Trip date: June 2025
*My views are my own, not those of the Foundation*
Last year I was honored to be asked to be a judge for the James Beard Awards. Three new categories were added to their restaurant and chef awards (Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service) which made getting involved even more fun! After months of eating and drinking, it all came down to the big award ceremony which is held yearly in Chicago. I was very excited to attend my first JBF awards and also just to get back to Chicago since the last time I was there was 2017!
Upon landing, I jumped on the L's Blue line which goes right from the airport into the city for $5 and takes about 50 minutes (vs 1 ½ hrs in a taxi because of traffic!). From the Lake Street station it was just a short walk over the river to my hotel the Westin River North.
I will say that the River North hotel is really in need of a renovation but the location and the view from my window was perfect!
Hawksmoor Chicago was hosting a pop up with New York bar Sip & Guzzle which has been getting a lot of press since opening in Jan 2024. They debuted at #5 on the North America’s 50 Best Bars list and won Best New Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail this year. I haven't had a chance to visit yet but heard that it is a unique set up of dual bars- one focused on creative and classic cocktails, and the other on delicious and not-so-serious drinks.
Ben Yabrow, the head bartender and partner of the New York-based bar, was mixing drinks from both menus. As the room was quite big, and people were queue up to order, he was calm but definitely in the weeds. When I made it to the front, I asked him how he was before placing my order and he responded "My bar has just 5 seats!" And here he was mixing for probably 50!
My friend Amy and I had The Tomato Tree from Sip; one of their signature drinks that combines tomato water, dill-infused gin and shochu, a Greek resin liquor called Skinos Mastiha, St. Germain, and clarified lemon juice. It was complex and unexpected. I wasn't a huge fan but I tend to not always enjoy real savory cocktails. From the Guzzle menu we had the Yuzu Margarita with Don Julio Blanco, yuzu, shiso, and palm salt. And it was indeed a guzzler! Yum!
The next day I attended a seminar called Beyond the Bar: Innovations, Trends, and Challenges in the Beverage Industry. This was a great conversation moderated by Dr. Erinn Tucker-Oluwole, Professor and Co-Founder of DMV Black Restaurant Week. The panel was made up of bar professionals and industry writers; Esther Tseng, Pam Wiznitzer, Will Patton, Andra "AJ" Johnson, and Christine Duke.
I appreciated that the conversation was really about individual's opinions around what is going on and what is changing. It was interesting to hear everyone's thoughts and ideas on things like post-pandemic challenges, the rise of N/A beverages, new ingredients & flavors, etc.
That evening I met my friends Frank and Dick on the rooftop of The Pendry Hotel. Their cocktail bar, Chateau Carbide, was hosting Bar Colette, one of the 2025 “Best New Bar” finalist from Dallas, TX.
The next morning I attended the Low Intervention event at Maxwell’s Trading. Maxwell's is a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and gathering place with a lovely rooftop garden and event space.
Hiyu Wine Farm and Jolie-Laide were both pouring wines; my first time having either and both can count me a fan now!
Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski from State Bird Provisions in San Fran (2025 James Beard finalists for Outstanding Restaurateur) were serving delicious bites along with the owners of Maxwell's Trading. And there were sweet and savory pastries from Mindy Segal of Mindy's Bakery.
What a fun event with a lot of excellent food and drink and also a lot of very interesting people to talk to; the event was specifically for JBF board members, nominees, presenters, and judges.
In the afternoon I walked from my hotel to the alley next to Three Dots & a Dash for the inaugural Chicago Cocktail Classic. No surprise that this was the event I was most excited about (besides the actual awards)!
I met up with new friends Esther and Noelle and we maximized our golf tees by sharing many of the drinks. The drinks were smaller but not what I would consider a mini, and we were having quite a few, so the sharing was a good strategy.
There was so much talent at this event! Bartenders had flown in from all over the country, Mexico, London, and Paris! It was really such a fun event!
