This Chef Left One Of Seattle's Most Prestigious Restaurants — And Snagged A James Beard 2026 Best Chef Nomination

When Johnny Courtney finished his final shift as executive sous chef at Canlis, one of the most prestigious fine-dining destinations in the Pacific Northwest, he could only imagine what his now-gambled future may hold. Fortunately for Seattle, he hung his shingle on a century-old craftsman home in the historic (and historically quirky) Wallingford neighborhood — and quickly joined America's cradled havens of creative cuisine. A mere two years after opening the contemporary Atoma restaurant, this new chef-owner would wake to find himself a James Beard nominee for 2026 Best Chef: Pacific and Northwest. 

Anyone who's dined with Chef Johnny and Sarah Courtney, his co-owner/partner in life and business, is hardly surprised at the deeply significant honor of joining this year's nominees for America's brightest and most innovative culinary movers-and-shakers. Getting crafty and creative comes natural to this homegrown chef, whose path to cooking started early and unexpectedly, explains Sarah, when his mom was diagnosed with cancer and the rhythm of family life changed — including who cooked dinner. 

He quickly realized that if he wanted to eat well (or at all), he needed to learn to cook himself, she says. "What began as survival turned into curiosity, then passion, and eventually a career that took him through kitchens in New Mexico, Australia, Mexico, Denver, and Seattle." And now, after years of dreaming, a year of pop-ups in Seattle, an SBA loan, month of hands-on renovation, and a big leap of faith, Atoma finally stepped into its journey.

The Courtneys know that magic happens when creativity and community merge at the dining table. It helps that the restaurant rests within an actual craftsman-style home, nestled within a close-knit cluster of similarly repurposed houses on North 45th Street, just a "hop, skip, and one-block jump" from my own residence. The neighborhood eagerly embraced Atoma, whose abode once cradled the Tilth eatery, also of James Beard fame and considered one of the first all-organic restaurants in America, focusing heavily on local ingredients. Atoma likewise explains its food as rooted in Pacific Northwest seasonality, though shaped by European techniques — and never taking itself too seriously. 

Atoma gets its goods from 30-plus farms in Washington state, either directly or through farmer-owned cooperatives. Johnny and Sarah also haunt the weekly Saturday U-District farmers market, rain or shine. Those ingredients, at the hands of Atoma's earthy yet laser-focused team, somehow emerge as something entirely original. The menu changes seasonally, but plates generally hold bold flavors and combinations, such as the current Lamb Saddle with coffee roasted beets, chicories, and sea buckthorn. A Beef Coulette dish features sunchokes, sauce bolo, sweet breads, and dolgo apple, while the Spiced Maitake simply identifies cheekily as a "shawarma type situation."  

Its most famous morsel by far is the signature Rosette Cookie, a perfectly crafted flower of fried batter, soft farmer's cheese, and Walla Walla onion jam, made from the famous sweet alliums grown in Eastern Washington farmlands. Folks nibble the Rosettes as appetizers, desserts, and take-home treasures. 

I first met Johnny and Sarah Courtney at the 2025 Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, when they joined an eclectic collection of renowned chefs working hand-in-hand with Hawaiian counterparts to interpret signature dishes and culinary styles using island-grown ingredients. He quickly became a festival favorite, along with always-lively TV personalities such as Nancy Silverton and Aaron Sanchez. But Chef Johnny brings a more subtle urban-artsy persona to the table, one that hasn't gone unnoticed on the Seattle dining scene — nor by the James Beard honor-makers and life-changers.

It's not Atoma's first spin around the James Beard sun, having made it to the finals list for Best New Restaurant 2025. Regarding this new nomination for 2026 Best Chef: Pacific and Northwest, Chef Johnny shares with Tasting Table readers: "This is incredibly humbling. I've dreamed about this since I was a kid, so being recognized alongside so many people I admire is pretty wild, and a little surreal. More than anything, it gives us a bigger platform to keep doing what we believe in: Celebrating our team, our farmers, our community, and the simple joy of sharing a great meal together. That's always been the point."

The name Atoma itself reveals what makes this restaurant work. The word means "invisible," referring to unseen influences — farmers, fishermen, winemakers, agriculturists — that, layer upon layer, form the core of this cuisine. Cheers to the accolades from prestigious award-givers, but also to the diners who support authentic local dining — and the chefs who take a chance.