The Best Meals 2025 James Beard Nominees Ate in Chicago | Eater Chicago
The top chefs, restaurateurs, bartenders, and sommeliers descended on Chicago last weekend for the 35th annual James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, and they came hungry. While some nominees arrived the night before or even the day of the gala on Monday, June 16, at Lyric Opera, leaving only time for a quick bite at their hotel or a fast-food run, most spent the weekend attending or working at the many James Beard Awards pop-ups and events and hitting up some of the best restaurants in Chicago. From tasting menus to carnitas picnics, here are the best dining and drinking experiences James Beard Award nominees had in the Windy City.
“I went to Kasama and was able to meet chef Timothy [Flores]. I was super blown away by the pork belly adobo and that breakfast sandwich.”
“There was this lemon mascarpone ice cream with caviar at Monteverde that was delicious: sweet, savory, and funky.”
“We had ramen at High Five Ramen. We had two different ones, both broths were incredible. Love the basement ambiance of it all.”
“We had dinner at Boka last night and it was absolutely an incredible experience from start to finish. [We ate] essentially the entire menu. There was maybe only one thing we didn’t try, and everything was from top to bottom pretty much a hit.”
“We had a beautiful omelet this morning at Lula Cafe that was just fluffy and delicious with a little bit of onion relish on top of it.” —
“We went to another of our fellow nominee’s bars, Kumiko, and had some phenomenal cocktails. I couldn’t even pick just one. I feel really honored to be recognized in the same group because they’re excellent.”
“We went to Uncle Mike’s Place for breakfast and it really hit the spot. The lugaw on the table when you first walk in is like the most nourishing, delicious bite, and it’s a really good way to start the day. [They have] excellent pork chops. It’s absolutely fantastic.” —
“Late night empanadas at Estereo.”
“Carnitas Uruapan. We just had a picnic at the park right next to it. It’s one of those places that I always say when you’re in Chicago, go there for carnitas by the pound. It just hits all the spots.”
“We got the duck a la presse from the Alston. When you see that on the menu, you have to order it.” —
“We ate the shawarma chicken at Avec. It was absolutely delicious. We also were at Asador Bastian and had one of their steaks, which is also surreal.”
“We had dinner at Alinea. That was definitely a once in a lifetime experience that we were looking forward to the whole trip here. That was beautiful.”
“Monteverde is an amazing restaurant. We were just recapping again for the fourth time all the pastas, especially that eggplant that [chef Sarah Grueneberg] does. It’s unreal.” , San Francisco, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Restaurateur)
“Every time I go to Chicago, going back all the way to 2005, I stop at Avec. I always have to stop at Avec. It’s old, it’s classic, but it reminds me of a long time ago. We did a really great dinner at HaiSous. We had a wonderful time. We did a wonderful event at Bar Sótano. It’s Chicago. You always find good food.” — Zack Walters, Sedalia’s Oyster & Seafood, Oklahoma City, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southwest)
“I’m a sucker for Avec. I love Avec so much. The vibe, especially the one in the West Loop, is so close and intimate you always end up sharing food with someone random next to you. The sight of the kitchen and all of the flavors are great.” — Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, Louisville, Kentucky, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southeast)
Chris Peters/Eater Chicago
“We went to an all-you-can-eat wagyu Japanese barbecue spot, Wagyu House, that was like from the future. I love seeing different forms of dining and that’s something that I could just enjoy — just pure product on a plate. I haven’t had a bad meal here. We did a sandwich crawl yesterday. I have a sandwich shop and we tried about nine to 10 different sandwiches. The [best was the] dip from Bari. I could have just had a gravy bread from there. It’s too hot in West Texas for me to do that there, but there’s nothing better than broth and bread.” — Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo, Marfa, Texas, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Texas)
“We had dim sum at MingHin and it was amazing. The shumai was incredible. Then we went to Loba for pastries and there was a mole strawberry croissant that was amazing.” — Jake Howell, Peninsula, Nashville, Tennessee, (2025 winner, Best Chef: Southeast)
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.
