Oregon’s Finest: 6 James Beard Finalists You’ll Want to Eat Your Way Through in 2025

Where innovation, flavor, and local roots meet on the plate.

Hey food lovers, here’s the TL;DR right up front (because I respect your time and your appetite):

Oregon’s 2025 James Beard Award Finalists:

Coquine — Outstanding Restaurant
Scotch Lodge — Outstanding Bar
JinJu Patisserie — Outstanding Bakery
Joshua Dorcak of MÄS — Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific
Timothy Wastell of Antica Terra — Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific
Ryan Roadhouse of Nodoguro — Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific

Each of these spots is doing something wildly special, blending artistry with deep Oregon roots, and if you’re planning your next meal, road trip, or celebration, you might want to pin this list. Let’s dig in.

1. Coquine (Portland) — Outstanding Restaurant

Nestled on the shady slopes of Mount Tabor, Coquine is like that magical neighborhood spot you always hope to find but rarely do. Chef Katy Millard brings French technique to hyper-seasonal Northwest ingredients, creating plates that are comforting, elevated, and deeply thoughtful. Think: handmade orecchiette with bee pollen, or a perfectly roasted chicken that somehow makes rice and beans feel like a grand occasion. Oh, and the cookies? Legendary. Smoky, salty, sweet perfection.

This isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a warm hug wrapped in elegant plating.

2. Scotch Lodge (Portland) — Outstanding Bar

If a whiskey bar and a modern Mediterranean restaurant had a secret baby and raised it in a candlelit basement, you’d get Scotch Lodge. Barman Tommy Klus stocks unicorn bottles and builds cocktails for both the peat-curious and the hardcore collectors. But the sleeper hit? The food.

Chef Tim Artale serves dishes like fried brie in pumpernickel and lamb chickpea tortillas with sambal that make you question why we separate “bar” and “restaurant” at all. It’s cozy, smart, adventurous, and always says yes to fun.

3. JinJu Patisserie (Portland) — Outstanding Bakery

Imagine a Parisian patisserie with a Portland soul. That’s JinJu. Run by a pastry dream team, this North Portland gem serves glossy mousse domes, buttery croissants that crackle like vinyl, and bonbons that look like tiny planets.

What makes it even better? You can show up in pajamas and order a six-layer mousse cake that used to be plated at Joël Robuchon. It’s high art with zero ego — and your dog gets a peanut butter treat just for tagging along.

4. Joshua Dorcak, MÄS (Ashland) — Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific

Tucked down an alley in Ashland, MÄS is just 16 seats, but it delivers one of the most dialed-in tasting menus in the country. Chef Dorcak’s style, “Cascadian cuisine,” fuses Japanese elegance with Southern Oregon’s bounty: kombu dashi, wagyu with morels, and fig leaf ice cream all make an appearance.

Each course is a little love letter to terroir, served omakase-style with precision and heart. If you’re a fan of storytelling through food, MÄS is your pilgrimage.

5. Timothy Wastell, Antica Terra (Amity) — Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific

Antica Terra isn’t your typical winery lunch. It’s an experience — served under dripping candles in a wine cave, where every course is a masterclass in restraint and imagination. Chef Wastell turns vegetables into drama. One crudités platter arrives like a still life: fennel, cauliflower, strawberries, all meant to be dragged lovingly through miso-onion dip.

Paired with cult Pinot Noirs, this meal isn’t just lunch. It’s sensory immersion. Come hungry, leave transformed.

6. Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro (Portland) — Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific

At Nodoguro, fine dining gets a dose of Portland playfulness. Chef Ryan Roadhouse crafts wildly creative, Japanese-inspired tasting menus that might riff on Twin Peaks one night and Studio Ghibli the next. It’s omakase with storytelling — and precision.

But beneath the themes and whimsy is serious skill: pristine nigiri, whisper-light broths, and smoked fish that melts on the tongue. Roadhouse’s food is thoughtful, surprising, and deeply personal. Nodoguro isn’t just a meal — it’s a world of its own.

Final Thoughts

Oregon is flexing hard this year — and it’s not just about fancy dishes. Each of these finalists reflects what makes this state so special: community, seasonality, craft, and a deep respect for the people and land that make food possible.

Whether you’re a local looking for your next reservation or planning a trip around meals (respect), these are five names to know and celebrate. Cheers to the chefs, the bakers, and the bars making Oregon taste better every year.