Three Ballard eateries nominated for James Beard Foundation awards

Meghan Walker Ballard

Three different Ballard restaurants have been shortlisted for James Beard Awards: Copine, Walrus & Carpenter, and Beast & Cleaver.

Copine has been nominated for the “Outstanding Restaurant” category, Renee Erickson of Walrus & Carpenter has been nominated for “Outstanding Chef,” and Beast & Cleaver owner Kevin Smith is on the shortlist for “Best Emerging Chef.”

Smith opened the Loyal Heights butchery and restaurant Beast & Cleaver in December 2019. While it’s primarily a butcher shop, he’s created a unique business model that combines the retail shop with tasting dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings known as The Peasant.

Smith also runs a wine bar out of the space from Tuesday to Thursday evenings with an a la carte menu, plus Sunday events that span from butchery classes to vintage wine dinners.

“I am very honored to be recognized for what I love doing, and very humbled to be in such amazing company,” Smith shared with his audience on Instagram. “I do things my way and they are sometimes unconventional, but I don’t care what anyone else is doing, I want to find the best way that works for me.”

“Beast & Cleaver is at its core a butcher shop, and the restaurant is a vital part of making the butcher shop functional, so it’s incredible that a butcher shop has been recognized for a James Beard Award,” Smith wrote. “The butcher shop and restaurant are symbiotic creatures that rely on each other to be successful & sustainable, and they are much more than my work alone, they are the work of my incredible wife and team.”

Other Seattle nominees include the following:

  • Lark for Hospitality
  • Rob Roy for Outstanding Bar
  • Melissa Miranda of Musang for Best Chef
  • David Nichols of Eight Row for Best Chef
  • Mutsuko Soma of Kamonegi for Best Chef
  • Aaron Verzosa of Archipelago for Best Chef
  • Yenvy and Quynh Pham of Phở Bắc Sup Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat for Outstanding Restaurateur

See the full list of nominees here.