Culinary Legends
Dooky Chase's Restaurant, run by the Chase family, has received the the 2025 James Beard Award for "American Classic: South."
Dooky Chase restaurant has been loved by the local community for their timeless appeal and classic Creole dishes for over eight decades. Their impact on African American culture includes being a venue for strategery sessions for many politicians and activists of the civil rights movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Jesse Jackson. The late chef Leah Chase earned two James Beard Awards for her restaurant Dooky Chase: Lifetime Achievement (2016) and Who's Who in F&B (2010).
About James Beard Awards & Foundation
Since its founding in 1990, the James Beard Awards are among the nation's most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries and those in the broader food systems. The James Beard Awards recognizes exemplary achievement and talent in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, as well as a demonstrated commitment to equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where everyone can thrive.
The awards are overseen by the Awards Committee. Each awards program (Book, Broadcast Media, Journalism, and Restaurant and Chef) has its own subcommittee members who volunteer their time to oversee the policies, procedures, and selection of judges for their respective program. All James Beard Award winners receive a certificate and a medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia.
For nearly 40 years, James Beard Foundation (JBF) has heightened the education, recognition, and training of the individuals who shape American food culture.The JBF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to directing chefs and the greater culinary industry towards a new standard of excellence. Their vision is now materialized through the James Beard Award, activist programs, community events, and more. For more information, visit jamesbeard.org and follow @beardfoundation on social media.
More Info
The 2025 James Beard Awards are presented by Capital One, the official credit card and banking partner of the James Beard Foundation.The ceremony will be celebrated for the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards on Monday, June 16, 2025 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
