—Beard and wonderful: Congrats go to the Chicago restaurants and chefs that have been named this year’s James Beard Awards finalists. The James Beard Awards is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2025.
Local nominees include Galit (Outstanding Restaurant); Kumiko (Outstanding Bar); and HaiSous’ Thai Dang, Maxwells Trading’s Chris Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, and Oriole’s Noah Sandoval (Best Chef: Great Lakes).
The nominees were announced during an event in Los Angeles on April 2. Of course, the awards will be given in Chicago on Saturday, June 15. Tickets to the ceremony can be purchased here.
The 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards is introducing three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. As an extension of the James Beard Foundation’s impact work and advocacy policy priorities, there will be the inaugural Impact Awards, which recognize individuals and/or organizations advancing standards for a more equitable, sustainable and economically viable restaurant industry and food system.
—Pizza on Earth: Home Run Inn Pizza—which claims it launched thin-crust tavern-style pizza in Chicago—is offering deep-dish pizza for the first time ever this weekend.
The special offer is only valid for April 5-6, with the chain offering 12-inch deep dish pizzas and tavern-style pizzas for just $10, with a limit of three pizzas per order.
—Fest event: The Chicago Tea Festival will return to the Copernicus Center Chicago on April 12-13.
Among other things, there will be tea cupping sessions (such as Introduction to Cupping, Japanese vs. Chinese Green Teas and The World of Chai) and other classes, including A Sensory Analysis of Honey, Tea Meets Chocolate, a matcha tea ceremony and even Hosting Teatime Without Losing Your Mind. The exhibit promises to feature dozens of vendors, like Sugimoto Tea, Volition Tea, Effie’s Homemade, Delightful Pastries, Tea Time Magazine and others.
—Like a “Dock”: Navy Pier’s Offshore Rooftop is glamming up for its first-ever Big Dock Energy Drag Brunch on Sunday, April 13. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
Fans are invited to bring their energy and come to party with host Mimi Marks and fellow drag icons Maya Douglas and Serena Fiierce. DJ Ca$h Era will provide the beats for the over-the-top day-party on the world’s largest rooftop.
Tickets ($79 each) are available here.
—Oh, what a night: As part of the nationwide culinary series to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Share Our Strength—the nonprofit behind the No Kid Hungry campaign—James Beard Award-winning chef Zach Engel will host an intimate, one-of-a-kind dinner on Tuesday, April 15, at 7 p.m.at Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-nominated spot Galit to raise funds to help end childhood hunger.
Engel welcomes an all-star lineup of Chicago’s best chefs—Diana Dávila, Paul Virant, Joe Flamm and Galit’s own pastry chef, Mary Eder-McClure—into his kitchen at Galit for a rare dining experience.
The evening will kick off at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception at the newly opened Cafe Yaya, next door to Galit.
After 25 years of successfully investing in local nonprofits and helping find the best approaches to eradicating poverty and hunger, Share Our Strength launched No Kid Hungry in 2010. RSVP at the above link.
—Willing and “Table”: The Illinois Restaurant Association will host the 46th Annual Chef’s Table—a masquerade-inspired evening dedicated to celebrating and honoring the foodservice industry. Presented by Home Grown Program supported by Sysco, this annual event will take place on Thursday, April 17, 6-9 p.m., at Rockwell on the River, 3057 N. Rockwell St.
Guests will indulge in dishes from more than 30 restaurants (including The Fat Shallot, Demera Ethiopian Restaurant, Marina’s Bistro & Rum Bar, Yum Dum and more), sip handcrafted cocktails, and enjoy entertainment including a DJ, a roaming photo booth, tattoos from Crispy Aura Tattoo Studio and more.
Tickets are available for $250 each, raising vital funds that directly benefit the IRA Educational Foundation—a non-profit organization dedicated to building and promoting the health and prosperity of the restaurant industry by investing in our youth and our workforce.
—Oui!: Moulin Rouge! The Musical has kicked off its two-and-a-half-week residency at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, and Kindling Chicago is celebrating the occasion with a special beverage offering and a prix fixe theater menu.
Throughout April, Kindling will feature The Parisian Rouge—an exclusive Moulin Rouge-inspired cocktail blending gin, Campari, demerara syrup, Peychaud’s bitters and absinthe. Any theater-goer who presents their Moulin Rouge ticket or playbill to their server will receive this complimentary cocktail, when paired with the purchase of a prix fixe experience. (You must be at least 21 to redeem.)
Regarding the theater menu, it consists of wood-fired dishes, starting with a simple gem salad followed by a choice of brine + herb-marinated Amish farm chicken, cedar-grilled salmon or steak frites. To finish, indulge in a S’mores cake bar with Italian meringue marshmallow, luxe chocolate bar and a graham cracker crust.
—Out and about: The annual Dining Out for Life will take place Thursday, April 24, at various restaurants.
Participating restaurants will donate a percentage of their sales on this day to support the work of Vivent Health + TPAN. This event also supports the many local businesses that support the coalition.
Currently, Anteprima, Big Gay Sal’s Pizza, Ed Debevic’s and Marina’s Bistro & Rum Bar are among the spots participating, among others. More will be announced closer to the date of the event.
That’s the news for this week. Be sure to come back next week for more tasty treats! Also, be sure to visit SAVOR with Andrew for more news items (including an event with Alton Brown) and a feature on the Indian-inspired cafe Swadesi.