Among this year’s nominees for the title of “Best Chef James Beard” you can find local chefs behind Amaru, Luella’s Southern Kitchen, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Lula Cafe and Oriole.
The food scene in Chicago is worth dying for, on the streets as well as in restaurants
The Windy City is famous for many things, including exciting architecture, sports life, festivals, 1920s gangsters and Fortune 500 companies, but it’s The food scene in Chicago that really puts it at stake. It is one of the best cities for culinary experiences, offering a variety of unmistakable Chicago dishes, as well as global dishes and a wide selection of dreamy restaurants.
The Windy City has been hailed as a harbor of gourmets, and many reputable culinary publications such as Bon Appétit, Conde Nast Traveler and Food & Wine have recognized the Chicago culinary scene. And this is no accident. In more than 8,000 restaurants across the city you can find many warm and sensational dishes.
It’s pretty hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Chicago food so wonderful, but diversity is definitely one of its strengths. When it comes to street food, Chicago is just as good, if not better, than New York or San Francisco. But street food is only a small part of the city’s culinary scene.
Chicago’s food culture is in its own culinary league. The city has many specialties that have received both national and international recognition. No gourmet can say “no” to a hot slice of sticky, cheesy pizza with heavenly flavors. How about an Italian sandwich with beef, Chicago-style popcorn, hot dogs or ice cream a mile high?
The beauty of the culinary wonder of Chicago is not only iconic dishes, but also the people who create them. The city by the lake is home to some of the world’s best chefs, pioneering living rooms on rooftops, the best tokers and shops where you can die for donuts. And, of course, in the meat capital of America there are bistros, carts, pizzerias, kiosks with hot dogs, burgers and steakhouses. But it also has more Michelin-starred restaurants than you can imagine, so Chicago’s fine cuisine is definitely strong. .
Whether you are an experienced food enthusiast or a culinary novice, the Windy City has something to delight your taste buds.
The award ceremony will take place on June 13 at the Chicago Lyric Opera
For the first time since 2019, the James Byrd Foundation will host the James Byrd Award Ceremony on June 13 to honor some of the most talented chefs, bakers, bartenders, sommelier and restaurants in the United States. The award ceremony will take place at the Chicago Lyric Opera, but on February 23, the James Byrd Foundation announced its semifinalists – and there are many familiar faces, or at least names, for the award.
As expected – as we all know how great food is in our city – Chicago is well represented among the semifinalists of the “Best Chef: Great Lakes” award, which is recognized by outstanding chefs from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan or Ohio. Given that the Chicago chef has picked up the award during the last four ceremonies, the chances of any of us winning this year look pretty good, especially since there are a total of nine Chicago chefs are vying for the “Best Chef of 2022: Great Lakes” award..
Chicago’s restaurants and bars are also semifinalists in other James Beard Award categories, including Parachute and Oriole in the Excellent Restaurant category; Kasama in the category “Best New Restaurant”; and Nobody’s Darling in the “Excellent Bar Program” category. In addition, Shanna Primiana from Porto is a semifinalist of the “Excellent Confectioner” contest, and Maya-Camille Brussar from “Justice of the Pies” is a semifinalist of the “Excellent Baker”.
On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Scottsdale, Arizona, the nominees for the Restaurant and Chef Awards, as well as the Leadership Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Awards and the Humanitarian Awards of the Year will be announced. Nominees for the James Beard Foundation Media Awards will be announced in New York on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
The James Byrd Foundation is dedicated to making food in America more sustainable
For those unfamiliar with the James Byrd Award James Byrd Foundation is a non-profit organization that seeks to make the food culture in America more sustainable, diverse and accessible to all. In general, the awards correspond to the same theme nutrition and sustainable living that generally follows the James Byrd Foundation. They are incredibly prestigious and strive to celebrate the best of the best when it comes to food.
Although the award ceremony will only take place on June 13, you have plenty of time to visit the local semi-finalists and try their suggestions.
If you haven’t tried their cuisine yet, be sure to do so before the winner is announced, and here’s a list of nine nominees and restaurants where you can try their creations.
- Radolfo Quadros, Amaru, Bloom Vegetable Kitchen and Lil Amaru at Time Out Market Chicago
- Diana Davila Boldin, Mi Tokaya Antakheria
- Paul Feribach, The Great Jones
- Jason Hamel, Cafe Lula
- Dave Park, Jeong
- Darnell Reed, Luela’s Southern Cuisine
- Noah Sandal, Oriole
- John Shields and Karen Uri Shields, Smith
- Eric Williams, Virtue Restaurant and Bar
