A collective of in-the-know culinary aficionados gathered at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday night as chefs and restaurants were presented with one of the most prestigious honors available in the country—and one Chicago restaurant is among those honored.
Lula Cafe, a founding member of Logan Square’s buzzy restaurant scene, has received a James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality. Founded in 1999 by chef Jason Hammel, the new American joint’s humble beginnings have led it down a burgeoning path to becoming a farm-to-table predecessor, a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a mainstay in Chicago’s dining scene.
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The designation arrives after Hammel’s consecutive nomination for Best Chef: Great Lakes from 2019 through 2022 and his reception of a Jean Banchet Awards’ Chef of The Year award in 2019.
In his acceptance speech, Hammel said, “We truly believe at Lula that hospitality is love and it’s a love with conditions, and we believe the conditions can be just and fair and kind. I hope that everyone, especially those with power, will enact policies that protect and ensure that these conditions can be met and maintained for everyone.”
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For more than thirty years, the nonprofit James Beard Foundation has celebrated cutting-edge culinary and beverage professionals with the Restaurant and Chef Awards. This year, Lula Cafe was the sole Chicago establishment recognized for its extraordinary aptitude in food, beverage and hospitality and its dedication to equity, sustainability, community and culture.
See also: The Hottest New Restaurants In Chicago
Photography by: WILPUNT/GETTY IMAGES
