Illinois
James Beard Award finalists littered with Illinois bars, restaurants and chefs
FDA bans food additive Red No. 3 in food and drinks
Amid concerns the additive causes cancer, the FDA is implementing a ban on a popular food dye used in candy and cakes.
Scripps News
Chefs, restaurants and restaurateurs from Illinois have been an announced for the annual James Beard awards.
The finalists were recently announced.
The competition is considered to be one of the nation’s most prestigious honors in the food industry.
Here’s what to know.
What semifinalists were nominated from Illinois?
- Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern, Chicago – Best Restaurant Semifinalist
- Lee Wolen of Boka, Chicago – Outstanding Chef presented by Hilton
- Galit, Chicago – Outstanding Restaurant presented by Acqua Panna Natural Spring Water
- Jacob Potashnick of Feld, Chicago – Emerging Chef presented by S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water
- Cariño, Chicago – Best New Restaurant
- Leigh Omilinsky of Daisies, Chicago – Outstanding pastry Chef
- Elske, Chicago – Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Kumiko, Chicago – Outstanding Bar
- Bisous, Chicago – Best New Bar
- Truce, Chicago – Best New Bar
- Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon of Scratch Brewing, Ava – Outstanding Professional in Beverage Services
- Thomas Kakalios of Asador Bastian, Chicago – Outstanding Professional in Beverage Services
- Christopher Marty of Best Intentions, Chicago – Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Services
Are there any ties to Springfield?
Yes. Boka Restaurant Group was founded by Rob Katz and Springfield native Kevin Boehm in 2002. Boehm has established himself as one of the world’s foremost hospitality visionaries, opening 40 restaurants over the past three decades.
About the James Beard Awards
The James Beard Awards recognizes exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.
What do winners receive?
Along with the prestige of winning, all James Beard Award winners receive a certificate, and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia.
When will winners be announced?
The list will be narrowed down in the coming weeks, with the final nominees made public in April. The winners will be announced in June in Chicago.
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@gannett.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
Illinois
More César Chavez murals, memorials taken down as Illinois Senate honors Dolores Huerta
Murals and memorials of César Chavez are continuing to come down across Chicago after allegations emerged last week that the Latino civil rights activist groomed and sexually assaulted girls and women.
The allegations were revealed in a New York Times investigation published March 18.
Some artworks are being repainted with murals of Dolores Huerta, the longtime ally of Chavez in the labor rights movement. Huerta, 95, told the New York Times that Chavez had sexually assaulted her.
The Illinois Senate adopted a resolution Wednesday honoring Huerta and declaring April 10 as “Dolores Huerta Day” in Illinois.
“In recent months, Dolores Huerta has shown profound resilience and courage in sharing her own experience of harm, doing so in order to uplift the stories of countless women whose voices were overlooked or silenced,” the resolution states.
One of the resolution’s sponsors, State Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, said she is also working on a plan to rescind César Chavez Day, which is next week on March 31st.
At Cafe Tola in Lake View, a Chavez mural outside the restaurant’s building was replaced this week with a painting of Huerta, who coined the phrase, “Sí, se puede,” which loosely translates to, “Yes, we can.”
“We are deeply saddened by this news, yet we stand in unwavering support and admiration for Dolores Huerta and every woman who has found the courage to come forward,” Cafe Tola said in a social media post. “This moment is powerful — proof that truth cannot be silenced and that it is never too late to reclaim your voice. We honor that strength.”
A plaque dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the death of César Chavez, honoring him and Sister Dolores Huerta, before it was taped over at the Haymarket Memorial in the West Loop.
In the West Loop, a plaque honoring Chavez’s labor rights movement has been covered with black tape at the Haymarket Memorial. According to the Chicago Federation of Labor, the organization is planning to fully remove it.
“We will be discussing with all our partners on how to best honor both the survivors of Cesar Chavez’s horrific abuse and the workers that were betrayed by Chavez,” a spokesperson for the Chicago Federation of Labor said in a statement.
Black tape covers up a plaque (left) that commemorates the 30th anniversary of César Chavez’s death on the base of the Haymarket Memorial in the West Loop, Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Last week, Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, said the allegations that Chavez sexually assaulted children, women, workers and labor organizers “is a betrayal to our movement.”
Chavez, who died in 1993, has long been revered in Chicago’s Latino community. In addition to numerous murals of him across the city, a public elementary school in Back of the Yards and a post office in Pilsen are both named after him.
