All of Chicago’s Past James Beard Award Winners | Eater Chicago

"When Virtue (Erick Williams, Best Chef: Great Lakes, 2022; Damarr Brown, Emerging Chef, 2023) debuted in 2018 in the Hyde Park neighborhood, it was the realization of a longtime dream for veteran Chicago chef Erick Williams. His celebration of Black culture through the lens of upscale Southern cuisine has made the restaurant a destination for both locals and tourists (including then-President Obama), and earned national acclaim from Eater, the Jean Banchet Awards, and Michelin. Williams was a finalist for the Best Chef: Great Lakes award in 2020, and two years later, he took home the prize. In 2023, his protege Damarr Brown turned the awards into a tradition by winning the Emerging Chef Award." - Naomi Waxman