Chicago will once again be a hotspot for restaurant and bar folks from across the country as they gather here for the annual James Beard Awards, the American hospitality industry’s glitziest awards gala, on Monday, June 16, at the Lyric Opera House. Leading up to the ceremony, the city will host a variety of events ranging from a mariscos patio party and a panel discussion on the changing landscape of food criticism to a cocktail party with some of the world’s best bars represented. Here’s a list of events that are open to the public.
Friday, June 13
The Loop: Hawksmoor, twice named Best International Restaurant Bar by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program for its New York location, hosts Shingo Gokan’s Sip & Guzzle (No. 5 on North America’s 50 Best Bars) for one night. The NYC sister property to Tokyo’s the SG Club is best known for its Japanese American dual identity: Guzzle, a high-energy bar room that offers Japanese beers, classic highballs, and crushable cocktails; and Sip, a sophisticated Japanese room with a formal cocktail program. RSVP at the Evite link. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Hawksmoor, 500 N. LaSalle Drive.
Saturday, June 14
West Loop: Maxwells Trading and Third Season host a culinary bookstore pop-up for LA’s Prospect Explore collectible, out-of-print, obscure, and imported work ranging from regional recipes and food writing to memoirs, poetry, photography, history, art, and science. Additionally, Third Season’s in-house team has curated a selection of records, art books, and vintage movie posters. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Third Season at Maxwells Trading, 1516 W. Carroll Avenue (entrance at N. Justine Street).
Avalon Park: Founder of Justice of the Pies and 2022 James Beard Award nominee chef Maya-Camille Broussard will host 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist chef Camari Mick of Raf’s and Musket Room in New York for an Up South pop-up with dishes that explore the synchronicities between their American Southern and Caribbean roots. Free. RSVP by Friday, June 13. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Justice of the Pies, 8655 S. Blackstone Avenue.
Magnificent Mile: Justice for Migrant Women (J4MW) will celebrate the contributions of immigrants from all backgrounds and migrant women during Immigrant Heritage Month, alongside culinary leaders and advocates for food justice. J4MW will host a panel on mental health and workplace sexual harassment, featuring leaders in the hospitality industry. Free. RSVP by Saturday, June 14. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Loyola University (Regent Room), 111 E. Pearson Street.
The Loop: Erinn Tucker-Oluwole, a PhD, professor, and co-founder, DMV Black Restaurant Week in Washington, D.C., moderates “Beyond the Bar: Innovations, Trends, and Challenges in the Beverage Industry” alongside panelists Esther Tseng, Pam Wiznitzer, Julia Momosé of Kumiko, Will Patton of Press Club in D.C., Andra “AJ” Johnson of D.C.’s Serenata, and Christine Duke from Kendall College. The discussion will explore the current state and future of the beverage industry, focusing on trends, challenges, and opportunities. Topics include how cultural heritage and diverse ingredients are redefining classic cocktails, the rise of non-alcoholic beverages, how the bar industry has adapted since the start of the pandemic, addressing shifts in customer behavior, staffing challenges, and innovative business models. Free. Register by Sunday, June 8. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Kendall College Atrium, 122 S. Michigan Avenue.
The Loop: The team behind Texas-based Bar Colette, a 2025 James Beard Award nominee for Best New Bar, will take over downtown rooftop bar Chateau Carbide atop the Pendry Chicago hotel. Catch beverage director Rubén Rolón behind the bar, shaking up cocktails from a Bar Colette menu. Drink cocktails, hang with the Bar Colette team, and check out the views from Chateau Carbide’s outdoor lounge. Reservations available via OpenTable; walk-ins space permitting. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Chateau Carbide, 230 N. Michigan Avenue, 24th Floor.
Sunday, June 15
Lincoln Park: Owners Adam McFarland and Tom Rogers of John’s Food & Wine will discuss their counter-service approach with podcaster and Chefs, Drugs & Rock & Roll author Andrew Friedman as part of an interactive podcast recording. True to JFW style, the event will feature martinis, Chicago’s top French fries, caviar, and more. Free. RSVP by Sunday, June 8. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at John’s Food & Wine, 2114 N. Halsted Street.
West Loop: Nobu Chicago will host a special edition of its weekend brunch at its rooftop restaurant and lounge with reception-style “brunch bites and unlimited crafted cocktails while taking in views of Chicago’s skyline.” $95 + tax person. Buy tickets by Thursday, June 12. 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nobu Chicago, 155 N. Peoria Street, 11th Floor.
