Eater Chicago: Where James Beard Nominees Ate and Drank in Chicago

https://chicago.eater.com/dining-out-in-chicago/159982/james-beard-nominees-2025-chicago-restaurants-best-meals

Phoenix New Times: Phoenix chef Yotaka ‘Sunny’ Martin of Lom Wong wins James Beard Award

https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/phoenix-chef-wins-james-beard-award-21950848

JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION® ANNOUNCES 2025 MEDIA AWARD WINNERS 

 The James Beard Foundation® is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 James Beard Media Awards, presented by Capital One, honoring the nation’s top food authors, broadcast producers, hosts, journalists, podcasters, and social media content creators. The full list of winners, which includes Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism, can be found below and on the James Beard Foundation website.

© 2025 Galdones Photography/JBF

James Beard Award winner®, Emmy-nominated producer, TV host, and New York Times best-selling author Padma Lakshmi hosted the 2025 Media Awards ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at Columbia College Chicago. Presenters also included luminary food media personalities such as Nyesha Arrington, Molly BazRose Levy BeranbaumDr. Jessica B. HarrisFrancis LamAdam RichmanAlexander SmallsAndrew Zimmern, and others.

© 2025 Galdones Photography/JBF

“Congratulations to the 2025 Media Award winners, whose compelling narratives shape our food culture and set the standard of excellence in culinary storytelling and reporting,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation“We’re honored to celebrate phenomenal work that will surely impact how people cook, think about food, and engage with our shared culinary landscape for years to come.”

© 2025 Galdones Photography/JBF

2025 marks a notable milestone: the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards. This year’s ceremonies commemorate the transformative role the Awards have played in recognizing excellence and shaping the evolution of American food culture, while reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to leading and supporting the industry for years to come.

“The Media Awards celebrate all those who expand our understanding of food through exceptional storytelling that educates, entertains, and inspires,” said Dawn Padmore, VP of Awards, James Beard Foundation“A heartfelt thanks to our subcommittee members and judges for their dedication and the thoughtful consideration they put into these awards. Their time and expertise are deeply appreciated.”

© 2025 Galdones Photography/JBF

BOOK AWARDS

The James Beard Foundation began honoring excellence in food media more than 30 years ago, with the first Book Awards presented in 1990. This year’s Book Awards recognize cookbooks and other nonfiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2024. Books from foreign publishers must bear a 2024 U.S. copyright date and/or must have been distributed in the U.S. during 2024. 

© 2025 Galdones Photography/JBF

“Congratulations to this year’s winners, who have taken us on journeys through kitchens and communities worldwide,” said Genevieve Villamora, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Book Awards program“From technical mastery to cultural storytelling and preservation—these books represent the very best in culinary publishing, proving that great food writing comes in many forms.”

The 2025 James Beard Book Award winners are:

Baking and Desserts: Books with recipes focused on the art and craft of baking, pastries, and desserts, both sweet and savory items, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions

Sift: The Elements of Great Baking by Nicola Lamb (Clarkson Potter)

Beverage with Recipes: Books with recipes focused on beverages, such as cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, or juices.

The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar by Emma Janzen, Jim Meehan, and Bart Sasso (Ten Speed Press)

Beverage without Recipes: Books without recipes that focus on beverages, such as cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, or juices; or books that cover these subject areas where recipes are not the focus of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region. 

Sake: The Art and Craft of Japan’s National Drink by Yoshiko Ueno-Müller (Prestel)

Bread: Books with recipes focused on the art and craft of making bread, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions.

Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking by Richard Hart, Henrietta Lovell, and Laurie Woolever  (Clarkson Potter)

Food Issues and Advocacy: Books that focus on investigative journalism, food policy, food advocacy, deep dives, and critical analysis of the changing social landscape around food. 

Ruin Their Crops on the Ground: The Politics of Food in the United States, from the Trail of Tears to School Lunch by Andrea Freeman (Metropolitan Books)

General: Books with recipes that address a broad scope of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region, and are accessible to a general audience.

Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook, Carolina Gelen, (Clarkson Potter)

International: Books with recipes focused on presenting cuisines of the world in their cultural context: their history, distinctive characteristics, and techniques.

The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans, Irina Janakievska (Quadrille)

Literary Writing: Narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary travel, culinary tourism, biography, reflections on food in a cultural context, and personal essays.

Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves by Nicola Twilley (Penguin Press)

Professional and Restaurant: Books written by a culinary professional or restaurant chef with recipes that may include advanced cooking techniques, the use of specialty ingredients and professional equipment, including culinary arts textbooks.

Version 1.0.0

Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California’s Wine Country by Rogelio Garcia and Andréa Lawson Gray (Abrams)

Reference, History, and Scholarship: Includes manuals, guides, encyclopedias, and books that present research related to food or foodways. 

McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches by Gary He (Self-published)

Single Subject: Books with recipes focused on a single ingredient, dish, or method of cooking 

Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking (More than 60 Recipes Featuring Gochujang, Doenjang, and Ganjang) by Nadia Cho, Mingoo Kang, and Joshua David Stein (Artisan)

U.S. Foodways: Books with recipes focused on the cooking or foodways of regions or communities located within the United States. 

Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti (Union Square & Co.)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking: Books on vegetable cookery with recipes that are meatless, vegetarian, or vegan.

Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques  by Joe Yonan (Ten Speed Press)

Visuals: Books on food or beverage with exceptional graphic design, art, or photography. 

McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches by Gary He (Self-published)

More information about the Book Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.

BROADCAST MEDIA AWARDS 

The Broadcast Media Awards were established in 1993 to recognize nonfiction works in English that exemplify excellence and keep with the mission and values of the James Beard Foundation. This year’s winners spotlight food and beverage topics appearing widely for the first time in the U.S. in 2024 across digital and terrestrial media—including radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, documentaries, online sites, and social media. 

“We’re honored to recognize those whose thoughtful production and authentic storytelling bring our dynamic food culture to life,” said Cynthia Graubart, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Broadcast Media Awards program. “Congratulations to the 2025 winners for offering a unique lens into the people, trends, and traditions that shape how we experience food and dining.”

The 2025 James Beard Broadcast Media Award winners are: 

Audio Programming: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related radio or podcast program.

Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry

“Cream Pie with Telly Justice” Airs on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms

Audio Reporting: This award recognizes excellence in reporting and narratives about food and/or food issues in radio or podcasts. This work is issue or deadline-driven, investigative, topical, or timely in nature.

Post Reports

“Bacon: The Best-Kept Secret in Washington” Airs on: Post Reports

Commercial Media: This award recognizes excellence in food- or beverage-related media including video production, audio programming, or other media that is clearly developed and marketed with prominent visual branding, is sponsored or commercially funded, and/or contains paid advertising. It may be broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app.

La Mera Mera Tamalera, Airs on: YouTube

Documentary Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related documentary that is at least 15 minutes long.

