This morning, the James Beard Foundation announced the nominees for its 2024 chef and restaurant awards.
This year, the local nominees who will represent Milwaukee at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 10 are Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of EsterEv, who are nominated in the category of Best Chef Midwest.
After five times in the semi-finals, Jacobs and Van Rite will be up against four other nominees for Best Chef Midwest including Ann Ahmed of Khâluna (Minneapolis, MN); Rob Connoley of Bulrush (St. Louis, MO); and Christina Nguyen of Hai Hai (Minneapolis, MN).
The nomination adds to what is already a big year for Chef Daniel Jacobs, who is also among the chef-testants competing in Season 21 of Bravo's "Top Chef."
Nine Wisconsin chefs/restaurants made the long list of semi-finalists for this year's awards, with some garnering honors in national categories. However, none of the other Wisconsin semi-finalists earned nominations in 2024.
View the full list of nominees here.
The winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 10, 2024, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
