Avec’s Koren Grieveson - Best Chef: Great Lakes

The first few winners from the Chicago area have been announced at the 2010 James Beard Awards in New York City. Best Chef: Great Lakes went to Koren Grieveson, the Executive Chef at Avec, in the West Loop. Grieveson had some serious co-nominees, including Arun Sampanthavivat of Arun’s, Bruce Sherman of North Pond and Michael Carlson of Schwa in Wicker Park. Calumet Fisheries was also named one of “America’s Classics,” for its 60-year commitment to providing smoked fish on-site, along the 95th Street bridge in Calumet.