One of the spaces was dedicated to just JBF nominees. It was great to be able to taste from Scotch Lodge in Portland, OR, Water Witch in Salt Lake City, UT and Wolf Tree in White River Junction, VT - all 2025 nominees for Outstanding Bar.
Best New Bar nominees Agency in Milwaukee, WI, Bar Colette in Dallas, TX, Identidad Cocktail Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Merai in Brookline, MA and Vice Versa in Miami, FL were also there, as was Strong Water in Anaheim, CA which was up for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program.
I can't say enough about how well run this event was, how generous the bartenders were with their time and energy, and how absolutely delicious everything was! I'd happily sit at any of these bars!
This is going to be an annual tradition in Chicago and tickets are available to the public, so if you live in the area mark your calendar for next year!
And because Esther and I decided that we needed just one more drink (or two) after the Cocktail Classic ended, we showed up at Estereo for the Italian-Cumbia-Ranch Party and had drinks made by Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service nominees Nacho Jimenez, from Superbeuno in NYC and Mary Allison Wright & McLain Hedges from Yacht Club in Denver. More deliciousness and more running into new and old friends at this event!
All of this led up to Monday; the big day! There was a meet-up for all the judges in the early afternoon, and for me it was the first time meeting so many people in my region (judges maintain anonymity during the season, even from each other).
And then a few hours before the awards there was one more event; Gus' Sip & Dip invited nominees and judges to a private pre-ceremony party! They served up their entire menu of drinks and dishes for free! Let me just say that I had already fallen in love with Gus' the day before at the Cocktail Classic, this party just sealed the deal!
I can't imagine visiting Chicago without a stop in at Gus'! Let me just say that the folks here are very generous with their service and their deliciousness!
But wait! After the final award was presented, everyone walked to the gorgeous Union Station for an amazing afterparty! The Great Hall, which holds 1,300 people, was filled with booths and tables manned by restaurants, bars, and celebrities serving up so much food and drink!
I had heard that the awards were long and that people were starving when they were over, but now I was fueled by that excellent wagyu dip sandwich and a martini! After changing for the black-tie event Caroline and I grabbed a car to the Lyric Opera House; it was officially time for the "Oscars of the Restaurant Industry!"
The red carpet was packed with nominees, celebrities, photographers, media hosts, and handlers. Everyone looked so good and there was so much excitement in the air! We chatted with other judges, wished nominees luck, and had our own step and repeat photos!
The 35th James Beard Awards were hosted by chefs Nyesha Arrington and Andrew Zimmern. There were also so many big name presenters including Rick Bayless, Daniel Boulud, Dale DeGroff, Suzanne Goin, Stephanie Izard, Danny Meyer, Marcus Samuelsson, Gail Simmons, and new Top Chef winner Tristen Epps!
As each category nominees were announced, there was so much positivity and support from the crowd of peers, and of course as each winner was announced their joy just lit up the auditorium.
It was an amazing night celebrating people who work so damn hard and deal with so much day in and day out, just to make sure we are all fed, quenched, and happy! Thank you industry professionals, fantastic job nominees (including Seattle restaurants Atoma and Archipelago), and congratulations winners!
The entire evening was completely over the top in a great way! It was an awesome end to an already awesome weekend filled with talent, inspiration, good vibes, and... caviar!
Naturally, I used points for the trip. Here's the breakdown:
✈️ One way First Class ticket on Alaska Air SEA-ORD booked for $464. I used $16.72 which was in my Alaska wallet funds and put the balance on my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, triggering my $300 annual travel credit, for a total out of pocket of $146.58
✈️ One way First Class ticket on United ORD-SEA booked for $382.81 using my United Travel Bank. I fund this by purchasing Travel Bank cash on United's website with my Amex Platinum and Amex Gold annual incidental fee credits ($200 each). $0 out of pocket.
Total price for round trip First Class flights $146.58
🏨 For my 4-night stay I chose the Westin Chicago River North, a Marriott property.
1st night- 52k points + tax
2nd night- Free Night Certificate + tax
3rd & 4th night- $299 promo rate + tax per night
All Chicago photos here.
