CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Lula Cafe, a Logan Square restaurant that’s become a beloved fixture of the Northwest Side community over the past 25 years, was Chicago’s sole winner at the 2024 James Beard Awards on Monday night.
A James Beard Award is often likened to an Oscar in the food world, and this year, the James Beard Foundation named four Chicago chefs and restaurants as finalists. It wasn’t until the end of the night, though, when the host city saw a winner — in the category of Outstanding Hospitality. The opera house erupted in cheers immediately after Lula Cafe was announced.
“We needed a Chicago win, right?” said Jason Hammel, Lula Cafe’s executive chef and owner. “The presenter’s a really good friend of mine, so I was just looking at her face, like, ‘Oh, I hope it’s going to be a good thing.’”
In his acceptance speech, Hammel said hospitality is “not about how we treat our guests; it’s about how we treat each other.”
“It starts with the core team,” he said. “Seeing each other, seeing when people need help, seeing if there’s something that they can offer. When people feel supported and well resourced, they can care for others.”
He added that he was immensely proud of his team and was looking forward to celebrating with them.
Chicago’s three other finalists were: Chef Anna Posey, of Elske, who was up for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker; Chef Sujan Sarkar, of Indienne, who was up for Best Chef: Great Lakes region; and Chef Jenner Tomaska, of Esmé, who was up for Best Chef: Great Lakes region.
The Best Chef: Great Lakes region has traditionally been a strong one for Chicago, which has produced multiple winners over the past few years. This year, the winner hailed from Clawson, Mich.: Chef Hajime Soto, of Sozai.
Among the other 2024 James Beard Award winners was Washington, D.C.’s Masako Morishita, who won for Best Emerging Chef. The nation’s capital also produced Michael Rafidi, who won for the category of Outstanding Chef.
Langbaan, of Portland, Ore., won the 2024 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant.
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