Oregon chefs, restaurants named 2024 James Beard Awards semifinalists

Michaela Bourgeois
·3 min read

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The James Beard Foundation unveiled its list of 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists on Wednesday — featuring chefs and restaurants across Oregon.

The James Beard Awards, among the most prestigious culinary honors, celebrates those who create “exceptional food, food media content, and better food systems, while demonstrating a commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” according to the foundation.

The awards honor excellence from fine-dining establishments to casual gems and emerging talents, the foundation says.

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In the Outstanding Chef category, Sarah Minnick of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty was named among the 2024 semifinalists. The family-owned pizza joint opened in Portland in 2010 — exclusively using Oregon produce, foraged flowers, and whole-grain sourdough bread-making techniques, according to the restaurant.

Portland’s Langbaan earned a semifinalist spot in the Outstanding Restaurant category. The Thai restaurant — located inside Phucket Cafe — turns “classic Thai food into a refined multi-course tasting menu using the bounty of Pacific Northwest ingredients,” according to Langbaan’s website.

McMinnville’s Hayward scored a spot in the Best New Restaurant category. Boasting “new northwest fare, “the restaurant celebrates local farming, and is “cultivated through fermentation, whole animal butchery, and sourdough.”

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In the Outstanding Bakery category, Portland’s JinJu Patisserie earned a spot as a semifinalist — offering breakfast pastries, luxury chocolate, and brown-kie cookies.

Portland’s Han Oak scored a spot in the Oustanding Hospitality category. The restaurant offers a tableside interactive experience “centered on Korean Gimbap.”

OK Omens in Portland was named a semifinalist in the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category.

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Five Oregon chefs also earned spots on the Best Chef Northwest category:

  • John Dorcak, of Portland’s Mas

  • Gregory Gordet of Portland’s Kann

  • Matthew Lightner of McMinnville’s Okta

  • Ryan Roadhouse of Portland’s Nodoguro

  • Peter Vuong of Portland’s Ha VL

“We are thrilled for the return of the James Beard Awards—recognizing the outstandingly talented leaders making their mark on American food,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. “As we’ve heard time and again from honorees, receiving this recognition has the potential to be truly transformative—and so, the Awards remain a vital platform for supporting and elevating the independent restaurant industry as a whole. Congratulations to our 2024 semifinalists and best of luck this Awards cycle!”

“We are so excited to honor this year’s semifinalists who embody the spirit of excellence that defines the James Beard Awards,” Vice President of Awards Dawn Padmore added. “I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the years to come. Thank you to the committees, judges, our team, and our partners who help make the Awards happen. And a special thanks to the culinary community who continue to show up and push our industry forward.”

Nominees will be announced on April 3, and winners will be announced during the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

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