It's like Oscar nomination day, but for foodies: the finalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards' restaurant and chef categories have officially been announced today, April 2 and the Windy City was well-presented among this year's top nominees.
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The finalist list narrows the field down from the 22 Chicago semifinalists who were previously announced this past January to a fabulous five, including several first-time contenders for the prestigious prize. And the nominees are:
- Outstanding Restaurant
Galit - Outstanding Bar
Kumiko - Best Chef: Great Lakes
Thai Dang, HaiSous
Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading
Noah Sandoval, Oriole
Given the sheer quality of these five local spots, we're not surprised at all to see them getting some James Beard Foundation love. First-time nominee Kumiko, Julia Momose’s elegant West Loop bar that pairs Japanese omakase with bespoke cocktails to sublime results, was added to the World's 50 Best Bars list back in 2020. Fellow nominee newcomer Galit—which has been raising the bar for Middle Eastern cuisine in Chicago with a parade of tempting, flavor-packed shareables since it opened its door in April 2019—was previously named Restaurant of the Year at the 2024 Jean Banchet Awards. Maxwells Trading was dubbed one of the Best New Restaurants in America by Esquire last December, and two-Michelin-starred Oriole is among La Liste's 2025 round-up of the best restaurants in the world.
Considered one of the highest honors in the food world, the James Beard Foundation awards restaurants, bars, and hospitality professionals in categories like Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef, Emerging Chef and more each year. The 2025 proceedings, which will see winners of the chef and restaurant categories announced at Chicago's own Lyric Opera on Monday, June 16, will feature three brand-new award categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
You can check out the full list of 2025 James Beard Award finalists here.