What happens when a city's restaurant scene reaches the pinnacle of culinary recognition — yet the chefs behind the accolades can barely keep their doors open?

Portland's food scene is experiencing a golden moment. The city that once parodied on "Portlandia" for obsessing over farm-to-table dining is now earning serious national respect. Oregon restaurants are sweeping James Beard nominations like never before, with establishments from intimate neighborhood spots to Willamette Valley gems collecting the industry's most prestigious honors.

But step inside these celebrated kitchens, and a different story emerges — one of razor-thin margins, impossible mathematics and owners contemplating closure even as the awards roll in.