Awards & Accolades
And Seattle's 2017 James Beard Award Semifinalists Are...
Not bad, Seattle. Not bad at all.

Which chefs will inch closer to taking home one of these medals?
Photo via the James Beard Foundation
Once again, the James Beard Foundation has released its list of chefs—narrowed down from tens of thousands of entries—in the running for the most distinguished restaurant honors in the country.
From here, the Foundation's committee of industry pros will whittle down this lineup of semifinalists further still. Those results come out on March 15.
But first, let's see how Seattle fared.
Impressive showings from two rising stars, Brady Williams of Canlis and Maximillian Petty of Eden Hill. Nice to see Anu and Chris Elford's pleasantly geeky beer bar No Anchor already getting much-deserved recognition; with props to chef Jeffrey Vance on the bar food front. Edouardo Jordan, Kotaro Kumita, and Shaun McCrain all had a strong year. And always the barsmaid...is this Canon's year?
Okay, without further ado, our Seattle contenders (nominees will be announced March 15, the actual awards are May 1). And hell, let's check out the Portland longlisters too. See the full list here.
Best New Restaurant
Han Oak, Portland, OR
No Anchor, Seattle
Upper Bar Ferdinand, Seattle
Outstanding Baker
Evan Andres, Columbia City Bakery, Seattle
Ken Forkish, Ken’s Artisan Bakery, Portland, OR
Outstanding Bar Program
Canon, Seattle
Clyde Common, Portland, OR
Outstanding Chef
Matt Dillon, Sitka and Spruce, Seattle
Blaine Wetzel, Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Lummi Island, WA
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, OR
Outstanding Pastry Chef
Kristen Murray, Måurice, Portland, OR
Outstanding Restaurant
Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, WA
Outstanding Restaurateur
Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Seattle (Staple & Fancy, Tavolàta, Anchovies & Olives, and others)
Monique Siu, Portland, OR (Castagna and Café Castagna)
Outstanding Service
The Painted Lady Restaurant, Newberg, OR
Outstanding Wine Program
Canlis, Seattle
Wild Ginger, Seattle
Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional
Wayne Carpenter, Skagit Valley Malting, Burlington, WA
Steve McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, OR
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Maximillian Petty, Eden Hill, Seattle
Brady Williams, Canlis, Seattle
Jay Blackinton, Hogstone’s Wood Oven, Orcas Island, WA
Maya Lovelace, Mae, Portland, OR
Best Chef: Northwest
Jose Chesa, Ataula, Portland, OR
Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, Ox, Portland, OR
Eric Donnelly, RockCreek, Seattle
Mike Easton, Il Corvo, Seattle
Edouardo Jordan, Salare, Seattle
Kotaro Kumita, Wataru, Seattle
Nathan Lockwood, Altura, Seattle
Ha (Christina) Luu, Ha VL, Portland, OR
Shaun McCrain, Copine, Seattle
Joshua McFadden, Ava Gene’s, Portland, OR
Katy Millard, Coquine, Portland, OR
Sarah Pliner, Aviary, Portland, OR
Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
Justin Woodward, Castagna, Portland, OR
Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle