CHICAGO, IL (May 2025) – Chicago proudly celebrates the return of the 2025 James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One, kicking off Friday, June 13, and running through Tuesday, June 17. The city will come alive with a dynamic lineup of events ranging from intimate dinners to large-scale culinary experiences, featuring exclusive menus, high-profile chef and bartender collaborations, educational panels, and more. Co-hosted by Choose Chicago and the Illinois Restaurant Association, two organizations dedicated to championing the city's hospitality sector year-round, the 2025 celebration features an especially exciting lineup of public programming in honor of two major milestones: the 35th anniversary of the Awards and the 10th anniversary of their arrival in Chicago.

Recognized as one of the nation's most prestigious honors, the James Beard Awards celebrate excellence in the culinary and food media industries and the broader food system. The Awards also spotlight individuals and organizations committed to equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.

This celebratory weekend serves as a powerful tribute to Chicago's culinary leadership and creativity. 2025 public events include:

FRIDAY, JUNE 13

Sip & Guzzle @ Hawksmoor Chicago
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Hawksmoor Chicago, 500 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654
RSVP

Hawksmoor, twice named Best International Restaurant Bar by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and a 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist® for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, is excited to welcome Shingo Gokan's Sip & Guzzle (#5, North America's 50 Best Bars) for a one night only experience in Chicago. The sister property to one of Asia's best bars, The SG Club, is a New York City spot best know for its Japanese-American dual identity: Guzzle—a high-energy bar room that offers Japanese beers, classic highballs, and crushable cocktails, and Sip—a sophisticated Japanese room with a formal cocktail program that follows suit. Both bars revel in high-end cocktails and a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, and a focus on good times. Sip & Guzzle's will join Hawksmoor Chicago to bring the best of both worlds to the city.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14

The Chef's Collection
9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Third Season, 1516 W Carroll Ave Entrance on N Justine St, Chicago, IL 60607
No reservations required

Join Maxwells Trading and Third Season on June 14 and 17 for a rare 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. Also, don't miss two rooms full of records, art books, and vintage movie posters curated by Third Season's in-house team.

Up South
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Justice of the Pies, 8655 S Blackstone Ave, Chicago, IL 60619
Free to attend. RSVP by June 13

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 works to demonstrate that excellent culinary programming can exist inside neighborhoods traditionally affected by food insecurity.

Connect, Converse, and Celebrate The Humans Who Feed Us
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Loyola University (Regent Room), Loyola University, 111 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611
Free to attend. RSVP by June 14

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 industry event, the 2025 James Beard Awards weekend. We invite you to join us and connect to the conversation around food justice in the U.S.

SERVED UP: A ROOFTOP POP-UP WITH JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE® BAR COLETTE AT CHATEAU CARBIDE
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Chateau Carbide at Pendry Chicago 230 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601
Reservations available via OpenTable, and walk-ins are accepted, space permitting.

High above Chicago's Magnificent Mile on the 24th floor of the historic Carbide and Carbon Building, the two MICHELIN Key hotel Pendry Chicago's stunning al fresco cocktail haven, Chateau Carbide, is welcoming 2025 James Beard Award Nominee® for Best New Bar from Dallas, TX, Bar Colette, for 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, earning 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. Throughout the evening, guests will be welcome to order drinks from the bar, mingle with the Bar Colette team, and enjoy iconic city views from Chateau Carbide's outdoor lounge.

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ABOUT THE ILLINOIS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1914, the Illinois Restaurant Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, educating, and improving the restaurant industry in Illinois. The IRA owns and produces Chicago Gourmet – the annual food and wine festival uniting hundreds of restaurants, chefs, and beverage experts for a weekend filled with food and drink tastings, entertainment, and more. The Association is also a proud co-host of the James Beard Foundation Awards, which will be held in Chicago through 2027. For more information, visit www.illinoisrestaurants.org and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ABOUT CHOOSE CHICAGO

Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city's unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents, and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X/Twitter. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.

ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD AWARDS®

The James Beard Awards® recognizes exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive. Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards® are among the nation's most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries and those in the broader food systems. The Awards are overseen by the Awards Committee. Each Awards program (Book, Broadcast Media, Journalism, and Restaurant and Chef) has its own subcommittee members who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective program. All James Beard Award winners receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia. For more information, sign up for our emails

or visit us at jamesbeard.org/awards. For up-to-the-minute news about the Awards, follow @beardfoundation on Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin and keep an eye out for posts using #JBFA.

ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION®

The James Beard Foundation® (JBF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to leading chefs and the broader culinary industry towards a new standard of excellence. Our guiding principle, Good Food for Good®, informs our vision of a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable independent restaurant industry that stands as a cornerstone of American culture, community, and economy, and drives towards a better food system. For nearly 40 years, JBF has been instrumental in recognizing, amplifying, educating, and training the individuals who shape American food culture. Today, our mission comes to life through the prestigious James Beard Awards, industry and community-focused programming, advocacy and policy initiatives, and exciting culinary events and partnerships around the country—including at our new Platform by JBF®event space in New York City. Learn more at jamesbeard.org, sign up for our emails, and follow @beardfoundation on social media.