The annual Jean Banchet Awards, which honor the best in fine dining in Chicago at a benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in January, announced nominees this morning after soliciting diner opinions for the past few weeks. Last year the list was dominated by a single restaurant—Grace, which won five awards, including Restaurant and Chef of the Year—but this year the list is pretty strong evidence of a diverse scene in which excellence is sprouting all over town, in genres from charcuterie to artful Asian food.…
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