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James Beard Award-Winning Chefs
Portland's most decorated chefs cook up a lot of attention and some seriously awesome eats.
Kate Loftesness
The James Beard Awards, named for the eccentric, Portland-born chef who revolutionized the American dining scene in the 20th century, are the nation’s highest annual* culinary honor. With such a talked-about and delicious food scene, it’s no surprise that Portland chefs have racked up a few James Beard Awards over the years.
Recent James Beard Winners in Portland
Here are some of the most notable chefs recently bestowed with the honor:
Joshua McFadden
Book: Vegetable-Focused Cooking – 2018
After earning a Best Chef: Northwest nomination in 2017, the Ava Gene’s chef picked up a 2018 prize for his cookbook, Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, which features 225 recipes that promise to “coax the best from vegetables at each stage of their lives.”
Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton
Best Chef: Northwest – 2017
The married chef-owners at OX Restaurant took home the top regional honors in 2017 after earning nominations the previous three years. Sample their wood-fired, Argentinian-inspired cooking at OX.
Naomi Pomeroy
Best Chef: Northwest – 2014
Legendary chef and local celebrity Naomi Pomery won Best Chef: Northwest in 2014 after being nominated in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013. Beast, the restaurant that brought her so much acclaim, has closed. Still, you can enjoy cocktails and Burmese-inspired fare at her other Beard Award-nominated (in 2020 for Outstanding Bar Program) establishment, Expatriate.
Gabriel Rucker
Best Chef: Northwest – 2013
The Best Chef: Northwest winner in 2013 gained recognition for his unique and adventurous take on French cuisine at the eastside’s Le Pigeon. Additionally, Rucker won Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2011 after being nominated four times. You can find some of his James Beard Award-worthy food recipes in his 2013 cookbook, Le Pigeon: Cooking at the Dirty Bird.
If you can’t find a seat at Le Pigeon, you might want to try your luck at Canard, his casual wine bar serving a more playful menu.
Ken Forkish
Baking & Dessert Cookbook – 2013
Rounding out Portland’s most-recognized chefs is pastry virtuoso Ken Forkish, who was an Outstanding Pastry Chef nominee in 2011 and 2013, and won in 2013 for his cookbook Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast. Get your fill of his baked goods at Ken’s Artisan Bakery and Ken’s Artisan Pizza.
Greg Higgins
Best Chef: Northwest – 2002
This pioneer of whole-hog cooking and farm-to-table dining in Portland was one of the first Portland chefs to garner national attention when he won the Beard Award in 2002. Enjoy his still-stellar cuisine at the eponymous Higgins Restaurant downtown.
*Out of respect for the struggling food service industry during the pandemic, the awards halted in 2020 (no winners announced) and 2021 (no nominees announced).
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Notable James Beard Award Nominees in Portland
Here are some more of Portland’s Beard Award-nominated chefs and where to eat their food:
Thomas Pisha-Duffly
Best Chef Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2022
Best New Restaurant nominee (finalist) – 2020
Akkapong “Earl” Ninsom
Outstanding Restaurateur nominee (finalist) – 2022
Best New Restaurant nominee (finalist) – 2020
Carlo Lamagna
Best Chef Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2022
Vince Nguyen
Best Chef Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2022
Thuy Pham
Emerging Chef nominee (semifinalist) – 2022
- Mama Dút
Lauro Romero, Olivia Bartruff and Roberto Torres
Best New Restaurant nominee (semifinalist) – 2022
Katy Millard
Outstanding Hospitality nominee (semifinalist) – 2022
Best Chef: Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Best New Restaurant nominee (semifinalist) – 2016
Peter Cho
Best Chef Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2020
Best Chef Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2019
Best New Restaurant nominee (semifinalist) – 2017
Justin Woodward
Best Chef: Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2017, 2018, 2019
Bonnie Morales
Best Chef: Northwest nominee (finalist)– 2018
Gregory Gourdet
Best Chef: Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2018
Narumol (Nong) Poonsukwattana
Best Chef: Northwest nominee – 2018
- Nong’s Khao Man Gai – Downtown
- Nong’s Khao Man Gai – Eastside
Sarah Minnick
Best Chef: Northwest (semifinalist) – 2018
Ha (Christina) Luu
Best Chef: Northwest nominee (semifinalist) – 2017, 2018
Kristen D. Murray
Outstanding Pastry Chef nominee – 2017, 2018
Cathy Whims
Best Chef: Northwest nominee (finalist) – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
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