Chicago restaurants win three James Beard awards
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Julia Momosé holds her second Beard award, this time for Outstanding Bar. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Chicago restaurants including Oriole, Kumiko and Lem's Bar-B-Q won James Beard awards Monday night during a star-studded ceremony held at the Civic Opera House.
Why it matters: The accolades can often bring in more business, tourism and tax revenue to a city that could use the extra dough.
The big picture: The entire weekend of multiple Beard award ceremonies turned into celebrations of immigrants' contributions to American food culture at a time when they're under attack by the Trump administration.
Outstanding Bar went to Julia Momosé, mixologist, chef and owner of the Japanese-inspired West Loop bar Kumiko.
- This was Momosé's second Beard after winning in 2022 for her book "The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques, and Recipes."
- "This one is so much more special because it's about the whole team, current and past, and everyone who helped us even before we were open," Momosé tells Axios.
- "It's about our guests, our regulars, and those people who came in to give us a shot. It's such a beautiful community. And so this is just surreal."
Best Chef Great Lakes went to Noah Sandoval of Oriole who sent a surrogate to accept and read his speech saying Sandoval is away, "focusing on improving and nurturing my mental health."
- The chef's message continued with words of respect to fellow nominees and push back to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Between the lines: Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson also used their time on stage to highlight Chicago and the contributions of its immigrants.
- Johnson gave special shout outs to neighborhood spots including Brown Sugar Bakery, TNT Rooftop and S2 Grill.
Bottom line: Chicago may have been the biggest winner of the weekend as thousands of food lovers flocked to our town to eat, drink and enjoy beautiful spring days.
🎥 Bonus: You can watch the Axios Chicago red carpet show here.