Ahmed Akbar

1 week ago | chicagotribune.com | Ahmed Akbar

I believe that hot sauces ought not to be measured in mere Scoville units, but in how they pair with food and company. After chasing heartburn through my 20s, I try to keep the heat reasonable, unlike enthusiasts with fridges overflowing with tongue-in-cheek names designed to scare, Radioactive Emission or Beezlebub’s Stomach Evacuator or Da Bomb Beyond Insanity (only that last one is real).

1 week ago | gazettextra.com | Kayla Samoy |Ahmed Akbar

CHICAGO -- To kick off the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards red carpet outside the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Kristen Reynolds, the new president and CEO of Choose Chicago, made it loud and clear: Chicago has every intention of keeping the coveted awards in the city. "We are definitely keeping the James Beard Awards beyond 2027," Reynolds said while walking the star-studded red carpet.

1 week ago | thebrunswicknews.com | Kayla Samoy |Ahmed Akbar |Zareen Syed

To kick off the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards red carpet outside the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Kristen Reynolds, the new president and CEO of Choose Chicago, made it loud and clear: Chicago has every intention of keeping the coveted awards in the city. "We are definitely keeping the James Beard Awards beyond 2027," Reynolds said while walking the star-studded red carpet.

1 week ago | thebrunswicknews.com | Kayla Samoy |Ahmed Akbar |Zareen Syed

Kumiko and Noah Sandoval of Oriole were announced as 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards winners at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago Monday evening, where the uncertainties of the country's shifting immigration landscape hung heavy over the ceremonies. Julia Momosé, who accepted the Outstanding Bar award for Kumiko, spoke of her Japanese heritage, while a representative for Sandoval, who was unable to attend, read his pre-prepared comments, which ended with "(expletive) ICE."

1 week ago | dailyitem.com | Kayla Samoy |Ahmed Akbar |Zareen Syed

To kick off the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards red carpet outside the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Kristen Reynolds, the new president and CEO of Choose Chicago, made it loud and clear: Chicago has every intention of keeping the coveted awards in the city. “We are definitely keeping the James Beard Awards beyond 2027,” Reynolds said while walking the star-studded red carpet.