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The James Beard Foundation named 23 Chicago restaurants, chefs and bars Tuesday as semifinalists for this year’s coveted awards. The so-called “Oscars of the food world” annually recognize the best in America’s culinary scene.The eateries on the list for the coveted Outstanding Restaurant award are the Near West Side eatery EL Ideas, featuring eclectic American fare from chef Phillip Foss, and the Ukrainian Village Filipino restaurant Kasama, which recently earned its second Michelin star. Green Room Newsletter You’re subscribed!Please check your inbox for your confirmation. Stay ahead of what’s hitting Chicago stages, galleries, museums and more with Green Room, WBEZ’s weekly arts & culture newsletter! Sorry, there was an error registering your email. Email Sign Up By subscribing, you agree with WBEZ’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Diana Dávila of Logan Square’s Mi Tocaya Antojeria and Zachary Engel of Lincoln Park’s Galit both earned spots on the list for Outstanding Chef. Chicago also has nine chefs on the semifinalist list for best regional chef, including Thai Dang of HaiSous and Christopher Jung and Erling Wu-Bower of Maxwells Trading, who were finalists in the category last year.These Chicago eateries vie to join the lengthy list of local restaurants that have won a Beard over the years. Last year, West Loop dining bar Kumiko and chef Noah Sandoval of fine dining restaurant Oriole were Chicago’s two Beard winners.This list is just the first in this year’s Beard process. This year’s finalists will be announced on March 31 and the awards will be given out on June 15 in a ceremony at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House.Here is the full list of Chicago-area 2026 James Beard Award semifinalistsOutstanding RestaurateurFrank Callero, Joe Flamm, and Steven Zaleski, Day Off Group (Rose Mary, il Carciofo, and BLVD Steakhouse)Outstanding ChefDiana Dávila, Mi Tocaya AntojeriaZachary Engel, Galit Diana Dávila of Logan Square’s Mi Tocaya Antojeria is a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef in the 2026 James Beard Awards.Zubaer Khan/Chicago Sun-Times Outstanding RestaurantEL Ideas KasamaEmerging Chef Nicolai Mlodinow, Class ActBailey Sullivan, Monteverde Restaurant & PastificioBest New RestaurantNaduNic & Junior'sOutstanding Pastry Chef or BakerCourtney Kenyon-Snider, ObélixOutstanding HospitalityDaisiesOutstanding Wine and Other Beverages ProgramBraseroOutstanding BarHopleaf Nick Kleutsch and James Sanders of Sanders BBQ Supply Co. in Beverly are nominated for Best Chef: Great Lakes in the 2026 James Beard Awards. Manuel Martinez/WBEZ Outstanding Professional in Cocktail ServiceChristopher Marty, Best IntentionsBest Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)Thai Dang, HaiSousDanny Espinoza, Santa Masa TamaleriaNorman Fenton, CariñoChristopher Jung and Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells TradingMari Katsumura and Adam Sindler, SHŌNick Kleutsch and James Sanders, Sanders BBQ Supply Co.Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir, MirraBen Lustbader and Sarah Mispagel, Loaf LoungeJacob Potashnick, FeldCourtney Kueppers is an arts and culture reporter at WBEZ.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles expected starting left tackle Ozzy Trapilo and backup linebacker Noah Sewell to be out long-term after suffering major injuries late in the season. Sewell tore his Achilles tendon in the Week 17 game against the 49ers, and Trapilo tore the patellar tendon in his knee in the wild-card game against the Packers. Both already have had surgery. Trapilo’s injury is especially concerning not only because of his importance on the offensive line and the severity of it. “It’s really unfortunate because I thought he was really coming along,” Poles said. “I was looking forward to him getting this offseason. “I don’t have a specific timetable. I’m sure it’ll be deep into next [season] with the injury, so we’ve had a conversation with him. He knows this is part of his journey that he has to overcome. I have a lot of faith in him and our staff to get him back ready to go whenever that is. But, specifically with timetables, I don’t have that right now.” The Bears also have shorter-term concerns with defensive end Shemar Turner (knee), defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (Achilles), linebacker T.J. Edwards (broken leg), cornerback Zah Frazier (personal), cornerback Terell Smith (knee), offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie (elbow), cornerback Jaylon Johnson (wrist) and offensive lineman Jordan McFadden (ankle). Johnson hurt his wrist in the divisional-round loss to the Rams and won’t need surgery. Poles said, “He’ll be fine shortly.”

Palatine’s Tony Balanganayi is a 6-5, 275-pound football star who is a three-star prospect headed to the Big Ten.He’s also making a strong push to be an all-area basketball player.While many top high school football recruits graduate early and head to college campuses, enrolling in January, Balanganayi is playing out his senior year. And he’s doing so in dominating fashion, leading Palatine to a 18-3 record while putting up eye-popping numbers.The Illinois football recruit is averaging 18.6 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting over 60 percent from the field. And for a big man he’s especially effective defensively with blocks, steals, deflections and simply taking up space near the basket.The Pirates were expected to be good. But when it came to the Mid-Suburban League, both Fremd and Hersey were talked about first back in the preseason. And while those two are both off to outstanding starts, Palatine is right there with them in a three-way tie for first place.There was some certainty about what the floor was for Balanganayi as far as production. He’s been a valuable, albeit underrated, contributor during his career. But he's surpassed an unexpected ceiling, quietly surpassing 1,000 career points.The domination and sheer presence the big man is showcasing is a bit of a surprise, and it’s at the forefront of why the Pirates are playing at a higher level than anticipated. He’s a matchup nightmare at the high school level, becoming arguably the best two-sport athlete in Palatine history.Oswego is on a rollOswego took a pounding at Bolingbrook back in early December, losing 82-54.The Panthers will face the ranked Raiders again this Friday and will see just how far they’ve come since that Dec. 5 lopsided loss.The 13-7 record won’t jump out at anyone, but coach Nick Oraham’s team has won five in a row and is 10-3 in its last 13 games, including wins over Oswego East, Plainfield East and Naperville North.Super sophomore Ethan Vahl leads the charge. The uber-talented guard is averaging 20.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and three assists a game. He’s just past the midway point of his sophomore season and should eclipse 1,000 career points in the next week.Oswego’s other boost came when senior Mariano Velasco and junior Graham Schwab re-acclimated themselves to basketball after playing on the state runner-up football team.Velasco, the team’s top defensive player and other primary ballhandler, is averaging 6.2 points, three assists and three steals a game. Schwab is putting up 11.3 points a game, while senior Brayden Borrowman chips in 7.3 points.Also, keep an eye on the development of 6-10 sophomore Cole Jansons, who was pivotal in Saturday’s win over Naperville North. His impact has grown. He’s averaged 8.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks a game since the start of the new year.Oswego is now making a push up the Bolingbrook Sectional seeding ladder. After Benet, Neuqua Valley and Bolingbrook, the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds are wide open for teams in pursuit of a regional championship.Local D3 school cracks the college rankingsThere is a promising local basketball story developing in Division III on Chicago’s South Side.University of Chicago is currently the No. 2 ranked team in Division III basketball, the program’s highest national ranking in 25 years. Coach Mike McGrath’s team is a sparkling 13-1 and has won 11 straight games.

Le Parlement européen a porté mercredi un coup d'arrêt à l'accord commercial avec le Mercosur en saisissant la justice, une décision accueillie par...