The event was hosted by Kwame Onwuachi—actor, chef, author and executive producer at Food & Wine Magazine. Approximately 1,800 guests were in attendance.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot chaired the Awards Committee, which also included Marcus Samuelsson, seven-time James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and restaurateur; Monti Carlo, TV personality, food writer, and host of the Food Network’s Help My Yelp; Paola Velez, James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef and activist; Jeremy Allen White, actor, author, and star of the new FX show, The Bear; Andrew Zimmern, Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer, and teacher; among others.
The local shining star turned out to be Virtue Restaurant & Bar Executive Chef Erick Williams, who won for Best Chef: Great Lakes. The Andersonville lesbian spot Nobody’s Darling lost in the Outstanding Bar Program category to Houston’s Julep.
All of the winners can be viewed at http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2022-james-beard-award-winners.