StarChefs, a national restaurant industry publication, named 19 Chicago “Rising Stars” this week, and you can celebrate with the winners at a tasting gala and awards ceremony next month.
While the list is impressive, a few of the stars are far from rising and, in fact, have soared for quite some time. Most notable among them? Noah Sandoval, chef and owner of Oriole restaurant, and partner in the highly anticipated Bar Kumiko, both in the West Loop. Tribune critic Phil Vettel awarded Oriole a rare four-star review in 2016. Even Michelin caught up later that year with two out of its three stars.
But StarChefs, based in New York City, did do its due diligence by meeting with “more than 125 chefs, pastry chefs, bartenders, sommeliers and artisans in Chicago,” according to a release.
“A regional Midwestern Mexican cuisine is evolving, and a younger generation of Mexican-Americans has staked its claim on upscale dining,” said StarChefs editor Caroline Hatchett in the release. “We drank mezcal and wines from Baja, and ate mole negro croissants.”
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Those mole negro croissants were made by Alexander Roman, baker at Somerset restaurant in the Gold Coast. The pastries are part of his featured dish at the tasting gala, along with an assortment of artisan breads. You may remember Roman from my “12 of Chicago’s best breads” story last year, when he was baking at Pleasant House Bakery.
Jonathan Zaragoza, chef at Birrieria Zaragoza, best known for its signature goat dish in Archer Heights, was the sole winner in a curious category: Community Chef.
The award “celebrates a chef who has established deep roots within his/her local culinary community, and dedicates his/her spare time to charity work and/or community outreach,” according to the site.
Indeed the entire Zaragoza family has created a culinary sanctuary for the Mexican immigrant community, and more.
The walk-around tasting and awards ceremony will be held June 12 at Cafe Brauer in Lincoln Park. General admission ($115) will include 16 dishes, 16 beverage pairings and three signature cocktails. A VIP ticket ($160) adds a private reception with Champagne and caviar. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Pilot Light, the Chicago nonprofit organization founded by chefs to help kids make healthier choices by connecting what they learn with food.
For a full list of winners and truly terrific details on “Why They Shine,” go to www.starchefs.com.
Cafe Brauer, 2021 N. Stockton Drive, 312-742-2400, www.lpzoo.org/private-events-cafe-brauer
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