Apr 3, 2024 - Food and Drink

Here are Chicago's 2024 James Beard Award finalists

Justin Kaufmann

Photo of a man giving a speech — Indienne chef Sujan Sarkar accepts an award at the Banchet Awards. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios

The James Beard Foundation announced its list of finalists Wednesday, and several Chicago chefs and restaurants were named finalists.

Why it matters: The James Beard Awards are the Oscars of the culinary world, with the awards ceremony taking place in Chicago this summer.

Here are Chicago's finalists:

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: Anna Posey from Elske in West Loop
Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH): Sujan Sarkar from Indienne in River North and Jenner Tomaska from Esmé in Lincoln Park
Outstanding Hospitality: Lula Cafe in Logan Square

The big picture: Even though Chicago has four finalists, the city's dining scene was shut out of the bigger national categories like Outstanding Restaurateur, Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurant.

What's next: Winners will be announced at Chicago's Civic Opera House on June 10.

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Here are Chicago's 2024 James Beard Award finalists

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