One of the biggest nights in the dining industry is just two months away, and now we know which Chicago nominees will be up for awards.
The James Beard Foundation has just announced the finalists for its 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards. The winners will be revealed during the 33rd annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 10 at the Civic Opera House.
Chicago will be represented by four nominees at this year’s awards. Lula Cafe, the farm-to-table pioneer, is up for Outstanding Hospitality. Chef Jason Hammel opened the Logan Square restaurant in 1999 and has dedicated the past 24 years to serving seasonal, market-driven dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lula Cafe is one of Time Out’s best restaurants in Chicago and Hammel has been a three-time James Beard Award finalist.
Two Chicago chefs are nominated for Best Chef: Great Lakes—Sujan Sarkar of Indienne and Jenner Tomaska of Esmé. Sarkar’s contemporary approach to traditional South Asian flavors earned Indienne a Michelin star in 2023, with Time Out also praising the inventive tasting menu experience in our review. Tomaska has been awarded a Michelin star the past two years for his work at Esmé, where the menus are centered around complementing rotating artists.
Elske’s Anna Posey is a finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. Anna and her husband David Posey have run the Scandinavian fine dining concept since 2016, with the former leading the dessert program. Anna was previously the pastry chef at The Publican as well.
Last year’s James Beard Awards saw two Chicago winners. Genie Kwon and Tim Flores of Kasama took home the title of Best Chef: Great Lakes, while Demarr Brown of Virtue was crowned Emerging Chef.