ANDERSONVILLE — Last Wednesday, Paul Fehribach of Big Jones was announced as a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef for the fourth year in a row.
Fehribach, Executive Chef and co-owner of Big Jones, at 5347 N. Clark St., was also a semifinalist for Best Chef in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He was one of 11 chefs from Chicago to be named a semifinalist including Jake Bickelhaupt, of 42 Grams, at 4662 N. Broadway in Uptown, according to the Tribune.
The James Beard Awards is billed as "the Oscars of the food world" covering all aspects of the industry and culture including chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook authors, food journalists, restaurant designers and architects. It was established in 1990 to recognize "culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields," according to its website.
Fehribach, who is originally from Jasper, Ind., spent his early years on family farms, experimenting in kitchen gardens, and hunting and fishing in the woods. Those experiences shaped his approach to southern cuisine when opening Big Jones as he sought "deeper meaning in the history and heritage behind the Southern table." The results were "an obsession with heritage and heirloom crops and livestock breeds, traditional farming methods and culinary history," according to a press release.
Fehribach started his career cooking at Denny's while studying music and education at Indiana University. By the age of 24, he was executive chef of a local restaurant, where he stayed for three years before helping open Laughing Planet Cafe, which is billed as "one of the first organic and local-foods focused fast food restaurants in the country," the release said.
After, Fehribach moved to Chicago to be with his now partner. He also moved to front of the house work to pay the bills including 5 years at Schubas Tavern, at 3159 N. Southport Ave. In April 2008, he opened Big Jones and in April 2009 it was named Best New Restaurant by Chicago Magazine.
The 2016 James Beard Awards Gala will take place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, at 20 N. Upper Wacker Drive, on May 2. For the full list of awards and nominees click here. For the 27 restaurants and chefs from Chicago nominated click here.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
