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>.

The Seattle food scene and the best things to eat in it. New episodes every Thursday.

 

The Seattle food scene and the best things to eat in it. New episodes every Thursday.
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Seattle Eats

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. 