Best Day Ever: Giant chef Jason Vincent

Chicago hosts the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards next month, where Giant chef Jason Vincent is up for the national Outstanding Chef award.

• Vincent made his mark here starting in 2005 with impressive work at Lula Cafe and later with Nightwood, which he helmed until 2014.

• He returned to the scene in 2016 with Giant, where he wows the food world with his signature take on Midwestern and international cuisine.

We figured the long-time Chicagoan and family man would have some great picks for his best day ever.

🛋 Morning activity: "I like hanging out with my kids in the morning because it's the best, and we're snuggling on the couch and nobody's changed out of their jammies yet."

🥞 Breakfast: "We just discovered that they're in love with the pancakes at Lula Cafe."

🐕 Midday activity: "We would go to Montrose dog beach, where the dog can just roam and run around and have fun."

🥪 Lunch: "If I can say a place that has closed, it would be Real Kitchen on Montrose. It was so great. I remember getting a pork belly sandwich there one time — I was driving with my dog and crushed that sandwich before I got to the first stoplight."

🌮 Dinner: "I would go to Dos Urban Cantina and would get whatever they were serving and chocolate cake."

• "Or I would go to Mi Tocaya Antojeria and get a steak burrito."

🎻 Evening activity: "On an ideal night, I would go watch my wife with either her string band or cello group playing at The Hideout."