The 2024 James Beard Foundation Award semifinalists were announced Wednesday and a Willamette Valley restaurant and chef made the list.
To be nominated and win is one of the highest achievements in the food industry.
While many of the semifinalists are from the Portland area, two from McMinnville made the list: Hayward and chef Matthew Lightner from ōkta.
Finalists will be announced on April 3 and the winners will be announced on June 10.
Hayward
Hayward restaurant is led by chef Kari Kihara and is a semifinalist for best new restaurant. Originally from Massachusetts, she has worked in the food industry since she was 14, with her experience spanning kitchens throughout the West Coast, particularly throughout the Bay Area. She moved to Oregon to lead the kitchen at Mac Market, where Hayward is located.
When the pandemic began, Kihara helped the kitchen evolve the dining program into serving meal kits, then a shared plate program through Collab Kitchen to today’s Hayward restaurant.