Introduction to the 2025 James Beard Awards
The nominations for the restaurant industry’s prestigious 2025 James Beard Awards are out, and five Chicago spots have made the list.
Winners of the culinary honors will be announced during a June 16 ceremony at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago, according to an announcement. In addition to the more than a dozen longstanding categories, three new categories were introduced this year, the announcement said: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
Previous Winners and Nominees
In 2024, just one Chicago restaurant — Lula Cafe, at 2537 N. Kedzie Blvd., took home a James Beard Award, nabbing the organization’s honor for "Outstanding Hospitality," though three Chicago chefs had made the list of nominees.
2025 James Beard Award Nominees
Chicago restaurants, chefs and bars that made the nominee list for 2025 are below:
Outstanding Restaurant
The nominees for Outstanding Restaurant include:
- Coquine, Portland, OR
- Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
- Galit, Chicago, IL
- Nonesuch, Oklahoma City, OK
- Oberlin, Providence, RI
Outstanding Bar
The nominees for Outstanding Bar include:
- 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 Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
The nominees for Best Chef: Great Lakes include:
- Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson, The Cooks’ House, Traverse City, MI
- Thai Dang, HaiSous, Chicago, IL
- David Jackman, Wildweed, Cincinnati, OH
- Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading, Chicago, IL
- Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago, IL
Conclusion
The 2025 James Beard Awards promise to be an exciting event, with five Chicago spots nominated for various awards. The winners will be announced on June 16 at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago.
FAQs
Q: When will the winners of the 2025 James Beard Awards be announced?
A: The winners will be announced on June 16 at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago.
Q: How many Chicago restaurants are nominated for the 2025 James Beard Awards?
A: Five Chicago restaurants, chefs, and bars are nominated for the 2025 James Beard Awards.
Q: What are the new categories introduced in the 2025 James Beard Awards?
A: The three new categories introduced this year are Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
