Nominations for the 2013 Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence were announced Nov. 19 by Michael Muser, general manager and partner of Grace; Carrie Nahabedian, executive chef of NAHA; and Catherine de Orio, host of Check, Please! during a press conference at the Fairmont Chicago.
The Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence is the only Chicago-based awards presentation that recognizes and rewards culinary originality and talent in the Chicagoland area.
Among the nominees are:
—Chef of the Year: Curtis Duffy (Grace), Carrie Nahabedian (NAHA), Paul Virant (Vie/Perennial Virant), Andrew Zimmerman (Sepia)
—Pastry Chef of the Year: Lisa Bonjour (mk), Craig Harzewski (NAHA), Elissa Narow (Vie/Perennial Virant), Leigh Omilinsky (Cafe des Architectes)
—Best Mixologist: Charles Joly (The Aviary), Paul McGee (Three Dots and a Dash), Danielle Pizzutillo (Embeya), Sergio Serna (The Drawing Room)
—Best Restaurant Design: Balena, Boarding House, Brindille, Embeya
—Best New Restaurant: Fat Rice, Found, Gather, Travelle, TWO
—Restaurant of the Year: Acadia, Brindille, Embeya, Grace
The Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence will be on Friday, Jan. 31 at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Grand Chefs Gala presented by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
A limited number of tickets and tables are still available and can be purchased by visiting www.grandchefsgala.com or calling 312-236-4491. Tickets start at $100 for the nightcap portion of the event and $500 for the entire evening.