Ashland chef Josh Dorcak nominated for best chef in NW

ASHLAND, Ore. – A local chef from the Rogue Valley was nominated for a prestigious award.

The James Beard Foundation announced the semi-finalists for the 2023 Restaurant and Chef awards.

Josh Dorcak, the head chef at Mas in Ashland, was nominated for best chef in the northwest.

His rise in the food world has been rapid.

In six years, he’s gone from a pop-up spot in the basement of an Ashland bakery to a nationally recognized chef.

“To see my name, the restaurant name, and then Ashland, Oregon within that list was a pinch-me kind of a moment. The biggest dream affirmation of a career, especially being in Southern Oregon,” Dorcak said.

Dorcak said that this is a complete community success story.

He went on to say that he would not be here without the support of the Ashland community and his family.

In total, ten Oregon restaurants and chefs were nominated for this year’s awards.

Dorcak is the only one in Southern Oregon.

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Ethan McReynolds is a reporter and weekend anchor for NBC5 News. He grew up in Bothell, Washington and graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Broadcasting and minors in Journalism and Sport Management. At Gonzaga, he started his own sports podcast. Ethan loves rooting for his hometown Seattle sports teams, especially the Mariners. He loves playing baseball, basketball, and soccer. He is also an avid Taylor Swift fan.
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