Portland's foodie image gets a lift with five finalists for James Beard Awards
Courtesy / Leeward
Portland restaurant Leeward, shown here, was named a finalist for best new restaurant by the James Beard Foundation.
Portland dominated the Northeast among finalists for the 2022 James Beard Foundation Chef and Restaurant Awards, with three nods for best chef, as well as national recognition for best baker and best new restaurant.
In February, 10 Maine restaurants and their workers were named semifinalists for the prestigious awards, the restaurant industry’s equivalent of the Oscars. Advancing to the finalists category were five Maine contenders.
In the Best Chef: Northeast category, which covers chefs in the six New England states, the foundation highlighted three Portland chefs: Vien Dobui of Cong Tu Bot, Courtney Loreg of Woodford Food & Beverage and Damian Sansonetti of Chaval. Dobui had been a finalist in the same category in 2020.
In the national category of Best New Restaurant, Leeward of Portland claimed a spot as a restaurant “that already demonstrates excellence in cuisine and hospitality and seems likely to make a significant impact in years to come.” Leeward opened in 2020 and has “an Italian bent,” as described on its website.
For Outstanding Baker, Atsuko Fujimoto of Norimoto Bakery in Portland is a finalist among five bakers nationwide.
"The Awards are a great reminder that we are among innovators, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers who represent a wide range of regions, cultures, and cooking philosophies," said Tanya Holland, chair of the James Beard Awards Committee. "And this year, in particular, is a great reminder of how incredibly diverse our industry is.”
The 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony will take place in Chicago on June 13. The entry and recommendation period for the awards ran last October and November.
The Restaurant and Chef Awards program is one of the foundation’s five separate recognition programs overseen by the James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit based in New York City. The awards have been presented since 1991.
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