Two Chicago chefs will compete for a $1 million prize on a new cooking series, “America’s Culinary Cup,” which premieres March 4 on CBS.
Diana Dávila, the James Beard semifinalist behind Logan Square’s Mi Tocaya Antojería, and Beverly Kim, the James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of Parachute HiFi and Anelya in Avondale, are among 16 chefs selected for the first season of the new competition series. The lineup includes Michelin-starred chefs, a Bocuse d’Or medalist and multiple James Beard Award winners and nominees from across the nation.
Hosted and produced by former “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi, the show is offering the largest cash prize in cooking television history.
Throughout the season, contestants will be judged on what the show describes as the “10 culinary commandments,” including meat, vegetables, sauces, dessert, innovation, sustainability and culinary science.For Kim, this will be her second time competing on a culinary competition show. In 2011, she earned fourth place on Season 9 of “Top Chef.”
“For the longest time, I didn’t want to do another competition show,” Kim said. “That experience was challenging and hard, and it did make me grow in so many ways, but I wasn’t ready for it.”
Fifteen years later, Kim reconsidered when Lakshmi invited her to join the show. As a fellow working mom and Asian American in the culinary world, she connected with Lakshmi and saw it as an opportunity to begin a new chapter in her life.
“It’s important to show that your journey never really stops, even after you’ve accomplished a lot,” Kim said. “It’s good to show my kids to never be afraid of opportunities, even if it feels challenging.”
Dávila, on the other hand, had never been on a competition show before.
“It’s like being blindfolded in a room and not knowing what’s going to happen,” Dávila said. “Your stomach is always in knots. It’s excitement, it’s nerves, it’s butterflies.”
She said her nerves calmed when she realized Kim was also on the show. As fellow restaurant owners in the city, they have been close friends for years.
“When I first saw her on there, that was really, really nice,” Dávila said. “You have somebody there you can hold hands with.”
Kim echoed how meaningful it was to have Dávila on the show, even if it was challenging to compete against a close friend.
“For the people of Chicago, our spirit of resilience, you know that we have something special,” Kim said. “The city is such a food city, and so there’s a pressure to make sure that we represent that.”
Regardless of the challenge, Dávila approached each stage with a similar mindset.
“In any challenge or anything that was presented, I always view it as, how can I Mexicanize this?” Dávila said. “How is that going to fit in a Mexican frame?”
As a first-generation American, Dávila is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She was raised in and around Chicago and has worked in the restaurant industry ever since she was a kid. Her parents owned taquerías throughout her childhood and Davila helped with every part of the business, whether it was cooking, picking out decorations or customer service.
“I just wanted to be involved,” Dávila said. “I thought the cooks were the coolest people in the world. I just loved everything about it.”
As the owner of Mi Tocaya Antojería, she adds her own unique twists to classic Mexican dishes.
“It may taste like something your abuela made,” Dávila said. “It has that flavor of authenticity, but it’s a little bit something else.”
Like Dávila, Kim is a Chicago-area native and first-generation American. Her parents were born in Korea and she learned to cook from her mom, who made nearly everything from scratch.
At 18, she secured an internship under Sarah Stegner, then executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton. From there, she went on to cook in several restaurants in and around the city.
After she competed on “Top Chef,” Kim and her husband, Johnny Clark, opened the Korean American restaurant Parachute. Drawing from Kim’s heritage, the restaurant went on to earn a Michelin star for six consecutive years. The pair later opened Anelya down the street, where they serve modern interpretations of dishes inspired by Clark’s Ukrainian roots. In 2024, they transformed Parachute into Parachute HiFi, a music bar and restaurant in the same space.
“I just think we can bridge through a lot, heal through a lot and celebrate a lot through food,” Kim said.
The couple is currently preparing to open a new American restaurant in Evanston.
“I’m here for the adventure,” Kim said. “I’m here to learn, keep growing and sharing the love of cooking.”
Outside of the competition and operating their restaurants, both women also lead nonprofits and have partnered to support each other’s work.
In 2020, Dávila started a project called Todos Ponen, which means “everyone contributes” in Spanish. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she saw how immigrants living in the country without legal permission were struggling with food insecurity and wanted to help the community. She has since continued to grow the organization and collaborate with local businesses.
“When I came back from the show, I was honestly just heartbroken,” Dávila said, describing the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents throughout Chicago. “I wanted to do something to directly impact families who are experiencing job loss and food insecurity, because it’s real and it’s happening.”
She recently organized an event, “Todos Ponen: Una Noche de Pueblos y Platillos,” collaborating with restaurants, including Kim’s Parachute HiFi, and family-owned supermarcados around the city. The event raised $115,000 and provided more than 120 families with $800 grocery gift certificates, helping those in need access food and essential supplies they might not otherwise afford.
“It was really beautiful to see us all come together,” Dávila said. “Everybody puts in, everybody contributes, there’s enough for all of us, we just make the pot bigger.”
Kim started The Abundance Setting in 2020 to support women and mothers working in the hospitality industry with resources, mentorship and networking opportunities. The nonprofit grew out of her own experience navigating restaurant kitchens while raising children.
“There’s definitely a drop-off of women in this industry because of the challenging hours,” Kim said. “Working nights, working holidays and navigating that without clear support systems, like child care, it can be really challenging.”
While the organization slowed down last year, she revived it this year after meeting her competitors on “America’s Culinary Cup.” Many of them were parents themselves, navigating similar challenges. As a fellow mom in the industry, Dávila has served as a mentor and a panelist for the organization.
Both chefs plan to watch the season premiere at home with their families. But on March 11, the festivities move to Mi Tocaya, where Dávila will host a public watch party for the second episode. Kim, Dávila and chef John Manion will provide food and Yadira Morales will craft cocktails. Chicago chefs Jhoana Ruiz, Sarah Grueneberg, Joe Flamm and Won Kim will offer live commentary throughout the screening.
“I hope Chicago roots us on,” Kim said. “Let’s be there for each other.”
To see Kim and Dávila on “America’s Culinary Cup,” tune into CBS on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. or stream on Paramount+.
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