Portland News to Chew
Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine shutters as chef/owner Pascal Sauton steps away from professional cooking.
Image: Allison Jones
Southeast
◊ This week in dubious listage: Gabriel Rucker's Le Pigeon was named one of the country's best French restaurants by Travel & Leisure. Noting the potential for head-scratching, writer Kimberly Lovato notes that, at Le Pigeon: "the profiteroles come with foie gras and the duck is served 'moo shoo' style, with plum chutney and mushrooms...part of a national shift in the definition of what makes a great French restaurant. Yes, thick sauces still exist (thank goodness), as do venerated haute cuisine kitchens like those of chef Joël Robuchon. But French cuisine has also become more accessible, and increased access to exceptional local product means that bistros dish out high-quality French fare in more down-to-earth environs." Read on...◊ After eight years bringing spice route cuisine to Southeast Portland, restaurateur David Machado's Indian restaurant Vindalho has closed. The Willamette Week reports the Clinton Neighborhood mainstay will become an Asian-inspired small plates eatery dubbed Ahi. 2308 SE Clinton
◊ Eggless and peerless: According to a Facebook update, Portobello Vegan Trattoria's lauded brunch service is no more. Portobello launched their animal-free spin on the morning meal in late 2011, offering breakfast pizzas, sweet potato waffles, and an a.m. burger. It will be missed, but the restaurant remains open for dinner, Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 10 pm. 1125 SE Division
Northeast
◊ Mind your neighborhood marketplace: The Woodlawn neighborhood's artisan dry goods store P's & Q's Market is now open on Northeast Dekum, combining marketplace, deli, and down-home eatery with dine-in and take-out options. Owners Emily Anderson & Paul Davis hope to serve as a hub of the growing community that's also home to Firehouse Restaurant and Woodlawn Coffee & Pastry. 1301 NE Dekum
◊ Ristretto Roaster's newest coffee cafe is now open on Northeast Couch at 6th, featuring Portland’s first Steampunk brewer on the bar. Designed and made in Salt Lake City, the brewer features four automated “crucibles” that make different coffee styles simultaneously. “It can brew French press in one crucible, and pour-over in another,” says creator Khristian Bombek. “It gives baristas new speed and consistency.” See it here! 555 NE Couch
◊ House Spirits Distillery Lands at PDX: One of Portland's pioneering craft distillers has announced plans to open a retail location at Portland International Airport. The PDX location (which is on track to open this month in Concourse D) will offer the local boozer's entire line of spirits (including landmark Aviation Gin) as well as branded apparel, cocktail ware, and other local products. 7000 NE Airport Way
◊ East Burnside's June Restaurant has closed. Greg Perrault opened the eatery in 2011 with chef Daniel Mondok and bartender Kelly Swenson. Stay tuned for updates on future occupants and Perrault's plans. 2215 East Burnside
Burbs
Sad news for Milwaukie's Main Street: Per a Facebook note, chef Pascal Sauton announced the closure of his popular Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine cafe and marketplace, as well as his retirement from professional cooking. Over the past four decades the kitchen veteran helmed some of the top French eateries in Portland (including Brasserie Montmartre and Carafe Bistro, which shuttered in 2011), and was notably named Eater's Sexiest Chef in America in the digital food rag's annual competition. 10610 SE Main St. Milwaukie, OR
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