On June 15th, 2026, The Perfect Bite went live from the red carpet of the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. As an official press credential holder, host Sarah Perkins spent two hours on the carpet meeting, interviewing, and asking the world's best and hardest question to some of the most celebrated names in food, hospitality, and beyond.

From the Humanitarian of the Year to lifetime achievement legends, from a chef putting Anchorage, Alaska on the map, to a restaurateur flying his entire Cleveland team to Chicago, this is one of the most special and spontaneous episodes The Perfect Bite has ever produced.

This episode features interviews with nominees, honorees, past winners, award committee members, and food industry luminaries from across the country, all sharing what brought them to Chicago and, of course, their perfect bites.

Timestamps below to let you choose where you want to hop to in the episode!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Welcome and intro from the red carpet at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

0:30 - Who was James Beard? A brief history and foundation overview

2:00 - The James Beard Foundation mission and 35 years of awards

3:30 - The 2026 presenting sponsors, partners, and award programs

4:00 - CHIRLA: Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, 2026 Impact Award winners. Perfect bites: pozole and mom's enchiladas

7:30 - Nikki Fas: Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service nominee. Puerto Rican flavors, pineapple cocktails, and a perfect bite of tostones with garlic

11:30 - Damian Diaz: No Us Without You, 2026 Humanitarian of the Year. On representing the immigrant community and a perfect bite of abuelita's enchiladas verdes

16:00 - Nathan Bentley: Best Chef Pacific Northwest nominee, Altura, Anchorage Alaska. On elevating comfort food and a perfect bite of the sweet prawn biscuit

21:00 - Belinda Chang: Two-time James Beard Award winner, now creating luxury hospitality experiences. On magnetic nails, Lady Gaga concerts, and a perfect bite of crème fraîche with Lipton French onion dip, lumpfish caviar, and a potato chip

26:00 - Johnny Hernandez: Best Chef Mountain nominee, Denver, traditional Mexican cuisine. On representing Denver and Mexico and a perfect bite of molote in the Centro Historico in Oaxaca

32:00 - Finn Walter and Audrey Walter: Best Chef Texas nominee, The Nicolette, Lubbock Texas. On a burgeoning food scene and a perfect bite of green chile posole from Old Mexico Grill in Santa Fe

37:00 - Chris Shepherd and Lindsey Brown: Southern Smoke Foundation, 2026 Impact Luncheon honorees. On mental health access for hospitality workers and perfect bites of the Monteverde meatball and a homemade grilled cheese

45:00 - Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate: Best Chef Mid-Atlantic nominees, Honeysuckle, Philadelphia. On memory, storytelling through food, and perfect bites of acorn bread and the first strawberry from the farm

53:00 - Lee Anne Wong: 2026 James Beard Awards Committee member. On the diversity of this year's nominees and a perfect bite of tonkatsu from Budagumi in Tokyo

57:30 - Andrew Zimmern: Host of the 2026 James Beard Media Awards, Substack author of Spilled Milk. On overcoming nerves and a perfect bite of a fried chicken thigh

1:02:30 - Ope Amosu: Best Chef nominee, ChòpnBlọk, Houston, modern West African cuisine. On making culture accessible and a perfect bite of Buka stew

1:06:00 - Sam Toia: President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association. On keeping the James Beard Awards in Chicago through 2028 and culinary tourism

1:10:00 - Joe Cash: Best Chef Southeast nominee, Scoundrel, Greenville South Carolina. On classic French bistro in a burgeoning food city and a perfect bite of pristine uni

1:13:00 - Michael Tusk: Outstanding Chef nominee, Quince, San Francisco. On Joe Sasto's time at Quince and a perfect bite of a croque monsieur at Harry's Bar in Venice

1:22:30 - Erick Williams: Virtue, Chicago. On Midwest nice, team-first hospitality, and a perfect bite of Nancy Silverton's pizza dough recipe

1:23:00 - Nancy Silverton: 2026 James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award winner. On not going anywhere and a perfect bite of crusty, flavorful bread

1:30:00 - Vinnie Cimino: Best Chef Great Lakes nominee, Cordelia and ROSY, Cleveland. On bringing the whole team to Chicago and a perfect bite of the bread service at Monteverde

1:37:00 - Historia: Filipino pop-up, Las Vegas. On marrying journalism and food to bring Filipino origin stories to life

1:38:30 - Closing reflections, Soul and Smoke in the press room, and Mayor Brandon Johnson arriving

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