MARCELLA, Airs on: PBS American Masters

Docuseries Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related docuseries.

World Eats Bread, Airs on: National Geographic Channel

Instructional Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related video production with instruction and/or education as its primary intent, whether broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app. 

G.O.A.T., Airs on: MasterClass

Lifestyle Visual Media: New in 2025, this category honors excellence in food-centric talk shows and lifestyle programs that explore food or beverage alongside broader societal and cultural themes. Entries can range from interview-based shows featuring chefs and food personalities to those that delve into food history, science, and culture. This year, submissions to the Competition Visual Media category were included for consideration within the Lifestyle Visual Media category.

Relish, Airs on: PBS, Passport, TPT, TPT-2 and YouTube

Social Media Account: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related social media account or platform.

Little Fat Boy, Airs on: Instagram, TikTok, Substack and YouTube

Travel Visual Media: New in 2025, this category celebrates excellence in food- or beverage-focused travel shows. Entries should showcase the unique culinary culture and traditions of a specific region or country, highlighting the connection between people, food, regions, and communities.

Drink: A Look Inside the Glass, Airs on: Apple TV, Prime Video, Tubi, and Roku

More information about Broadcast Media Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.

JOURNALISM AWARDS

The Journalism Awards were established by the James Beard Foundation in 1992. This year’s Journalism Awards recognize works in English and cover food- or drink-related content which were published—or self-published—in 2024 in any medium. 

“The reporting by the 2025 Journalism Award winners shows so poignantly how food plays an integral role in every aspect of our lives,” said Rochelle Oliver, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Journalism Awards program. “Thank you to these journalists for their dedication to deepening the conversation around culture, history, community, and sense of identity from a culinary lens.”

The 2025 James Beard Journalism Award winners are: 

Beverage: This award recognizes distinctive style, thorough knowledge, plainspoken prose, and innovative approach in a single article on alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.

“Want to Make Spirits in Thailand? Good Luck.” by Craig Sauers, Punch

Columns and Newsletters: This award recognizes the work of an individual or team/group that demonstrates thought-provoking opinion and a compelling style on food- or drink-related topics. 

“The farm bill hall of shame”; “The essential workers missing from the farm bill”; “Tribal nations want more control over their food supply” by Teresa Cotsirilos, Bridget Huber, and Claire Kelloway, Food & Environment Reporting Network and Mother Jones

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award: This award recognizes discerning criticism or commentary that contributes to the larger discourse on food, drink, and related topics. An entry consists of three pieces that can include restaurant reviews, cultural critiques, or analyses that demonstrate thought-provoking opinion and compelling style. 

© 2025 Galdones Photography/JBF

“New tasting menu dinners at Honeysuckle Provisions are provocative and delicious”; “The enduring, confusing, and always delicious Octopus Cart is still puffing along after 34 years”; “Loch Bar, a new high-end seafood spot on Broad, swings big and misses” by Craig LaBan, Philadelphia Inquirer

Dining and Travel: This award recognizes exemplary and comprehensive service journalism that relies on both critical voice and thorough research to bring a variety of dining options into perspective, whether in a single city, a region, or a country. 

“Gastro Obscura’s Feast” by Anne Ewbank, Diana Hubbell, and Sam O’Brien, Gastro Obscura

Feature Reporting: This award recognizes excellence for engaging writing and in-depth reporting in food and/or drink features.

“We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s” by Adam Reiner

TASTE

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication: This award recognizes excellence in food and/or drink writing, reporting, and presentation in a general interest site or print publication. Judges evaluate each entry for overall breadth and depth of coverage.

The Bitter Southerner

Foodways: This award recognizes the importance of culture and history in food journalism. Entries in this category explore the connection between what we eat and who we are, with an emphasis on reporting.

“As Detroit sees a future in urban agriculture, some pushback harkens to a dark past” by Lyndsay C. Green,  Detroit Free Press

Health and Wellness: This award recognizes excellence in food- and/or drink-related health and wellness coverage. Entries explore a variety of topics that may include (but are not limited to) addiction, aging, chronic disease, diet, mental health, mind-body connection, nutrition, and reproductive health.

“Florida Banned Farmworker Heat Protections. A Groundbreaking Partnership Offers a Solution.” Grey Moran. Civil Eats

Home Cooking: This award recognizes excellence in service journalism with a practical focus for the home cook. The award honors imaginative and substantive entries that use fresh, innovative approaches—both written and visual—to illuminate cooking methods, ingredients, and recipes. 

“The Art and Science of Kimchi” by Andrea Geary, Cook’s Illustrated

Investigative Reporting: This award recognizes excellence in investigative reporting on environmental, political, business, or policy issues regarding food and/or drink.

“The North Koreans behind global seafood”; “The Whistleblower” by Ian Urbina and the Staff of The Outlaw Ocean Project, The Outlaw Ocean Project and The New Yorker

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award: This award recognizes the work of an individual who engages readers through enterprising food and dining coverage in a specific region, which also displays versatility in form, including reviews, profiles, cooking, quick hits, and hard news reporting.

“Etta’s Five Bankruptcies Have Left a Collective Mess”; “White Sox Fans Came for the Losses, Stayed for the Milkshakes”; “Namasteak, USA” by Ashok Selvam, Eater Chicago

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award: This award recognizes a single article of exceptional literary merit on the subject of food and/or drink published in any medium.

“The City that Rice Built” by Jeff Gordinier and George McCalman,  Food & Wine

Narrative Photography: New in 2025, this award recognizes exemplary storytelling through the use of photography within food culture. An entry is composed of images from one published piece that captures a visual narrative with skill, perspective, and style.

“The Only Constant is Chuck’s” by Rory Doyle (Self-published)

Announcing this year’s James Beard Award Nominees and Honorees

Announcing the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, as well as the Impact, Lifetime Achievement, and Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees, for the James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One. Winners will be revealed at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Eliesa Johnson Photography / JBF

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the James Beard Awards® is upholding its role as the nation’s foremost culinary honors by evolving its awards structure. The 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards is introducing three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. As an extension of the James Beard Foundation’s impact work and advocacy policy prioritieswe are also proud to inaugurate the Impact Awards, which recognize individuals and/or organizations advancing standards for a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system. Impact Award honorees will be acknowledged at a ceremony in Chicago on Sunday, June 15, as well as on stage at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16, along with the Lifetime Achievement and Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees.

_©-Eliesa-Johnson-Photography

Tickets for the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago can be purchased here beginning at 3 P.M. ET on Wednesday, April 2. The Awards will be broadcast live on Eater. We encourage you to learn more about the James Beard Awards® categories, policies, and procedures here.

Check out the nominees and honorees below!

Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis, MN. Galdones-Photography.


