Chicago is poised to reclaim its position as the center of the hospitality industry next week. People from across the country will gather for the annual James Beard Awards, the most prestigious gala in the American hospitality industry, on Monday, June 16, at the Lyric Opera House.
In the lead-up to the ceremony, a variety of events and pop-ups featuring some of the world’s best bars and restaurants will take place. Here is a list of James Beard events, pop-ups, and panels anyone can attend.
James Beard events on Friday, June 13
Sip & Guzzle @ Hawksmoor Chicago
Hawksmoor, which has been recognized twice by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation for Best International Restaurant Bar and is a 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist® for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, will welcome Shingo Gokan’s Sip & Guzzle (#5, North America’s 50 Best Bars) for a one night only experience.
Sip & Guzzle is a sister property to one of Asia’s best bars, The SG Club, and is based in NYC. It’s known for its Japanese-American dual identity: Guzzle is a high-energy bar room that offers Japanese beers, classic highballs, and crushable cocktails, while Sip is a sophisticated Japanese lounge with a formal cocktail program that complements the experience.
Date: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Location: Hawksmoor Chicago, 500 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654
RSVP here
James Beard events on Saturday, June 14
The Chef’s Collection
Join Maxwells Trading and Third Season on June 14 and 17 for a unique culinary bookstore pop-up.
Explore an extraordinary collection of culinary art and food titles from PROSPECT, the cookbook king of L.A., featuring collectible, out-of-print, obscure, and imported works. Discover everything from regional recipes and food writing to memoirs, poetry, photography, history, art, and science.
Date: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Third Season, 1516 W Carroll Ave Entrance on N Justine St, Chicago, IL 60607
No reservations required
Up South
Founder of Justice of the Pies and 2022 James Beard Award Nominee® Chef Maya-Camille Broussard will host 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist® Chef Camari Mick (Raf, Musket Room) for its UP SOUTH pop-up with dishes that explore the synchronicities between their American Southern and Caribbean roots.
Nestled on the South Side of Chicago in the Avalon Park community, the UP SOUTH pop-up is part of an ongoing series that demonstrates that excellent culinary programming can exist within neighborhoods traditionally affected by food insecurity.
Date: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: Justice of the Pies, 8655 S Blackstone Ave, Chicago, IL 60619
Free to attend. RSVP by June 13
Connect, Converse, and Celebrate The Humans Who Feed Us
Join Justice for Migrant Women (J4MW) in celebrating the contributions of immigrants from all backgrounds and migrant women during Immigrant Heritage Month, alongside culinary leaders and advocates for food justice.
J4MW will host a panel on mental health and workplace sexual harassment, featuring leaders in the hospitality industry, during the world-renowned 2025 James Beard Awards weekend.
Date: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Loyola University (Regent Room), Loyola University, 111 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611
Free to attend. RSVP by June 14
SERVED UP: A ROOFTOP POP-UP WITH JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE® BAR COLETTE AT CHATEAU CARBIDE
Chateau Carbide is welcoming the 2025 James Beard Award Nominee® for Best New Bar from Dallas, TX, Bar Colette. This will be a one-night-only takeover of their rooftop bar!
Helmed by Beverage Director Rubén Rolón, Bar Colette has carved a niche for itself in the Lone Star State. It has earned high praise for its exquisitely reimagined takes on classic cocktails and intimate ambiance. From 5 pm to 10 pm, catch Rubén behind the bar, shaking up cocktails from an exclusive Bar Colette menu celebrating James Beard Awards weekend.
Date: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Time: Chateau Carbide at Pendry Chicago 230 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601
Reservations are available here, and walk-ins are accepted, space permitting.
James Beard events on Sunday, June 15
Rooftop Brunch at Nobu Chicago
Nobu Chicago will host a special edition of their popular weekend brunch. However, this time it will be at The Rooftop restaurant and lounge on the 11th floor of Nobu Hotel Chicago. Enjoy Nobu-style brunch bites exclusive to this event while taking in one of the best views of Chicago’s skyline. Tickets also include brunch beverages and craft cocktails.
Time: 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
Location: Nobu Chicago Rooftop, 155 N. Peoria Street, Chicago, IL 60607
$95 + tax per person. Buy Tickets by June 12
JBF Greens x Galit – 2025 Awards Weekend Brunch
Join JBF Greens at the James Beard Award Nominee® Galit for a celebration of the 35th annual James Beard Awards®.
Galit reflects on chef and partner Zachary Engel’s time growing up in a Jewish household as the son of a rabbi, and his partner Andrés Clavero’s Palestinian background. Focusing on their similar upbringings, the duo’s intention was to create a place centered around community and food as a unifying force. This March, Chef Zach and Andrés opened a sibling restaurant to Galit called Cafe Yaya.
For this occasion, Chef Zach will prepare a three-course brunch. The brunch will feature Middle Eastern dishes made with locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.
Date: 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Location: Galit, 2429 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
$95 + tax per person. Buy Tickets by June 11
Dan Richer’s Razza at MIDDLE BROW
Dan Richer, the leader of the American pizza mecca Razza in Jersey City and James Beard Award Nominee® for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, is teaming up with Middle Brow. They’ll bring Chef Richer’s philosophy to the Midwest. Join them for a hyper-local Margherita, and Middle Brow’s version of the famous Razza Zucchini and Guanciale pizzas.
Date: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Bungalow by MIDDLE BROW, 2840 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
RSVP by June 15; your RSVP does not guarantee a table at the event. Please use RESY to book a table.
Bar Sótano’s Mariscos Patio Party benefiting No Kid Hungry
Bar Sótano and Chef Rick Bayless will welcome James Beard Award Nominee® Chef Zachary Walters of Sedalia’s in Oklahoma City.
Guests will enjoy freshly shucked oysters, grilled oysters, Mussels in escabeche, Albacore ceviche, Shrimp aguachile, Baja fish tacos with all the trimmings, a Guacamole bar, South American grilled anticuchos, Seafood paella, and one complimentary drink ticket. All proceeds go to No Kid Hungry.
Date: 3:30 pm- 6:30 pm
Location: Bar Sótano, 443 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
$85 + tax per person; Buy tickets by June 15
Chicago Cocktail Classic Hosted by Three Dots and a Dash, Gus’ Sip & Dip, and Salon 51
For one memorable evening, explore the world of cocktails without leaving Chicago.
The inaugural edition of this global celebration brings more than two dozen world-class bars, local legends, and international icons alike for an immersive tasting experience across Three Dots and a Dash, Gus’ Sip and Dip, and Salon 61. Each ticket includes: 10 drink tickets, redeemable for expertly crafted sample-size cocktails from a curated lineup of world-class bars
Access to all three venues and the chance to experience twenty elite bars under one skyline. This is more than a tasting—it’s a passport to the world’s cocktail capitals.
Date: 4:00-8:00 pm
Location: Three Dots and a Dash: 435 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654
$89 + tax per person; Buy tickets here