Paul Virant of Vie Nominated for 'Chef of the Year' Award

Two members of the team at Vie in Western Springs are among the nominees for the 2013 Jean Banchet Awards, which honor Chicago's best restaurants, chefs, sommeliers and mixologists. 

Paul Virant, head chef at both Vie and Perennial Virant in Chicago, is among four nominees for the Chef of the Year award, while Elissa Narrow, pastry chef at the two restaurants, is up for Pastry Chef of the Year.

Also nominated in Virant's chef category are Curtis Duffy of Grace, Carrie Nahabedian of NAHA, and Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia. 

Narrow's pastry-chef competitors are Lisa Bonjour of mk, Craig Harzewski of NAHA, and Leigh Omilinsky of Cafe des Architectes.

"The Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence is the only Chicago-based awards presentation that recognizes and rewards culinary originality and talent in the Chicagoland area," the awards' website reads. 

The 2013 Best Restaurant award nominees are: 

• Acadia 
• Brindille
• Embeya 
• Grace 

• Fat Rice 
• Found 
• Gather 
• Travelle 
• TWO 

Nominations were based on the results of an open-to-the-public nomination period in October. The 2013 winners will be determined by the results of a secret ballot filled out by those within the culinary industry. The results will be announced at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Grand Chefs Gala at the Fairmont Chicago on Jan. 31.

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