Chicago to Host the 2015 Beard Awards

Just when you thought it was safe to stop following #jbfa on Twitter for a few months, here's a fresh bit of Awards news: next year, for the first time ever, the Beard Awards Gala will leave New York City and set up shop in Chicago. (The Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards Dinner will remain in New York.)

At a press conference this morning, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois Restaurant Association's Sam Toia, Choose Chicago's Don Welsh, and JBF president Susan Ungaro announced that the 2015 ceremony will take place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 4. “There is no greater honor for a restaurant than recognition with a Beard Foundation Award, and there is no greater honor for Chicago’s culinary community than the decision to host the awards here,” said Mayor Emanuel. Indeed, from its rich cultural heritage to its high concentration of avant-garde chefs, the Windy City is a fitting backdrop for our marquee event. 

Stay tuned for more details about the 2015 James Beard Awards. You can read the full press release here.