It happened on a Saturday. Just a normal afternoon on the Willamette River, the kind of summer day people in Oregon live for. Then the news started trickling out. A drowning. An inner tube accident. By the time the name Chef Naomi Pomeroy was confirmed, the Pacific Northwest felt like it had lost its North Star. She was only 49.
Naomi wasn't just another name on a "best of" list, though she had plenty of those. She was the person who basically dragged Portland’s food scene into the national spotlight by its apron strings. If you ever ate at Beast, you know what I’m talking about. You didn't just get a meal; you got a seat at her table, literally. She pioneered that communal dining style that everyone tries to copy now but usually messes up because they don't have her soul.
What Really Happened on the Willamette River
People want answers when someone this vibrant is gone so suddenly. On July 13, 2024, Naomi was floating near Corvallis with her husband and a friend. It's a stretch of water that looks peaceful until it isn't. Their tubes were tied together—a common mistake that even experienced river-goers make—and they hit a "snag" or a downed tree under the water. The current is a beast. It flipped them.
The others made it out. Naomi didn't. Because her tube was tethered to her and got caught on the debris, she was pulled under. It’s a gut-wrenching reminder that nature doesn't care how talented you are. Search crews spent days looking for her. When they finally found her, the outpouring of grief from the global culinary community was unlike anything I've seen in years.
More Than Just a James Beard Award
Honestly, saying Chef Naomi Pomeroy was a James Beard winner is like saying Michael Jordan was "pretty good at basketball." It’s true, but it misses the point entirely. She won Best Chef: Northwest in 2014, but her influence started way back in the early 2000s with the "Family Supper" underground dinners. She was a self-taught force of nature. No fancy culinary school. No French brigades. Just a woman with a palate that could identify a single misplaced herb in a complex sauce.
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Beast, her flagship, was a tiny space. It felt like a living room. She’d stand there in the middle of the room, plating six courses for a dozen strangers. It was intimate. It was brave. She did away with the wall between the "back of house" and the "front of house," making the act of cooking a performance art that felt entirely unpretentious.
The Pivot After the Pandemic
When COVID-19 hit, she didn't just moan about it. She pivoted. She turned Beast into Ripe Cooperative, a community-focused market. Later, she opened Cornet Custard because, as she put it, she just wanted to make people happy with simple things. That was the essence of her career—moving from high-concept tasting menus to the pure joy of a perfect scoop of ice cream.
She was also a massive advocate for independent restaurants. She helped found the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC). While other celebrity chefs were worried about their TV contracts, Naomi was in D.C. (figuratively and sometimes literally) fighting for the little guys, the line cooks, and the dishwashers who make the industry run.
Why Portland is Taking This So Hard
Portland is a city built on "scrappy" energy. Naomi was the queen of scrappy. She started with a catering company called Ripe and just kept building. She failed sometimes, too. She was open about her business struggles, which made her human. You've got to respect someone who admits when things go sideways.
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The city has set up memorials outside her flower shop, Expatriate, and her former restaurant spaces. It’s not just about the food. It’s about the fact that she mentored a whole generation of chefs who are now running their own kitchens. Her DNA is in the salt and the butter of every good restaurant in the 503 area code.
Misconceptions About the Accident
There’s been some chatter online about whether she was wearing a life jacket. She wasn't. But here’s the thing: most people floating that stretch of the river don't. It's easy to judge after the fact, but in the moment, it felt like a safe, lazy Saturday. The real danger wasn't the lack of a vest as much as it was the "tethering." When you tie tubes together, you create a trap. If one goes under, they all go. If you take anything away from this tragedy, let it be that. Never tie your floats together on moving water.
The Legacy Left Behind
What happens now? Her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and her daughter, August, are left with a hole that can't be filled. But the industry is already moving to honor her. There are talks of scholarships and foundations.
If you want to honor the memory of Chef Naomi Pomeroy, don't just post a picture of her on Instagram. Go eat at a locally owned restaurant. Order the thing on the menu that sounds a little weird or challenging. Support the chefs who are taking risks. Naomi hated "safe" food. She wanted flavor that slapped you in the face and made you remember you were alive.
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Actionable Steps for Food Lovers and Adventurers
The best way to carry on her spirit is through intentionality. Here is how you can actually apply the lessons from her life and the circumstances of her passing:
- Practice River Safety: If you’re hitting the water this summer, never tether your tubes or kayaks together. Always carry a quick-release knife if you are using ropes. It sounds extreme until you're the one caught in a strainer.
- Support Independent Kitchens: Skip the chains. Go to the places where the owner is likely the one roasting the bones for the stock. This was Naomi’s life mission.
- Cook Without a Map: Naomi was self-taught. Pick up a seasonal ingredient this weekend—something you’ve never used—and don’t look up a recipe. Trust your senses. Taste as you go. Salt, acid, fat, heat.
- Advocate for Policy: Check out the work of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. They are still fighting for the things Naomi cared about: fair wages, sustainable business models, and mental health support for kitchen staff.
Naomi once said that cooking is about the "transfer of energy." Even though she's gone, that energy is still vibrating through the kitchens of Portland and beyond. She was a master of her craft, a defender of her community, and a reminder that life is fragile. Eat well. Be careful on the water. Tell your people you love them.
Key Takeaways from the Life of Naomi Pomeroy
- Self-taught excellence is possible. You don't need a degree to be the best in the world; you need curiosity and a relentless work ethic.
- Community over competition. She lifted others up as she climbed, proving that a "rising tide" isn't just a cliché.
- Safety is non-negotiable. Even on "easy" rivers, the water demands respect. Understanding the mechanics of tethers and snags can save lives.
- Vulnerability is a strength. By being honest about the hardships of the restaurant industry, she paved the way for a more sustainable future for everyone in the business.
Her impact isn't buried in a grave; it’s served on plates across the country every single night. That's a legacy worth celebrating.
Check your local river conditions before heading out, and always wear a PFD in moving water.