2025 James Beard Awards in Chicago

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!

Throughout the weekend there were a ton of events, discussions, pop-ups, bar takeovers, dinners, etc. And I was on my way to my first one just an hour after checking in to my room!

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.

What a stunning location for these delicious drinks! I had asked one of the Colette bartenders about the significance of a particular garnish being used. He told me he wasn't sure, but the next day at another event, he remembered me and my question and introduced me to Rubén Rolón, their bar director, who graciously gave me a little back story. So not just fantastic cocktails but over the top professionalism and service! I need an excuse to get back to Dallas!

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)! 

Upon checking in we were given 12 golf tees, each good for one cocktail from 30 different bars! The bars were set up in the alley, inside Three Dots, next door in the historic Courthouse building, across the street at Salon 61 event space, and inside Gus' Sip & Dip!

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 had walked over on my own but was soon in multiple conversations with the other folks around me. And then ran into new friends Caroline and Will which was just the cherry on top! 

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! 

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!

Check out all the nominees here and check out all the winners is here.

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! 

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.

Drinking & Dining in Paris

Trip date: February 2024

Let's start with a drink, always the best way to start IMO!

I always have lists going with places I want to check out in cities around the globe. I don't always know where I read about a place or who recommended it to me, as was the case when I suggested checking out the rooftop bar at Hotel Dame des Arts to my BFF Forest. But we thought it was odd that she wasn't familiar since she worked in the cocktail industry. 

Off we went before dinner one night, and were told that the rooftop wasn't open since it was winter. We decided to stay anyway and have a drink in the cute restaurant/bar of the little hotel. As we sat there we both had the feeling that we had been here before. We started to search online for what the hotel had been before and found that it was the old Holiday Inn with incredible rooftop views of the Eiffel Tower where Forest had taken me years before! 

The waiter invited us to take our cocktails up to the rooftop even though there wasn't anyone working up there, so we bundled up and enjoyed the entire terrace and views all to ourselves. 

Next on my list was dinner of oysters at Huitrerie Regis. Again, I couldn't remember where I had read about it but Forest was game so we walked over to the 6th to find the address. When we came upon the TINY shop Forest laughed and told me that she had passed this place once and meant to come back to try it. 

There are only about 6 tables and a small selection of the oysters they feel are the best at the time. We had a great dinner and great wine. The oysters here were served both with butter, as is pretty normal in France, and also Baume de Bouteville balsamic vinegar, made in French cognac barrels, standing in for the more typical mignonette. It was delicious!

After dinner, Forest took me to a little hotel, tucked back off the street and looking like it was from a Wes Anderson movie. Hotel de l'Abbaye had indeed been a home for nuns in the mid 17th century before being converted to a hotel in the 1990's. 

We enjoyed a nightcap in the sweet little bar area, but be advised that normally this is only open to guests of the hotel. We just feigned innocence. 

One afternoon we had lunch at a very traditional cafe near her place. There were no tourists at the L'Os à Moelle, and our meal started with lovely little amuse soups, served gratis, before my hearty main of duck. We finished with cheese bien sûr.

Late that afternoon, after some spa time at Hotel Crillon, Forest and I met our friend Matt at the hotel's uber ritzy Les Ambassadeurs Bar. This bar is such a stunner!

But it's not just for looks, the drinks are excellent. And spendy! The "Pear", their take on an Old Fashioned with Michter's bourbon, calvados, sauternes, and pear juice was delicious and €29!

That night we walked over to the restaurant Chez Rene in the 5th. I had first eaten here with my mom in 1999 while we were staying just blocks away. My mom liked it so much, and they treated us so well, that we went twice on our 10-day trip. Then a couple of years ago, my friend Albert posted about his dinner here! I was surprised as this isn't a trendy spot but he said it's on his semi-regular rotation. I really wanted to go back and Forest and our friend Cli said they would be up for it.

Well  the girls thought it was great and that is high praise as they both live in the city and eat at MANY cafés. The restaurant was full and bustling and obviously very loved by its regulars. The food was still classic and wonderful and the service still kind. Cli's only complaint was that they brought the bill when we were done instead of asking if we wanted to order more wine. Which we did and then basically closed the place down! It was really a sweet trip down memory lane made even better by sharing it with friends. 

