This is the third awards season to reflect changes made in the wake of an extensive 2021 audit to address the longstanding biases baked into the awards process. Newer categories include an emerging chef award without an age cutoff, as well as regional best chef categories that now include separate awards for California, Texas, and New York in hopes of recognizing a broader geographic range of winners. Voting is also different than it was before the 2020 hiatus, with prior winners (a group that skews white, and male) no longer being automatically included in the voting body that determined who moved from the semifinalist to the finalist list below (and from there, who wins). The voting body has also expanded beyond traditional food media. The stated goal in the 2021 audit was also to have at least 50 percent of committee members and judges be people of color by the 2023 awards.
This “long list” reflects only the restaurant and chef categories; finalists in these categories will be announced on April 3 and winners will be revealed at a gala ceremony in Chicago on June 10. Media awards nominees will be revealed on April 30, and awarded on June 8.
Check out the semifinalists below.
Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)
- Avery Adams, Matia Kitchen, Orcas Island, WA
- Nathan Bentley, Altura Bistro, Anchorage, AK
- Derek Bray, The Table, Tacoma, WA
- Kristi Brown, Communion, Seattle, WA
- Grayson Corrales, MariPili Tapas Bar, Seattle, WA
- Michael Dodge, Whisky & Ramen, Anchorage, AK
- Josh Dorcak, Mas, Ashland, OR
- Gregory Gourdet, kann, Portland, OR
- Dan Koommoo, Crafted, Yakima, WA
- Andrew Le, The Pig and the Lady, Honolulu, HI
- Evan Leichtling, Off Alley, Seattle, WA
- Matthew Lightner, okta, McMinnville, OR
- Melissa Miranda, Musang, Seattle, WA
- Nae Ogawa, natuRe Waikiki, Honolulu, HI
- Jason Peel, Nami Kaze, Honolulu, HI
- Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro, Portland, OR
- Jeff Scheer, Marlow, Pukalani, HI
- Beau Schooler, In Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, AK
- Sheldon Simeon, Tiffany’s, Wailuku, HI
- Peter Vuong, Ha VL, Portland, OR