The James Beard Foundation just unveiled its list of finalists for 2015. For the Best Chef Northwest category: Justin Woodward (Castagna) and Greg and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton (Ox)—we are counting the dynamic couple as one unit—represent Portland against Renee Erickson (The Whale Wins, Seattle), Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi (Joule, Seattle), and Blaine Wetzel (The Willows Inn on Lummi Island).

For the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Awards, Portland Monthly Magazine’s very own Karen Brooks goes up against The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Craig LaBan and Eater’s Ryan Sutton. 

Brooks was nominated for three restaurant reviews, all written in 2014:

• “Charting the Rise of Portland’s Hottest UnRestaurants”
• “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Måurice”
• “Bollywood Theater’s Spicy Sequel in Southeast”

The 2015 James Beard Awards, hosted by Alton Brown, will be held at Lyric Opera of Chicago on Monday, May 4. Top Chef finalist and television personality Carla Hall will host the Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards Dinner, taking place at New York City's Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on Friday, April 24.