Chicago All Over 2015 James Beard Award Noms

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If any of this year’s Chicago-based James Beard Award nominees get the fancy medallion, it’s going to be extra sweet (unless you’re a journalist), since they’ll get to ascend the stage at the Civic Opera House on May 4 in front of a very home crowd. This year’s Chef and Restaurant Awards are being held in Chicago for the first time ever, after 24 years in New York City, and several Chicagoans are among this year’s nominees.

In the “Best New Restaurant” category, Beverly Kim and her husband, Johnny Clark, are nominated for Parachute, in the Avondale neighborhood. They face co-nominees with much, much bigger budgets, and are truly this year’s underdog, facing the likes of Batard (NYC), Central Provisions (Portland, ME), Cosme (NYC), Petit Trois (Los Angeles), The Progress (San Francisco) and Spoon and Stable (Minneapolis).

The “Rising Star Chef of the Year” is always one to watch, and how exciting for Tanya Baker, of River North’s Boarding House, who stepped in as Alpana Singh’s second choice, after her first chef left unceremoniously last year. She’s up against chefs from High Street on Market (Philadelphia), Toki Underground (Washington, D.C.), Manresa (Los Gatos, CA), Tao Yuan (Brunswick, ME) and Alma (Los Angeles).

In the “Outstanding Bar Program,” The Violet Hour in Wicker Park is again among the nominees, which include: Arnaud’s French 75 Bar (New Orleans), Bar Agricole (San Francisco), Maison Premiere (Brooklyn, NY) and Trick Dog (San Francisco). My money is on the local team to take it home this year.

For the second year in a row, Blackbird’s Dana Cree is nominated for “Outstanding Pastry Chef,” some rarefied air, indeed, which includes co-nominees Maura Kilpatrick (Oleana, Cambridge, MA), Dahlia Narvaez (Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles), Ghaya Oliveira (Daniel, NYC) and Christina Tosi (Momofuku, NYC).

The “Best Chef: Great Lakes” is stocked with Chicagoans, but you have to hand it to Clevelander Jonathon Sawyer at The Greenhouse Tavern, for continuing to be a regular nominee. His competition includes: Curtis Duffy (Grace), Paul Virant (Vie, Western Springs), Erling Wu-Bower (Nico Osteria), Andrew Zimmerman (Sepia).

In the equally impressive-yet-not-as-sexy categories of Restaurant Design for under 75 Seats, the firm of Bureau of Architecture and Design, with designers James Gorski and Tom Nahabedian are nominated for Brindille in River North.

In the “Outstanding Restaurateur” category, One Off Hospitality’s Donnie Madia (Big Star, Publican, Blackbird, avec, Nico Osteria, Dove’s Luncheonette) is again on the short list; Topolobampo is also up (again) for “Outstanding Service.”

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award has already been announced. It’s going to Richard Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, and a quick programming note: in April, the week before the Awards, we have a fascinating interview with Melman on The Feed Podcast; oh, that reminds me…

This year’s Book, Broadcast and Journalism nominees will have an awards ceremony in New York on April 24th. Local nominees include:

BROADCASTING

Podcast

The Feed Podcast
Hosts: Rick Bayless and Steve Dolinsky
Producers: Matt Cunningham and Steve Dolinsky
Airs on: soundcloud.com/thefeedpodcast

Television Segment

The Hungry Hound
Host: Steve Dolinsky
Producer: Irit Nayden
Airs on: ABC 7 Chicago

 

JOURNALISM

Food and Culture 

“What Happens When All-Star Chefs Get in Bed with Big Food?”
Mike Sula – Chicago Reader

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

“Fixed Menu” Kevin Pang (Lucky Peach)

 

The entire list of nominees can be found here