Restaurant and Chef Award Nominees


Outstanding Restaurateur

  • Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, Atomic Workshop (The Anchovy Bar, State Bird Provisions, and The Progress), San Francisco, CA
  • Sue Chin and Jason Chin, Good Salt Restaurant Group (Seito Sushi, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Osprey, and others), Orlando, FL
  • Scott Drewno and Danny Lee, The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Chiko, and I Egg You), Washington, D.C.
  • Allison Gibson and Cara Tobin, Honey Road and Gray Jay, Burlington, VT
  • Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d’Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY
©-Galdones-Photography


Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton

  • Lisa Becklund, FarmBar, Tulsa, OK
  • Gabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther, New York, NY
  • Josh Niernberg, Bin 707, Grand Junction, CO
  • Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA
  • Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY


Outstanding Restaurant presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water

Photo courtesy of Galit.
  • Coquine, Portland, OR
  • Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
  • Galit, Chicago, IL
  • Nonesuch, Oklahoma City, OK
  • Oberlin, Providence, RI


Emerging Chef presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water

Photo courtesy of Lagniappe Bakery.
  • Kaitlin Guerin, Lagniappe Bakehouse, New Orleans, LA
  • Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA
  • Nikhil Naiker, NIMKI, Providence, RI
  • Jane Sacro Chatham, Vicia, St. Louis, MO
  • RJ Yoakum, Georgie, Dallas, TX
Photo Jane Simon Ammeson


Best New Restaurant

  • Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, CO
  • Atoma, Seattle, WA
  • Bûcheron, Minneapolis, MN
  • Ema, Houston, TX
  • Fet-Fisk, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Mābo, Dallas, TX
  • Mita, Washington, D.C.
  • Ômo by Jônt, Winter Park, FL
  • Penny, New York, NY
  • The Union, Helena, MT
Photo Jane Simon Ammeson.


Outstanding Bakery

  • Atelier Ortega, Jackson Hole, WY
  • Gusto Bread, Long Beach, CA
  • JinJu Patisserie, Portland, OR
  • Starship Bagel, Dallas and Lewisville, TX
  • Super Secret Ice Cream, Bethlehem, NH


Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

  • Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.
  • Cat Cox, Country Bird Bakery, Tulsa, OK
  • April Franqueza, The Dining Room at High Hampton, Cashiers, NC
  • Crystal Kass, Valentine, Phoenix, AZ
  • Carolyn Nugent and Alen Ramos, Poulette Bakeshop, Parker, CO
Photo courtesy of Valentine.


Outstanding Hospitality presented by American Airlines

  • Archipelago, Seattle, WA
  • Aria, Atlanta, GA
  • Atomix, New York, NY
  • Harbor House Inn, Elk, CA
  • Mixtli, San Antonio, TX
©-Galdones-Photography


Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

  • Bar Brava, Minneapolis, MN
  • Campo at Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM
  • Charleston, Baltimore, MD
  • MARCH, Houston, TX
  • Strong Water, Anaheim, CA


Outstanding Bar

Photo courtesy of Kumiko.
  • Kumiko, Chicago, IL
  • Scotch Lodge, Portland, OR
  • The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA
  • Water Witch, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Wolf Tree, White River Junction, VT


Best New Bar

Photo courtesy of Identidad Cocktail Bar
  • Agency, Milwaukee, WI
  • Bar Colette, Dallas, TX
  • Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, PR
  • Merai, Brookline, MA
  • ViceVersa, Miami, FL


Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

  • Jacob Brown, Lazy Bear, San Francisco, CA
  • Jose Medina Camacho, Adiõs, Birmingham, AL
  • Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie’s, Austin, TX
  • Cassandra Felix, Daniel, New York, NY
  • Cristie Norman, Delilah, Las Vegas, NV


Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

  • McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright, Yacht Club, Denver, CO
  • Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY
  • Dave Newman, Pint + Jigger, Honolulu, HI
  • Tobin Shea, Redbird, Los Angeles, CA
  • Mike Stankovich, Longfellow, Cincinnati, OH
©-Eliesa-Johnson-Photography-



Best Chefs presented by Capital One (by region)


Best Chef: California

  • Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue, San Juan Capistrano, CA
  • Richard Lee, Saison, San Francisco, CA
  • Tara Monsod, ANIMAE, San Diego, CA
  • Kosuke Tada, Mijoté, San Francisco, CA
  • Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles, CA


Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Photo courtesy of The Cook’s House


Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

  • Henji Cheung, Queen’s English, Washington, D.C.
  • Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia, Washington, D.C.
  • Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA
  • Dan Richer, Razza, Jersey City, NJ
  • Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia, PA
©-Galdones-Photography


Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

  • Shigeyuki Furukawa, Kado no Mise, Minneapolis, MN
  • Diane Moua, Diane’s Place, Minneapolis, MN
  • Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves, MO
  • Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, St. Paul, MN
  • David Utterback, Ota and Yoshitomo, Omaha, NE


Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

  • Joshua Adams, Campione, Livingston, MT
  • Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, ID
  • Brandon Cunningham, The Social Haus, Greenough, MT
  • David Wells, The Tasting Room at Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa, Pray, MT
  • Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO
©-Galdones-Photography


Best Chef: New York State

  • Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY
  • Ryan Fernandez, Southern Junction Barbecue, Buffalo, NY
  • Eiji Ichimura, Sushi Ichimura, New York, NY
  • Atsushi Kono, Kono, New York, NY
  • Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York, NY


Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

  • Avery Buck, May Day, Burlington, VT
  • Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, RI
  • Brian Lewis, The Cottage, Westport, CT
  • Erin Miller, Urban Hearth, Cambridge, MA
  • Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI
© Eliesa Johnson Photography


Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

  • Jay Blackinton, Houlme, Orcas Island, WA
  • Joshua Dorcak, MÄS, Ashland, OR
  • Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
  • Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, AK
  • Timothy Wastell, Antica Terra, Amity, OR


Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

  • Nando Chang, Itamae AO, Miami, FL
  • Matthew Cooper, Conifer, Bentonville, AR
  • Kevin Garcia, La Faena AgroCocina, Guaynabo, PR
  • Angel David Moreno Zayas, El Gallo Pinto, Guayama, PR
  • Rafael Rios, Yeyo’s El Alma de Mexico, Bentonville, AR


Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

  • Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, Louisville, KY
  • Sara Bradley, freight house, Paducah, KY
  • Jake Howell, Peninsula, Nashville, TN
  • Silver Iocovozzi, Neng Jr.’s, Asheville, NC
  • Robbie Robinson, City Limits Barbeque, West Columbia, SC
©-Eliesa-Johnson-Photography


Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

  • Olivier Bouzerand, Fait Maison, Edmond, OK
  • Yotaka Martin, Lom Wong, Phoenix, AZ
  • Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa, Las Vegas, NV
  • Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon, Las Vegas, NV
  • Zack Walters, Sedalia’s Oyster & Seafood, Oklahoma City, OK


Best Chef: Texas

  • Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast, Spring, TX
  • Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó, Houston, TX
  • Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre, San Antonio, TX
  • Regino Rojas, Purépecha, Dallas, TX
  • Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo, Marfa, TX



Achievement Awards


Impact Awards

The 2025 Impact Award honorees are:


Humanitarian of the Year Award

The 2024 Humanitarian of the Year Award honoree is Chad Houser, founder and CEO of Café Momentum, a Dallas-based nonprofit restaurant with multiple locations nationwide dedicated to equipping justice-involved teens aged 15-19 with skills, education, and employment opportunities in the culinary industry.


