The 2024 James Beard Award semifinalists were announced on Wednesday, bestowing some of the nation's highest culinary honors on to restaurants all across the country.
The Chicago area was well represented in this year's list of semifinalists, with 19 restaurants and/or chefs being nominated for numerous awards.
Chicago restaurants and chefs netted nominations in virtually every category offered, from Outstanding Restaurateur, Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurant to Emerging Chef and Best New Restaurant.
Below is a full list of all of the Chicago-area semifinalists for the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards:
Outstanding Restaurateur
- Marcos Carbajal, Carnitas Uruapan
- Nicolas Poilevey and Oliver Poilevey, Obelix, Le Bouchon, and Taqueria Chingón
Outstanding Chef
- John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, Smyth
Outstanding Restaurant
- The Duck Inn, Bridgeport
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Emerging Chef
- Zubair Mohajir, The Coach House by Wazwan, West Town
Best New Restaurant
- Atelier, Lincoln Square
Outstanding Bakery
- Loba Pastry+Coffee, Lakeview
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
- Anna Posey, Elske, West Loop
Outstanding Hospitality
- Lula Café, Logan Square
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Middle Brow, Logan Square
Best Chef (Great Lakes)
- Diana Dávila Boldin, Mi Tocaya Antojería, Logan Square
- Joe Fontelera, Boonie’s Filipino Restaurant, North Center
- Joe Frillman, Daisies, Logan Square
- James Martin, Bocadillo Market, Lincoln Park
- Sujan Sarkar, Indienne, River North
- Jenner Tomaska, Esme, Lincoln Park
- Donald Young, Duck Sel, Upon reservation
A full list of semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards can be found here.
