Josh Dorcak has risen from a pop-up to a James Beard Award finalist
By Jim Flint for Ashland.news
Josh Dorcak is hoping the second time’s a charm.
The chef and owner of MÄS in Ashland is one of five finalists for a coveted James Beard Foundation Award in the Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific category. In 2023 he was among the semifinalists in the same category.
Dorcak has been on an upward track ever since he opened MÄS, first as a pop-up in the basement of Jamie North’s Mix on the Ashland Plaza in 2017, then in its own location in April of 2018, tucked away at 141 Will Dodge Way, the lane between Lithia Way and East Main Street in Ashland.
He won top chef honors at the Ashland Culinary Festival in 2015 and 2016. In 2017 he won the coveted Oregon Iron Chef title.
In 2022, MÄS was named one of the 50 best restaurants in the country by the New York Times.
The James Beard Foundation sends three judges anonymously per judging round. Winners are chosen based on those dining experiences.
The program seeks to recognize the talents and achievements of exceptional culinary artists. The awards ceremony will be livestreamed on the food website eater.com on June 10.
Dorcak says receiving a James Beard Award would be career-defining.
“It would mean that my work is somehow validated for a lifetime,” he said. “It’s really amazing in that regard.”
Credits strong team
He credits the MÄS team for helping achieve the success the restaurant has enjoyed. Among them are Andy Peterson, who has been working in area kitchens for 16 years, most recently as chef at Gogi’s in Jacksonville; Jeffrey Kimura, recently relocated from Corvallis, where he was executive chef at del Alma Restaurant, and Maggie Hawk, a MÄS associate for three years who has moved into a management role.
Joseph Shaughnessy is the restaurant’s sommelier.
“Joseph has single-handedly elevated the dining experience at MÄS,” Dorcak said.
The restaurant offers a prix fixe menu, one in which courses are also fixed for the evening.
“The tasting menu to me makes the most sense when you want a chef to cook for you,” Dorcak said. “It is a way to get out so many ideas and flavors in one seating.
MÄS’s cuisine has evolved into what Dorcak describes as Cascadian, reflecting the influence of the region and its ingredients, and taking advantage of the small moments that happen in a seasonal region.
It’s the little things
“I pay attention to the small things,” he said, “noticing subtle shifts and anticipating growth so we can evolve with nature and the season. That has created a very intentional life for me, and has defined where my cooking is going.”
Dorcak’s enjoyment of the restaurant scene in its entirety has much to do with his creating a memorable dining experience.
“I try to be humble,” he said. “Guests are trusting us to provide a meal. But to me, it’s much more than that. It is a body of my life’s work. That should be felt when dining at MÄS.”
At MÄS, everybody is working during the dinner — marking tables, pouring wine, presenting and having conversations with the guests.
“It’s really special to connect like that,” he said.
Dorcak approaches menu planning in a unique way: He doesn’t plan.
“I just react,” he said. “I watch what’s going on.”
Creating new dishes begins as a mental exercise for Dorcak.
“I see the dish in my head. Then I mentally cook through the process, trying to identify where a mistake might happen, and adjust my thinking in the process.”
Refining the dish
The reality of the dish happens when the plate hits the cutting board. Dorcak looks at the elements and puts the dish together crudely. Then he tastes it and continues to refine it through iterations until it’s just right.
“It is so satisfying to do the work that I love more than anything,” he said.
Dorcak, 38, grew up in Cupertino, California. Early on, he began watching TV programs such as “Great Chefs of the World” and “Iron Chef Japan.”
“That drew me into the world of the professional kitchen,” he said. “I have been fascinated with the environment ever since.”
He attended the California Cuilinary Academy after high school and began working in the restaurant industry in San Francisco and Oakland in the mid-2000s.
“You learn rather quickly who you want to emulate and who you don’t,” he said. “I don’t ever yell or belittle anyone in the kitchen; I always found that to be so immature. I lost respect for people instantly when I experienced that.”
He landed in Ashland on a whim.
“I was in really horrendous traffic in the San Francisco area and just kept driving north,” he said. “That was around 2008.”
He worked at Ashland’s Amuse, Public House and Lorella before striking out on his own.
He cited three chefs who have influenced his style. One was David Kinch of Manresa Restaurant in Los Gatos, California. “His relationship with his region is really inspiring.” He admired the business approach of Stockholm chef Bjorn Frantzen. Another inspiration was John Shields, executive chef at Smyth in Chicago. “His ingredient usage is out-of-this-world creative.”
Horrible cook?
What might people be surprised to learn about Josh Dorcak?
“I am a horrible home cook.”
Explain, please.
“I cook out of a donabe, a clay pot. One-pot meal type things,” he said. “Or lots of Southeast Asian dishes. Hot, sour, salty, sweet is my favorite profile for food at home.”
What time is dinner? We’re in!
For more information and to make reservations, go to masashland.com.
Reach writer Jim Flint at [email protected].
