Tag Archives: canlis

Eats, Restaurant

The Seattle Area’s Slew of James Beard Award Nominees, Plus a Top Newbie

herbivoracious coverThis week, the James Beard Foundation whittled down its list of nominees, announcing finalists for culinary distinction.

For cookbook awards, locals made the list in three categories. In “Baking and Dessert,” Tom Douglas and Shelley Lance are finalists for The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle. Nathan Myhrvold (whose lecture I attended a little over a year ago) and Maxime Bilet received a nomination in the “General Cooking” category for Modernist Cuisine at Home. And in “Vegetable Focused and Vegetarian,” Michael Natkin is a nominee for his Herbivoracious cookbook. (This carnivoracious food writer wants Natkin to wow him with a non-meat meal sometime!)

As for the chef and restaurant awards, the Seattle area has strong talent facing some stiff competition. Blaine Wetzel is a finalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year. I was lucky to dine at the Willows Inn earlier in his tenure there, and I was impressed—though I’ve also been impressed by others in the category, like Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food and Jimmy Bannos at the Purple Pig (where I had one of my most memorable meals in the past few years).

stowell-barcotto-640-0945Portland outscored Seattle in the “Best Chef: Northwest” category. Beast’s Naomi Pomeroy, Nostrana’s Cathy Whims, and Le Pigeon’s Gabriel Rucker are fabulous chefs, and I’ve enthusiastically sent many Seattleites to their restaurants in the Rose City. Representing Seattle is Canlis’ Jason Franey, fresh from his win at Seattle’s Cochon 555. Meanwhile, Ethan Stowell is nominated for Staple & Fancy Mercantile, though I recently caught up with him at Bar Cotto (pictured), his new Parma-style salumeria and cocktail bar in Capitol Hill.

Cookbook award winners will be announced May 3, followed by the chef and restaurant awards on May 6. The Seattle area can celebrate now, though, as Brendan McGill just won as People’s Best New Chef in the Food & Wine magazine contest. His Hitchcock restaurant on Bainbridge Island is something special. I visited recently and picked his duck breast dish as one of the best bites in Winslow, and I’ll soon have more about the amazing food at his restaurant and adjoining deli as part of a fuller story about the culinary scene just a short ferry ride away.

Food, Restaurant

Finalists Announced for 2012 James Beard Awards

Today brings an update on the James Beard Award nominations, as the large field of semifinalists got narrowed down to finalists.

With winners to be announced on May 7, Seattle can be proud that perennial candidate Tom Douglas is again in the running for Outstanding Restaurateur. But again this year, Portland outflanks our city in terms of finalists in the Best Chef Northwest category:

  • Matt Dillon, Sitka and Spruce, Seattle
  • Jason Franey, Canlis, Seattle
  • Christopher Israel, Grüner, Portland
  • Naomi Pomeroy, Beast, Portland
  • Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Portland

This is again a tough field. I give early odds to Franey as the favorite, though Cathy Whims could provide an upset. I’ve enjoyed her food at Nostrana, and plan to check out her new Oven & Shaker in the next few days. Look for a report on that and my volcanic hamburger at Grüner in the next few weeks.

Drinks, Food

Taste Washington! to Climax Washington Wine Month

From ten percent off bottle purchases at selected Washington wineries to fifty percent off all Washington wines at Rover’s (Sundays through Thursdays), Washington Wine Month is now in full swing. There are also special wine dinners, giveaways, and more, with full information at the new Washington Wine Month website.

As always, the month ends with the big Taste Washington! event, so good that it’s been extended to two days of tasting, bringing Washington Wine Month into April. Each day starts with a few educational seminars (with their own admission fee), with food lovers able to learn more about food and wine pairing on Saturday with the Canlis crew and Sunday with Tom Douglas. After the seminars, doors open (1pm for VIPs and 2pm for general admission) for the big tasting event, as well as cooking demos on the Viking Chef’s stage.

Look for over 200 wineries to share samples and information, and certainly don’t feel bashful when searching for spit buckets. Some of the area’s finest restaurants will serve up food to pair with your wine. This food-lover is looking forward to Copperleaf Restaurant, Local 360, and RN74, among others. And don’t forget Fonte Coffee Roaster along with desserts from places like Sweet Iron Waffles and Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co.

Bar, Food, Restaurant

Semifinalists Announced for 2012 James Beard Awards

It’s awards season, and the Seattle food scene is again abuzz about the just-announced James Beard Award nominations. Today we learned who the semifinalists are, with that list getting whittled down to finalists on March 19, and winners announced on May 7.

The full list is well-worth a look. On the national level, Altura earned a nomination as best new restaurant. (I agree!) Canlis cashes in for both Best Restaurant and Best Wine Program categories. Perennial participant Tom Douglas is a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, Holly Smith for Outstanding Chef, and Blaine Wetzel for Rising Star Chef (meaning under 30). In the new Outstanding Bar Program, Zig Zag Cafe represents Seattle.

Especially interesting is the Best Chef Northwest category, which this year features interesting semifinalists from Seattle and further afield in Washington state:

  • Chris Ainsworth, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen (Walla Walla)
  • Matt Costello, Inn at Langley (Langley)
  • Matt Dillon, Sitka and Spruce
  • Renee Erickson, Boat Street Cafe
  • Jason Franey, Canlis
  • Ethan Stowell, Staple and Fancy Mercantile
  • Jason Stratton, Spinasse
  • Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule

I’m always curious about the Portland nominees, and the list there is also solid (including three from elsewhere in Oregon):

  • Aaron Barnett, St. Jack
  • Matthew Bennet, Sybaris (Albany)
  • John Gorham, Toro Bravo
  • Christopher Israel, Grüner
  • Brendan Mahaney, Belly (Eugene)
  • Naomi Pomeroy, Beast
  • Adam Sappington, The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar
  • Cathy Whims, Nostrana
  • Justin Wills, Restaurant Beck (Depoe Bay)

The other regional nominees:

  • Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill (Jackson Hole, WY)
  • James Honaker, Bistro Enzo (Billings, MT)
  • Jeff Keys, Vintage Restaurant (Ketchum, ID)

My early guess is that Seattle and Portland will be almost split in the final five contenders for the Best Chef Northwest category. Stay tuned!