Logan Square: Dan Richer, James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic for pizza destination Razza in Jersey City, teams up with Chicago pizza faves Middle Brow for an afternoon pizza party. Pies will include Middle Brow’s version of the signature Razza zucchini and guanciale pizzas. RSVP by Sunday, June 15; RSVPs do not guarantee you a table at the event. Use Resy to book a table. 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Bungalow by Middle Brow, 2840 W. Armitage Avenue.
Lincoln Park: As part of the JBF Greens event series, chef Zachary Engel of Galit, a James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Restaurant, hosts a three-course brunch of Middle Eastern dishes using locally sourced and sustainable ingredients. Galit’s beverage director Scott Stroemer will pair the meal with wine, and diners can expect pastries and desserts from executive pastry chef Mary Eder-McClure. $95 + tax per person. Buy tickets by Wednesday, June 11. 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Galit, 2429 N. Lincoln Avenue.
The Loop: “Everyone’s a Critic: The Changing Landscape of Food Media and How We Consume It,” moderated by Nycci Nellis of TheListAreYouOnIt.com, will explore food criticism in today’s social media-focused world and how it impacts restaurants. Discussion panelists include Eat with Seth’s Seth Bernstein, James Beard Award-nominated critics Detroit Free Press dining and restaurant critic Lyndsay C. Green of the Detroit Free Press and L.A. Times food columnist Jenn Harris, and 2025 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: California Jon Yao of Kato. Free. Register by Sunday, June 8. 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Kendall College Atrium, 122 S. Michigan Avenue.
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The Loop: James Beard Award winners Erick Williams of Chicago’s Virtue and Gabriel Kreuther of NYC’s Gabriel Kreuther along with 2025 nominee for Best Chef: Southeast Silver Iocovozzi of Neng Jr.’s will discuss the ever-changing definition of American food and what it might look like in the future at this panel discussion entitled “What is American Food Culture?” moderated by New York University professor Krishnendu Ray. Free. Register by Sunday, June 8. 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Kendall College Atrium, 122 S. Michigan Avenue.
River North: Boka Restaurant Group co-founder Kevin Boehm will host “Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages: A Conversation About the Beverage Service Industry Over the Last 35 Years and Where It Is Going” featuring beverage-industry heavy hitters. Panelists will include James Beard Award winners Cassandra Felix of New York’s Daniel, Alba Huerta of Houston’s Julep, and Frasca Hospitality Group’s Bobby Stuckey. Two-time James Beard Award winner Emma Janzen will moderate the panel. Free. Register by Sunday, June 8. 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. at Biân 600 W. Chicago Avenue.
River North: Decorated chef Rick Bayless will welcome James Beard Award nominee chef Zachary Walters of Oklahoma City’s Sedalia’s for a mariscos patio party at Bar Sótano. The seafood-heavy menu will include freshly shucked and grilled oysters, mussels in escabeche, albacore ceviche, shrimp aguachile, Baja fish tacos, South American-style grilled anticuchos, and seafood paella, along with one drink ticket. All proceeds go to No Kid Hungry. $85 + tax per person. Buy tickets by Sunday, June 15. 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Bar Bar Sótano, 443 N, Clark Street.
River North: The inaugural edition of the Chicago Cocktail Classic hosted by Three Dots and a Dash, Gus’ Sip & Dip, and Salon 61, brings together more than two dozen world-class bars, local legends, and international icons for a walk-around tasting experience. Each ticket is good for 10 drinks that are redeemable for sample-size cocktails from a curated bar lineup, including the American Bar (London), Bar Nouveau (Paris), BKK Social Club (Bangkok), Identidad (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Panda & Sons (Edinburgh), Angel’s Share (NYC) Bar Colette (Dallas), Bar Snack (NYC), Bisous (Chicago), Little Rituals (Phoenix), Merai (Boston, MA), Silver Lyan (Washington, D,C.), Trick Dog (San Francisco), Truce (Chicago), ViceVersa (Miami), and Wolf Tree (White River Junction, Vermont). $89 + tax per person. Buy tickets by Sunday, June 8. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. starting at Three Dots and a Dash, 435 N. Clark Street.
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Near North: Progressive cocktail lounge Dearly Beloved will offer a two-fer celebration of Beard Weekend and Father’s Day at its Whiskey & Cigar Fest. The ticket includes two whiskey cocktails and one complimentary cigar. Additional cocktails and cigars will be available for purchase along with dishes such as truffled honey-fried chicken. Tickets are $40 and available online. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dearly Beloved, 900 N. Franklin Street.
