Washington Chefs Shine at James Beard Awards

Two Seattle chefs, Johnny Courtney and Aaron Tekulve, have been named finalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards in the Best Chef Northwest and Pacific category. Courtney, from Atoma, and Tekulve, from Surrell, are putting Washington on the culinary map. The James Beard Awards, often referred to as the Oscars of the kitchen world, celebrate spots that highlight Pacific Northwest flavors. With seven semi-finalists in the region, these two emerged as finalists. The winners will be announced on June 15th in Chicago. Stay tuned to see if Washington takes home the prize. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/a6eaef92c858e2d8