Portland Wins Two (More) James Beard Awards

Portland chefs have taken out two more James Beard Foundation Awards.

Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon and Little Bird has been named the James Beard Foundation's 2011 Rising Star Chef of the Year, and Pok Pok and Ping's Andy Ricker took out the Best Chef Northwest category, beating out Seattle favorite Ethan Stowell from Staple & Fancy, as well as Grüner's Christopher Israel and Nostrana's Cathy Whims.

"The city of Portland has allowed us to do what we do, and I don't think Pok Pok could have happened anywhere else," Ricker said in his acceptance speech.

Ricker and Rucker (say that five times fast) join local pastry chef Kim Boyce and "selmelier" Mark Bitterman who received James Beard awards on Friday night.