Lifetime Achievement Award

Toni Tipton-Martin photo courtesy of “When Southern Women Cook”

The 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree is esteemed author, culinary journalist, and activist Toni Tipton-Martin.

15 Arizona chefs, restaurants named 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists Source: Phoenix New Times

15 Arizona chefs, restaurants named 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists Source: Phoenix New Times https://share.newsbreak.com/b1o3l2o7

It’s a One Time Only Dining Experience: Chef Christian Hunter of the Michelin-starred Atelier joins Chef Sean Richardson at Rune Restaurant on December 22

What: A Collaborative Tasting Dinner featuring Chefs Sean Richardson of Rune Restaurant in Fort Wayne and Christian Hunter of Atelier in Chicago

Where: Rune Restaurant 2725 Broadway – Fort Wayne, Indiana  

When: Sunday, December 22, 2024, with two seatings at 5 pm and 7:30 pm

How: Reservations are required by clicking here, or by calling (260) 278-0674

Tickets are $115 per person

What started years ago as a fun exchange about cheese at Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, turned into a lasting friendship between Chefs Sean Richardson and Christian Hunter. Since those days, both were recognized in their own right by the James Beard Foundation. Later this month, they will reunite. Only this time, it’s on in the kitchen! 

Fort Wayne locals have quickly become Rune devotees since its opening in March of this year. Chef Richardson uses locally raised ingredients for his seasonal menus that introduce guests to an array of international flavors in approachable ways. Chef Christian Hunter has a similar approach at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Atelier, in Chicago. Hunter is now a partner in the restaurant featuring a nightly 12-14 course menu highlighting dishes ranging from home cooking to something more fancy which always “tries to be true to our roots,” said the Lexington, Kentucky native.

The two lauded chefs are joining forces for a one-night-only collaborative tasting dinner at Rune Restaurant on December 22, 2024. 

Richardson says guests can expect five courses featuring the best of the region’s producers. He’s excited to share the kitchen with his friend and said, “Any opportunity to share a space with another chef, especially one as successful and down to earth as Christian, is always exciting. The fact that it is our space in my city is extremely exciting.”  

“It’s going to be a dinner that honors the local producers. So, I’m here to cook Fort Wayne food, and to learn about Fort Wayne. So, to me, it’s a very cool kind of exchange that we’re about to do. That’s what I’m looking forward to,” said Hunter. 

About Christian Hunter

Chef Christian Hunter is inspired by his upbringing, global flavors, sustainable food production, and nutritional anthropology.

He first encountered diverse cuisines in his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. As soon as he was earning his own money, he’d spend it checking out the newest restaurants in town from Mexican and Thai to Indian. “It was like I was searching for something,” Hunter recalls. That early childhood exposure all comes to fruition on his plates.

His signature style focuses on infusing New American fare with unexpected global flavors. He adds zing to locally sourced products with chermoula, freekeh, berbere, house-made garam masala, salsa macha, locally made miso, and many more.

Hunter has a culinary degree from Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York and has cooked at Relais & Châteaux’s Lake Placid Lodge and The Weekapaug Inn in Rhode Island. He spent four years in Charleston cultivating relationships with local farmers and also his own culinary identity, emphasizing global flavors. He joined Community Table in Litchfield, Connecticut during the challenging year of 2020. Chef used the time to familiarize himself with area farms and shape the culinary direction of the restaurant. 

The Chef also brings his Southern heritage to Atelier. Coming from a humble background, he strives to get the most out of everything he brings into the kitchen. Hunter also wants to illuminate the ability of African American chefs to cook amazing food of any cuisine or genre.

Chef Hunter’s notable recognitions thus far:

  • 2024 Chicago Magazine 50 Best New Restaurant
  • 2024 Jean Banchet Rising Star Chef Nominee
  • 2024 James Beard Best New Restaurant Semi-Finalist (Atelier)
  • 2023 Michelin Chicago Young Chef Award Winner
  • 2023 Michelin 1* (Atelier)
  • 2023 James Beard Best Chef Finalist Northeast (Community Table/ CT)

About Sean Richardson

An Indiana native, Chef Sean Richardson remembers cooking alongside his grandparents as a child. Making everything from handmade sausages to varenyky and kapusta, he says that they “taught me what cooking could be.” So, when he moved to Fort Wayne to pursue a degree in creative writing from Purdue University, he also explored what cooking really could be by embarking upon his culinary career starting at The Oyster Bar in 2008, before honing his craft in 2013 at the award-winning Joseph Decuis in Roanoke in Indiana.

In 2017, he joined forces with Chef Aaron Butts to open The Golden in Fort Wayne where he was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as Best Great Chef of Great Lakes. His collaborative efforts have also put him on the map of notable chefs working on projects with Chef Jonathan Brooks of Milktooth, Chef and educator Kate Hill of Camont in Gascony, France, and Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barn.

Most recently he helmed the culinary program at another Fort Wayne original – Conjure. It was here that he began dreaming about his latest project – Rune Restaurant and Bar which opened its doors in March 2024 in the 07 (46807) neighborhood of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Richardson says that he has worked over the past decade to perfect his voice, and feels he’s finally ready to express a voice that is “loud with big flavors, a bit chaotic, technical when it needs to be, but never fussy, and always delicious.” He and his wife, Natasha, live in the neighborhood and value family time with their two sons – Rune and Casper. He also explores his creative expression by writing songs with his band –Best Sleep which performs regularly at various listening rooms in Fort Wayne.

Every Seed Remembers: 2024 James Beard Leadership Award Winner Mai Nguyen

“I believe we can live in a peaceful world where everyone has what they need to thrive and we can all experience the beauty of our diverse planet,” writes Mai Nguyen, a farmer and social justice activist in Sonoma, California known as Farmer Mai who won the James Beard Leadership Award this year. “To make that world, we have problems to solve: climate change and social inequality.

“I farm to undo climate change and strengthen our food sovereignty. I facilitate democracy because we must include everyone in determining how we organize ourselves and resources. I mobilize communities and work in coalitions to create policies that advance racially equitable, ecological farming and to advance land justice such that we have the places to root down agroecological farming.”

Farmer Mai, a heirloom grain farmer using exclusively agroecological farming practices, award-winning intersectional activist, speaker and consultant, believes that every seed remembers

Farmer Mai in the press room at the James Beard Foundation Awards 2024.

