Oregon Chefs Reflect on the Death of Naomi Pomeroy

On July 13, 2024, Portland chef, business owner, and industry advocate Naomi Pomeroy drowned in a tubing accident. She was 49. Pomeroy’s name was “synonymous with Portland’s independent food scene,” in the words of Portland Monthly restaurant critic Karen Brooks. Upon her death, everyone from US Rep. Earl Blumenauer to former Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi had something to say about Pomeroy’s dedication to her craft and community, her inspirational passion and creativity, and her determination as a leader and activist.  

Perhaps Portland’s most influential chef of the twenty-first century—both in the kitchen and outside of it—Pomeroy applied her high standards to every facet of her life, particularly restaurants. She was best known for her perpetually lauded tasting-menu destination, Beast, but in the last months of her life she started two new projects: a frozen custard shop, now run by chef Mika Paredes, and bistro–wine bar L’Échelle, first launched as a garden party pop-up with restaurateur Luke Dirks. 

With months to reflect, her collaborators remember not just her rigor and taste, but her sweetness and vulnerability. These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity. 

“Remember in the late ’80s, those No Fear shirts? That was Naomi to a T. She had this supper club that was successful, and she just opened a restaurant. She had no idea how to be the chef of a restaurant, but goddammit, she was going to try. When I think about what she did for Portland, I come back to this woman who was just fearless.” —Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon chef-owner and Gotham Tavern alumnus 

“The first time I met Naomi was at Clarklewis, my first job in Portland. Naomi walked through the front door, and what immediately caught my eye was her distinct aesthetic—chunky white highlights and a nose ring. But what really stood out was her presence. Despite having a cast on her foot from a roller-skating mishap, she hobbled in with such confidence and grace. I never felt intimidated by Naomi, not for a moment. I introduced myself, and, from that point on, we became family.” —Mika Paredes, Cornet Custard cofounder and longtime collaborator

“She had a bigger, larger-than-life personality, but I never thought she was so caught up in her own vibe that she wouldn’t talk to people around her. She was living in the moment.” —Luke Dirks, L’Échelle cofounder 

“Naomi’s food was deeply personal and uniquely hers. Her dishes were never pretentious, simply delicious. She had one of the most exquisite palates I’ve encountered. Sometimes, her combinations were unexpected, but they always worked.” —Mika Paredes

“She was this force of creative energy, rigorous, pushing people to be the best. But she was also a sweet person. She cared genuinely about the people she was with. She had a deep, intuitive sense about people.” —Luke Dirks

“In March 2020, as the world was shutting down, Naomi took the helm of a group of Portland restaurateurs working to save Oregon restaurants from the devastating impacts of COVID-19. We worked to get the governor’s eyes on a letter I’d written on behalf of the industry. She called me and said, ‘Hey I’ve been invited to join a call with some big-name chefs to figure out how to save the industry nationwide; you should come.’ I told her, ‘Take the letter.’ She didn’t need me, but she insisted she did.” —Erika Polmar, executive director of the Independent Restaurant Coalition 

“Over the years, I saw Naomi evolve from someone who, like many of us in hospitality, dealt with insecurities and the need to please others into a chef who was deeply confident and true to her vision. In the last few years, she really leaned into making the food she wanted to make, returning to her roots with a raw, honest style. She became more vulnerable, but, in doing so, she found a newfound confidence that allowed her to be more patient and focused on inspiring others.” —Mika Paredes

“Naomi was a fierce advocate, and she brought the same authenticity to advocacy that she did to her food. She wasn’t afraid to speak the truth, and she shared tough information with such grace and strength that people listened. As a leader, she was collaborative but firm, compassionate but unwavering in her convictions. She inspired a new generation of advocates to pour the same passion and energy they had for their food and teams into influencing legislators nationwide. She infused them with confidence and taught them to find the power of their stories.” —Erika Polmar

“She was the ultimate example of what makes Portland special. She was
able to show the younger generations of Portland cooks what was possible.”
—Gabriel Rucker