The James Beard Award is one of the highest accolades for people working in the restaurant industry. This year, its list of semi-finalists for Best Chef includes a Eugene chef: Isaiah Martinez.
Martinez credited his heritage and his restaurant–Yardy Rum Bar–for his nomination.
With its orange walls and Afro-Caribbean image motifs, the eatery feels like a love letter to Martinez’s Puerto Rican and Grenadian background. With counter service and a "no reservations" rule, Martinez wanted to emphasize that his restaurant was open for all: anyone and everyone can dine in.
The chef, in his early 30s, believes in the importance of tradition and preserving one's culture through cooking. He feels that pulling from history, when cooking, can often make it stand out.
“If you're cooking from tradition and there's history involved in the concept, I always feel confident it will get recognition because you're just taking parts of history and reiterating it,” he said. “Cooking from history is the most important, I think, as a chef.”
For Martinez, his nomination and heritage are intertwined.
“When people … give us accolades and give us rewards, it really feels like they're rewarding a culture,” said Martinez.
The finalists for the award will be announced April 2.
Martinez is the fourth Eugene chef–and the first since 2023–to be a James Beard semifinalist, according to the organization’s website.
