Nominations for the highly coveted Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence are now open for voting by the general public. The Jean Banchet Awards is the only Chicago-based awards presentation that recognizes and rewards culinary originality and talent in the Chicagoland area.

Chicagoans are encouraged to vote for their favorite chef starting Monday, October 13. Voting can be done at GrandChefsGala.com.  This year, the nominating process will feature a panel of judges who have been chosen to aid in the selection of the nominees. The Banchet Awards committee will, in conjunction with the online voting, finalize the four selections in each of the 11 categories. Nominees will be announced on October 30, in a press conference, at Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park and winners for each category will be chosen by members of the culinary industry voting by secret ballot.

Categories include: Chef of the Year; Pastry Chef of the Year; Best Chef-de-Cuisine; Rising Chef of the Year; Rising Pastry Chef of the Year; Best Sommelier; Best Mixologist; Best Restaurant Design; Best Restaurant Services; Best New Restaurant and Restaurant of the Year.

Nominations accepted through Sunday, October 26, 2014