Another afternoon I stopped into another neighborhood café, close by Forest's and a fave of another friend, A la Tour Eiffel. I enjoyed a simple lunch of duck confit and roast potatoes. What can I say? I love the classics!

Bar Nouveau had opened a few months before I was in town and was getting all the love so we went early one evening (there are only 8 seats upstairs so plan accordingly). The menu is also tiny with just 6 drinks listed. We had time for a couple of rounds and everything we had was wonderful. My favorite was their take on the Ramos Fizz made with vanilla yogurt and peated whiskey. They unapologetically use a milkshake machine to mix the cocktail for a full 3 minutes. 

Dinner that evening was at Petrelle, my first time. The restaurant has been around for 20 years, and under its old chef was a favorite of celebs like Madonna and Mick Jagger. He sold it to sommelier Luca Danti and chef Lucie Boursier-Mougenot years ago and Forest and I were both excited to try it out. 

They only serve a 4-course tasting menu, with an optional 5th choice, which is great for me, and the room is cozy and dim with lots of antiques and candles. When we were seated we were amongst the only one's in the room and I think we were both a little worried, but within an hour the restaurant was completely full.

We had such a fantastic meal and loved all our courses including a wonderful dish of amberjack in tigre de leche with Meyer lemon, pasta "candies" with roasted squash and bisque with saffron foam, a juicy cut of pork with candied leeks and a broth made of seaweed. A generous plate of cheese followed and then a small deconstructed apple tart. Everything was excellent. We also had a great conversation with Danti about a few of his wines and when we inquired about one he was pouring by the glass for another table he gifted us the remainder of the bottle. I really can't recommend Petrelle highly enough!

Without a doubt the highlight meal of this trip was lunch at the famed 1-Michelin star Tour d'Argent. Originally opened as an inn in 1582, during Henry III's reign, it evolved into a fine dining establishment late in the 16th century when Henry IV started using a fork to eat at the inn (forks having been used for serving only in France until then). 

In the 1890s the restaurant was owned by Frédéric Delair who hosted the Wright Brothers for dinner! In 1911 the restaurant was purchased by André Terrail, and in 1947 he handed it over to his son Claude, and in 2006 after Claud's death, his son André took it over. The restaurant was closed in early 2022 for a huge renovation and had just reopened 6 months prior to our lunch. Part of the renovation included adding a lovely ground floor bar which is where we started. 

Bar des Maillets d'Argent, named after Claude's polo team, welcomed us with complimentary mini cocktails and amuse bouche mini polo balls on a dish looking like polo turf. Then André came out and introduced himself to Forest and talked to her all about the bar and the concept. The bar area is also filled with cases holding all sorts of family and restaurant history. It's a great spot!

When it was time for our lunch we were led through a door disguised as a paneled wall, down a little hall, also with cases of memorabilia, and into an elevator waiting to take us to the 6th floor restaurant. The floor to ceiling windows have views of the Seine, Notre-Dame and the Ile Saint-Louis. It's fantastic!

Our table was set with a heavy glass duck paperweight, silver goblets and plate chargers. The entire restaurant seemed new and shiny! We started with perfectly poured rosé Champagne (by our possibly hungover young server) followed by some lovely amuse bouche. 

At lunch they serve a wonderful 4-course menu so really the only thing we had to was pick a wine. Not so easy though with their famous cellar of nearly 300,000 bottles!!! Holy hell, the wine menu was the largest I have ever seen! We finally settled on a 2005 Saumur from Château de Villeneuve since we are both fans of Chenin Blanc from the Loire. 

First course was a silky mushroom soup, poured directly into monogrammed china bowls. Second course was "Egg Mystery" a signature dish of sous vide egg, coated with breadcrumbs and then surrounded by sauce and shaved black truffles! Woah!

Third course was a perfectly cooked piece of bass with a foam sauce that was so airy! A sprinkling of various seeds lended great texture to contrast. And of course the fourth course was the dish the restaurant is most famous for, "Canard à la Presse". 

The dish, created in 1890 by the owner at the time Frédéric Delair, uses a specific process for the pressed duck, and is served with sauces and garnishes based on the season. Delair also started getting the ducks from just one family farm, Maison Burgaud in Challans, on the west coast of France. And he started the tradition of numbering each duck served. Customers get a little card or certificate, mine was 1,182,459! That's a lot of ducks all still coming from the same family!

