Filipino fantastic eating powerhouse Archipelago and newcomer Atoma had been named as finalists for the James Beard Awards on Wednesday, April 2, placing them up for prizes also known as the Oscars of the meals world. Although greater than a dozen different native eating places, cooks, and homeowners had been JBA semifinalists this yr, solely these two and Jay Blackinton of Houlme on Orcas Island grew to become finalists.
Atoma is nominated within the Finest New Restaurant class, whereas Archipelago is up for Excellent Hospitality, each nation-wide awards. Blackinton is up for Finest Chef: Northwest and Pacific, a regional award.
Archipelago is a well-known title to anybody who follows Seattle eating places. The high-end Filipino restaurant is thought not only for its meals however its unique-to-Seattle format, which has workers members presenting dishes whereas additionally informing them about native and Filipino historical past and tradition. Chef and co-owner Aaron Versoza has been up for James Beard Awards a number of instances up to now however that is the primary time his restaurant has been highlighted within the Hospitality class.
Atoma can be a well-known title — it was Eater Seattle’s Restaurant of the Yr for 2024, one among a number of native and nationwide awards it accrued. Homeowners Sarah and Johnny Courtney (the latter a Canlis alum) have remodeled a former home in Wallingford into one of many metropolis’s hottest eating rooms, a spot that mixes a relaxed however exceptionally welcoming vibe with brazen shows of culinary method. Final yr, we wrote, “There are dozens of ‘new American’ or ‘Pacific Northwest’ eating places in Seattle that put native and seasonal components on the forefront of what they do, but it surely looks like Atoma simply raised the bar.”
Jay Blackinton, a seven-time JBA semifinalist, is a crucial determine within the Orcas Island restaurant world, and one motive the San Juan Islands have turn into a eating hotspot. His outdated restaurant, Hogstone, was famend for its revolutionary tasting menus, which might do issues like pair a chunk of pork with the meals the pig ate when it was alive. HIs new restaurant, Houlme, pairs small plates with sourdough pizzas.
View the total checklist of nominees for the 2025 James Beard Awards right here.
Disclosure: Some Vox Media workers members are a part of the voting physique for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Basis to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content material is produced independently of the James Beard Basis.
