How the James Beard Awards decides chef, restaurant winners

Every week on The Dining Table podcast, host David Manilow shares his own experiences from some of Chicago's best places to eat, drink and shop. Crain's reporters bring expert insight into all aspects of the city's restaurant and food scene. And we welcome chefs, culinary experts, cookbook authors, bartenders, business owners and more to discover what makes them tick.

Here's what you'll find in the latest episode:

The table is set for the 32nd annual James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards at Lyric Opera of Chicago tonight, with five local names among the finalists.

Ahead of the event, Kris Moon, the James Beard Foundation's president and COO, joined the podcast to discuss the group's transformation and what it aspires to, particularly when it comes to becoming a more inclusive space for restaurants and chefs from all walks of life.

Read more: The James Beard Awards are tonight. Here's what to watch for.

"The foundation has been on a pretty significant evolution," Moon said. "The evolution of the independent restaurant industry and chefs and culinary leaders has been significant over the last 30 years."

"We need to evolve as the industry evolves and to support an industry that's moving forward," he adds.

That's why the James Beard Awards adopted the motto "good food for good" a few years back, Moon says. "Our work is all about operating at the intersection of where good food — so gastronomy, the enjoyment of food, what we experience around the table together — where that intersects with the for good, or the creation of a better food world. And that's one that is more accessible, more sustainable, more equitable."

It's also one that's more diverse, he says. "How do we help create a more equitable, inclusive award process that's more reflective of our mission and the direction that we're going as an organization?"

The foundation took a step back in 2021 to try to answer that question. The strategy was to rethink the nomination process, identify barriers to entry and root out inequities in the system. Now, Moon says the process for selecting nominees, finalists and winners allows for a better representation of what food in America really is.

Listen to more from Manilow and Moon's conversation about the evolution of the awards on this week's episode of The Dining Table .

Crain's restaurant reporter Ally Marotti joined the show to discuss the Malibu Barbie Café, a Barbie-themed pop-up coming to Chicago from June 7 through Sep. 15.

Read more: This Barbie junkie's dream diner is only open for a little while

Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Dining Table on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Plus, it's pop-up season, and Crain's Ally Marotti reports on the Malibu Barbie Cafe.

Dining Table host David Manilow says paying the restaurant bill should not be a math problem.

Plus, Crain's Ally Marotti reports on why pandemic surcharges on restaurant bills aren't going away — no matter where you're dining.