It was all fantastic; the food, the service, the people watching, the newly renovated room (google some photos of the old decor! Hello grandma!), and the million dollar views. We finished with a lovely selection of cheeses off of their cart, some more rosé Champagne, two dessert dishes (one a light sorbet and the other a chocolate & pear combo), then a small platter of chocolate mignardises. 

We were almost the last ones in the dining room and when the bill finally arrived were were surprised and thrilled to see the hand written note from André letting us know it was on him! Incredibly generous! He was very excited that Forest was there and really valued her opinion. 

One of the servers then took us on a tour of the rooftop, which has little tables and chairs, and looks like the perfect spot for a sunset cocktail. And on our way down in the elevator they also told us that there is an apartment for rent. So basically you don't ever have to leave the Tower! We chose to extend our stay with a few cognacs back in the bar (which they also comped). 

Early the next morning I was in an Uber to CDG in A LOT of traffic (1 full hour on the road) but once at the airport I was checked into my biz class flight on Air France and thru security in 15 minutes total. The lounge in T2 is really basic, especially in the morning with not even Champagne on offer, so I did a bit of duty free shopping and then had a short flight to Heathrow. Even on this short hop, AF biz breakfast was a poached egg in tomato sauce, a wedge of Cantel, fromage blanc, croissants, and jam!

One thing about using points to fly is that a lot of time there isn't a direct flight available. And since I really try to only fly business when going international that makes picking slimmer. I would be having a 6-hour layover in LHR. Some might cringe but Heathrow is such a madhouse that as my friend Albert said, "I hope that gives you enough time to transfer!" ha! 

I spent most of my time in the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Lounge, which is easily in my top 5 fave lounges in the world. I sat in the restaurant and enjoyed a full service lunch of a cute sausage roll and champagne.

After lunch I went to the bar area and relaxed with more champagne for a bit before also hitting the duty free shops on my way to my boarding gate. I flew Delta One back to Seattle on their A330-900. The Suite was very nice and had lots of room and lots of privacy with the door completely closed. 

The service, food, and wine was all very good but they don't give you pajamas or put mattresses on the layflats like many other airlines do! So it was very good for me but not excellent. Bonus points for serving high tea before landing though!

All photos of Paris here.

Other posts from this trip:

36 Hours in Luxembourg

Museums and Such in Paris

Museums and Such in Paris

Trip Date: Feb 2024

When I saw that the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris was putting on a retrospective of Mark Rothko I really wanted to go- I had never been to that venue and Rothko is one of my favorite American artists. The exhibit only went from the end of 2023 until April 2024 and I already had multiple trips booked during that time and the budget was drained. But then Air France had a sale on flights booked with mileage and then Chase had a 25% transfer bonus to Air France! I found a flight from Seattle to Paris in Business class for just 41,250 miles. So I transfered 33,000 points from Chase & was awarded 8,250 more and paid $202 in taxes and fees and viola! Booked to go see Rothko and the BFF! 

The day of my trip I had a text saying my flight would be delayed 6 hours!! Luckily I use TripIt for all my travels and it alerted me that I should be qualified for compensation on any delays on a European carrier of more than 3 hours. While I hung out in the Amex Centurion Lounge and then the Delta Lounge at SeaTac I filed my claims online and included my Lyft cost since originally a friend was going to drive me to the airport. $717 ($67 for Lyft and $650 for the delay) was deposited in my bank account about 2 weeks after I got home. 

As I had taken advantage of the same sale for my return and found a 30% transfer bonus with Amex, I booked Delta One (thru Air France) for 75,000 but only had to transfer 58,000 & pay $288 for taxes and fees. So with the flight delay compensation I actually made $160! Gotta love that!

Also if you are at SeaTac and have to choose between the Amex Centurion Lounge or the Delta Lounge I will tell you that Amex has much better drinks and bartenders while Delta has better food quality. IMO. 

My Air France flight was on an older Boeing 787-9 but biz class still had a semi-private "pod", especially as I had a window seat which is a solo seat. Pro tip, when choosing a window seat pay attention to if the seat is angled the aisle or the window, facing the window gives you the max privacy, in this case it was the odd numbered rows. 

