What happens when Chicago’s top chefs, sommeliers and hospitality leaders come together for one night to celebrate their own? Plenty of jokes get cracked about “The Bear” and the rise of food influencers on TikTok.
But there were also some moments of seriousness at Sunday’s Banchet Awards — Chicago’s top local prize for restaurants, chefs and beverage industry, which brought hundreds of industry insiders together at downtown’s Venue SIX10.
When presenting Restaurant of the Year, which went to West Loop mainstay, Avec, Mary Kay Bonoma of the Illinois Restaurant Association veered into news of the day.
“Let’s, in these very challenging and sometimes troubling times, recognize all of the immigrants that work in the restaurant industry. You are our backbone, you truly are,” Bonoma said, drawing one of the biggest rounds of applause of the night.
The sentiment was shared by Rising Chef winner Chris Jung, of Maxwell’s Trading in the West Loop, who said after the ceremony: “I’m honored to be in a city that’s so diverse, that’s so welcoming of its immigrants. You saw it in a lot of the nominees today.”
Everyone from Breakfast Queen Ina Pinkney to Claudio “The Tamale Guy” Velez was on hand to bestow medals upon winners like Bucktown’s Le Bouchon (Best Neighborhood Restaurant) and Uptown’s Cariño (Best New Restaurant). The esteemed prize for Chef of the Year went to Otto Phan of Kyōten in Logan Square.
And, in a hotly contested category voted on by the event’s attendees: Spacca Napoli in Ravenswood was named Chicago’s Best Pizza.
Here’s the complete list of 2025 Banchet Award winners (denoted with *) and full category nominees:
Restaurant of the Year
*Avec
El Che Steakhouse & Bar
Elske
Rose Mary
Chef of the Year
*Otto Phan (Kyōten)
Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio)
Stephen Gillanders (S.K.Y., Valhalla & Apolonia)
Kevin Hickey (The Duck Inn)
Best New Restaurant
*Cariño
Brasero
John’s Food And Wine
Oliver’s
Rising Chef
*Chris Jung (Maxwell’s Trading)
Mike Satinover (Akahoshi Ramen)
Madalyn Durrant (Bar Parisette)
John Dahlstrom (Nettare)
Pastry Chef of the Year
*T.C. Lumbar (Elske)
Antonio Incandela (Mariscos San Pedro)
Bo Durham (Mindy’s Bakery)
Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader & Ben Lustbader (Loaf Lounge)
Sommelier of the Year
*Jelena Prodan (S.K.Y., Valhalla & Apolonia)
Scott Stroemer (Galit)
Patti Robison (Acanto)
Kat Hawkins (Miru, Tre Dita, St. Regis Bar)
Bar of the Year
*Bisous
Nine Bar
Sepia
Golden Years
Best Heritage Restaurant
*Stumara
New Village Gastro Pub & Karaoke
Ocean Grill & Bar
Soul & Smoke
Best Neighborhood Restaurant
*Le Bouchon
Bungalow By Middle Brow
Kie-Gol-Lanee
Daisy’s Po-Boy And Tavern
Best Counter Service
*Ragadan
Migos Fine Foods
Santa Masa Tamaleria
J.P. Graziano Grocery
Best Design
*Tre Dita
Bazaar Meat
Brasero
Perilla Steakhouse
Best Hospitality
*Dear Margaret
Brindille
Jeong
Anelya
Best Pizza
*Spacca Napoli Pizzeria
Pistores
Milly’s Pizza In The Pan
Robert’s Pizza And Dough Co.