Chef Matt Kern earns James Beard nomination by keeping it fresh and local
FENWICK ISLAND, Del. – It’s an award known to many as the Oscars of the food world. Winning a James Beard title is often a career-defining moment for chefs across the nation.
Top Five Contender
Chef Matt Kern of One Coastal in Fenwick Island is one of top five contenders for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in the 2024 James Beard Awards.
“Seeing my name on the top five, I was not ready for it. I called my wife right away. She couldn’t believe it either, and my phone blew up,” he said when 47 ABC WMDT visited, ahead of the award ceremony.
The Big Picture
The talented chef is tackling one mission, one dish at a time. The large challenge of combating food insecurity and sustainability worldwide, says Chef Kern, begins by starting small.
“Chefs and restaurateurs, we have the ability to actually help change the world,” Chef Kern said. “The idea of supporting small independent farms that are sometimes third fourth generation, that’s my big picture.”
Keeping it Local, Keeping it Fresh
Chef Kern believes that the food insecurity that many in the United States face often finds its roots in waste.
“We can eliminate the food that ends up in the trash by working together,” Chef Kern said. “We can find ways to push forward, to make the restaurant industry more equitable for our staff, for our people.”
Keeping it local, and keeping ingredients fresh, is a practice that Chef Kern follows with every ingredient, and every dish. And that expertise is what sets this talented chef apart.
Local Know-How
Chef Kern showed off his know-how, by whipping up a vibrant salad of two varieties of beets, baby arugula, fresh mint, and black walnut dukka. The leafy offering is dressed up with a brown butter crumb and staghorn sumac, and nestled into house-made labneh and dots of mint sauce.
“We’re really going to hit home with those fresh spring flavors. Everybody’s expecting peas and asparagus. Well, we’ve got at least another two weeks, maybe a month, before those things are prevalent on the Delmarva peninsula,” Chef Kern said. “So, we’re just trying to hit home with exactly what we’re getting from farms right now, and this is what’s available.”
Tight-Knit Team
However, Chef Kern says, doing it all with a tight-knit team (that’s really more like a family) is what truly makes for good eats.
“This is a team thing. There’s no way on earth I could do this by myself,” Chef Kern said. “I’m surrounded by some really talented and creative people that really pushed, and helped me get this far.”
The winner will officially be announced on June 10th at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony in Chicago, Ill.
