The James Beard Foundation on Wednesday announced the semifinalists for its 2023 restaurant and chef awards.
Eleven Chicago eateries/chefs received semifinalist status for the coveted awards, which recognize chefs, restaurants, bakers, bar programs, restaurant groups and more, and are considered to be the Oscars of the culinary industry.
Twenty-three categories are included in the awards process, including a new entry this year for outstanding bakery. Surprisingly, Chicago was shut out of this category as well as outstanding chef, outstanding restaurateur and outstanding pastry chef or baker.
Finalist nominations will be revealed March 29, and winners will be announced June 5 at the annual awards gala at the Lyric Opera House.
Here is the list of Chicago’s semifinalists:
Emerging Chef: Damarr Brown, Virtue (Hyde Park)
Outstanding Restaurant: Smyth (West Loop)
Best New Restaurant:
- Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining (Rogers Park)
- Obélix (River North)
Outstanding Hospitality: Sepia (West Loop)
Best Chef, Great Lakes Region:
- Diana Dávila Boldin, Mi Tocaya Antojería (Logan Square)
- Thai Dang, HaiSous (Pilsen)
- Paul Fehribach, Big Jones (Andersonville)
- Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama (Ukrainian Village)
- Zubair Mohajir, Wazwan (Wicker Park)
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: All Together Now ( Ukrainian Village)
The nomination for chef Damarr Brown, the chef de cuisine at Hyde Park’s tony Virtue, comes on the heels of last year’s best chef Great Lakes Region win by the restaurant’s owner/chef Erick Williams. Brown was also a contestant on Season 19 of “Top Chef.”
The complete list of nominees can be found at jamesbeard.org.