“Growing heirloom seeds saved from the same soil and climate, even as we face climate change’s extreme droughts and floods, means that the seeds remember how to adapt,” she writes.  “Seeds also carry our stories–where we came from and what nourished our ancestors. The heirloom grains I grow come from many parts of the world by the hands of people immigrating or escaping. These seeds connect them to a place and people as they make a new home here. The diversity of seed reflects the diversity of our society.”

Photo courtesy of Farmer Mai.

Her grains include Marquis, hard red winter wheat with the following profile:

“This wheat tastes like a classic hard red with strong nutty, toasty, and sweet aromas. This wheat was selected from over 30 results of crossing Red Fife and an early ripening Indian wheat known as Hard Red Calcutta. It became the primary wheat grown in Canada in the 1900s, yet grows surprisingly well in coastal California.”

Farmer Mai also grows Rouge de Bordeaux , another hard red winter wheat, comes from Southwestern France and was a popular bread flour among 19th century French bakers.

Originally from England, Chiddam Blanc de Mars, another heritage wheat received its greatest reception in France and was documented in 1864. Turn of the century Parisians preferred Chiddam Blanc de Mars for their baguettes.

“I grew this variety for my mom who loves French baguettes,” says Farmer Mai.

Among her ryes are Abruzzi Rye, named for the region of Italy from which it originated, Mai describes the aromas of this rye as unique for being deeper and richer than its spicier, more sour Northern relatives.

Farmer Mai offers subscriptions to purchase her flour and/or wheatberries.

Among Farmer Mai’s activism is the concept of breaking away from conventional farming.

“Breaking with convention allows us to grow food in ways that replenish the soil, water, and air while holistically supporting those who work and eat from the land. The people who work the land and eat the food are part of a cost-benefit calculation, and the land is forced into submission through tillage and toxic chemicals. The results have been widening social inequality and environmental destruction. Farmer Mai employs local, skilled farmers during the harvest season, and compensation is based on more than a minimum wage but the area’s living wage.

Announcing this year’s James Beard Foundation Book Award Winners

Entries for the 2024 James Beard Book Awards were accepted for all cookbooks and other nonfiction food and beverage books published in the U.S. in 2023. Books from foreign publishers were eligible if they bore a 2023 U.S. copyright date or were distributed in the U.S. during 2023.

This year’s winners, announced tonight at Columbia College, were:

Baking and Desserts
Dark Rye and Honey Cake: Festival Baking from Belgium, the Heart of the Low Countries
Regula Ysewijn
(Weldon Owen)

Beverage with Recipes
Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More  Danny Childs  
(Hardie Grant North America)

Beverage without Recipes
Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals
Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñera  
(W. W. Norton & Company)

Food Issues and Advocacy
Resilient Kitchens: American Immigrant Cooking in a Time of Crisis: Essays and Recipes  
Philip Gleissner and Harry Eli Kashdan  
(Rutgers University Press)

General
Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook  
Sohla El-Waylly  
(Alfred A. Knopf)

International
The World Central Kitchen Cookbook  
José Andrés and World Central Kitchen with Sam Chapple-Sokol
(Clarkson Potter)

Literary Writing
The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo García  
Laura Tillman  
(W. W. Norton & Company)

Reference, History, and Scholarship
White Burgers, Black Cash: Fast Food from Black Exclusion to Exploitation  
Naa Oyo A. Kwate  
(University of Minnesota Press)

Restaurant and Professional
Fish Butchery: Mastering The Catch, Cut, And Craft  
Josh Niland  
(Hardie Grant Books)

Single Subject
Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It  
Meryl Feinstein  
(Hachette Book Group)

U.S. Foodways
Love Japan: Recipes from Our Japanese American Kitchen      
Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi with Gabriella Gershenson
(Ten Speed Press)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking
Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds  
Hetty Lui McKinnon  
(Alfred A. Knopf)

Visuals
The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp  
Yudi Echevarria  
(Ten Speed Press) 

Cookbook Hall of Fame

Pierre Thiam

Emerging Voice
Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed
Abi Balingit
(HarperCollins)

CHICAGO WELCOMES THE 2024 JAMES BEARD AWARDS® PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONEWITH A LINE-UP OF ANCILLARY CELEBRATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS AROUND THE CITY 

Celebrate this year’s James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One, kicking off on Thursday, June 6 and extending through Tuesday, June 11. This celebratory weekend is packed with an vast array of intimate and grand-scale events, featuring special menus, exclusive out-of-town chef and bartender collaborations, educational sessions, and more. With one of the strongest lineups of public events since the arrival of the James Beard Awards® in Chicago in 2015, the weekend promises to be one of the most lively celebrations of the city’s dynamic dining scene this year.

Recognized as one of the nation’s most prestigious honors, the James Beard Awards celebrate excellence in the culinary and food media industries, and broader food system. They also honor individuals who demonstrate a commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive. 

Co-hosts Choose Chicago and Illinois Restaurant Association champion the city’s vibrant hospitality community year-round, but this weekend provides a particularly proud moment. Open to the public, 2024 festivities include: 

THURSDAY, JUNE 6

Mordecai’s James Beard Special Menu with Cocktail Pairings

Thursday, June 6th – Monday, June 10th

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Mordecai – 3632 North Clark Street, Chicago IL 60613

Reservation Here 

In celebration of the James Beard Awards, Mordecai will host a special James Beard menu with cocktail pairings in honor of the ceremony and James Beard Foundation from Thursday, June 6th – Monday, June 10th. Chef Djibril Webb has chosen two recipes from the James Beard Cookbook and Mordecai’s Bar Manager, Rena Long, created special cocktails to pair perfectly with each dish. The menu includes: Stuffed Little Neck Clams set to pair with the Vintage Mordecai Martini and the Breaded Pork Chop with Dill Caper Gravy paired with a cocktail featuring a coconut fat-washed Benriach 10, Bittermens Tepache pineapple, burnt coconut palm sugar, sfumato, and coriander bitters. A portion of the proceeds from each of the dishes and cocktails (sold a la carte) will be donated to the James Beard Foundation.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7

Celebration of Old-World Wines with Terraneo Merchants

Friday, June 7th, 2024

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar – 2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Reservations Here

A two-part celebration with Sasha and Drue from Terraneo. To begin a two-part celebration, Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar will host a Happy Hour Take-over from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm to sample a variety of wine with Sasha and Drue from Terraneo Merchants. All wines will be happy hour priced. They will provide tastes and an in-depth dive with those curious to know more. The event will feature happy hour bites and plates with a Georgian Twist! Reservations are strongly suggested, and open to the public. For the second half of the celebration, the restaurant will pour many bottles of Georgian wine to be passed and many toasts by Sasha and Drue during a traditional Georgian Supra Feast from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

Le Sud James Beard Tasting Menu

Friday, June 7 – Sunday, June 9th, 2024

4:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Le Sud – 2301 W Roscoe Street, Chicago, IL 60618

Reservations Here

Le Sud will offer a special tasting menu in honor of James Beard Awards weekend. Please see the website for more information.

