Portland and Oregon Leads in 2016 James Beard Restaurant & Chef Semifinalists Awards

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

GoLocalPDX Lifestyle Team

Professionals from Oregon and Portland showed well as the semifinalists for the 2016 Restaurant and Chef Awards from the James Beard Foundation were unveiled Wednesday.

Read on for semifinalists in all categories, from Outstanding Restaurant to Rising Star Chef of the Year -- See Below

Nate Tilden of Clyde Common, Olympia Provisions, Spirit of 77, and The Richmond was just one of the big winners. More than 20 individuals and restaurants in Oregon were recognized -- further celebrating the state as a food mecca.

James Beard will announce the final Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, as well as the nominations for our Book, Journalism, Broadcast Media, and Restaurant Design Awards, in San Francisco and on Twitter on Tuesday, March 15.

The 2016 James Beard Awards Gala will be held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 2. The Foundation's Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards Dinner will take place at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City on Tuesday, April 26.

RESTAURANT & CHEF AWARD SEMIFINALISTS FOR THE 2016 JAMES BEARD AWARDS

Best New Restaurant

Alter, Miami
Bardot Brasserie, Las Vegas
Baroo, Los Angeles
The Blanchard, Chicago
Bracero Cocina de Raíz, San Diego
Cala, San Francisco
Cassia, Santa Monica, CA
Coquine, Portland, OR
The Dabney, Washington, D.C.
Death & Taxes, Raleigh, NC
Eloisa, Santa Fe
Girin Steakhouse & Ssam Bar, Seattle
Helen Greek Food and Wine, Houston
The Honey Paw, Portland, ME
Intro, Chicago
Kinship, Washington, D.C.
Launderette, Austin
Liholiho Yacht Club, San Francisco
Mabel Gray, Hazel Park, MI
Morcilla, Pittsburgh
Público, University City, MO
Shaya, New Orleans
Shepard, Cambridge, MA
Staplehouse, Atlanta
Superiority Burger, NYC
Wildair, NYC

Coquine, another Semifinalist

2016 Outstanding Baker

Robert Alexander, The General Muir, Atlanta
Evan Andres, Columbia City Bakery, Seattle
Kim Boyce, Bakeshop, Portland, OR
Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Café, Boston
Andre Chin and Amanda Eap, Artisan Boulanger Patissier, Philadelphia
Rick Easton, Bread and Salt, Pittsburgh
Mark Furstenberg, Bread Furst, Washington, D.C.
Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart, Minneapolis
Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, Brooklyn, NY
John Kraus, Patisserie 46, Minneapolis
Phoebe Lawless, Scratch Bakery, Durham, NC
Belinda Leong and Michel Suas, B. Patisserie, San Francisco
Cheryl Maffei and Jonathan Stevens, Hungry Ghost Bread, Northampton, MA
Laura Martelli and Matthew Rosenzweig, The Flaky Tart, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Dave and Megan Miller, Baker Miller Bakery & Millhouse, Chicago
Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas, Janjou Pâtisserie, Boise, ID
Sarah O’Brien, The Little Tart, Atlanta
Lionel Vatinet, La Farm Bakery, Cary, NC
Melissa Weller, Sadelle’s, NYC
William Werner, Craftsman and Wolves, San Francisco

Outstanding Bar Program

Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston
Arnaud’s French 75 Bar, New Orleans
Bar Agricole, San Francisco
Barmini, Washington, D.C.
Café ArtScience, Cambridge, MA
Canon, Seattle
Clyde Common, Portland, OR
Cure, New Orleans
Kimball House, Decatur, GA
Lost Lake, Chicago
Maison Premiere, Brooklyn, NY
Mockingbird Hill, Washington, D.C.
The Patterson House, Nashville
Polite Provisions, San Diego
The Olde Bar, Philadelphia
Row 34, Boston
The Side Project Cellar, Maplewood, MO
Tired Hands Fermentaria, Ardmore, PA
Trick Dog, San Francisco
The Varnish, Los Angeles

