Colorado chef Caroline Glover of Annette wins James Beard award

Colorado chef Caroline Glover of Aurora-based Annette is now a James Beard award winner.

• She secured the honor — which equates to an Oscar in the restaurant world — of Best Mountain Chef in Chicago on Monday night, at the James Beard Foundation's first in-person celebration since 2019.

Why it matters: Glover, whose restaurant is located in the Stanley Marketplace food hall, is a longtime leader in the Denver-area restaurant industry.

• When it comes to her food, she sticks to her guns when the battlefield is ever-changing.

What they're saying: "After the last two-and-a-half years, I'm shocked," Glover, a many-time finalist and semifinalist for James Beard awards, said in an interview with Axios Chicago's Monica Eng.

• "I can't believe we are still here given the cards we've been dealt. But to be able to represent Aurora specifically in this big arena means the world to me."

The bottom line: "Restaurants aren't a luxury," she said in her acceptance speech.

• "We're essential. And it's time for us to start being treated that way."

Of note: From best new restaurants to outstanding chefs, 13 eateries and restaurateurs in the Centennial State earned James Beard nods this year.