Jerry Traunfeld, the executive chef at The Herbfarm Restaurant, has

been named the Best American Chef from the Northwest. Traunfeld received

the honor at the 10th annual James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony held

in New York.

Traunfeld joined the Herbfarm Restaurant in 1990. He is a

graduate of the California Culinary Academy and was previously a pastry chef

at Stars in San Francisco and executive chef of the Alexis Hotel in Seattle.