By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Known locally for her fresh seafood dishes, Renée Trafton, owner of and chef at the Beak restaurant, is now a semifinalist for the distinction of best chef in the region, as chosen by the James Beard Foundation.
Wednesday’s announcement came as a surprise to Trafton.
“I got an email from a salesman from a restaurant supply store,” she said in an interview, “and he congratulated me and I was like, ‘Tell me more.’ And so then he sent me a link to the post and I was like, ‘Whoa.’ And it definitely is still sinking in.”
Trafton is one of three Alaskans nominated this year. Also named are Nathan Bentley, of Anchorage’s Altura Bistro, and Beau Schooler, of In Bocco Al Lupo in Juneau, There are 20 semifinalists in all from the Northwest and Pacific region.
“I take my work very personally, but it’s a huge accomplishment,” Trafton said. “It’s the biggest American (food) award. In my region, being on that top 20 list, it’s huge. Because there’s a lot of restaurants, like really good restaurants and really good chefs in Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington,” she told the Sentinel. “There’s so many people out there who are very deserving… It’s a big career milestone. I’ve always admired James Beard chefs.”
The James Beard Foundation is a New York nonprofit focused on culinary education in addition to awards. More information is available at https://www.jamesbeard.org/. Beard, who died in 1985, was a chef and culinary instructor.
Before moving to Sitka nine years ago, Trafton worked at two Michelin starred restaurants in New York City. Even after many years as a chef, she still enjoys the art form.
“I really enjoy cooking and making food and I hope that that joy of cooking and creating spreads to my employees, because there’s such magic when you have your raw ingredients – raw onions, a fillet of salmon or something like raw potatoes,” Trafton said. “And then you make the chowder, and that transformation is still magical after all this time.”
She described her style as “New American… I like straightforward flavors, food that’s not very fussy, food that’s kind of cleaner and contemporary. And I’m really inspired by wild Alaskan seafood, because when I moved to Sitka… it was kind of hard to find seafood to buy… I thought that people – visitors and locals – would enjoy eating local seafood, because it’s the best fish in the world.”
She particularly enjoys cooking fish, as well as eating it, and has an affinity for rockfish.
The James Beard awards “recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” the foundation said Wednesday in a press release.
Trafton highlighted this as well.
“Respect is really important in our workplace culture. And everyone here is really nice,” she said.
The restaurant is gratuity free, and that is built into the pay structure.
“I pay vastly above minimum wage in Alaska. And at the end of the summer, I tend to do an employee bonus,” Trafton said.
The interior decorations of the restaurant also make a statement regarding the importance of equity. There’s a Black Lives Matter flag at the register and a rainbow Pride flag on the wall.
“It was sort of inspiring for us to be like, ‘Well, we’re going to have our signs up, be more outspoken about what we believe in,’ and the community has been really receptive,” Trafton said. “I didn’t know what to expect, because as a restaurant, you usually don’t have too much of a political stance, but we’ve been letting our values shine through and it’s been well received in Sitka.”
Formerly the Larkspur restaurant, the Beak is in the cable house building, below the KCAW radio studio. When the pandemic took hold in 2020, she operated the Beak with family members, but 2021 presented an even greater challenge.
“Twenty-twenty was really hard, 2021 is even harder because of the surprise middle-of-the-season cruise ship first day, and COVID was spiking and having to make all those public health decisions as a restaurant owner is really not my wheelhouse,” she said.
But the restaurant pulled through and is now staffed and open year-round.
The James Beard Foundation will announce the five regional finalists for best chef on March 29, and those winners will be invited to attend an event in Chicago.
