Tacoma chef named a 2024 semifinalist in the prestigious James Beard Awards

A Tacoma chef is in the running to receive a 2024 James Beard Award, one of the most coveted recognitions in the American restaurant industry.

Derek Bray, chef and co-owner of The Table, a highly seasonal restaurant that opened in 2015, has been selected as a semifinalist in the annual awards. It is the first time a Tacoma chef has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation, which announced its “long list” for 2024 this morning.

In 2013, chef John Howie — who at the time was a partner in Adriatic Grill (2008-2018) but was better known for his restaurants in Bellevue and Bothell — was nominated in the restaurateur category.

At his pared-down eatery on Sixth Avenue, Bray has earned a reputation for now-classic dishes like braised elk in a spicy huckleberry cream sauce scooped with slices of grilled sourdough and an ever-changing roster of small and large plates focused on locally sourced ingredients.

In 2022, he operated Incalmo at Museum of Glass with business partner and sommelier Trevor Hamilton. Hamilton’s wine lists have been recognized by Wine Spectator in recent years.

Bray joins six other Washington state semifinalists in the Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific category, which includes Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon.

▪ Avery Adams of Matia Kitchen, a super-seasonal restaurant on Orcas Island that was nominated for Best New Restaurant in 2021, was also selected.

▪ From Yakima, Dan Koommoo was chosen for his work at Crafted.

▪ Four call Seattle home: Kristi Brown of Communion, Grayson Corrales of MariPili Tapas Bar, Evan Leichtling of Off Alley and Melissa Miranda for her acclaimed Musang.

As of last year, Miranda has put a stake in the Tacoma food scene, too, through her Filipino bar food concept, Musangtino’s, which you can dig into daily at Busy Body! next door to The Table on Sixth Avenue.

Beyond major culinary capitals like Portland and Honolulu, the Northwest long list honors chefs from McMinnville and Ashland, Oregon; Juneau and Anchorage, Alaska; Pukalani and Wailuku, Hawaii, both on Maui.

The James Beard Foundation has run the James Beard Awards since 1990. In 2019, following years of criticism that hospitality professionals in non-major cities were repeatedly crowded out, the organization reworked its geographic territories. New York and California, for instance, now have their own categories for Best Chef. The Northwest region added Hawaii at that time, while Nevada was affixed to the Southwest.

The awards were further shaken up after the abrupt cancellation of the 2020 awards in the wake of an uproar over the lack of diversity in nominees and an overall sense of gatekeeping that had led to a similar slate of names year after year.

The list released Jan. 24 was formed through recommendations submitted by the general public as well as judges and subcommittee members, which is comprised of some winners from the last three award cycles, other hospitality professionals, restaurant critics and members of food media. The subcommittee then selects semifinalists.

Washington state names appeared in seven other categories, all but one representing Seattle businesses and some of whom have been nominated in prior years:

▪ Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham of Pho Bac Súp Shop, Phocific Standard Time and The Boat were selected for Outstanding Restaurateur.

▪ The Walrus and The Carpenter is up for Outstanding Restaurant.

▪ Eight Row was honored in the wine and other beverages category.

▪ Aaron Verzosa of Archipelago is on the list for the national Outstanding Chef award.

▪ Janet Becerra will be considered for her work at Pancita.

▪ Ben Campbell received a nod in the pastry and baker category for Ben’s Bread Co., a pop-up turned brick-and-mortar bakery.

▪ In Waitsburg, Bar Bacetto will compete for Best New Restaurant.

The five nominees in each category will be announced April 3 and the winners June 10 at a ceremony in Chicago.

This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 11:49 AM.