Chefs to Watch 2014: Justin Woodward, Castagna, Portland, Ore.

A withering herb, the curvature of bark, an untouched vine-ripened tomato, a tangled mess of potato peelings—these things speak to Justin Woodward. He’s executive chef of Portland, Ore.’s, modern American Castagna, the winner of 2013 and 2014 James Beard award nominations (for Rising Star Chef and Best Chef Pacific Northwest, respectively) and a veritable vegetable whisperer. “Vegetables are everything,” he says. “We serve...