Skip to content
Tosa Forward News
Sign in Subscribe

No Beard Award this year, but spotlight still shines as Ca'Lucchenzo gets back to serving

Chef Zak Baker was a finalist for Best Chef: Midwest, and he and Sarah Baker took some of their long-time employees with them to attend the award ceremony in Chicago on June 15.

By David Paulsen
No Beard Award this year, but spotlight still shines as Ca'Lucchenzo gets back to serving
Zak and Sarah Baker opened Ca'Lucchenzo at 6030 W. North Ave. in 2019. The restaurant has about 20 employees. Photo courtesy of Ca'Luccenzo, via Facebook.
Published:
Share to X Share to Bluesky Share to Facebook Share to LinkedIn Share by email

You could hear it in Zak Baker's voice. The chef at Ca'Lucchenzo, now back home in Wauwatosa, was still riding the excitement of awards night when Tosa Forward News caught up with him by phone at the end of the day June 16.

"We had a really good few days down in Chicago," Baker said. He and Sarah Baker, his wife and business partner, and several of their employees had just attended the James Beard Awards on June 15 and awards-related events over the weekend.

Baker was nominated in the Best Chef: Midwest category and had been invited to attend the awards ceremony as a finalist. Although a different restaurant in the St. Louis area brought home the top prize in their category, the team from Ca'Lucchenzo took every opportunity to eat up the moment and the Beard Award festivities.