Karyn Tomlinson's winding road to acclaim: from borrowing $25k for her 'grandma chic' restaurant to winning the historic James Beard award

Karyn Tomlinson's winding road to acclaim: from borrowing $25k for her 'grandma chic' restaurant to winning the historic James Beard award

Karyn Tomlinson is sitting atop the culinary world right now after winning the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest. She sat down with Fortune to discuss her journey to becoming a chef, battling imposter syndrome in the kitchen, and how she successfully opened a restaurant that overcame pandemic-era hurdles to become a community fixture. When Karyn Tomlinson took the stage at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House this June to accept the 2025 Jame…