A Rooftop Pop-Up featuring James Beard Finalist Strong Water Anaheim at Château Carbide  

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm 

Château Carbide at Pendry Chicago – 230 N Michigan Ave., 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601 

Reservations Here

In the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, luxury boutique hotel Pendry Chicago’s rooftop cocktail haven, Château Carbide, will welcome the 2024 James Beard Award nominee (Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program) Strong Water Anaheim for a bar takeover 24 stories above the city. Operated by husband-and-wife duo Ying Chang and Robert Adamson, Strong Water Anaheim has gained nationwide recognition for its nautical-theme “tiki-easy” with rum-based libations, which transport guests onto a sunken ship embarking on an immersive tiki experience. Ying and Robert’s team will be on-site at the historic Art Deco Carbide & Carbon Building shaking up a selection of fan-favorite cocktails from the   menu of the James Beard Award nominated bar. 

The Bartender’s Bookshelf: Toby Maloney & The Violet Hour host Danny Childs, Slow Drinks 

7:30 pm -12:00 am  

The Violet Hour – 1520 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 

Reservations Here

James Beard Award-winning author and barman Toby Maloney will welcome Danny Childs, author of Slow Drinks 2024 James Beard Media Award nominee (Beverage Book with Recipes) to The Violet Hour for “The Bartender’s Bookshelf.” The evening will be dedicated to showcasing the talent of the James Beard Media Awards nominee. Together with The Violet Hour team, ethnobotanist Danny has crafted a specialty menu that pulls recipes and inspiration from Slow Drinks, his acclaimed guide to foraging and fermenting seasonal sodas, botanical cocktails, homemade wines, and more. 

Throughout the night, signed copies of Slow Drinks will be available for purchase on-site with the help of the local Chicago bookstore, The Book Cellar. The Violet Hour will open its doors to the public, inviting local cocktail enthusiasts to meet Danny and Toby and grab a drink from the collaborative menu and a signed copy of the book while supplies last.  

Friday, Saturday, Sunday @ Sportsman’s Club

9:00 pm – 2:00 am

Sportsman’s Club – 948 N Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622

No reservations required

2023 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurant, Philadelphia-based Friday, Saturday, Sunday, will take over Sportsman’s Club’s bar. Beginning at 9:00 pm, FSS head bartender Paul MacDonald will showcase some of the restaurant’s signature drinks in addition to a few one-night-only creations. This event is first come, first served. No reservations.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Cocktail for a Cause at Bar Mar & Bazaar Meat by José Andrés

Saturday, June 8th – Monday, June 10th 2024

All Day

Bar Mar & Bazaar Meat by José Andrés – 120 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606

Sip for good! In celebration of and a show of commitment to the James Beard Awards in Chicago, Bar Mar by José Andrés and Bazaar Meat by José Andrés will donate a portion of proceeds from each Salt Air Margarita sold from Saturday, June 8 through Monday, June 11 to the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Programs. Whether a stop in during the energetic weekend or refreshment just before the ceremony at the Lyric, José’s signature margarita is the perfect way to cocktail for a great cause.

Summer Kickoff Party at Baobing!

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Baobing at Duck Duck Goat – 857 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

No reservation required

Chef Stephanie Izard at Baobing, her Taiwanese-inspired walk-up window next to Duck Duck Goat, will offer cocktails and ice cream sundaes to kick off summer!

Under the Influence: How Dining Trends are Shaping Drink Choices– A Panel Hosted by the James Beard Foundation® 

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Biân – 600 W Chicago Ave Suite 001, Chicago, IL 60654

Reservations Here

Leaders in restaurants, bars, and hospitality, as well as beverage producers, will convene to talk about how dining trends, menu creation, and consumption shape how consumers select their beverages.  Kevin Boehm, Chairman and Co-Founder, Biân; Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Boka Restaurant Group; and 2019 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurateur will host the panel alongside Tahiirah Habibi and Richy Petrina, James Beard Awards Committee Members. Rodney Williams, James Beard Foundation Trustee and President, Diageo Beer Company will moderate the conversation. Panelists include:

  • Gregory Gourdet, Author, Chef and Owner, Kann; 2022 James Beard Book Award Winner; 2023 James Beard Award Winner for Best New Restaurant
  • Lynnette Marrero, Co-founder, Speed Rack and Partner, Delola
  • Julia Momosé, Partner and Creative Director, Kumiko; 2022 James Beard Book Award Winner
  • Tia Polite, Sommelier, Indienne
  • Aldo Sohm, Wine Director, Le Bernadin, and Aldo Sohm Wine Bar; 2009 James Beard Award Winner for Outstanding Wine Service

Fireside Chat with Diana Wu, Executive Director of Oakland Bloom, and Chef Melissa Tung, Justice for

Migrant Women’s Special Culinary Advisor, on Caring for Communities and the Role of the Restaurant

Industry

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Kendall College at National Louis University – 18 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603

RSVP for the Event (info@oaklandbloom.org)

This intimate conversation, moderated by 2022 James Beard Leadership Award honoree and Justice for Migrant Women Founder Mónica Ramírez, will provide insight from two seasoned leaders in the food industry on the role of the restaurant industry in confronting crises and supporting care in the communities that surround them, and the workers that make them run. This conversation will look at trends they have seen since COVID, opportunities and promising practices, and the work that remains to be done. 

Immigrant Women Leading Across the Food Supply Chain 

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm 

Kendall College at National Louis University – 18 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603

RSVP for the Event (info@oaklandbloom.org)

James Beard Leadership Award Honorees Justice for Migrant Women and Oakland Bloom (for Understory) work to advance rights, power, and pathways to ownership for working-class migrant women in food. While migrant women’s labor and knowledge are a cornerstone of the food industry at all levels, their voices and experiences are often erased. The event will feature powerful conversation with migrant women in food, discussing their experiences and insights around food and migration, and how they are advancing a more just, connected, healthier, and inclusive vision for the industry and their communities.

Convenience Middle West

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Middle Brow – 2840 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Reservations Here

Middle Brow will feature the Texas barbecue joint, Convenience West to its patio for a pizza collaboration.

Celebration of Caviar with Antonio from Polanco Caviar

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm 

Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar – 2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Reservations Here

A two-part celebration with Antonio Salto of Polanco and Chef Guy Meikle of Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar. Reserve Level Tastings: To begin the two-part celebration, Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar will host a sampling of some of Polanco’s Reserve level caviars during a tasting led by Antonio Salto. Enjoy a menu of items at your leisure anytime between 4:00 – 6:00 pm. Reservations are $70 a person and reservations are strongly suggested, open to the public. Continue the two-part celebration with Antonio Salto and Chef Guy during a special tasting menu from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Tickets are $325 a person and all-inclusive with a max capacity of 24 guests, reservations are required.