The school, César E. Chavez Multicultural Academic Center, has initiated the process that could lead to a new name. It is receiving community feedback about a possible new name, according to Chicago Public Schools officials. Any recommendation would need approval from the Local School Council and the school board.
Another school in Pilsen, Peter Cooper Dual Language Academy, has a mosaic of Chavez and Huerta side by side. It’s unclear if the school plans to remove the mosaic of Chavez.
The Sun-Times was the first to report that Chavez’s face had been painted over last week on the “Libertad” mural across a long wall at Barrett Park in Pilsen.
A splotch of green paint initially covered the portion where Chavez was depicted, but Park District officials have since painted over that with a continuation of the mural’s background design, a Park District spokesperson said.
Other historical figures on the mural, including Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. remain visible on the wall.
Paint covers Cesar Chavez’s face on a mural depicting civil rights figures that can be seen an exterior wall of Barrett Park in the Pilsen neighborhood, Friday, March 20, 2026.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time
“The Chicago Park District takes recent allegations of misconduct by Cesar Chavez seriously … and are conducting a district-wide review of any other park features that may honor him,” a Park District spokesperson said previously. “Where appropriate, we will take further action consistent with our values and standards.”
The Park District has not identified any other murals or memorials of Chavez on any of its properties, the spokesperson said Wednesday.
Contributing: Isabela Nieto
Illinois
‘Urgent warning:’ DMV scam texts appear more official than before, Giannoulias says
Did you get a strange text claiming to be from the Illinois DMV, demanding money? It’s a trick, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office says, with Alexi Giannoulias issuing an “urgent warning” about a new wave of threatening scam texts going out.
The unsolicited texts, which falsely claim to be from the Illinois Secretary of State or DMV, prompted the office to issue several messages about it this week, saying “scammers have recently escalated their tactics” with texts that look even more official with fake fines and regulations, deadlines or penalty dates.
“Many of the texts cite an upcoming enforcement date and list severe consequences to pressure recipients into acting quickly,” a press release from Giannoulias’ office said Tuesday. “These schemes are designed to create panic and trick individuals into surrendering money or personal information.”
Suburban police departments and even Chicago officials have also warned of the scam.
In a March 20 message posted to Facebook, the Oswego Police Department shared a photo of what one scam text may look like, saying “it includes a photo of what appears to be an official notice for a traffic violation hearing.”
“The document may look legit at first glance, even listing Illinois statutes, but there are some clear red flags,” the department said.
Below is a photo the department shared of what some of the texts may look like or contain:
The Illinois Secretary of State’s office says it will never send a text message demanding payment or threatening to suspend a license. The only time the office will send a text, Giannoulias said, is to remind someone of a scheduled DMV appointment.
“If you receive a message like this, remember it’s a scam – plain and simple. Do not click the link and please report the message to scamalert@ilsos.gov,” the release said.
Wednesday at 2 p.m., Giannoulias will hold a news conference about the scam, saying “don’t click it’s a trick.” Giannoulias is expected to break down how it works, and what to watch out for.
If you do receive a text, here’s what the Secretary of State’s office recommends:
-NEVER to click a link
-Do not reply
-Do not provide personal information
-Forward the message to the SOS’ scam alert email
Illinois
Lottery-winning ticket worth $5.6 million sold in downstate Illinois
One lucky Illinois Lottery player is a whole lot richer after they captured the jackpot in Monday’s Lotto drawing.
According to the Illinois Lottery, the ticket captured a jackpot worth $5.6 million in the Monday draw of the Lotto game, and the winner has not yet come forward.
Officials say the ticket was sold at Royals Liquor, located in Belleville, located just southeast of St. Louis.
“I got a call early this morning from a customer saying we sold the winning jackpot ticket,” said Bhavik Patel, co-owner of the store. “At first, I thought it was a prank—it can be hard to believe something like that over the phone. I checked the Lottery’s website and was shocked to see our store listed as the retailer that sold the winning ticket.”
The store will receive a 1% bonus from the sale of the winning ticket, which was the second-largest awarded in the Lotto game this year.
The winning ticket matched numbers 5-18-27-33-40-49 in the drawing, according to officials.
Lotto is drawn on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and is an Illinois-only game. Tickets can be purchased at participating retailers or via the Lottery’s website and mobile app.
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