The finalists for the James Beard Foundation’s 2026 Restaurant and Chef awards were announced Tuesday morning, and among them are three Chicago chefs.
Bailey Sullivan of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio was nominated in the Emerging Chef category, while both Norman Fenton of Cariño and Jacob Potashnick of Feld nabbed nods for Best Chef, Great Lakes.
The finalists were named in a ceremony at The Wellsley, followed by the news that the James Beard Awards will remain in Chicago through 2028. The live ceremony, which was held in Chicago for the first time as part of the extended agreement, was sponsored by Choose Chicago, the city’s nonprofit tourism and marketing arm.
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“This extension is a recognition of Chicago’s extraordinary culinary community and the chefs, restaurateurs, and hospitality professionals who make our city one of the great food destinations in the world,” said Kristen Reynolds, president and CEO of Choose Chicago. “Chicago is never done, never outdone, and our culinary scene reflects that spirit every day — constantly evolving, innovating, and setting the standard for excellence.”
Chicago had semifinalists in almost every major category this year, including nine for Best Chef: Great Lakes. The three nominees are narrowed down from 23 Chicago semifinalists this year, the fewest number of finalists Chicago has seen in recent years.
Sullivan, a first-time James Beard Award nominee who gained recognition as a finalist on Season 22 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” was beaming on Tuesday after the nominations were announced.
“I knew early that I wanted to be a chef, and this is a culmination of all the hard work, all the long nights, the 16-hour days, the going crazy – everything’s broken when you walk in the restaurant type of thing, but it’s amazing,” Sullivan told the Tribune. “I’m just honored to be here with so many talented folks from Chicago.”
Sullivan’s “cook what you love” motto is what paved the way for her successes, added Sarah Grueneberg, head chef and owner of Monteverde in the West Loop. Grueneberg, who’s worked with Sullivan for more than nine years, earned a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2017.
“I told her to just live in this space for a minute and really just absorb it,” Grueneberg said. “It makes me really happy and really thrilled to see her get the recognition she deserves. She’s worked really hard and she truly cooks from the heart.”
Jake Potashnick, chef of Feld in Ukrainian Village, has been collecting accolades since opening in mid-2024. He joked that the first thing that came to mind when his name was announced as a nominee for Best Chef: Great Lakes was: “Wow, what a mistake they made.”
“What an honor, truly, this was a stacked category of incredible chefs, some of whom opened around the same time we did, who I have so much respect for, some of whom have been open for years, who I grew up with or spent years admiring before I even opened Feld – so to even be in a category with them is amazing,” Potashnick told the Tribune.
Last year, Feld’s ever-evolving farm-focused menu and tireless staff received a Michelin star.
On Tuesday, Potashnick enthusiastically embraced Norman Fenton, chef and partner of Cariño in Uptown, as they both congratulated each other on their nominations. Fenton, who slipped away immediately after the ceremony, received his first Michelin star for Cariño in 2024.
Fenton has plans to open a tortillería with “masa-driven treats” next door to Cariño later this summer. Fenton’s new dual-concept business, Molino Los Hermanos, will feature a double volcanic stone mill on one side and a 24-seat chef’s counter on the other, though both will focus on house-made tortillas.
The Beards, which recognize the best restaurants and chefs in the country, have been held annually in Chicago since 2015. The James Beard Foundation’s current deal with Chicago was to expire in 2027 and there was speculation that the awards could move. But the new agreement ensures the ceremony remains at the Lyric Opera at least through the 2026, 2027 and 2028 award cycles.
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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was quick to applaud the extension.
“Illinois hosts one of the most dynamic and diverse food scenes in the world, with a growing number of restaurants and chefs using their culinary skills to cultivate community and bring international interest to the table,” Pritzker said in a statement to the Tribune. “The James Beard Awards showcase this rich talent on a global stage, and we are grateful that they will continue to call Chicago home and remain in our great state through 2028.”
And Mayor Brandon Johnson, calling Chicago “one of the world’s great culinary cities,” said the tireless, creative and diverse hospitality workers define the entrepreneurial spirit of the city as the Beards continue to bring global attention to Chicago’s vast food scene across 77 neighborhoods.
In addition to hosting the Beards for more than a decade, Chicago is home to more than 50 previous award honorees, including the 2025 winners for Best Chef: Great Lakes, which went to Noah Sandoval of Oriole, Outstanding Bar for Kumiko and an America’s Classics award to the South Side gem Lem’s Bar-B-Q.
“The city’s incredible independent restaurant community, diverse food culture, and central location make it well-positioned to host a celebration of this scale. We’re proud to extend our partnership with Choose Chicago and to keep building an Awards weekend that unites the national food community in one of America’s great culinary cities,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the Beard Foundation.
The 2026 James Beard Awards programming will begin with the Media Awards on June 13 at the Art Institute of Chicago, followed by the Impact Awards on June 14 at The Dalcy. The Restaurant and Chef Awards will be held on June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
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