About two dozen lucky (and undoubtedly hardworking) chefs and restaurant teams around the country received one of the food world’s top honors this week. The James Beard Award winners were announced Monday at a ceremony in Chicago.

Chicago restaurants, or a few of their chefs, took home the top prize in two categories.

Tim Flores and Genie Kwon of Kasama won the “Best Chef: Great Lakes” category that represented Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The restaurant in Chicago’s East Village neighborhood became the world’s first Filipino Michelin-starred restaurant in 2022.

Damarr Brown of Virtue in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood won the crown of “Emerging Chef.” Last year, the Windy City-native was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef in America for his work as Chef de Cuisine at Virtue.

The first James Beard Awards were given out in 1991. They “celebrate excellence across a range of experiences—from fine dining establishments to casual gems, and emerging talent to established masters,” the foundation says.

This year, other big winners included restaurants in Philadelphia; Portland, Oregon; Washington, D.C.; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles, and Honolulu.

For the entire list of the 2023 James Beard Award winners, click here.