Why Seattle keeps losing at the Oscars of the food world
Why Seattle keeps losing at the Oscars of the food world  
Podcast: Seattle Eats with Tan Vinh
Published On: Thu Jun 19 2025
Description: This week, 25 restaurants and chefs were crowned with James Beard Awards – the Oscars of the food world. And for the fifth year in a row, Washington state came away with zero wins.  Tan breaks down the three Seattle-area finalists with Seattle Times food writer Jackie Varriano, and asks: What are we doing wrong? Read more about this year’s local James Beard Award finalists, including seven-time finalist Jay Blackington, in The Seattle Times. Recommendations in this episode: Atoma, Wallingford – Best New Restaurant finalist Archipelago, Hillman City – Outstanding Hospitality finalist Houlme, Orcas Island – chef Jay Blackington, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific finalist   Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.