Portland had to settle for the fact that the very first regional winner, Caprial Pence, a then-28-year-old chef from Fullers restaurant at the Seattle Sheraton, promptly moved back to the place where she — and James Beard himself — were raised,

JinJu was one of two Oregon-based finalists to win James Beard Awards at Monday’s ceremony in Chicago, joined by Antica Terra ’s Timothy Wastell for the Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific category. A total of six Oregon nominees made it to the finals, including four from Portland.

Four other Oregon restaurants and chefs were announced as finalists in April, but didn't secure an award on Monday.