest challenge, but] there's a lot of young folks that are coming up in the ranks that show a lot of initiative, so we're hopeful on that.' — Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue , San Juan Capistrano, California (2025 finalist, Best Chef: California) 'The big challenge that my restaurant is facing right now is staying motivated as we continue this absolute roller-coaster ride. It's a good roller coaster, but keeping people focused is really hard. Keeping myself focused is really hard. The intellectual focus it requires to be a restaurant of our type is not something you wake up out of bed and have, so I think that's the hard part. We're supposed to be having more fun.' — Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading , Chicago (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Great Lakes) 'We're in Downtown LA and our restaurant has been completely surrounded with the protest — the peaceful protest — so it's been a little bit challenging for the last two weeks. We can't wait to get back open and welcome everyone in our community back to celebrate Los Angeles in general and hopefully a win for me at the James Beard Awards.' — Tobin Shea, Redbird , Los Angeles (2025 finalist, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service) 'The general public is really strained at this point. That affects small businesses, especially the restaurant businesses with such tight margins. The geopolitical climate, the state of the world, the unrest, I think is exponential right now in terms of its impact across the globe. It's making everybody a little scared and I think that affects the way they spend their day, as it should. I think potentially [people are] afraid to spend because of all the uncertainty.' — Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway , Providence, Rhode Island (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Northeast) '[The biggest challenge facing us] is the current state of the state, for sure. Immigration, keeping the team alive and safe. [The award nomination] definitely gives us a platform to talk about uncomfortable subjects. It definitely gives us the courage to keep going.' — Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó , Houston (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Texas) Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.
Eater
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Chefs and Bartenders Spoke Out Against ICE Raids Even As They Partied at James Beard Awards
The restaurant industry showed off its style, value, and ability to party at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Gala on Monday, June 16. The James Beard Awards are sometimes called the Oscars of food, but the 35th annual ceremony at the Lyric Opera in Chicago on Monday focused on the political moment far more than Hollywood did at the Academy Awards in March. It would admittedly have been hard to ignore, given tens of thousands of people flooded downtown Chicago for the 'No Kings' protest against the Trump administration on Saturday, as nominees were arriving in town and attending the many pop-ups and pre-parties. James Beard Foundation chief executive officer Clare Reichenbach set the tone early by noting the industry was 'gathered at a time of discord, challenge, and fear' and crediting the immigrant community for leading and providing the underpinning of the restaurant industry. 'We get to taste the world because of them,' Reichenbach said on stage. 'Today we celebrate the full breadth of your work, your impact and your value. Our job at the James Beard Foundation is to champion you, to support you, help you find solutions to the challenges at hand so that together, we can push for a safe, sustainable, and thrilling food world.' Presenter Tahiirah Habibi broke from her prepared remarks to urge audience members not to be bystanders: 'Don't let fear decide what side of history you land on,' she said. Gov. JB Pritzker, who has regularly sparred with the Trump administration over immigration policy, also spoke to celebrate the awards' 10th year in Chicago. 'Across this nation we need to celebrate the rich tradition of diversity and find time for more cultural exchange,' he said. 'At this time, it feels like we need that togetherness more than ever before.' Diversity hasn't always been a core value of the James Beard Awards, which faced a reckoning in 2020 when it canceled the ceremony amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, accusations of misconduct, and the revelations that it wouldn't have any Black winners. But the organization's reform efforts have borne significant fruit and many of Monday's winners used their moment in the spotlight to reflect on their own immigrant experiences. Arjav Ezekiel, who won for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service for Birdie's, Austin, refused to be played off the stage as he talked about how the restaurant industry was the only place he could find a job as an undocumented immigrant. Best Chef: Mountain winner Salvador Alamilla of Amano in Caldwell, Idaho, said he hoped to provide a beacon of hope in his red state, reflecting on the irony that immigrants are being deported even as his own story was being honored. Among the heartfelt testimonials were simpler but no less clear messages. Best Chef: Great Lakes winner Noah Sandoval of Oriole in Chicago didn't attend the ceremony, sending a message to be read on his behalf. It said that he was focusing on his mental health that ended with 'Fuck ICE.' Presenter Sean Sherman, who won the 2022 James Beard Award for New Restaurant for Owamni in Minneapolis, echoed the sentiment. Nevertheless, the chefs still came to party. As usual the red carpet was a riot of styles including cowboy hats, kilts, and kimonos. Habibi stunned in a segmented silver gown that gave the appearance of glass scales and Best Chef: Midwest Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel in St. Paul, Minnesota represented the region in a pink dress her grandmother wore in the '40s when she was crowned 'dazzle corn queen.' Top Chef Masters winner