Ashland Restaurant Week starts

Ashland Restaurant Week starts Friday with a James Beard semifinalist chef and a French spirits class Ashland Restaurant Week opens Friday, April 10, and runs through Thursday, April 16, turning Ashland, Oregon, into a seven-day lineup of prix fixe menus, tastings, pop-ups, and chef-led events. The official event site describes it as a week-long celebration of food, drink, and local makers built for visitors who want to browse venues and plan a short stay around meals and events. (ashlandrestaurantweek.org) This year’s program is drawing extra attention because it is anchored by chef Josh Dorcak, whose Ashland restaurants MÄS and NAMA are featured partners in the 2026 event. Coverage of the festival says Dorcak is the James Beard Award semifinalist headlining the week, giving Southern Oregon diners a chance to try a nationally noticed chef’s work without making a longer food trip to Portland, San Francisco, or Seattle. (diningandcooking.com) The James Beard connection is not just marketing shorthand. The James Beard Foundation published its 2026 semifinalists on January 21, with nominees advancing to finalist announcements on March 31 and winners scheduled to be honored on June 15 in Chicago, making the “semifinalist” label a current and verifiable credential in this year’s restaurant awards cycle. (jamesbeard.org) Ashland Restaurant Week is also leaning into drinks programming, not just dinner reservations. Reporting on the event says a Calvados masterclass is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Brickroom, with French apple brandy featured in what organizers describe as a first-of-its-kind sponsorship for Southern Oregon. (diningandcooking.com) That matters for travelers because restaurant weeks can sometimes feel like a list of discounted menus, while Ashland’s version is being framed more like a compact festival. The official site says the week includes menus, tastings, and events across town, and local calendar listings describe the program as a reason to plan a weekend around food, drink, and art-forward experiences rather than a single reservation. (ashlandrestaurantweek.org) Dorcak’s presence gives the week a clear centerpiece. Syndicated coverage of the KDRV report says MÄS has earned national recognition, while NAMA will feature one of its best-known dishes during the event, and Dorcak’s private club Kando is expected to open for a special public reception on Friday, April 10. (diningandcooking.com) For visitors coming from elsewhere in Oregon or Northern California, the timing is part of the appeal. As of Wednesday, April 8, the event starts in two days, which makes it the kind of last-minute trip that can still be planned around one or two anchor bookings instead of a full vacation week. (ashlandrestaurantweek.org) The broader pitch is simple: Ashland already has name recognition as a destination town, and Restaurant Week gives it a tighter food-focused window. The official site invites people to “plan your week,” browse venues, and sign up for menus, early tickets, and last-minute openings, suggesting organizers expect both locals and short-stay visitors to build itineraries around limited-capacity events. (ashlandrestaurantweek.org) For anyone deciding whether to go, the practical takeaway is that this is not a months-away preview. Ashland Restaurant Week runs April 10 through April 16, 2026, and the combination of a James Beard semifinalist chef, a Calvados masterclass, and a town-wide schedule of tastings and specials makes it one of those regional food events that is easiest to catch when it is happening right now. (ashlandrestaurantweek.org)