Compared to other business class, this was pretty basic. No mattress, pj's or even slippers!! There was a small amenity kit handed out after we took off and of course it was a lie-flat seat. The best part of Air France is that the Champagne flows freely (real Champagne) and the food is always great! My meal consisted of scallop ceviche, lobster salad, prime rib with demi-glace and roasted mushrooms, and a lovely Opera cake for dessert. Oh and ABK6 VSOP Single Estate Cognac. Of course!

In Paris, Forest and I had timed tickets for the Mark Rothko exhibit and arrived out in the Bois du Boulogne just a bit before our entry. From what I understand, the show was completely sold out. It was the first dedicated exhibit in France since 1999. There were 115 works from the National Gallery of Art and the Phillips Collection, both in WA DC, the Tate in London, and from private collections, including Rothko's private family collection. 

First off this building, instantly recognizable as a design by Frank Gehry, is stunning! 

The exhibit was spread throughout the LV building and was organized in chronological order, starting with paintings from the 1930's including a self-portrait and other portraits. I had never seen any of his very early art so it was surprising!

In the early 40's he decided to move to abstraction and surrealism because he thought he wasn't good at figures. 

By the mid to late 40's he was fully into the multi-forms of color he is known for. 

Over the course of the 11 galleries you could really see his progression through shapes and colors. I was excited to see the entire Tate Gallery collection from its dedicated "Rothko room". I've seen these in London multiple times and the deep reds are just so striking!

But I hadn't seen the Phillips Collection's pieces so to see that collection was awesome, especially as you could really compare the works with different years, etc. 

One of the last rooms had a selection of his very dark paintings paired with sculpturist Giacometti’s tall figures. Such a fantastic combination!

I find his work very powerful; the color always feels like it is saturating my eyes & filling my head. Rothko felt that color could communicate emotions like fear, joy, and depression and I'd add wonder to that list. That is what I felt the first time I saw one of his pieces and it's what I still generally feel. I was very happy to have made it to this. 

We also had a wonderful visit to the YSL museum one morning. From 1974 to 2002 this mansion was the fashion house of Yves Saint Laurent. In 2017 the haute couture HQ was reopened as a museum to give the public an opportunity to explore the designer's history and creations. 

Entering the mansion, we were invited up the beautiful staircase and into the designer's reception room where once clients were met; now filled with lots of his small sketches, photos, and paintings. From here we followed the progression into the special exhibit called Sheer: The diaphanous creations of Yves Saint Laurent which was a multi-space collection of his work exploring different ideas and examples of the theme.

The first gallery held the obvious; creations with lace, tuile, organza, and other sheer fabrics. Stunning and intricate work, also daring and revealing silhouettes including the first "see-through" blouse he created in 1968.

We continued upstairs to another gallery filled with beautiful dresses made of soft flowy fabrics. And into the dressmaking rooms where patterns were traced and transparency is showcased by the detailed stitching of these works of art.  

Pieces by other artists, such as Anne Bourse, Man Ray, and Picabia were also on exhibit throughout the mansion echoing the "sheer" theme. The final examples were some incredible wedding dresses. 

The museum, with it's collection of 5,000 garments and 15,000 accessories, most chosen personally by YSL for the museum, is meant to be mostly a rotating stage for special themed exhibits, which is great as you will always have something new to explore. There are some rooms in the mansion that seem to be permanent like the reception, a small room with a film about his life, and his studio, which was just amazing to walk through. 

The whole experience was highly enjoyable!

After all of that art, we needed culture of a different kind one afternoon. You might think that spending a day at the Hôtel de Crillon spa can't be compared to going to a museum, but this 18th-century palace, right across from the Place de la Concorde, has so much history that I beg to differ.  

While swimming in the beautiful indoor lap pool with its gold-tiled bottom you can think about how King Louis XV commissioned the building in 1758. And while relaxing is a cozy robe while sipping champagne you can image the finished palace being purchased by the Crillon family 1788. 

And while enjoying a decadent massage you can think about when the home was confiscated in 1791 during the French Revolution and was lived in by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette! 

By the way if you are looking to treat yourself I highly recommend the spa at the Crillon, a stunning Rosewood property. 

All photos of this trip to Paris here. 

Other post from this trip:

36 Hours in Luxembourg