PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – An inaugural list of the best restaurants across the United States was released Thursday — naming one Portland eatery that’s putting a spotlight on Haitian cuisine.

The North

America’s 50 Best Restaurants list recognizes “outstanding” dining destinations voted for by 300 culinary experts who are members of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy.

Earning the 27th spot on the list: Portland’s Kann.

“The landmark accolade reflects Kann’s impact on the national culinary landscape, spotlighting the under-represented flavors and dishes of Haiti,” the 50-best list said.

“Gregory Gourdet opened Kann, a cherry on top of an already winning career for the chef, in 2022. His debut restaurant showcases Gourdet’s tremendous skill and talent developed rising through the ranks in some of the best kitchens in Portland, including Departures Restaurant and Lounge. Not one to stick to one lane, Gourdet is also a Top Chef finalist and three-time James Beard Award-winner – one of the few of Haitian descent in the world,” North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list said.

Highlighting Kann’s offerings — a tribute to the African and Carribean diaspora with nods to the Pacific Northwest — the 50 Best list explained, “Warm sweet potato bread arrives with berbere-infused butter; a half-chicken arrives with an emulsion made from epis, a herb and aromatic-laden Haitian green seasoning, cashew-crowned. Battered okra here is a snappy, savoury affair. Unusually for fine dining establishments, the entire Haitian Caribbean-inspired menu is gluten and dairy-free too.”

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The recognition comes after Kann was previously recognized as the “Best New Restaurant” in 2023 by the James Beard Foundation, which also awarded Kann’s Gregory Gourdet the Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest award in 2024.

Kann has also received internationally recognition after being named in La Liste’s World’s Best Restaurant list in 2025.

“As a first-generation Haitian American growing up in Queens, the dishes of my culture were a constant presence—at home, at family gatherings, and throughout the neighborhood. But once I left home and began my culinary career, I quickly realized that foods of the African and Caribbean diaspora were very rarely represented in fine dining,” Gourdet said in a statement.

“In opening Kann three years ago, and the four years that went into opening it, our goal was unwavering: to spotlight traditional Haitian flavors alongside dishes inspired by the cuisines of the African and Caribbean diaspora locally, nationally, and internationally,” Gourdet continued. “I’m grateful to our team who embodies this purpose daily; their passion for learning and penchant for storytelling are the backbone of Kann.”