The Jean Banchet Awards, Chicago’s top awards for the city’s chefs, restaurants, and bars not given out by a media company, on Wednesday released its list of nominees for the 2022 awards. Like the James Beard Foundation Awards, which announced its collection of semifinalists in late February, the Banchet Awards did not name any winners in 2021.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its profound impact on both the restaurant industry and dining culture, the local awards have introduced a new category: Best Alternative Dining. It’s a noteworthy change that indicates a broader, more inclusive understanding of hospitality in Chicago. The new category’s nominees are the Hot Dog Box, the playful shipping container-turned-restaurant with locations in Bronzeville and Portage Park; Japanese-American pop-up Mom’s; Brazilian restaurant and catering company Sinhá on the Near West Side; regional Indian virtual spot Tasting India in Andersonville; and barbecue food truck hit Soul & Smoke based in suburban Evanston.
