The James Beard Awards are two weeks away, but the celebration starts early with James Beard Eats Week 2017.
The James Beard Awards have been called the “Oscars of the food world” by “Time” magazine, and Chicago has a history of being well represented and this year looks like it won’t be any different. Medals and awards are fun for the recipients, but what we all want is delicious food. Over 100 restaurants will be taking part in James Beard Eats Week where they will have special menus or dishes inspired by James Beard, the iconic American chef for which the awards are named after.
One hundred is a lot of restaurants, so as always we’ll go to the concierges’ favorites to help narrow it down.
Concierges’ Favorites Participating in James Beard Eats Week 2017
- Beatrix: Highlights include Kung Pao brussels sprouts with Marcona almonds.
- Benny’s Chop House: Highlights include The JB Éclair, which is an éclair with vanilla bean custard, served with caramel sea salt ice cream
- Cherry Circle Room: Highlights include lobster veloute with sea urchin and foie gras
- Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse: Highlights include a prime bone-in filet mignon with a foie gras demi
- Dusek’s Board & Beer: Highlights include a pork tenderloin au poive
- Ēma: Highlights include a pan-roasted romanesque cauliflower with house yogurt and local honey
- The Gage: Highlights include broiled swordfish with salad from James Beard’s book “New Fish Cookery”
- Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse: Highlights include Filet Oscar, which is a 10 oz. filet mignon, king crab, asparagus, and hollandaise sauce
- Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House: Highlights include a spring halibut with ramps, fennel, and radish
- il Porcellino: Highlights include Berkshire porchetta with Tuscan white beans
- Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, & Stone Crab: Highlights include seafood pasta with lobster, king crab, shrimp, cherry tomatoes and asparagus in a lobster sauce
- Kinzie Chophouse: Highlights include a pan-fried lamb risotto
- Prime & Provisions: Highlights include a crab and quinoa salad
- Roka Akor: Highlights include a rohan duck carpaccio with roasted truffle vinaigrette
- RPM Italian: Highlights include a housemade lumache, aged prosciutto, and spring pea
- Siena Tavern: Highlights include a fava bean caramelle, braised rabbit, porcini mushroom, and pecorino
- Sunda New Asian: Highlights include a wild mushroom fried rice with black truffle, hon shimeji, oyster, shiitake, shallots, and fried egg
James Beard Eats Week takes place April 21–May 1 at various restaurants across the city. For a full list of restaurants and more information visit http://www.choosechicago.com/jbf/.
Written By Joel Mora
Joel Mora is editor at Concierge Preferred. Born and raised in Miami, Fl., Joel has slowly ate, drank, and explored his way up north refining all his senses to prepare for the stampede of delicious dining, notorious nightlife, stellar shopping, and captivating culture that calls Chicago home. In the wild he’ll be the red-bearded Cuban with a Lagunitas IPA in his hand.
Cherry Circle Room! Mmmm.