West Town: Beloved neighborhood restaurant Nettare, known for showcasing ingredients from the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, will host a four-course dinner with pairings from Wisconsin-based, family-owned J. Henry & Son’s, which specializes in small-batch, slow-aged bourbons and ryes. $90 includes welcome drink, optional $50 drink pairing + tax per person. Buy tickets by Saturday, June 14. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Nettare, 1953 W. Chicago Avenue.
Logan Square: Long Beach, California’s Gusto Bakery, an panaderia that specializes in baking with wild-fermented sourdough and made-in-house fresh corn masa, celebrates its James Beard nomination for Best Bakery with a pizza party featuring a special mole pie. RSVP by Sunday, June 15. RSVPs do not guarantee a table. Use Resy to book a table. 5 p.m. at Bungalow by Middle Brow, 2840 W. Armitage Avenue
Bucktown: Two of Chicago’s celebrated cocktail spots, West Loop’s Bisous, headed up by long-time bartender Peter Vestinos, and Bucktown’s Truce, an all-day cocktail and coffee lounge, celebrate their James Beard semifinalist nominations for Best Bar with a martini night featuring riffs on the classic cocktail. No RSVP required. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Truce, 1935 N. Damen Avenue.
Gold Coast: Pandan, located on the rooftop of the Viceroy Chicago, will celebrate James Beard Awards weekend with a summer soiree that transforms the space with floating lanterns and festive music. The event includes a selection of Pandan’s Southeast Asian-influenced cocktails and bites, ranging from grilled oysters and barbecue pork skewers to Filipino coconut cake seared on the binchotan grill. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Highgate Foundation, supporting Save the Children and The Aga Khan Foundation. Buy tickets by Thursday, June 12. $50 per person. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Pandan at Viceroy Chicago, 1118 N. State Street.
Wicker Park: One Off Hospitality welcomes JBF Outstanding Bar Program nominee and acclaimed Southeast Portland whisky haven, Scotch Lodge, to Chicago. Initially scheduled to be held at the Violet Hour, the event is relocating to Friends of Friends. The collaboration will feature signature drinks from the guest bar’s inventive menu alongside a few favorites from the home team. Entry is free, drinks are charged upon consumption. Reservation link pending. 9 p.m. to midnight; Friends of Friends, 2001 West Grand Avenue.
West Town: Chicago neighborhood tavern Sportsman’s Club will host a special late-night bar pop-up featuring Justin “Juice” LeClair, the cocktail force behind New Orleans’s NightBloom. No RSVP required. Entry is free; drinks are charged upon consumption. 9 p.m. to midnight (or later) at Sportsman’s Club, 948 N. Western Avenue.
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Monday, June 16
The Loop: Chef and author Adrienne Cheatham will host a panel discussion exploring careers in the culinary industry that go beyond the kitchen line with creativity, community, and entrepreneurship as cornerstones. The stacked lineup of hospitality leaders includes 2025 James Beard Impact Award honoree and co-founder of EatOkra Anthony Edwards, founder of nonprofit Abundance Setting and owner Beverly Kim of Anelya and Parachute Hi Fi, One Off Hospitality partner and James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurateur Donnie Madia, founder and co-owner High Street Hospitality Group and James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurateur Ellen Yin, and chef, author, podcast host André Natera. Free. Register by Sunday, June 8. 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at Kendall College Atrium, 122 S. Michigan Avenue.
The Loop: Advocacy and the collective power for change of those working in the restaurant industry are the focus of this panel discussion hosted by Anne McBride, vice president of programs for the Beard Foundation. Topics to be discussed include advocacy success stories and challenges, as well as the impact work of JBF. Free. Register by Monday, June 9. 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Kendall College Atrium, 122 S. Michigan Avenue.
The Loop: At this special screening of the James Beard Award-winning film Coldwater Kitchen, which addresses some of the most pressing questions of the carceral system, attendees will have access to a post-film discussion moderated by Desire Vincent Levy, executive producer of the film, who will talk about the role food media plays in social impact storytelling. Panelists will include Detroit Free Press dining and restaurant critic Lyndsay C. Green, co-director of Coldwater Kitchen and former Free Press critic Mary Kurlyandchik, chef Jimmy Lee Hill of Lakeland Correctional Facility, and Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, founder of Down North Pizza in Philadelphia. Refreshments included. Free. RSVP is required by Sunday, June 15. 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State Street.
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.