James Beard, Oregon roots

Outstanding Chef

Sean Brock, Husk, Nashville
Andrew Carmellini, Locanda Verde, NYC
Ashley Christensen, Poole’s Downtown Diner, Raleigh, NC
Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin
Matt Dillon, Bar Sajor, Seattle
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles
Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja, Denver
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans
Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia, Chicago
Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, WI
Carrie Nahabedian, Naha, Chicago
Nancy Oakes, Boulevard, San Francisco
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR
Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia
Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA
Jerry Traunfeld, Poppy, Seattle
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco
Marc Vetri, Vetri, Philadelphia

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Antonio Bachour, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, Bal Harbour, FL
Aggie Chin, The Grill Room, Washington, D.C.
Melissa Chou, Mourad, San Francisco
Juan Contreras, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
Kelly Fields, Willa Jean, New Orleans
Meg Galus, Boka, Chicago
Kate Jacoby, Vedge, Philadelphia
Michelle Karr-Ueoka, MW Restaurant, Honolulu
Maura Kilpatrick, Oleana, Cambridge, MA
Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles
Dolester Miles, Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, AL
Junko Mine, Café Juanita, Kirkland, WA
Kristen Murray, Maurice, Portland, OR
Kimiko Nishimura, Tomo, Atlanta
Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
Ghaya Oliveira, Daniel, NYC
Laura Sawicki, Launderette, Austin
Cynthia Wong, Rhubarb, Asheville, NC
Diane Yang, Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis
Jennifer Yee, Lafayette, NYC

Outstanding Restaurant

A.O.C., Los Angeles
Acquerello, San Francisco
Alinea, Chicago
Bluestem, Kansas City, MO
Craft, NYC
Five & Ten, Athens, GA
Fore Street, Portland, ME
Foreign Cinema, San Francisco
Fork, Philadelphia
Frankies 457, Brooklyn, NY
Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, CO
Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL
Jaleo, Washington, D.C.
Lark, Seattle
Momofuku Noodle Bar, NYC
Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix
Providence, Los Angeles
Rasika, Washington, D.C.
Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
The Spotted Pig, NYC

Outstanding Restaurateur

Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C. (The Bombay Club, The Oval Room, Rasika, and others)
Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla, Blau and Associates, Las Vegas (Honey Salt, Made LV, Andiron, and others)
Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, Boka Restaurant Group, Chicago (Boka, Girl & the Goat, Momotaro, Swift & Sons, and others)
Frank Bonanno, Bonanno Concepts, Denver (Mizuna, Luca, Osteria Marco, and others)
Roy Choi, Los Angeles (Chego, Sunny Spot, A-Frame, Pot, LocoL)
JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline, New Orleans
Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Phoenix (The Arrogant Butcher, Culinary Dropout, Olive & Ivy, and others)
Ken Friedman, NYC (The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, Tosca Café)
Ford Fry, Atlanta (The Optimist, St. Cecilia, State of Grace, and others)
Benjamin and Max Goldberg, Strategic Hospitality, Nashville (The Catbird Seat, Pinewood Social, The Patterson House, and others)
Garrett Harker, Boston (Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Row 34, The Hawthorne, Branch Line)
Martha Hoover, Patachou Inc., Indianapolis (Café Patachou, Petite Chou Bistro, Napolese, and others)
Ouita Michel, Lexington, KY (Holly Hill Inn, Windy Corner, Wallace Station Deli, Smithtown Seafood, and others)
Michael Mina, Mina Restaurants, San Francisco (Michael Mina, Bourbon Steak, RN74, and others)
Cindy Pawlcyn, Napa, CA (Mustards Grill, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, Cindy's Waterfront at the Monterey Bay Aquarium)
Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurants, Philadelphia (Serpico, The Dandelion, Talula's Garden, and others)
Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Seattle (Staple & Fancy, How to Cook a Wolf, Anchovies & Olives, and others)
Andrew Tarlow, Brooklyn, NY (Diner, Marlow & Sons, Reynard, and others)
Nate Tilden, Portland, OR (Clyde Common, Olympia Provisions, Spirit of 77, The Richmond)
Tracy Vaught, Houston (Hugo’s, Caracol, Backstreet Café)