Served Up: A Rooftop Pop-Up featuring James Beard Outstanding Bar Finalist Barr Hill Cocktail Bar at Château Carbide

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Château Carbide at Pendry Chicago – 230 N Michigan Ave., 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601

Reservations Here

Luxury boutique hotel ’s rooftop cocktail haven Château Carbide will welcome 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Bar, Vermont-based   for a bar takeover 24 stories above the city. Barr Hill Cocktail Bar has gained nationwide recognition for its cocktail menu that combines handcrafted ingredients with cutting-edge bar techniques. From 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Barr Hill’s Head Distiller Ryan Christiansen and team will be onsite at the historic Art Deco Carbide & Carbon Building chatting shaking up a selection of fan-favorite cocktails from their James Beard Award-nominated menu.


James Beard Tasting Menu at The Coach House

6:30 pm

The Coach House – 1742 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL 
Reservations Here

Enjoy an 8-course tasting menu by 2x James Beard Award-nominated Chef Zubair Mohajir, exploring the primary spices used in South Indian cuisine. Through storytelling and an exclusively unique menu, guests for this event will get to experience The Coach House in an entirely new and vibrant way.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

Coffee Chat: Culinary Titans Tackle Sustainability from Planet to Plate to People at Daisies

9:30 am – 11:00 am

Daisie’s – 2375 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

RSVP for the Event (rsvpchi@h2publicrelations.com)

Chef and Owner Joe Frillman of MICHELIN Green Starred Daisies in Logan Square will gather several of the industries’ leading voices in sustainability for an open-to-the-public coffee chat on the morning of Sunday, June 9th featuring Chicago’s own Green City Market, the city’s first year-round nonprofit farmers’ market that fights for citywide access to locally-grown, sustainably-produced food. From forging lasting bonds with local farmers to pioneering groundbreaking techniques in waste reduction and supporting local pollinators, the panel will share their insights and strategies for a more sustainable future. As they tackle pressing issues facing the industry today, attendees are welcome to nosh on a selection of hosted sweets and pastries by Jean Banchet Award-winning Executive Pastry Chef and Partner Leigh Omilinsky of Daisies as well as complimentary coffee and tea moderated by Food & Wine’s Chandra Ram, James Beard Media Award nominee, and IACP Award-nominated associate editorial director Chandra Ram, Daisies welcomes trailblazers including:

  • Joe Frillman of Daisies in Chicago, IL — MICHELIN Green Star, 2024 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes 
  • Chef Rick Bayless — Frontera, Xoco, Bar Sótano & More, Top Chef, Founder of Green City Market & Frontera Farmer Foundation, Seven-Time James Beard Award winner
  • Chef Geoff Davis of Burdell in Oakland, CA — 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: California, Esquire’s Best New Restaurants
  • Chef Rob Connoley of Bulrush in St. Louis, MO — 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: Midwest, Author: Acorns & Cattails: A Modern Foraging Cookbook of Forest, Farm & Field
  • Patrick Amice of Barr Hill Cocktail Bar and Distillery in Montpelier, VA — General Manager of Hospitality Operations, 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Bar Program
  • Nicole Yarovinsky of Daisies in Chicago, IL — Bar Director, 2x Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Semi-Finalist

Get Roasted ‘24: Brew and Bites with Big Shoulders Coffee

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Big Shoulders Coffee Roasting Works – 2415 W 19th Street, Chicago, IL 60608

Reservations Here

Patricia and Tim Coonan will welcome all to the Roastery for the 2024 Get Roasted event. The event will feature fresh coffee and homemade pastries, live roasting demonstrations, a micro-lot pour-over station, an espresso bar with a latte art exhibition, mocktails and cocktails created by our mixologist, Alicia Scott, and local brewery Alarmist Brewing will be sponsoring the event with a small selection of their craft beers. Don’t miss the craft coffee brew and bites event of the year ahead of the James Beard Foundation Awards. All guests will receive a bag of freshly roasted coffee to go.


Steph & Chef Friends’ Beard Brunch!

11:00 am – Onward

Girl & the Goat – 809 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607

Reservations Here

Stephanie Izard alongside Lee Anne WongChristina NguyenElizabeth Falkner, and Karen Akunowicz, will host a very special brunch. Enjoy a tasty dish from each chef while supporting the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. Cocktails, beer, and wine will be available for a la carte purchase. Brunch will be a ticketed, family-style event with communal seating, please purchase the total amount of tickets for your entire party to ensure you will be seated next to one another. Please reach out to info@girlandthegoat.com with questions.

West Loop’s Sunday Brunch @ Nobu’s Rooftop

11:30 am – 2:30 pm

Nobu Chicago Rooftop – 155 N. Peoria Street, Chicago, IL 60607

Reservations Here

Nobu will host a Sunday Brunch soiree at The Rooftop, the stunning restaurant and lounge on the 11th floor of Nobu Hotel Chicago, which recently received a MICHELIN Key. Get a taste of celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s brunch menu while taking in one of the best views of Chicago’s skyline overlooking the burgeoning West Loop neighborhood. Attendees will be served reception-style Nobu brunch bites and crafted cocktails.

JBF Greens x Mi Tocaya Antojería

12:00pm – 2:30pm

Mi Tocaya Antojería – 2800 W. Lohan Blvd., Chicago IL 60647

This event is sold out. Click here to be added to the waitlist. 

Mi Tocaya Antojería will host JBF Greens and open for brunch so that the James Beard Foundation® Greens community (and friends!) can ring in the 2024 Awards. Translated to mean “my namesake” in Spanish, Mi Tocaya highlights chef — and James Beard Award nominee — Diana Dávila’s mission to reshape Mexican cuisine.

Since opening the restaurant in 2017, Chef Diana has established herself as a leader in and out of the kitchen. During the pandemic, she not only launched the Todos Ponen Project to support undocumented workers in the hospitality industry, but also provided free meals for the community, and remained steadfast in her commitment to her employees, farmers, and local vendors. For the occasion, chef Diana will prepare a 3-course brunch that highlights traditional favorites as well as lesser-known regional specialties inspired by her summers traveling through Mexico.

Up South

1:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Justice of the Pies – 8655 S Blackstone, Chicago, IL 60619

No reservation required

Chef Maya-Camille Broussard, 2022 James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Baker, Chef Serigne Mbaye, 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Best New Restaurant, Chef Adrienne Cheatham, 2023 James Beard Media Award nominated author of Sunday Best, and Chef Fariyal Abdullahi, 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Emerging Chef, will celebrate culinary brilliance on the South Side of Chicago. The UP SOUTH pop-up will feature offerings laced with Southern influences while retaining the spirit of the greater Black diaspora. Live music and terrace seating will be available at Justice of the Pies, a bakery proudly nestled in the center of Avalon Park on Chicago’s South Side.

 The Rise and Impact of Chef Civic Leadership – A Panel Hosted by Chicago Chefs Cook

1:15 pm – 2:15 pm

Kendall College at National Louis University – 

Celebrity Chefs Star at This Year’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

KitchenAid is once again elevating the fan experience at the upcoming 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, taking place at Harbor Shores over Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26.

