The 2009 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Northwest, Maria Hines is the chef and owner of Tilth Restaurant in Seattle. She sharpened her culinary skills at reputable restaurants from coast-to-coast and was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s best chefs in 2005. The Ohio native truly established herself as a national dining force when she opened Tilth, which features New American cuisine and only the second restaurant in the country to receive organic certification from Oregon Tilth. In 2008, The New York Times named Tilth one of the top ten best new restaurants in the country. She is on the board of PCC Farmland Trust and is a founding member of Seattle Restaurant Week.

Competing for: PCC Farmland Trust