Outstanding Service

Aubergine at L’Auberge Carmel, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Bacchanalia, Atlanta
Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY
Brigtsen’s, New Orleans
Café Juanita, Kirkland, WA
Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC
Eleven Madison Park, NYC
Komi, Washington, D.C.
L’Espalier, Boston
Marcel’s by Robert Wiedmaier, Washington, D.C.
North Pond, Chicago
The Pass, Houston
Quince, San Francisco
Restaurant August, New Orleans
Saam at the Bazaar by José Andrés, Beverly Hills, CA
Saison, San Francisco
Stone Soup Cottage, Cottleville, MO
Strip-T’s, Watertown, MA
Topolobampo, Chicago
Zahav, Philadelphia

Outstanding Wine Program

Addison at the Grand Del Mar, San Diego
Benu, San Francisco
Bern’s Steakhouse, Tampa, FL
Canlis, Seattle
Charleston, Baltimore
Commander’s Palace, New Orleans
Element 47, The Little Nell, Aspen, CO
Empire State South, Atlanta
FIG, Charleston, SC
Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving, TX
Jory Restaurant at the Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, OR
Miller Union, Atlanta
Momofuku Ko, NYC
Nopa, San Francisco
Press, St. Helena, CA
The Red Hen, Washington, D.C.
Sepia, Chicago
Spago, Beverly Hills, CA
Studio at the Montage, Laguna Beach, CA
Wild Ginger, Seattle

Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional

Mannie Berk, Rare Wine Co., Brisbane, CA
Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
Wayne Carpenter, Skagit Valley Malting, Burlington, WA
Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA
Ron Cooper, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Ranchos de Taos, NM
Rutger de Vink, RdV, Delaplane, VA
Diane Flynt, Foggy Ridge Cider, Dugspur, VA
Miljenko Grgich, Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford, CA
Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Evil Twin Brewing, Brooklyn, NY
Charles Joly, Crafthouse, Chicago
Jim Koch, The Boston Beer Company, Boston
Manfred Krankl, Sine Qua Non, Oak View, CA
Drew Kulsveen, Willett Distillery, Bardstown, KY
Ted Lemon, Littorai Wines, Sebastopol, CA
Steve Matthiasson, Matthiasson Wines, Napa, CA
Steve McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, OR
Aldo Sohm, Zalto Glass, NYC
Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, ME
Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY
Lance Winters, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA

Nate Tilden, recognized for his four properties

Rising Star of the Year

Doug Adams, Imperial, Portland, OR
Tanya Baker, Boarding House, Chicago
Jay Blackinton, Hogstone Wood Oven, Orcas Island, WA
Alex Bois, High Street on Market, Philadelphia
Joseph Cuccia, 17 Summer, Lodi, NJ
Angela Dimayuga, Mission Chinese Food, NYC
Ryan Fox and Ali Matteis, Nomad, Portland, OR
Sara Hauman, Huxley, San Francisco
Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer, Madcapra at Grand Central Market, Los Angeles
Bradley Kilgore, Alter, Miami
Elise Kornack, Take Root, Brooklyn, NY
Irene Li, Mei Mei, Boston
Garrett Lipar, Marais, Grosse Pointe, MI
Grae Nonas, Olamaie, Austin
Misti Norris, Small Brewpub, Dallas
Maximillian Petty, Eden Hill, Seattle
Ryan Pollnow, Aatxe, San Francisco
José Ramírez-Ruiz, Semilla, Brooklyn, NY
Matt Rudofker, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, NYC
Beau Schooler, The Rookery, Juneau, AK
Marc Sheehan, Loyal Nine, Cambridge, MA
Daniela Soto-Innes, Cosme, NYC
Cara Stadler, Tao Yuan, Brunswick, ME
Alan Sternberg, Cerulean, Indianapolis
Jarrett Stieber, Eat Me Speak Me, Atlanta
Edward Sura, Perennial Virant, Chicago
Jenner Tomaska, Next, Chicago

