James Beard Awards Celebrate Culinary Excellence in Chicago

CHICAGO, IL – The 35th annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards takes place tonight at 6 p.m. at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This prestigious event honors culinary excellence and is often described as the “Oscars of the food world.” The celebration marks a decade since the awards have been held in the Windy City.

Chefs Nyesha Arrington and Andrew Zimmern will host the ceremony, which recognizes outstanding chefs and restaurants. Earlier this week, the James Beard Foundation honored excellence in food journalism and media at a different ceremony.

James Beard, a culinary icon from Portland, was a celebrated chef, author, and television personality. He founded the James Beard Cooking School in 1955 and contributed significantly to American cuisine, earning him a lasting legacy recognized by the foundation established in his name.

Tonight, five Chicago restaurants are nominated for awards, including Kumiko in the Outstanding Bar category and Galit as an Outstanding Restaurant. In the Best Chef: Great Lakes category, Chicago chefs Thai Dang of HaiSous, Chris Jung, Erling Wu-Bower of Maxwells Trading, and Noah Sandoval of Oriole are all contenders.

Previous winners from Chicago include Lula Cafe, which received the Outstanding Hospitality award in 2024, and Tim Flores and Genie Kwon of Kasama, who were recognized as Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2023.

While tickets for the gala are sold out, those interested can follow the event through live coverage on social media. The Tribune Food team will provide updates and a recap after the ceremony, highlighting the winners and key moments from the night.