23 Bars, Restaurants, Chefs In Illinois Named Semifinalists For 2025 James Beard Awards

CHICAGO — Nearly two dozen Illinois bars, restaurants and chefs were named 2025 James Beard semifinalists, the organization announced Wednesday, with all but one of them located in Chicago.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the prestigious culinary awards, sometimes known as the “Oscars of food,” recognizing eateries and chefs who create exceptional food, food media content and better food systems.

Awards also recognize a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability and a culture where all can thrive, according to the New York-based James Beard Foundations.

In celebration of the anniversary, the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists are recognized across 25 categories, with an expanded focus on beverages.

There are three new categories for 2025: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

Other categories include outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, outstanding restaurant, emerging chef, best new restaurant, outstanding bakery, outstanding pastry chef or baker, outstanding hospitality, outstanding wine and other beverages program, outstanding bar and best chef.

Here are are 22 semifinalists from Chicago:

• Brian Jupiter and Aaron Torricelli of Pioneer Tavern Group, the parent of Frontier in West Town and Ina Mae Tavern in Wicker Park are semifinalists in the "Outstanding Restaurateur" category.
• Chef Lee Wolen, the longtime executive chef and partner at Boka, the Michelin-starred Lincoln Park restaurant group namesake, is a semifinalist in the "Outstanding Chef" category.
• Galit, the Middle Eastern restaurant in Lincoln Park with a Michelin star and a Beard Award-winning Chef, is a semifinalist for "Outstanding Restaurant."
• Chef Jacob Potashnick of Feld the farm-to-table tasting menu restaurant that opened in Ukrainian Village last year, is a semifinalist in the "Emerging Chef" category.
• Cariño, Chicago's newest Michelin-starred restaurant, a Latin-inspired tasting menu and taco Omakase in Uptown is the sole Chicago semifinalist for "Best New Restaurant."
• Leigh Omilinsky, the executive pastry chef and partner at Daisies in Logan Square, is a semifinalist for "Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker."
• Elske, the Scandinavian-inspired, Michelin-starred Fulton Market District restaurant, is a semifinalist in the "Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program."
• Kumiko, the acclaimed Japanese dining bar in the West Loop from acclaimed bartender Julia Momose is a semifinalist for "Best Bar."
• Bisous, the Parisian-style cocktail bar in the Fulton Market District, as well as Truce, a coffee and cocktail bar in Bucktown, are both semifinalists in the "Best New Bar" category. Both opened last year.
• Thomas Kakalios, the wine director of Asador Bastian in Chicago, is a semifinalist for "Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service."
• Christopher Marty, co-owner of Best Intentions in Logan Square, is a semifinalist in the category of "Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service."

And half of the 20 semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes — a category that includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio — are based in Chicago:

• Marcos Ascencio of Mariscos San Pedro
• Thai Dang of HaiSous
• Diana Davila of Mi Tocaya Antojería
• Bo Fowler of BiXi Beer
• Joe Frillman of Daisies
• Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower of Maxwells Trading
• Lamar Moore of ETC.
• Noah Sandoval of Oriole
• Sujan Sarkar of Indienne
• Zeeshan Shah and Yoshi Yamada, Superkhana International

The sole Illinois nominees hailing from outside the Windy City are Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon from Scratch Brewing in Ava, a farmhouse brewery located near the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois.

Finalists, which organizers call "nominees," are scheduled to be announced on April 2, and winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.