Three Chicago restaurants are finalists for this yr’s prestigious James Beard Awards. And, the meals trade’s highest honor introduced Tuesday that the ceremony will stay in Chicago at the least via 2028 — a one-year extension from what had been beforehand introduced.
Bailey Sullivan, of West Loop’s Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, is a finalist within the rising chef class. Plus, Norman Fenton of Cariño in Uptown and Jacob Potashnick of Feld in Ukrainian Village are amongst this yr’s finalists in the very best chef Great Lakes class, the James Beard Foundation introduced Tuesday from The Wellsley, a non-public occasion house in Chicago’s River North, owned by the Boka Restaurant Group.
“Because it’s a time of real challenge and uncertainty, it’s important to say this with certainty: Independent restaurants are not just businesses, you are the very fabric of American culture,” mentioned Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the Beard Foundation. “You fuel economies and ecosystems. You tell the story of where we come from, who we are today and who we are becoming.”
The Beards, typically dubbed “the Oscars of the food world,” have been hosted in Chicago since 2015, after shifting from New York. In 2018, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel spearheaded an effort to maintain the ceremony in Chicago an extra 9 years — via 2027. With that deadline now approaching, the muse and Choose Chicago introduced an extra extension on the Beard’s time in Chicago, though, this time, by only one yr. Still, metropolis and state leaders heralded it as a win.
“This extension is a recognition of Chicago’s extraordinary culinary community and the chefs, restaurateurs, and hospitality professionals who make our city one of the great food destinations in the world,” Kristen Reynolds, Choose’s president and CEO, mentioned in a press release.
The Beards beforehand named 23 Chicago restaurants amongst this year’s semifinalists.
Last yr, five Chicago restaurants have been Beard finalists, whereas two — Kumiko and Oriole — took dwelling medals. South Side staple Lem’s Bar-B-Q additionally earned a 2025 honor as an “America’s Classics” awardee.
This yr’s James Beard Awards can be held on June 15 at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House.
Here are the Chicago cooks and restaurants named 2026 James Beard Award finalists:
Emerging Chef
- Bailey Sullivan, Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
- Norman Fenton, Cariño
- Jacob Potashnick, Feld
Courtney Kueppers is an arts and tradition reporter at WBEZ.
