The James Beard Foundation released its list of finalists for the 33rd annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards yesterday, Wednesday, April 3 at a live ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C..
Back in January, 17 different Chicago restaurants and chefs were named in the 2024 semifinalist nominees across 22 categories. This year, four Chicago restaurants and chefs move into the finals, one fewer than last year’s five finalists.
Anna Posey, co-owner and head pastry chef of Chicago’s Michelin-starred Elske in West Loop is one of the five finalists in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category.
Defining itself as “simplistic fare, seasonal ingredients, and energetic hospitality”, Elske’s Anny Possey was a finalist in the Best Chefs: Great Lakes category in 2019 and 2018 and has been one Michelin star restaurant since 2017.
The second Chicago representative was Lula Cafe in Logan Square which has moved into the final round of the Outstanding Hospitality category.
Having opened as a small storefront on Kedzie Boulevard in 1999, the market-driven cafe now spans three storefronts and is the founding member of the nationally recognized Logan Square culinary community as well as “a celebrated forerunner” of the ‘farm to table’ movement in Chicago.
The other two Chicago finalists were both in the Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH) category.
Chef Sujan Sarkar of Chicago’s only Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Indienne was one of the five finalists in this category while the other was Jenner Tomaska of Esmé in Lincoln Park, also a Michelin-starred Chicago establishment.
Here is a summary of the Chicago finalists:
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Anna Posey, Elske, Chicago, IL
Outstanding Hospitality
Lula Cafe, Chicago, IL
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Jenner Tomaska, Esmé, Chicago, IL
Sujan Sarkar, Indienne, Chicago, IL
The winners of the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Monday, June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
View all finalists at www.jamesbeard.org.
[Featured image of Esmé]