This week, 25 restaurants and chefs were crowned with James Beard Awards – the Oscars of the food world. And for the fifth year in a row, Washington state came away with zero wins. 

Tan breaks down the three Seattle-area finalists with Seattle Times food writer Jackie Varriano, and asks: What are we doing wrong?

Read more about this year’s local James Beard Award finalists, including seven-time finalist Jay Blackington, in The Seattle Times.

Recommendations in this episode:
Atoma, Wallingford – Best New Restaurant finalist
Archipelago, Hillman City – Outstanding Hospitality finalist
Houlme, Orcas Island – chef Jay Blackington, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific finalist

 

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

This week, 25 restaurants and chefs were crowned with James Beard Awards &ndash; the Oscars of the food world. And for the fifth year in a row, Washington state came away with zero wins.&nbsp;
Tan breaks down the three Seattle-area finalists with Seattle Times food writer Jackie Varriano, and asks: What are we doing wrong?
Read more about this year&rsquo;s local James Beard Award finalists, including seven-time finalist <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/up-for-james-beard-awards-a-7th-time-this-orcas-island-chef-stays-true/">Jay Blackington</a>, in <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/2025-james-beard-finalists-include-3-wa-chefs-and-restaurants/">The Seattle Times</a>.
Recommendations in this episode:
<ul>
<li>Atoma, Wallingford &ndash; Best New Restaurant finalist</li>
<li>Archipelago, Hillman City &ndash; Outstanding Hospitality finalist</li>
<li>Houlme, Orcas Island &ndash; chef Jay Blackington, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific finalist</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at <a href="http://kuow.org/eats">kuow.org/eats</a> and <a href="http://seattletimes.com">seattletimes.com</a>.

Seattle is a buffet of great food... if you know where to look. Seattle Times journalist Tan Vinh invites listeners to the area's hottest restaurants, road-side food stalls and everywhere in between to find the best meals in the city and to meet the people who make them sing.

New episodes every Thursday.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes 

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network

 

Seattle is a buffet of great food... if you know where to look. Seattle Times journalist Tan Vinh invites listeners to the area's hottest restaurants, road-side food stalls and everywhere in between to find the best meals in the city and to meet the people who make them sing.
New episodes every Thursday.
<hr>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes">https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes</a>&nbsp;
Seattle Eats is a production of <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/">The Seattle Times</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/">KUOW</a>, part of the NPR Network
&nbsp;

Seattle Eats with Tan Vinh

Food journalists Tan Vinh and Jackie Varriano discuss the Seattle-area finalists in the 2025 James Beard Awards, and why Seattle continues to come up empty at this Oscars of the food world. 

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