Chicago James Beard honorees recommend one dish
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Leek-stuffed pappardelle. Photo: Courtesy of Wade Hall
At least six Chicagoans are up for James Beard Awards this year, offering a strong — if not our strongest — year since the awards started in 1991.
- In case you're wondering, Monica was nominated for six and Justin won two.
- But, we digress.
Zoom in: To celebrate, we asked honorees to recommend one dish on their menu.
Great Lakes chef nominees
Erling Wu-Bower and Chris Jung of Maxwells Trading: Leek-stuffed pappardelle with crawfish, brandy and Nantua sauce for Wu-Bower.
- Clay pot mushroom rice with Yamagata koshihikari rice, shiitake, maitake, chestnut and blue oyster mushrooms for Jung.
Thai Dang of HaiSous: "Caramelized fish sauce wings. They're addictive, packed full of flavor and gluten free. I love them with steamed jasmine rice," Dang tells Axios.
- "The sauce is made with caramelized sugar with fish sauce, then I add dried chili, garlic, scallion, and fresh Thai chili."
Noah Sandoval of Oriole: Hibiscus ice, tapioca pearls and candied hibiscus over coconut lime leaf sorbet, the first dish created by Oriole pastry chef, Jacquelyn Paternico.
- Bright, balanced, and exactly what you want to eat after the savory menu.
Outstanding Bar nominee
Mixologist and chef Julia Momosé of Kumiko: Yuzu koshō karaagé, a dish of twice fried chicken accented with fermented citrus and chili paste.
- Momosé recommends washing it down with The Seaflower cocktail made with Nikka Coffey gin, Dolin blanc vermouth, yuzu koshō, kabosu and lime juices rimmed with savory "ocean dust."
Outstanding Restaurant nominee
Chef Zachary Engel of Galit: "The obvious choice is our hummus," Engel tells Axios. "But our labneh (yogurt dip) is also representative of Galit's voice and style. Labneh with za'atar and olive oil is eaten all over the Middle East."
American Classic Winner
Carmen Lemons, owner of Lem's Bar-B-Q : The JBL Special featuring ribs, tips, a hot link, chicken and fries.
Local Voice winner
Ashok Selvam, Chicago editor of Eater: Since the whole city is Selvam's menu, we asked for his current fave — Rendang Republic's "Duck Inn-Do Hot Dog" featuring a Duck Inn chicken dog topped with sambal aioli, acar relish, fried shallot, cilantro and more.
Note: This story has been updated with chef Noah Sandoval's pick and news that Ashok Selvam has won this year's Local Voice award.