OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL
MAYOR
June 28, 2017
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith, together with Aldermen Tunney, Burnett, Solis, Reilly and Moreno, congratulatory resolution regarding the James Beard Award Winners.
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
Mayor
Very truly yours,
adopud by T}iq Qity Qouncil of ^ Qity of Qhicago, Illinois
Aldermen Tom Tunney, Walter Burnett, Jr., Daniel Solis,
Brendan Reilly, Proco Joe Moreno, and
^[jresented by Mayor Rahm Emanuel qM June 28, 2017
^ffillBTB&S ' mission of the James Beard Foundation is to celebrate, nurture and honor chefs and other luminaries of America's food culture who are making our national cuisine more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone; and
WHEREAS, The James Beard Foundation Awards are the food industry's highest honor, and are chosen by committee-selected expert judges who select the winners within categories, including: chefs and restaurants, books, journalism, broadcast media, and restaurant design and graphics, as well as awards for lifetime and humanitarian achievements; and
WHEREAS, On May 1, 2017, the James-Beard Foundation announced the winners of its 2017 Restaurant and Ghef Awards, two of whom are from Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Rick Bayless has long been a pillar of the culinary community through his award-winning and Emmy-nominated television programs, his well-loved books on authentic Mexican cooking, his champion performance on Top Chef Masters on the Bravo network, and his honor of serving as the guest chef at the 2010 White House State Dinner honoring Mexican President Felipe Calderon and. his wife, Margarita Zavala; and
WHEREAS, A 2012 inductee into the Culinary Hall of Fame, Mr. Bayless has received numerous James Beard Award nominations over the years in many categories, and has won for Midwest Chef of the Year, National Chef of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year, Who's Who of American Food;and Drink, Best Podcast, and Best International Book for "Mexico One Plate at a Time," as well as the "Outstanding Restaurant" award in 2007 for Frontera Grill; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bayless and his wife, Deann, opened contemporary Mexican restaurant, Topolobampo, in 1989 as a more daring companion to their first restaurant triumph, Frontera Grill; and
WHEREAS, Topolobdmpo's contemporary menu enchants guests with multiple descriptive culinary categories rather than traditional courses; and
WHEREAS, Since its opening, Mr. Bayless has received well-deserved accolades for Topolobampo's nuanced and personal approach to Mexican cuisine, having received Esquire's award for "Best New Restaurant" in 1991, seven previous nominations from the James Beard Foundation, as well as an award of one Michelin Star for six consecutive years; and
WHEREAS, In 2017, Mr. Bayless won the James Beard Foundation "Outstanding Restaurant" award for Topolobampo, as chosen by a panel of expert judges and given to the best restaurant in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Chef Sarah Grueneberg's fascination with food started at a young age through her desire to bring family and friends together over delicious food, resulting in her completion of culinary school in 2001; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Grueneberg began her career with French-Creole 'cooking at beloved Brennan's of Houston, and by the age of 22 she became the restaurant's youngest and first female sous chef; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Grueneberg transitioned to Chicago's culinary scene in 2005 and expanded her boundaries as a chef at the fine-dining Italian restaurant Spiaggia, where she worked her way to be named Executive Chef by 2010; and
WHEREAS, During her tenure as Spiaggia's Executive Chef, the restaurant was awarded one Michelin Star for three consecutive years; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Grueneberg is also well known for her televised competition successes and unique culinary approach of "following the food" through travel and culture; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Grueneberg is currently Chef/Partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago's West Loop, which she opened in November 2015 with business partner Meg Sahs; and
WHEREAS, Monteverde's menu of classic and, nonfraditional 'Italian dishes showcases Ms. Grueneberg's passion for boundary-pushing pasta techniques and ingredients; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Grueneberg and Ms. Sahs strive to cultivate a hospitable and enjoyable culture not only for guests, but also for Monteverde's hard-working staff; and
WHEREAS, Monteverde has received many accolades, as a testament to Ms. Grueneberg's culinary prowess, including: one of. Food & Wine's "America's Best Restaurants," a top 50 finalist in Bon Appetit's "Best New Restaurants" list, Eater's "21 Best New Restaurants," the "Worth the Wait" award in Chicago Tribune Dining Awards,;and being named one of Chicago Magazine's "15 Best New Restaurants"; and
WHEREAS, In 2017, Ms. Grueneberg received her first nomination and award from the James Beard Foundation for "Best Chef: Great Lakes," which is given to. the best chef in the region covering Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio; and
WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber are proud of Chicago's reputation as a premiere culinary destination whose food reflects the diversity of its population, and are delighted that two of our own culinary stars have received these prestigious awards; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the'City of Chicago, gathered here this twenty-eighth day of June, 2017, do hereby express our warmest congratulations and commendation to Rick and Deann Bayless and the Topolobampo team, and to Sarah Grueneberg, for winning James Beard Foundation awards; and
MAYOR
CITY'CLERK
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this, resolution be presented to
these James Beard Foundation award winners as a token of our appreciation and
esteem. . .