As the title sponsor of this prestigious event, KitchenAid promises an unparalleled fusion of cooking and golf for fans of all ages. Today, the brand unveiled the full schedule of celebrity guests that will take the stage at the KitchenAid Fairway Club, the centerpiece of the fan experience at the Championship.

This year, the KitchenAid Fairway Club will move to the North Pier Brewing Company parking lot along the 14th hole. This area will serve as the epicenter of the fan experience at the Championship.

In the Fairway Club, fans will enjoy interactive cooking displays and product demonstrations, smoothie and shave ice making, espresso tastings and captivating demonstrations by renowned chefs and home designers.

 Introducing this year’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship celebrity chef lineup:

This year’s star-studded lineup will be led by renowned Chef Christopher Covelli and his protegé Chef Brett Wagner. Chef Covelli, having been featured as the resident celebrity chef talent every year of the KitchenAid sponsorship, has been seen on several Food Network shows including “Alex versus America” and “Beat Bobby Flay.”

Covelli is currently the Head Executive Chef and Co-owner of Realm Restaurant Group in Sarasota, FL. Wagner is the Co-Executive Chef for Realm Restaurants and is regularly featured on television and in magazines.

Both chefs will appear all week to wow guests with their incredible cooking skills and culinary advice.

The dynamic Chef Alex Guarnaschelli will showcase her cooking skills on Thursday, May 23. Guarnaschelli is recognized as one of America’s most accomplished top chefs, acclaimed for her work in the kitchen, as an author and as a popular television personality. Guarnaschelli is a mother, chef, TV host and native New Yorker. In addition to appearing on various Food Network shows like “Iron Chef America,” “Chopped,” “Supermarket Stakeout” and “The Kitchen,” Alex has a new-American restaurant, “Butter,” in midtown Manhattan, that has been popular for 20 years. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli will be signing copies of her cookbook after her demonstration at the Championship.

On Friday, May 24, famed Chef Carla Hall will take the stage, sharing her favorite recipes and her on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars.” Carla spent seven years co-hosting ABC’s Emmy award-winning lifestyle series “The Chew,” and she is currently featured on MAX as the host of “Chasing Flavor” and on the Food Network in the “Summer, Halloween and Holiday Baking Championships.”

Her latest cookbook, “Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration” landed on annual best cookbook lists across the country and received a NAACP Image Awards nomination. Chef Carla Hall will also be signing copies of her book after her demonstration at the Championship.

Those looking for kitchen and home design inspiration won’t want to miss Jasmine Roth’s demonstration and Q&A session on Saturday, May 25.

Jasmine Roth is the founder of Built Custom Homes, curator of the online retail store The Shop by Jasmine Roth and host of HGTV’s hit shows “Hidden Potential” and “HELP! I Wrecked My House.” She was also on HGTV’s “Rock the Block Season 1.” Building custom homes is her bread and butter, and she loves finding ways to make homes as personal, functional and beautiful as possible. At the Championship, she will share her personal tips and answer questions on customizing your kitchen.

Welcoming more local chefs than ever before!

This year’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship will feature more local talent than ever before, including talented chefs, baristas and experts from across Michigan who will be showcasing their secrets.

The master schedule is as follows:

Thursday, May 23

● 11 a.m. – Brian Maynard, the visionary owner of Forté Coffee, will bring his knowledge and love of all things coffee to his exciting espresso demonstration, sharing his secrets for brewing the perfect cup.

● 1 p.m. – Celebrity Chef Demonstration from Chef Alex Guarneschelli

● 2:30 p.m. – Elton Mann, Executive Chef at Plank’s Tavern, the restaurant for the Inn at Harbor Shores

Friday, May 24

● 11 a.m. – Chef Nate Brown’s rise from cooking demonstrations to hosting his own TV show underscored his passion for flavorful cuisine and culinary excellence. With notable collaborations with Wolfgang Puck and VIP clientele like Kanye West and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, his dedication to healthy eating initiatives shines through, as seen in his efforts to educate youth about nutrition and wellness through urban gardening and cooking classes.

March 29, 2024, New York, NY: Portraits of Chef Carla Hall in Midtown Manhattan. © Clay Williams / http://claywilliamsphoto.com

● 1 p.m. – Celebrity Chef Demonstration from Chef Carla Hall

● 2:30 p.m. – Chef Justin Paruszkiewicz, a recent winner of “Guy’s Grocery Games,” brings a wealth of experience to his demonstration. Justin honed his skills at esteemed establishments like Gibsons Restaurant Group, culminating in his current role as Executive Chef at Sister Lakes Brewing Company and owner of The Chef’s House private dining service.

Saturday, May 25

● 1 p.m. – Celebrity Design Demonstration by Jasmine Roth

Cheyenne Galbraith and her brother, James Galbraith. Photo Jane Simon Ammeson

● 2:30 p.m. – Cheyenne Galbraith, the creative force behind Houndstooth, is not simply a chef; she is a culinary storyteller. Known for transforming familiar ingredients into culinary adventures, she marries influences from her childhood to her extensive travels.

● 3:30 p.m. – Cheese lovers won’t want to miss the demonstration from Deb Sailor, fondly known as “The Cheese Lady.” She swiftly became the beloved cheese vendor in The Market in Saint Joseph, sharing her passion for cheese that transports people to cherished moments and places.

Sunday, May 26

Hudson Library & Historical Society

● 11 a.m. – Closing out the weekend, Abra Berens, the founder and head chef of Granor Farm, James Beard nominated Best Chef of the Great Lakes Region, and author of three award winning cookbooks including Pulp, Grist, and Ruffage, will bring her passion for seasonal and locally sourced ingredients to the KitchenAid Fairway Club.

“Since our collaboration with the PGA of America began, we have strived to create unique experiences,” said Deb O’Connor, director of global corporate reputation and community relations for Whirlpool Corporation. “This year will be the best yet. The KitchenAid experience at the Championship will excite and inspire. It will be a celebration of all we’ve accomplished together over the years, and is sure to leave fans delighted and fulfilled.”

For more information about the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, visit SRPGA.com. To follow along with KitchenAid sponsor updates, follow Twitter.com/KitchenAid_Golf.

ABOUT THE KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship was born in 1937 on the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club. Since then, famed champions such as Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd and Colin Montgomerie have hoisted the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy.

This Championship is the oldest of the five major championships in men’s senior golf, is administered by the PGA of America and is recognized as a major championship by both PGA Tour Champions and the European Senior Tour. The lower age limit is 50, which is the standard limit for men’s senior professional golf tournaments. Winners gain entry into the next PGA Championship. KitchenAid has been the lead Championship sponsor since 2011, bringing the Championship to Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor,

Michigan every other year. To learn more, follow the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship on Instagram, X or Facebook, or visit https://www.srpga.com