Caroline Glover, co-owner and chef at Annette, wins a James Beard award

If you haven’t yet tried Annette restaurant in Aurora, here’s your cue. On Monday, chef and co-owner Caroline Gloverwas awarded the title of Best Chef in the Mountain Region by the James Beard Foundation at the prestigious James Beard Awards.

The awards, widely regarded as the Oscars of the food industry, returned for the first time since 2019 with an in-person ceremony at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. Colorado was guaranteed a win after local chefs swept nominations for the Best Chef in the Mountain Region.

“The thing I’ve learned most in the past two and a half years, and we’ve known this, but restaurants aren’t a luxury, we’re essential,” Glover said in her acceptance speech. “It’s time for us to start being treated that way.”

Speaking by phone, Glover, a first-time James Beard winner, expanded on that sentiment, saying she hopes to help the industry pivot into a sustainable career path not only for future foodies, but also to support the entire culinary ecosystem.

“Restaurants for so long have been, you know, maybe a holding place. I think that we should be more of a career-minded industry and in order to be that way, we have to be taken seriously,” she said. “The pandemic taught me that people need us. Not only guests, but other industries need us to keep them alive as well.”

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