Clink clink clink. It’s time to raise a glass to those who made the shortlist for the 2023 James Beard Awards — aka the “Oscars of the culinary world.” Two local chefs and one extremely popular new restaurant were named finalists for the prestigious accolades yesterday, so we’re seizing the opportunity to brag on our hometown foodie heroes.
🧑🍳 Beard’s culinary contributions
The awards are presented by the James Beard Foundation nonprofit whose namesake was born here in Portland. After spending his early adulthood trying to break into the theater and film industry, Beard found his place in the culinary world. He wrote the first of 20+ cookbooks in 1940 and carved a name for himself at the top of the game. The James Beard Foundation Awards were established in 1990, some 15 years after Beard’s death; the first awards were handed out the following year.
🏆 2023 semifinalists
Kann | Nominated for Best New Restaurant
Celebrity chef Gregory Gourdet’s Haitian-inspired restaurant opened in the summer of 2022 and immediately shot to the top of local and national charts. It was named America’s best new restaurant by Esquire magazine and Portland’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian/Oregon Live.
(Left) Vince Nguyen surrounded by Berlu teammates; (right) Thomas Pisha-Duffly.
Photos courtesy of @berlupdx and @gadogadopdx
Vince Nguyen, Berlu | Nominated for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
The eccentric tasting menus at the Central Eastside take-out bakery/street food restaurant are tributes to this 2022 Chef of the Year’s Vietnamese roots. Nguyen has cooked at some of world’s most prestigious eateries, opening Berlu in 2019.
Thomas Pisha-Duffly, Gado Gado | Nominated for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
Inspired by his and his wife’s travels in Southeast Asia, as well as his own Chinese-Indonesian heritage, Pisha-Duffly’s popular restaurant in the Hollywood District serves a creative blend of pan-Asian and Dutch flavors and is often hailed as a “go-to” for locals and visitors alike.
The winners will be announced on Monday, June 5.