Best Chef: Northwest

Jose Chesa, Ataula, Portland, OR
Laura Cole, 229 Parks Restaurant & Tavern, Denali National Park & Preserve, AK
Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, Ox, Portland, OR
Eric Donnelly, RockCreek, Seattle
Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill, Jackson, WY
Mike Easton, Il Corvo Pasta, Seattle
Renee Erickson, The Whale Wins, Seattle
Adam Hegsted, The Wandering Table, Spokane, WA
Edouardo Jordan, Salare, Seattle
Joe Kim, 5 Fusion and Sushi Bar, Bend, OR
Kris Komori, State & Lemp, Boise, ID
Nathan Lockwood, Altura, Seattle
Mike Muirhead, Mas Taco, Red Lodge, MT
Trent Pierce, Roe, Portland, OR
Sarah Pliner, Aviary, Portland, OR
Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
Dustin Ronspies, Art of the Table, Seattle
Allen Routt, Painted Lady, Newberg, OR
Justin Woodward, Castagna, Portland, OR
Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle

The list of semifinalists is then sent to an independent volunteer panel of more than 600 judges from across the country. This panel, which comprises leading regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators, and past James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award winners, votes on specific award categories to determine the final five nominees in each category. The same judges then vote on these five nominees to select the winners. Tabulations to determine the nominees and winners are done by independent auditors, Lutz & Carr.

Related Slideshow: Where to Dine Out in Portland’s 10 Hottest Restaurant Neighborhoods

Find the Best ranked Portland neighborhoods according to number of restaurants per capita. The top restaurant neighborhoods included the Lloyd district, Old Town, The Pearl and more - all of which have an abundance of hip, tasty places to dine. Here are GoLocalPDX's picks for where to dine out in Portland's 10 hottest restaurant neighborhoods.

Prev Next

10.

Salty's, Sunderland

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in Sunderland: 99.4

Salty's sits on the waterfront of the Columbia River, and serves up delicious seafood and steak daily.

3839 N.E. Marine Drive.

Photo via saltys.com

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9.

PAADEE, Kerns Neighborhood

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in Kerns: 101.2

Paa dee, which means "to bring good things," serves up sophisticated thai dishes and craft cocktails daily.

6 SE 28th Avenue.

Photo via paadeepdx.com

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8.

Nostrana, Buckman Neighborhood

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in Buckman: 121.6

Enjoy a slice of Italy at Nostrana - serving up fine wines, cocktails and Italian style lunch and dinner dishes every day.

1401 SE Morrison Street.

Photo via nostrana.com

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7.

¿Por Que No?, Boise Neighborhood

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in Boise: 123.9

¿Por Que No? Taqueria strives for sustainability using locally harvested meat and recycled materials, while serving up delectable mexican flavors.

3524 N Mississippi Avenue.

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6.

Paley's Place, Northwest District

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in the Northwest District: 127.6

Paley's place - with only 50 seats - provides guests an intimate and sophisticated dining experience.

1204 Northwest 21st Avenue.

Photo via paleysplace.net

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5.

Andina, The Pearl

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in the Pearl: 155.3

Visit Andina in the Pearl district for a unique, elegant taste of Peru.

1314 Northwest Glisan Street.

Photo via andinarestaurant.com

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4.

Wilfs, Old Town Chinatown

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in the Pearl: 178.2

The 1950's inspired restaurant and lounge, Wilfs, serves classic American style cuisine and often hosts live jazz musicians.

800 NW 6th Avenue.

Photo via wilfsrestaurant.com

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3.

Shandong, Hollywood District

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in the Hollywwod District: 219.6

This classic Chinese eatery features hand-pulled noodles in unique, authentic cuisine.

3724 NE Broadway.

Photo via shandongportland.com

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2.

Departure, Downtown

Number of restaurants per 10,000 residents in Downtown: 227.3

Departure Restaurant and Lounge featuring head chef Gregory Gourdet, not only provides guests with one of the best views in Portland, but also serves up-scale asian-fusion cuisine.

525 SW Morrison Street.

Photo via departureportland.com