Here are the 5 nominees James Beard from Chicago

The James Beard Foundation announced on Wednesday the finalists competing for its coveted prices of restaurants and chefs, and among them, five chefs and restaurants in Chicago, including the nominees for the first time Galit and Kumiko.

“I just did cleaning and repair stuff, then my phone started to explode – I said to myself” What’s going on?! ” “Said Julia Momosé, partner of Kumiko and creative director. “It’s really incredible. … It’s just incredible.”

Kumiko, a Japanese dining bar in the western loop, was nominated for the exceptional bar. Momosé, who has 18-year-old staff, said the Kumiko semi-finalist in January was already a whirlwind.

“When I opened Kumiko for the first time, the prices have always been one of those things I hoped, that the work we did would be recognized, one day – but not necessarily that we exist to win the awards,” said Momosé, who won a James Beard Foundation Media Award in 2022 for his book “The Way of the Cocktail”. “We just wanted to exist and simply be a reflection of the heart and dedication and care and talents and passion for hospitality and food and drinks.”

The James Beards Awards are considered to be among the most prestigious honors in the country for the culinary industry. This year will also commemorate the 35th anniversary of the awards and celebrate what the foundation calls the “transformative role that prices have played by honoring culinary excellence and by shaping the evolution of American food culture”.

With Kumiko, the local finalists include Galit for an exceptional restaurant and three Chicago finalists in the Best Chef category: Great Lakes, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio: Thai Dang of Haisous; Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower from Maxwells Trading; and Noah Sandoval de l’Oriole.

Haisous, the Vietnamese restaurant which opened its doors in Pilsen in 2017 and won a Michelin gourmet, became known for its wings, its fried rice with crab, its grilled eggplant, its currys and its unique sockets on urban street food. Dang was semi-finalist in the big lakes category four times.

Since the opening of Oriole in 2016, the new American restaurant in the West loop has won two Michelin stars and received the Jean Banchet 2022 prize for the restaurant of the year. Sandoval is also a chef nominated in James Beard and was appointed one of the best new Food & Wine chefs in 2017.

Jung, finalist of the first prize James Beard, said that he felt a mixture of emotions when learning about Maxwells Trading.

“It was almost like a relief, in a way, like when you follow your favorite sports team and win a eliminatory match,” said Jung.

The West Loop Spot is an intimately American restaurant and influenced by Asia serving things such as bread, plaque inspired by Chinese pancakes, Yamagata Koshihikari, Suzuki Tartare and Royal Milk Tiramisu.

“I would lie if I said that it was not one of my dreams of being a finalist for a James Beard price since I cooked professionally,” said Jung. “For me, that supervises everything we do and how faithful I am to my kitchen team, especially. If they did not care as much as they did, if they did not work at the level they make every day, no matter if I have nice recipes. They crush it. We are really lucky to have such a group of killers.”

The entire Maxwells Trading team was recently recognized during the Critic’s Choice Food Awards in the Tribune as the best new restaurant in the city.

Wu-Bower said he had also expired after hearing information about the appointment of barbs.

“We can have a lot of fun, and (the appointment) magnifies pleasure,” he said.

Star Galit by Michelin, located in the Lincoln Park district of Chicago, is also in the running for one of the most sought after distinctions.

While Zachary Engel, executive chief of the Middle East restaurant serving dishes of Turkish, Iraqi, Greek and Tunisian origin, won a James Beard prize for the star chef in 2017, the appointment is a first for co-owner Andrés Clavero.

“It’s really surreal,” said Clavero, laughing that he was paying at the end of the announcement. “I am not normally speechless. It is a crazy honor, and just to be nominated and in Chicago too, in the hope of making Chicago proud. ”

Galit obtained a Michelin star in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and was also appointed restaurant 2024 of the year by the Jean Banchet Awards.

Last month, the Lem bar-bq, a must in the Chatham district on the south side, was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as an “America’s Classic”, which recognizes “locally and independent restaurants with a timeless appeal”.

The finalist cohort was selected from a list of January semi-finalists which included a total of 22 restaurants, chefs and bars in Chicago. The complete list of nominees and winners can be found on the James Beard Foundation website. The winners will be announced at the Chicago Civic Opera on June 16.

Last year, Chicago saw only one local winner at the James Beard Restaurant and chef Awards, with Lula Cafe winning for exceptional hospitality.

The nominees for the James Beard price in Chicago in 2025:

Exceptional bar

Kumiko: 630 W. Lake St., 312-285-2912, Barkumiko.com

Best chef: Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio)

Thai Dang de Haisous:: 1800 S. Carpenter St., 312-702-1303, Haisous.com

Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower from Maxwells Trading:: 1516 W. Carroll Ave., 312-896-4410, Maxwellstrading.com

Noah Sandoval from Oriole:: 661 W. Walnut St., 312-877-5899, Oriolechicago.com

Exceptional restaurant

Galli:: 2429 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-360-8755, Galiitresturant.com

Originally published: April 2, 2025 at 5:16 p.m. CDT