Top Chef Masters Star Naomi Pomeroy Dies at 49 in Drowning Accident

The Bravo, Top Chef, Portland community, and beyond are mourning the loss of a beloved figure.

Over the weekend, renowned Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy tragically passed away due to an accidental drowning on the Willamette River in Corvallis, Oregon. She was 49 years old.

Naomi Pomeroy, who is survived by her husband Kyle Linden Webster, a fellow restaurateur, and her daughter August, was tubing with her husband and another person when she was caught in the river’s currents.

A statement from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office released on Tuesday revealed that “an investigation by BCSO determined three adults recreating on tubes and a paddle board (two tubes were secured together and the paddle board was attached to Naomi) became entangled on an exposed snag in the water.”

It further noted, “One of the adults, Naomi, was pulled under the water and unable to free herself due to the paddleboard leash.” While the local fire department managed to rescue the two others, Naomi’s body has not yet been recovered, and the search continues.

Authorities shared that “BCSO deputies searched the area using all available tools, including sonar, underwater cameras, and drones, but were unable to locate any signs of Naomi in the area due to heavy debris in the water.”

Naomi Pomeroy was an esteemed, self-taught chef who gained prominence during Portland’s new wave of fine-dining in the mid-2000s.

She began her culinary journey in 2002 with her first husband, Michael Hebb, by hosting underground dinner parties at their home. This initiative was a precursor to the subsequent national pop-up restaurant trend, as reported by The New York Times.

They were dubbed the “prince and princess of the Pacific Northwest food scene” by W Magazine. However, their partnership ended abruptly four years later when Michael exited from their restaurant empire and their marriage, leaving Naomi and her daughter to start over both personally and financially.

By 2009, she was honored as one of America’s best new chefs by Food & Wine magazine, and more accolades followed, including winning the James Beard Award for best chef in the Northwest in 2014.

Naomi Pomeroy became even more recognized for her appearances on food competition shows such as Iron Chef, Top Chef, and Bobby Flay’s Bobby’s Triple Threat. She took part as a participant and recurring judge and was especially noted for her appearance on the third season of Top Chef Masters in 2011.

Although she closed her restaurant Beast in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-owned the bar and restaurant Expatriate with her husband and just opened a frozen custard shop, Cornet Custard, in May. Additionally, she was hosting a series of summer communal dinners called Garden Party, created from produce growing in her garden. These dinners were held at the site of where she planned to open another restaurant in the fall. The last of these dinners took place this past Friday, the night before her tragic passing.

Source: Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Food & Wine, W Magazine, The New York Times