Kate Loftesness

a chef stands in a small open kitchen a chef stands in a small open kitchen
i
James Beard Award-winner Gabriel Rucker in the tiny open kitchen at Le Pigeon.

James Beard Award-Winning Chefs

Portland's most decorated chefs cook up a lot of attention and some seriously awesome eats.

3 min read

Kate Loftesness

The James Beard Awards, named for the eccentric chef and Portland native 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 comes as 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 Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, which features 225 recipes highlighting veggies at their prime.

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 for the past three years. Sample their acclaimed Argentinian-inspired, wood-fired 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 the category in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013. Try her meaty prix-fixe meals at the acclaimed Beast, or enjoy cocktails and Burmese-inspired fare at her nearby bar Expatriate.

Know Before You Go

Beast is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, chef Noami Pomeroy has transitioned the restaurant to a new concept, Ripe Cooperative – a community marketplace.

Gabriel Rucker

Best Chef: Northwest â€“ 2013

The Best Chef: Northwest winner in 2013 gained recognition for his unique and adventurous take on French cuisine at the east side’s Le Pigeon. Additionally, Rucker won Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2011 and was nominated in both categories two other times. Cook yourself some James Beard Award-worthy food from his 2013 cookbook, Le Pigeon: Cooking at the Dirty Bird.

In 2018, Rucker expanded his empire with the opening of Canard, an innovative wine bar with sophisticated but playful snacks.

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 in Northwest and Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Southeast.

Greg Higgins

Best Chef: Northwest â€“ 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 cooking at the eponymous Higgins Restaurant downtown.

Desired Dining

Restaurants loved by critics and patrons alike

brightly colored dish of vegetables and meat

Portland for Foodies

Mixing fresh, local ingredients with a colorful community of inventive chefs, Portland's restaurant scene is a recipe that can't be recreated anyplace else.

an overhead view of seven gourmet doughnuts in various styles and flavors

Portland’s Foodie Chains

Portland infuses independent spirit into everything, even its restaurant chains. Discover locally owned businesses similar to your favorite national brands.

A biscuit sandwich on a plate

Portland’s Favorite Dishes

This guide to the best of Portland food gives details about the city's most iconic dishes. Savor each of these local-favorite foods one bite at a time.

Notable James Beard Award Nominees in Portland

Here are some more of Portland’s Beard Award-nominated chefs and where to eat their food:

Peter Cho

Best New Restaurant nominee – 2017
Best Chef Northwest nominee – 2019

Katy Millard

Best Chef: Northwest nominee – 2017, 2018, 2019

Justin Woodward

Best Chef: Northwest nominee – 2017, 2018, 2019

Bonnie Morales

Best Chef: Northwest nominee – 2018

Gregory Gourdet

Best Chef: Northwest – 2018

Narumol (Nong) Poonsukwattana

Best Chef: Northwest – 2018

Sarah Minnick

Best Chef: Northwest – 2018

  • Lovely’s Fifty Fifty

Ha (Christina) Luu

Best Chef: Northwest nominee – 2017

Maya Lovelace

Rising Star Chef of the Year nominee – 2017

Kristen Murray

Outstanding Pastry Chef nominee – 2017, 2018

Cathy Whims

Best Chef: Northwest nominee – 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Resources Elsewhere Online

James Beard Foundation

Full list of Portland winners and nominees

Chefs in the Spotlight

More Food & Drink
Maya Lovelace and man cooking

The Magic of Mae is Maya Lovelace

This Southern chef puts diners under a spell with her spin on classic Appalachian cuisine.

Man standing at table with dishes of food in front of him.

Chef Carlo Lamagna Brings Filipino Food to the Forefront in Portland

Chef Carlo Lamagna's Magna explores the wide world of Filipino cuisine.

african american man smiles next to wine barrel

Meet Bertony Faustin, Oregon’s First Black Winemaker

Oregon’s first Black winemaker, Bertony Faustin has been building community since 2007, when he launched his small-batch winery, Abbey Creek.

a smiling woman sits at a table in a restaurant

Meet Kiauna Floyd, Owner of Amalfi’s Italian Restaurant

Black-owned Portland trattoria Amalfi’s has offered the same old-school recipes and community support for three generations.

a brewer checks on a liquor she\'s distilling

Portland Brewer Lee Hedgmon Defies Stereotypes About Beer and Race

Sample Hedgmon’s one-of-a-kind stouts and spirits at Edgefield and Ground Breaker.

Food