The 2026 James Beard Awards – a celebration of food, restaurants and chefs – took place from 13 to 15 June. Demi Perera explores Oregon’s culinary highlights, and their connection to the chef.
Born in Portland, Oregon, top American chef James Beard’s career was inspired by the nearby town of Gearhart – a place where he spent childhood summers, gathering shellfish and wild berries for dishes. Later in life, as a teacher, author and television personality, he published more than 20 cookbooks. His name – synonymous with good taste (in every sense of the word) – is undeniably associated with Oregon.
2026 Restaurant and Chef; Impact Award. © Eliesa Johnson for James Beard Foundation
In the 2026 James Beard Awards, Portland walked away with two winners in the ‘Restaurant and Chef’ category : Scotch Lodge scooped ‘Outstanding Bar’, and Ryan Roadhouse of Nodoguro accepted ‘Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific’, but there are people, places, ingredients and restaurants worthy of a foodie trip across all of Oregon (many of which have come away award winners in previous years, too).
This is your food-focussed guide to Oregon, including places to stay and eat, and things to do.
Where To Stay
Inn the Ground
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Located in Carlton, about an hour southwest of Portland, Inn the Ground offers an experience surrounded by nature. Outside, there are sprawling meadows, eight hiking trails, ponds and a babbling creek in the surrounding 440 acres. The suites of this two-storey structure are dug into the hillside, with the dining area located above ground. When the rooms are this elegant and contemporary, it’s easy to forget that you’re bedding down in the middle of a working farm.
The Inn at Dayton
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Dayton’s 19th-century architecture and small-town charm reflect its roots as a Pioneer town, and The Inn at Dayton is a 12-room boutique hotel, housed in a restored historic building. Opt for one of the hotel’s Legacy Suites, furnished with fireplaces and comfy king-size beds, plus a separate living area. Bathrooms are just as noteworthy, complete with rainfall showers and a deep-set bath – a nice touch after a day spent hiking or strolling through the surrounding vineyards.
Where to eat
Breakfast
JinJu Patisserie
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Located in the popular Williams District, JinJu serves impossibly flaky, laminated croissants and cups of ginger and turmeric tea. The owners explain that they moved here seven years ago, after working in luxury hotels in Vegas. Connection is fundamental to their work and they’ve garnered many awards over the years, including a James Beard Award in the ‘Outstanding Bakery’ category (2025). Despite the accolades, they remain humble, maintaining that they are still refining the art of baking the perfect, flaky pastry.
Lunch
Higgins Restaurant
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Higgins Restaurant is an institution co-owned by chef Greg Higgins, who grew up in New York and cycled from Massachusetts to Oregon, to start Portland’s first farm-to-table revolution. On arrival he connected with local farmers and set up Higgins in 1994, pioneering a food language that has now become a part of Oregon’s DNA. Sustainable dining through chef and farmer alliance are key to his work, and central to his award, the ‘James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest’ (2002). Despite the high-end presentation, the vibe at Higgins is relaxed and laidback. If you visit during the Oregon Albacore tuna season (July to October), order plenty of tuna – alongside the restaurant’s renowned charcuterie platter.
Antica Terra
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In the A Very Nice Lunch experience at Antica Terra, chef Timothy Wastell serenades you with a succession of small plates paired with estate wines. Grilled Alaskan halibut arrives alongside Antica Terra chardonnay; Chinook salmon, roasted over cedar, is matched with Antica Terra pinot noir.
Stoller Family Estate and Evening Land Vineyards
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There’s nothing like a vineyard visit during the harvest season (August to October) to help you appreciate the land, seasons and the passage of time. Both the Stoller Family Estate and Evening Land Vineyards make a case for mealtimes in vineyards, offering wine and cheese picnics by a cascading waterfall.
Dinner
Hayward Restaurant
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Over plates of carpaccio salad, head chef Kari Shaughnessy likens Hayward’s space to a friend’s living room; the interiors are warm, intimate and instantly familiar. The restaurant works closely with Even Pull Farm, where farmer Beth grows much of what you see on the menu. As a result, Shaughnessy refrains from making ‘signature dishes’, preferring to craft recipes that shift with the seasons. Hayward has quickly earned national recognition: the restaurant was a finalist in the ‘James Beard Best New Restaurant’ award (2024), and Shaughnessy was a semi-finalist for the ‘James Beard Best Chef: Northwest’ (2025).
Paa Dee
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Paa Dee, is the brilliant sister restaurant of the James Beard Award-winning Langbaan (‘Best Restaurant 2024’). Headed by chef and restaurateur Akkapong “Earl” Ninsom, it brings northern Thai comfort food to Portland. Try the kanom gui chai, a popular pan-fried Chinese chive cake that tends to sell out. Other standouts include the muu ping, pork tenderloin on skewers served with Thai jaew dipping sauce; naem muu sam chun, a deep-fried pork belly with greens; and the tempura asparagus salad served with coconut and lime-chilli dressing and a side of jasmine rice.
What to do
Pick up produce at a farmers’ market
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Between May and October, market day takes place on a Thursday in downtown McMinnville; you’ll find a mix of established farmers and solo traders offering ripe peaches, Oregon maple syrup and a range of handmade trinkets. It’s a charming gathering of community, and a chance to walk around the streets surrounding the City Hall.
Taste test jam at Alchemist
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You must never leave Oregon without a bag full of jam from Alchemist. This shop and bakery in McMinnville is known for its cinnamon rolls, its handmade soaps – and its library of feminist literature. Shelves are stacked high with pots of jam in all flavours, including pinot noir, marionberry, blueberry, chamomile, and many more.
Be one of the first to explore the James Beard Public Market
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Culinary road trips in Oregon are about to get even better: the James Beard Public Market is set to open in Portland in early 2027, spanning over 75,000 square feet, across two large buildings. Inside: a range of stalls and stands including a Champagne bar, a bao bun stall and a patisserie, among other cuisines and collaborations, and the racetrack layout of the hall will take you to the rooftop for al fresco wine tasting. “We wanted a mix of established vendors and new entrepreneurs in an intentional, fun product mix,” says executive director Jessica Elkan. “Seventy-five per cent of vendors will be female, identify as BIPOC or have no access to capital. That is the energy of the market.” In the heart of Portland – where James Beard was born in 1903 – this will become the first public market to open here in a century. It feels like a fitting tribute. Kate Payne Brown, founder of Dolores Wines and head winemaker at Argyle Winery, explains it best: “his insistence on authenticity, seasonality, and connection to community continues to mirror everything we strive for.”
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Lead image: Demi Perera
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