What an unforgettable evening. ✨
The Banchet Awards is, at its heart, a celebration of the people who shape Chicago’s hospitality community—those who cook, serve, lead, mentor, and show up for one another day after day.
To our winners and nominees: thank you for raising the standard and reminding us why this industry matters. Your talent, resilience, and dedication continue to move Chicago forward.
To our sponsors and partners: your belief in this community makes nights like this possible. Your support fuels not just an event, but an ecosystem built on collaboration and care.
To our board and volunteers: this evening exists because of your time, energy, and commitment behind the scenes. Your efforts do not go unnoticed, and we are endlessly grateful.
And to everyone who joined us, chefs, teams, peers, and friends, thank you for filling the room with generosity, joy, and pride. This night belonged to all of you.
Until next Banchet season! 🥂🏙️
🎥 @_crfilms for @madnagency
Congratulations to the teams and chefs honored at the 2026 Banchet Awards!
Each year, we celebrate the originality, talent, and leadership shaping Chicago’s dining community, and this year’s winners truly represent the best of our industry.
Thank you to our sponsors, including @opentable_chi , for supporting the Banchet Awards and the chefs and restaurants that make Chicago dining exceptional.
How was this just two and a half months ago?! 🥂🍾
#TheBanchetAwards2026
#TheBanchetFoundation
#RedCarpetMoments
Video by @_crfilms
Cover photo by @sophacastro
And now, like in any great meal, we need a palate cleanser. And in this city that is known for architecture, food, and comedy we don’t just reset the palate with a mint sorbet - we bring out a bird. Not just any bird. A bird with some opinions. Chad the Bird is THE Chicago commentarian for the legendary Paper Machete show at the infamous Green Mill. Chad has spent years giving this city the commentary it deserves on current events, pop culture, politics, and everything in between…all from a bird’s-eye perspective. Please welcome to the stage…Chad the Bird!
Speaking of things you need to see to appreciate: design. A restaurant’s design is the first bite you take before you even sit down. And, in Chicago, sometimes the only part diners photograph before eating everything. Here to present the award for Best Restaurant Design is the reason you don’t see any critters in those photos. From Landmark Pest Management, Rebecca Fyffe and award winning travel writer Jennifer Billock.
A visionary. A trailblazer. A chef who made the world reimagine what a restaurant could be. Tonight, we honor the extraordinary Grant Achatz.
To speak on such an icon we brought in another icon - the man who was the voice of Chicago dining for decades. This man was the journalist who watched Grant’s rise to meteoric levels so it was only right that we have him speak on this legend. Please help me welcome a man who helped define for thousands of Chicagoans what it meant to dine all across this city, Phil Vettel.
One could argue that this chef belongs to the world, and maybe the ages. But to me, he’s ours, a Midwestern boy who for 20 years has been Chicago’s standard-bearer for culinary innovation and excellence.
And so I am honored to introduce the winner of this year’s Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence, and our hometown hero, Mr. Grant Achatz.
Now, let’s pivot to the artists who work in sugar, butter, and pure sorcery. Pastry chefs. The people who bring the meal home and make you rethink your relationship with carbohydrates. Here to give the award for Pastry Chef of the Year presented by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Beth Nielsen and Michelin-starred pastry chef of Elske & Creepies, Chef Anna Posey.
