Yes, Nashville is exploding in reputation for being a dining destination, but it has only captured six wins since James Beard awards started in 1991

New York City restaurants won three of the six major national awards: outstanding chef (Jungsik Yim of Jungsik ), outstanding hospitality ( Atomix) and outstanding restaurateur (Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr of Frenchette, Le Rock and Le Veau d’Or ).

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,