For the third year in a row, Washington state was snubbed at the James Beard Awards, the highest honors in the U.S. restaurant industry.
The 33rd annual Beard ceremony was held Monday night at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Fourteen chefs and restaurateurs were on the Beard long list released in January , of which six were named finalists earlier this spring. Nominees from Washington state did not win Beard Awards in 2022 or 2023 .
In Monday night’s major categories, Thai restaurant Langbaan in Portland, Ore. won for Outstanding Restaurant, and Michael Rafidi of Albi in Washington, D.C.
, won for Outstanding Chef. Read on for a recap of how the Washingtonian nominees fared. More Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham of Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time and The Boat in Seattle were nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur.
The award went to Erika Whitaker and Kelly Whitaker of Id Est Hospitality Group in Boulder, Colorado. Mike and Erin Easton’s Bar Bacetto in Waitsburg, Walla Walla County was nominated for Best New Restaurant. The award went to Dakar NOLA in New Orleans.
Janet Becerra of Pancita in Seattle was nominated for Emerging Chef. The award went to Masako Morishita of Perry’s in Washington, D.C.
All nominated for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific: Kristi Brown of Communion and Melissa Miranda of Musang , both in Seattle; and Avery Adams of Matia Kitchen on Orcas Island. The award went to Gregory Gourdet of kann in Portland. Find the full list of 2024 James Beard.