Jenn Louis ’89 has been named a 2012 Food & Wine Magazine Best New Chef. Jenn is the chef/owner of Lincoln Restaurant and Sunshine Tavern in Portland, Oregon, and although she has been in the kitchen since the 1990s, she has been running her own kitchen for less than five years. Previous winners of the prestigious award include Thomas Keller of French Laundry, Tom Colicchio of Craft restaurants and Top Chef fame and legendary French chef Daniel Boulud.
This year’s winning chefs were celebrated at an awards ceremony in New York City on April 3rd. According to an interview with Oregon Live.com, Jenn says that one of the things she is most excited about is meeting Questlove, drummer for The Roots and the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, at the ceremony. While she concedes that he is the better drummer, who makes the best fried chicken is up for grabs. “We might have to have a chicken off,” says Jenn. The full Oregon Live story can be viewed here and a recap of the awards ceremony can be found here.