Sponsored Post: HMSHost's Innovative Dining at O'Hare

When the best of America’s culinary industry descends on Chicago for the James Beard Awards Gala next week, they’ll touch down at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest aviation hubs in the country.

The 80 million travelers who traverse O’Hare’s terminals daily are no strangers to culinary excellence, thanks to the abundant dining options provided by HMSHost. One of the world’s largest restaurateurs, HMSHost has developed an innovative dining program that’s in step with current food trends, including restaurants that source from local farmers and use fresh herbs from O’Hare Urban Garden, located in Terminal 3.

Like the James Beard Awards, HMSHost is invested in nurturing culinary talent. The company’s recent “Channel Your Inner Chef” contest invited airport employees and travelers to submit a video showing the preparation of an original recipe. Five finalists were chosen to compete in an Iron Chef–style competition at the airport, where the tenacious Nikkia Stone was named the winner. Her prize? VIP tickets to the James Beard Awards Gala in Chicago on Monday, May 4. Watch a video about the contest below.

If you’re lucky enough to attend the prestigious JBF Awards ceremony, be sure to visit HMSHost’s chef station, where chef Jeffrey Steelman will be preparing hirame nigiri straight from the menu of Wicker Park Seafood & Sushi Bar, a refined sushi eatery in O’Hare’s Terminal 2 and one of the many destinations that embodies HMSHost’s commitment to food that’s authentic, fresh, and innovative.

HMSHost is a proud sponsor of the 2015 James Beard Awards.