The James Beard Award semifinalists were named today, and there are lots of Chicago chefs and restaurants deservedly honored, plus the Violet Hour. The Beard Awards, which will be held in Chicago for the first time in May, are a huge deal in the food world, so major props to all the local restaurants, chefs and others honored. Here’s a quick run-down.
42 Grams and Parachute made the long list for Best New Restaurant, which is fantastic, because those were my two favorite openings last year. Judy Contino from Bittersweet Pastry and Dave and Megan Miller from Baker Miller Bakery & Millhouse were nominated for Outstanding Baker, a new category this year. Carrie Nahabedian (Naha, Brindille) was nominated for Outstanding Chef, Dana Cree (Blackbird) and Amanda Rockman (Nico Osteria) earned nods for Outstanding Pastry Chef, and Spiaggia was nominated for Outstanding Restaurant. For Outstanding Restaurateur, Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz of Boka Restaurant Group and Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality Group were longlisted. North Pond and Topolobampo were nominated for Outstanding Service. Tanya Baker (Boarding House) and Chris Texeira (Homestead) earned nods for Rising Star Chef of the Year. For the Best Chef: Great Lakes category, Chicago chefs dominated, taking 10 slots: Abe Conlon (Fat Rice), Curtis Duffy (Grace), Paul Fehribach (Big Jones), Philip Foss (EL Ideas), Brian Huston (Boltwood), Thomas Lents (Sixteen), Ryan McCaskey (Acadia), Paul Virant (Vie), Erling Wu-Bower (Nico Osteria), and Andrew Zimmerman (Sepia).
For drinking nominations, Sepia picked up a nod for Outstanding Wine Program and Charles Joly, formerly of Aviary and now of Crafthouse, was nominated for Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Professional, both of which are well-deserved.
But let’s talk about the Outstanding Bar Program category. Anyone can nominate a bar during an open call, and then the Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee narrows that down to the semifinalist list. Only nominating the Violet Hour is an absurd oversight, given that there are plenty of people on the Committee (including committee chair Phil Vettel, the Tribune critic), who have been to Chicago in the past year. The bar semifinalist list prompted the Chicago Tribune’s Good Eating food editor Joe Gray to tweet, “seems like Beard nominators haven't had a drink in Chicago in years.”
No kidding.
Violet Hour, which was a semifinalist in the category in 2012 and a nominee in 2013 and 2014, is still a solid bar, but it’s hardly the most interesting bar program in the city. The Aviary took home the award in 2013, so it can’t win again. But Billy Sunday? Alex Bachman’s bar program, which consistently escapes notice at a national level, is one of the most serious—and unique—bars in the country. I’d also throw in Analogue, which is reviving historical drinks no one has ever heard of; Sable Kitchen & Bar, which always has something cool going on; Scofflaw, which is doing amazing things with gin; and Berkshire Room, which has made me believe in dealer’s choice cocktails again.
I’ve been to a good chunk of the nominated bars, including Cane & Table in New Orleans, Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston and Maison Premiere in New York, and they’re awesome, but there are more Chicago bars at their level than just the Violet Hour. If the Beard Nominators want to go on a Chicago bar crawl—call me up. I’m happy to take you around.