Finalists announced for the 2024 Jean Banchet Awards, former Tribune food critic to receive highest honor
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The Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence are set to return in 2024 and finalists in 12 categories were announced this month, with a former Chicago Tribune food critic among those to be honored.
The awards took a gap year in 2023 with hopes of relaunching the program to better serve the Chicago hospitality industry. The program is partnering with Chicago Chefs Cook, a nonprofit working to unite Chicago’s culinary community and provide humanitarian relief locally and around the world, according to a news release.
At the January awards ceremony, Phil Vettel will receive the Culinary Excellence Award, the highest honor of the Banchets. Vettel worked as a food critic for the Chicago Tribune for over 30 years and was with the paper for 41 years total.
“Phil wrote about Chicago’s culinary community for more than 30 years, launching the careers of many people on this list,” said awards organizer Michael Muser, who is also the co-owner of Ever. “Night after night, he was out eating, always operating with integrity and generosity.”
Vettel said in an email Wednesday this year’s finalists “represent Chicago’s dining scene in its diverse glory.”
“I don’t think any other awards program understands Chicago so thoroughly,” Vettel said in the email. “Being recognized by this group is an unexpected and humbling honor.”
The finalists for Restaurant of the Year are Kyōten, Jeong, Galit and Daisies. For Best New Restaurant, the finalists are Indienne, Valhalla, Warlord and Obélix.
Chef of the Year finalists are Paul Fehribach of Big Jones; Genie Kwon and Tim Flores of Kasama; Stephen Gillanders of S.K.Y., Valhalla and Apolonia; and Paul Virant of Vie, Vistro Prime and Gaijin. The finalists for Rising Chef of the Year are Margaret Pak of Thattu; Trevor Fleming, Emily Kraszyk and John Lupton of Warlord; Christian Hunter of Atelier; and Damarr Brown of Virtue.
The 2024 finalists for Pastry Chef of the Year are Tatum Sinclair of S.K.Y., Valhalla and Apolonia; Maya-Camille Broussard of Justice of the Pies; Valeria Socorro Velazquez Lindsten of Loba Pastry; and Erin Kobler of Sepia and Proxi.
The Jean Banchet Awards started in 2002 to recognize Chicago’s local culinary talent. The awards are named after chef Jean Banchet, the face behind Le Francais in Wheeling. Banchet is considered to be the city’s first celebrity chef and he helped elevate Chicago’s dining reputation in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 2016, Muser convinced the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to host the awards as a stand-alone event after winners were previously announced during the Grand Chefs Gala, a fundraiser organized by the foundation’s Greater Illinois chapter. Over the years, the event grew to be “bigger and better,” Muser said in 2022.
Other categories and finalists are:
Bar of the Year — Meadowlark, Cherry Circle Room, Best Intentions and Scofflaw.
Sommelier of the Year — Daniel Bennett of Sushi-San, Alex Cuper of El Che Steakhouse & Bar, Amber Pike of Andros Taverna, and Christian Shaum of Bazaar Meat.
Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year — Pompette, Boeufhaus, Torchio Pasta Bar and Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern.
Heritage Restaurant of the Year — Boonie’s Filipino Restaurant, Rubi’s on 18th, Tuk Tuk Thai Isan Street Food and Thalaiva’s Indian Kitchen.
Best Counter Service — Omarcitos Latin Café, Loaf Lounge, Flour Power and JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop.
Best Hospitality — Bronzeville Winery, Dear Margaret, Smyth and DeNucci’s.
Best Restaurant Design — Fioretta, The Omakase Room at Sushi-San, Bistro Monadnock and Warlord.
The Virtue Leadership Development Program will be the awards’ charity beneficiary. Started by Virtue restaurant’s Erick Williams, who was the 2022 Jean Banchet Chef of the Year, the program trains young adults of color about the restaurant industry.
The awards ceremony will be held on Jan. 28, 2024, at Venue SIX10 downtown. Tickets go on sale in December.