Marcus Samuelsson wore a hot pink hat and a black and white suit similar to the one he sported at the 2021 Met Gala. As the presenters worked to keep the show moving, they also repeatedly hyped up the party awaiting guests just a few blocks away at Union Station. They shared footage of the James Beard Award nominees, semifinalists, and past winners cooking, teasing dishes like black-eyed pea soup with Gulf crab from Serigne Mbaya of Dakar NOLA in New Orleans, which was well worth the wait. Other highlights included nominee Jeff Chanchaleune of Oklahoma City's Mar Der Lao Kitchen serving Laotian larb tartare made with Oklahoma bison, and English pea wontons from Christina Nguyen of Hai Hai, Minneapolis, served in a bowl with tom kha broth that needed to be quickly slurped to avoid spilling a drop in the packed crowd of 1,900. Lines were long and trash seemed to pile up on tables as there weren't enough bins around, but the Champagne and cocktails were flowing freely. Indienne sommelier Tia Polite and Asador Bastian sommelier Christian Shaum doled out caviar bumps complimented by giant blocks of Parmesan and bowls of chocolate. Revelers looking for some signature Chicago treats could pick up little bags of Garrett Popcorn and small slices of Portillo's chocolate cake. The partying didn't stop at Union Station, as attendees waiting for rides debated where to head next. Curtis Duffy's cocktail bar After made a particularly appropriate setting for an afterparty, hosting an invite-only bash where industry guests were greeted by a wall of pink bubbly Bouquet 75 cocktails. The bar poured a wide variety of novel sips available both with or without spirits while offering trays of sliders and extra decadent spins on their normal bar bites like duck confit steam buns and duck fat tots topped with caviar. Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025 . All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. See More:
Eater
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
2025 James Beard Awards Winners: The List So Far
Tonight, in a star-studded ceremony at the Lyric Opera in Chicago, the James Beard Foundation is announcing the winners of the 2025 James Beard Awards, considered the highest accolade for chefs and restaurateurs in America. Eater is hosting the livestream here, and as the night unfolds, we'll update this post with winners as they're announced live and those culinary professionals accept their shiny JBF medals. This evening's Restaurant and Chef Awards follow Saturday's Media Awards hosted by Padma Lakshmi, which celebrated food media working in cookbooks, journalism, and television and audio. For this 35th-annual Restaurant and Chef Awards, Nyesha Harrington and Andrew Zimmern act as the ceremony hosts. Tonight's award winners, selected from a finalists list announced on April 2, follow previously announced 2025 Beard Award recipients: journalist and historian Toni Tipton-Martin (who earned the Lifetime Achievement Award), Cafe Momentum founder Chad Houser (who received the Humanitarian of the Year Award), and Impact Award winners U.S.-Representative Angie Craig (the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture), Brandon Edwin Chrostowski (CEO of Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute), Anthony Edwards, Jr., (co-founder of Black-owned restaurants guide EatOkra), Seanicaa Edwards Herron (founder and executive director of the Freedmen Heirs Foundation), and Dune Lankard (president and founder of Native Conservancy). As the night unfolds, the winners will be updated live here: Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA The following wins were previously announced: • Lucky Wishbone, Anchorage, AK • Dooky Chase, New Orleans, LA Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. Additional photo illustration credits: Getty Images for the James Beard Foundation
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
The James Beard Awards are tonight. Here's what to know.
The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards are at 6 p.m. Monday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the awards and the 10th anniversary of the ceremony taking place in Chicago. This year's ceremony will be hosted by chefs Nyesha Arrington and Andrew Zimmern. Here's what to know. The James Beard Awards are often referred to as 'the Oscars of the food world.' The James Beard Foundation will recognize chefs and restaurants tonight. It previously honored excellence in books, broadcast media and journalism covering food and drink at a ceremony on Saturday. James Beard was a Portland-born chef who was revered as the dean of American cooking. He was an actor, singer and caterer, and eventually went on to star in a TV cooking show called 'I Love to Eat.' He created the James Beard Cooking School in 1955, wrote a newspaper column and published multiple cookbooks. He died in 1985 and the James Beard Foundation was established in his honor. Semifinalists were announced in January, while the list of official nominees was announced in April. Chicago has five nominees hoping to clinch a win tonight: Kumiko in the Outstanding Bar category; Galit in the Outstanding Restaurant category; and Thai Dang of HaiSous, Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower of Maxwells Trading, and Noah Sandoval of Oriole in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Chicago's most recent previous winners include Lula Cafe, which won the Outstanding Hospitality category in 2024; Tim Flores and Genie Kwon of Kasama, who won the Best Chef: Great Lakes category in 2023; and Damarr Brown of Virtue, who won the Emerging Chef category in 2023. Earlier this year, the James Beard Foundation recognized Lem's Bar-B-Q, Chicago's oldest Black-owned barbecue restaurant, as a recipient of its America's Classics Awards. Tickets for the gala are sold out, but Eater will host a livestream that you can watch here. The Tribune Food team will provide coverage throughout the day, so watch for our story from the red carpet, followed by a recap of the ceremony once it wraps up at the end of the night.
