James Beard Taste America Comes to Four Seasons Seattle Oct. 26 with 40 Star Chef Bite and Cocktail Stations

The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America culinary series returns to Seattle with a walk-around tasting on Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at Four Seasons Hotel Seattle Presented by Capital One. 

Chef Elmer Dulla of familyfriend will headline the event as part of the 2025-26 TasteTwenty class – an annual selection of "ones to watch," recognized for outstanding culinary talent and leadership in the industry. An impressive lineup of some of Seattle’s finest culinary talents join Chef Dulla, with over 35 food and beverage stations featuring bites from some of the city's most dynamic independent restaurants, plus exclusive sponsor activations. Five chefs from the star-studded lineup are featured below – each week this month Seattle Means Business, an event local partner, will showcase a new slate of chefs who will be at Taste America.

Tickets are available now. Click the link for tickets and event information: jamesbeard.org/events/taste-america-seattle

MEET THIS WEEK’s STAR CHEFS TO BE SHOWCASED AT TASTE AMERICA SEATTLE

Chef Karuna  Long, James Beard Award Semifinalist, Sophon, Phinney Ridge, Seattle

Chef Karuna’s restaurant, Sophon, stands as a tribute to his mother and his culture, making a significant impact. It was named one of the 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024 by Bon Appétit magazine.

Alongside this sought after accolade, Sophon’s beverage program has received recognition from Seattle Met and The Stranger.

The Phinney Ridge favorite, was also a 2024 James Beard Semifinalist. Chef Long is determined to leverage Sophon as a launching point to provide vital training and education in all areas of hospitality operations for survivors of human and sex trafficking in Cambodia.

His ambition is clear, and he is committed to making a difference.

James Beard Award Nominee, Melissa Miranda, Musang, Beacon Hill, Seattle

Melissa Miranda is the chef and owner of Musang, a Filipino restaurant and community gathering space in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. Rooted in family, heritage, and storytelling, Musang has become a deeply personal space Mel describes as “for us, by us.”

She leads a team that crafts dishes inspired by childhood memories and regional Filipino traditions, contributing to a dynamic reimagining of contemporary Filipino American cuisine.

During the pandemic, she shared recipes and stories with Bon Appétit’s Test Kitchen, introducing wider audiences to the depth of Filipino cooking.

In 2023, she expanded her culinary vision with the opening of Kilig, her second restaurant in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.

Centered on Pancit and Bulalo, Kilig deepens her commitment to celebrating Filipino cuisine and community in the heart of Filipino Town. Community and collaboration remain central to Mel’s work.

She is passionate about using her platform to uplift others and create space for shared growth and visibility. In 2022, she was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, and she is a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist and finalist in 2024.

Chef Jhonny Reyes, Lenox, Belltown, Seattle

Chef Jhonny Reyes is the executive chef and founder of Lenox, an Afro Latin soul restaurant built on culture, family, and community.

Born in Harlem and raised in Seattle, Chef Reyes grew up eating Puerto Rican and Cuban food at home—mofongo, arroz con pollo, pernil—meals that told stories about where his family came from.

He started cooking young, watching his family in the kitchen and later learning from chefs across Seattle who helped him sharpen his craft. Lenox began during the pandemic as a way to take care of people. Cooking from a small kitchen, delivering meals himself and trying to bring comfort to a city going through it.

What started as survival turned into something bigger: a pop-up, and then a restaurant in Belltown. 

Lenox isn’t trying to recreate the islands. It’s about where Chef Reyes comes from—Harlem roots, Seattle hustle, and the soul of a Caribbean kitchen. The food is personal, always.

A father of three, a former Chopped champion, and a storyteller through food. His work has been featured in Eater, Seattle Met, Seattle Magazine, and The Infatuation. At Lenox, every plate is a piece of home.

James Beard Award Nominee, Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants

Chef Ethan Stowell is the chef and founder of Ethan Stowell Restaurants based in Seattle. His highly acclaimed restaurants include Tavolàta, How to Cook a Wolf, the Victor Tavern, Bombo Italian Kitchen, Cortina, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Ballard Pizza Company, Rione XIII, Red Cow, Wolf located in Nordstrom’s flagship store in midtown Manhattan, as well as Goldfinch Tavern in the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle.

His food philosophy is all about keeping it simple, using fresh ingredients, and allowing the food to do the talking.

Chef Stowell was named one of the Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine in 2008 and chosen as a Best New Chef All-Stars in 2013. He was one of the recipients of the 2016 Richard Melman Innovator of the Year Award. 

In December 2023, the Puget Sound Business Journal recognized Stowell as their Executive of the Year, highlighting his work with Ethan Stowell Restaurants and his importance in the Pacific Northwest restaurant industry as a business and philanthropic leader.

Stowell was a co-chair of the United Way of King County 2017 and 2020 Annual Campaigns. Other philanthropic partnerships include Seattle Children’s Hospital, Mary’s Place, Rainier Scholars, Ballard Food Bank, and the YWCA.

Deeply devoted to his hometown, Stowell is a fervent advocate committed to seeing that Seattle is recognized nationally as a culinary destination. He lives in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.

James Beard Award Nominee, Chef Rachel Yang, James Beard Award Semifinalist, Joule, Wallingford, Seattle

Since 2007, the husband-and-wife team, Chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, have built successful restaurants based on a wildly creative vision that combines their shared love of bold, unexpected Asian flavors with classic, rigorous technique.

Their food is beloved by seasoned, adventurous diners and often considered a revelation by newcomers eager to expand their palates.

The couple’s work is consistently acclaimed and recognized, including four James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef Northwest in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Through their company, Relay Restaurant Group, Rachel and Seif own and operate two restaurants in Seattle—Joule and Revel.

Just like their food, the restaurant spaces balance formality and tradition with energy and creativity. Both Rachel and Seif remain working chefs who, any given night, can be found cooking on the line in one of their signature open kitchens.

Their two young sons, Rye and Pike, can often be found in the family’s restaurants as well.

Visit JBFTasteAmerica.org for complete information on the James Beard Taste America 20-city tour and the Seattle event.