The lineup for the Suttle Lodge’s 2020 Guest Chef Series reads like a Bon Appetit hall of fame. For a small lodge in the middle-of-nowhere Deschutes National Forest (actually, it’s in Sisters, Oregon) this is quite a get. For some of these chefs, it’s their first time visiting the state. 

Who’s pulling the strings? BA’s former longtime restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton: a member of Mighty Union, the hospitality group that operates the Suttle Lodge, Pepe Le Moko, and Spirit of 77, locally. If it were my money, I’d throw down for the Bad Saint crew (best Filipino food in the country?), Jeremy Charles, chef at Newfoundland’s Raymonds (best restaurant in Canada?), and Nite Yun of Nyum Bai (because how often do we get the chance to eat really good Cambodian street food in Oregon?) 

At $95 a pop, it’s around half the cost of Feast’s Bon Appétit Hot 10 dinner, the only other place you’d expect to see visiting talent like this. And if you’ve never been to the Suttle Lodge before, know that this is probably the most intimate dinner gathering you’ll ever have with these chefs, so now’s your chance to ask them your burning questions. Visit thesuttlelodge.com for tickets.

Here’s the full schedule from the press release:

BEN SUKLE OF BIRCH and OBERLIN, PROVIDENCE, RI - JAN 11 2020

Kicking off our 2020 Guest Chef Dinner Series is James Beard Best Chef: Northeast-Nominee (Semifinalist) and Noma alum, Ben Sukle. Ben will bring the preciousness of Birch - his 18-seat fine dining restaurant with the adventure of his seafood centric, italian joint Oberlin, named one of Bon Appétit’s Hot 10 best new restaurants in America.  Ben embraces whole-animal cooking, seasonal ingredients, and has a knack for foraging—we can’t wait to see what kind of tasty treasures he’ll dig up around the lake for this debut dinner.

JEREMY CHARLES OF RAYMONDS, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA - JAN 25 2020

Canada’s 2018 Best Chef and unofficial (but maybe most important) ambassador for Newfoundland culture, Jeremy Charles, and his restaurant Raymonds, are continually ranked at #1 in Canada on almost any list that exists. Jeremy aims to showcase and celebrate Newfoundland and Labrador products, indigenous ingredients, and wild game. Oregon’s natural bounty should prove a fitting and delicious challenge for this gifted chef.

PHILIP KRAJECK OF ROLF & DAUGHTERS, NASHVILLE, TN -  FEB 29 2020

Philip Krajeck has earned a whopping four James Beard nominations—all before his 35th birthday—and hasn’t slowed down a bit. His restaurant, Rolf & Daughters, has earned accolades from the likes of Esquire, Bon Appétit, and many more, with plenty in direct regard to his famed clam pizza. We’re eager to see what sort of Pacific Northwest-inspired pies he can whip up at this special dinner.

TOM CUNANAN AND GENEVIEVE VILLAMORA, BAD SAINT, WASHINGTON, DC - MAR 14 2020

Bad Saint is the brainchild of powerhouses Genevieve Villamora, Nick Pimentel and James Beard Award-winning chef Tom Cunanan. Bad Saint is considered the most popular Filipino restaurant in America, bringing Filipino cooking  into the national spotlight. The team’s creative approach to regional Filipino cuisine has earned them a place on the Bon Appétit  Best New Restaurants list almost immediately upon opening. We’re beyond stoked to have them here to cook with us.

KATY & JOE KINDRED OF KINDRED, DAVIDSON, NC - APRIL 4 2020

Wife and husband team Katy and Joe Kindred earned Best Restaurant bragging rights from the likes of Bon Appétit and Wine Enthusiast after only two years in business, and they haven’t slowed down since—Joe brought home a James Beard Semifinalist title for Best Chef Southeast in 2017. Their flagship restaurant, Kindred, delivers lake vibes from the other side of the country, taking inspiration from the Southern-style fish camps around Lake Norman, NC. We think their dedication to family, network of purveyors, and integrity of ingredients is super cool and tasty.

ELLIOTT MOSS OF BUXTON HALL, ASHVILLE, NC - APRIL 25 2020

After spending his early years as a chef garnering acclaim for creative and eclectic cooking, Elliott Moss returned to his roots and has dedicated his life to the art of BBQ. He takes inspiration from the rich characters, humble attitude, and world-famous whole-hog BBQ he grew up with in South Carolina’s low country. The New York Times, GQ, Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, and many more have all sung his praises, and he’s been a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Southeast,” two times!

NITE YUN OF NYUM BAI, OAKLAND, CA - MAY 30 2020

Nite Yun founded her Bay Area restaurant, Nyum Bai, with the goal of sharing and preserving Cambodian culture and building community through food. Far surpassing that goal, she’s been named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs, earned kudos from the likes of Bon Appétit  (Hot 10 Best New Restaurants), San Francisco Chronicle, and Michelin Guide—all through her authentic approach to classic Cambodian street foods. Someone we’re all keeping an eye on, especially after earning a place on Time’s 100 NEXT list.

MASON HEREFORD OF TURKEY AND THE WOLF, NEW ORLEANS, LA - JUNE 6 2020

In 2017, a sandwich shop was named #1 Best New Restaurant in America by Bon Appétit, and Restaurant of the Year by Food & Wine. When you meet Mason Hereford, you’ll see why. His inventive and absolutely craveworthy take on classic combinations has won him fans from all over the country. His approach to ingredients is straightforward, but a sense of humor, nostalgia, and irreverence shapes everything else.  A two-time James Beard Award semifinalist, he’s the perfect person to wrap up this stellar series.