Here Are the 2018 Portland James Beard Nominees

It’s awards season, and the James Beard Foundation announced its nominees this morning. Yet again, Portland is snubbed from most of the major restaurant categories, excluding Clyde Common (listen as every other bar in Portland groans).

Portland did shine in one particular category, however: Vegetable-Focused Cooking, a cookbook category. Both Jenn Louis (Ray) and Joshua McFadden (Ava Gene’s) wrote vegetable-heavy books last year: The Book of Greens and Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, respectively.

Farther north, Seattle came out somewhat stronger. Buzzy Southern restaurant Junebaby got a nod for Best New Restaurant, while fine dining destination Canlis nabbed a spot in the Outstanding Restaurant category.

Here are the Portland nominees:

Dina Avila/EPDX

Outstanding Bar Program
A restaurant or bar that demonstrates excellence in cocktail, spirits, and/or beer service.

Clyde Common: Clyde Common was nominated in both 2016 and 2017. This would be the downtown bar’s first win.

Best Chef: Northwest

Katy Millard (Coquine): Millard was nominated last year for Best Chef: Northwest. This is her second nomination.

Bonnie Morales (Kachka): Kachka was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2015. It hasn’t been nominated since.

Justin Woodward (Castagna): Woodward has been a nominated for Best Chef: Northwest for the last three years. We’ll see if 2018 is his year.

Vegetable-Focused Cooking

The Book of Greens: Jenn Louis (Ten Speed Press)

Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables: Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg (Artisan Books)

• James Beard Foundation [Official]
• James Beard Awards 2018 Restaurant & Chef Semifinalists for Portland [EPDX]
• Behold Portland’s 2017 James Beard Awards Restaurant & Chef Semifinalists [EPDX]