Monday was a big night for culinary experts across the nation and Chicago, as well as a chance for chefs and restaurateurs to appear on the national stage.
The James Beard Awards returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago and honored the most innovative people in the dining industry. Many walked away with impressive accolades, including three local chefs.
Damarr Brown, a Hyde Park culinary extraordinaire, was named Best Emerging Chef.
"It's really exciting," he said. "You know, a lot of people, my friends lost... People I've read about and looked up to for years, so I'm just really excited to be in a room."
Brown is the chef de cuisine at Virtue in Hyde Park, the same southern-inspired restaurant where Chef Erick Williams won a prestigious James Beard Award last year. Brown praised Williams in his acceptance speech.
"I'd like to thank Chef Erick Williams for the last 13 years, you have been an example for me..." he said.
Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, the husband and wife team behind Kasama, a Filipino restaurant in Ukrainian Village, pulled out the win in the Best Chef - Great Lakes category.
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"I never thought that I'd be cooking Filipino food until we opened Kasama and to be recognized for cooking my mom's food is insane," Flores said.
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