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The annual James Beard Awards—the most prominent national awards handing out medals to chefs, media and restauranteurs—announced its final round of winners last night, and Portland took home four awards.
The most prominent Portland award announced last night went to Greg and Gabrielle Quinonez Denton, chefs and owners of Ox and SuperBite, who won Best Chef Northwest, squaring off against three Seattle chefs as well as Justin Woodward of Castagna and Katy Millard of Coquine. In our 2016 Restaurant Guide, WW called Ox "the best steakhouse in Portland"—and we also named its rich bone-marrow and jalapeno clam chowder one of the "12 wonders of Portland food."
SuperBite received a more complicated assessment.
The most recent Portland chefs to win the Best Chef Northwest Award are Naomi Pomeroy (Beast, Expatriate), Gabriel Rucker (Le Pigeon, Little Bird) and Andy Ricker (Pok Pok, Pok Pok Wing).
Karen Brooks, food editor at Portland Monthly, won a Beard at a ceremony April 25, for distinguished food reviewing. The prize was awarded for her glowing features about Pizza Jerk, the churros and paella of 180 and Chesa, and Portland brunch.
(Brooks writes almost exclusively positive pieces these days, but it wasn't always so: A few years back, we took the time out to remember her best barbs while writing at both WW and the Oregonian.)
Also honored with Beard Awards were wine writer Katherine Cole, for her podcast, "The Four Top," and food photographer Chris Court, for photography on chef Naomi Pomeroy's cookbook.