Chicago Restaurant Guide Published Ahead of James Beard Awards
The Story
An article from Eater, produced in partnership with Chicago O’Hare and Midway International Airports, provides a guide to restaurants in Chicago for visitors arriving for the James Beard Awards on June 15. The guide covers airport dining options at both O’Hare and Midway, as well as restaurants across the city that are popular with nominees and attendees. The featured establishments include Publican Tavern in O’Hare Terminal 3, Tallboy Taco at Midway, and multiple city restaurants such as Kasama, Virtue, Cariño, Indienne, Feld, HaiSous, Oriole, and Monteverde. Several of the restaurants are run by James Beard Award winners or 2026 nominees, including chef Erick Williams, chef Norman Fenton, chef Jacob Potashnick, chef Thai Dang, chef Noah Sandoval, and chef Bailey Sullivan. The airports are noted for having more than 270 restaurants and shops combined. The article highlights specific dishes and price points for certain tasting menus.
Key Facts
- The James Beard Awards ceremony is scheduled for June 15 in Chicago.
- The guide was produced in partnership with Chicago O’Hare and Midway International Airports.
- O’Hare and Midway boast more than 270 restaurants and shops combined.
- Publican Tavern is located in O’Hare Terminal 3 and offers seasonal sandwiches, salads, and mains.
- Tallboy Taco at Midway offers grab-and-go tacos, burritos, and agua fresca.
- Kasama, in the Ukrainian Village, offers a Filipino tasting menu and a grab-and-go cafe, run by James Beard Award winners Genie Kwon and Timothy Flores.
- Virtue in Hyde Park, run by James Beard Award winner Chef Erick Williams, serves food of the American South.
- Cariño features a tasting menu from chef Norman Fenton, a 2026 James Beard Best Chef: Great Lakes nominee.
- Indienne offers a progressive Indian tasting menu in a former 19th-century printing warehouse.
- Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless has locations at O’Hare terminals 1, 3, and 5.
- Feld’s tasting menu costs $225 per person, includes 25 to 30 dishes over three hours, and chef Jacob Potashnick is a 2026 James Beard Award nominee.
- HaiSous, run by chef Thai Dang, offers a $65 grand tasting menu; Dang was a 2025 James Beard nominee.
- Oriole, run by chef Noah Sandoval, has a two-Michelin-star tasting menu around $300; Sandoval won the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes.
- Monteverde, in the West Loop, is led by chef Bailey Sullivan, a 2026 James Beard Emerging Chef nominee.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
No open questions identified in the source article.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Genie Kwon: James Beard Award winner, co-owner of Kasama
- Timothy Flores: James Beard Award winner, co-owner of Kasama
- Erick Williams: James Beard Award winner, chef at Virtue
- Norman Fenton: 2026 James Beard Best Chef: Great Lakes nominee, chef at Cariño
- Jacob Potashnick: 2026 James Beard Award nominee, chef at Feld
- Thai Dang: 2025 James Beard nominee, chef at HaiSous
- Noah Sandoval: 2025 James Beard Award winner, chef at Oriole
- Bailey Sullivan: 2026 James Beard Emerging Chef nominee, executive chef at Monteverde
- Rick Bayless: chef behind Tortas Frontera concept
- Sarah Grueneberg: owner of Monteverde
Sources: eater.com
