Alinea's Grant Achatz won James Beard's most coveted prize of Outstanding Chef last night at New York City's Lincoln Center. The awards, aptly described as the Oscars of the culinary world, are named after famed American chef James Beard and seek to call attention to the country's best of the best in all things culinary. Julie Child said of James Beard, "Beard was the quintessential American cook. Well-educated and well-traveled during his eighty-two years, he was familiar with many cuisines but he remained fundamentally American." more ›

New York magazine got their hands on a copy of this year's James Beard award ballots (check it out for yourself here) and as usual, our city's restaurants are well-represented. more ›

One of the more anticipated restaurant openings in recent weeks has been Takashi, which opened its doors December 30th at 1952 N. Damen in Bucktown. more ›

The James L. Beard Award nominees were announced yesterday and as in years past, Chicago represented. And the Chicago-based nominees are: Outstanding Restaurateur: Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Outstanding Chef: Jean Joho, Everest and Paul Kahan, Blackbird Outstanding Restaurant: Frontera Grill and Spiaggia Rising Star Chef of the Year: Graham Elliot Bowles, Avenues Outstanding Pastry Chef: Mindy Segal, HotChocolate Outstanding Service: Tru Outstanding Wine Service: Bin 36, Wine Director Brian Duncan Best Chef, Great... more ›

Author Michael Ruhlman more ›

Takashi Yagihashi cut his culinary teeth right here in Chicago at Yoshi Café and Ambria before moving off to become executive chef at a restaurant outside Detroit. After a short stint in Las Vegas, and after winning the James Beard award for Best Chef in the Midwest 2003, Yagihashi returned to Chicago yesterday with the opening of a noodle stand on the seventh floor of the State Street Macy’s. Contrary to how that may sound (we don’t think Yagihashi has serious financial problems and is slinging noodles to anyone who’ll buy ‘em) this appears to be a well-calculated move for the chef who is scouting West Loop and River North locations for a possible restaurant opening next year. more ›

"Pressure" via pantagrapher. more ›

Color us not too shocked. Monday night's James Beard Awards were handed out in New York City, and Chicago's Shawn McClain took home the Best Chef: Midwest prize, beating out Naha's Carrie Nahabedian for the coveted award. McClain won for his work at Spring. Other Chicagoans weren't so lucky. Poor Grant: Danny Meyer over at NYC's The Modern beat him out for Best New Restaurant and Thomas Keller's famed French Laundry whupped both Jean Joho's... more ›

It's that time of year again: the James Beard Foundation's nominees have been announced and, not surprisingly, Chicago represents. And it represents well. The James Beard is the most coveted prize for culinary professionals, and for those who are both nominated and those who eventually go home with the prize come May, this achievement will follow them for the rest of their dying days. For those not of All-Things-Food, being nominated for a James Beard... more ›

Chicagoist's heart swells with pride and admiration this morning as the winners of the 2005 James Beard Foundation Awards were handed out last night, and taking home this year's prize for Best Chef in the Midwest is Chicago's Tony Mantuano, executive chef of Spiaggia. It's about time Mantuano brings this coveted award to Spiaggia's One Mag Mile home. This year's nomination was his fourth, and he's long been one of the most acclaimed and... more ›

After 3 years as Executive Chef at Trio, the 5-star restaurant in Evanston, Grant Achatz is leaving to open his own restaurant. Grant, who has worked in the kitchens of many of the country's top restaurants such as French Laundry and Charlie Trotter's, was the recipient last year of the esteemed James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef Award. The Chicago location of the new restaurant hasn't been set yet but the name has. Alinea, which Achatz says is an ancient typographical symbol stating the beginning of a new train of thought, is hoped to be open by the beginning of the year. Achatz says the food there will be an "evolution" of the culinary style he developed at Trio. more ›

Chicago native and renowned chef Paul Kahan was honored Monday with the James Beard Award for best Midwest chef. The Beard Awards are considered the Oscars of food, according to the Sun-Times, but even if they were considered the SAG Awards or the Kids’ Choice awards, Kahan would still make Chicago proud. Kahan has been wowing Midwestern foodies from his West Loop kitchen at Blackbird, using a minimalist style for seasonal American chow with a hardcore French influence. Blackbird’s menu changes every week, so big props for keeping the menu section of the website updated, and each month Kahan posts a how-to recipe; even if Chicagoist isn’t going to be making any guinea hens any time soon, we still think it’s a nice gesture.
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