Local Chefs, Writers and Artists Nominated for James Beard Awards This Year

PHOTO CREDIT: Christopher Boffoli

The James Beard Award nominees were announced on Monday. I was thrilled to see Matt Dillon, whose Sitka & Spruce has never better than it is right now, nominated for best chef Northwest alonside Canlis chef Jason Franey and three chefs from Portland: Christopher Israel of Gruner, Naomi Pomeroy of Beast, and Kathy Whims of Nostrana. Tom Douglas garnered a nom as Oustanding Restaurateur.

Also nominated: Christopher Boffoli, whose witty cards with miniature people working/playing around and on food are impossibly charming; we featured them in our February issue. Boffoli's images are nominated in the Humor category. Seriously, you've gotta see his images.

Also nominated: Maureen O'Hagan of the Seattle Times for a piece on battling childhood obesity, and Nathan Myrhvold for Modernist Cuisine. 

Congratulations to all the nominees!