Why does Jake Howell deserve the title of Best Chef this year? Well, duh, because James Beard never gets it wrong. (Except for all the times they didn’t give the award to other talented local nominees like Margot McCormack, Trevor Moran, Josh Habiger, Philip Krajeck, Julia Sullivan, Arnold Myint, Vivek Surti, Julio Hernandez, David Andrews, Noelle Marchetti …) But seriously, Chef Howell has definitely earned his vaunted status and national recognition as a James Beard Award recipient through eight years of excellence at Peninsula, his tiny Iberian restaurant a block off of Gallatin Avenue in East Nashville. I contend that Howell and his team get more flavor per square foot of kitchen space than anyone else in Nashville as they work with remarkable precision to create small but shareable plates of Spanish and Portuguese cuisine elevated by Howell’s French techniques. It should also be noted that his introduction of a full menu of various gin-and-tonic variations shone a spotlight on a Spanish favorite that has been commoditized in America for too long. ¡Viva el gin-tonic, y viva Jake Howell!
Best Chef
Jake Howell, Peninsula
Jake Howell
