Award Honorees

Chef Nora Pouillon, owner of Restaurant Nora and Asia Nora in Washington, D.C., has served organic food to the public since 1979. In 1999, Restaurant Nora became the first certified organic restaurant in the country. Breaking new ground, Pouillon and her staff spent nearly two years compiling a 400-page paper trail to satisfy the requirements for certification.

Nora Pouillon's commitment and devotion to organic has helped to move the industry forward, placing on the table expertly and artfully prepared dishes made from the finest organic ingredients, and reminding the world that organic has moved into the gastronomical mainstream. Restaurant Nora is consistently rated as one of the top restaurants, organic or otherwise, in the U.S. giving organic and sustainable cuisine mainstream legitimacy in the minds of consumers and the media.