What occurs when Chicago’s prime cooks, sommeliers and hospitality leaders come collectively for one night time to have fun their very own? Loads of jokes get cracked about The Bear and the rise of meals influencers on TikTok.
However there have been additionally some moments of seriousness at Sunday’s Banchet Awards — Chicago’s prime native prize for eating places and cooks, which introduced lots of of trade insiders collectively at downtown’s Venue SIX10.
When presenting Restaurant of the 12 months (which went to West Loop mainstay, Avec), Mary Kay Bonoma of the Illinois Restaurant Affiliation veered into information of the day.
“Let’s, in these very difficult and typically troubling instances, acknowledge the entire immigrants that work within the restaurant trade. You might be our spine, you really are,” Bonoma mentioned, drawing one of many greatest rounds of applause of the night time.
The sentiment was shared by Rising Chef winner Chris Jung, of Maxwell’s Buying and selling within the West Loop, who mentioned after the ceremony: “I’m honored to be in a metropolis that’s so various, that’s so welcoming of its immigrants. You noticed it in a variety of the nominees right this moment.”
Everybody from Breakfast Queen Ina Pinkney to The Tamale Man (Claudio Velez) was available to bestow medals upon winners like Bucktown’s Le Bouchon (Finest Neighborhood Restaurant) and Uptown’s Cariño (Finest New Restaurant). The esteemed prize for Chef of the 12 months went to Otto Phan of Kyōten in Logan Sq..
And, in a hotly contested class voted on by the occasion’s attendees: Spacca Napoli in Ravenswood was named Chicago’s Finest Pizza.
Right here’s the entire record of 2025 Banchet Award nominees and winners, with winners denoted with *:
Restaurant of the 12 months
*Avec
El Che Steakhouse & Bar
Elske
Rose Mary
Chef of the 12 months
*Otto Phan (Kyōten)
Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio)
Stephen Gillanders (S.Ok.Y., Valhalla & Apolonia)
Kevin Hickey (The Duck Inn)
Finest New Restaurant
*Cariño
Brasero
John’s Meals And Wine
Oliver’s
Rising Chef
*Chris Jung (Maxwell’s Buying and selling)
Mike Satinover (Akahoshi Ramen)
Madalyn Durrant (Bar Parisette)
John Dahlstrom (Nettare)
Pastry Chef of the 12 months
*T.C. Lumbar (Elske)
Antonio Incandela (Mariscos San Pedro)
Bo Durham (Mindy’s Bakery)
Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader & Ben Lustbader (Loaf Lounge)
Sommelier of the 12 months
*Jelena Prodan (S.Ok.Y., Valhalla & Apolonia)
Scott Stroemer (Galit)
Patti Robison (Acanto)
Kat Hawkins (Miru, Tre Dita, St. Regis Bar)
Bar of the 12 months
*Bisous
9 Bar
Sepia
Golden Years
Finest Heritage Restaurant
*Stumara
New Village Gastro Pub & Karaoke
Ocean Grill & Bar
Soul & Smoke
Finest Neighborhood Restaurant
*Le Bouchon
Bungalow By Center Forehead
Kie-Gol-Lanee
Daisy’s Po-Boy And Tavern
Finest Counter Service
*Ragadan
Migos Fantastic Meals
Santa Masa Tamaleria
J.P. Graziano Grocery
Finest Design
*Tre Dita
Bazaar Meat
Brasero
Perilla Steakhouse
Finest Hospitality
*Pricey Margaret
Brindille
Jeong
Anelya
Finest Pizza
*Spacca Napoli Pizzeria
Pistores
Milly’s Pizza In The Pan
Robert’s Pizza And Dough Co.
Courtney Kueppers is an arts and tradition reporter at WBEZ.
