Portland’s “hip restaurant” scene gets a shout-out in USA Today, highlighting super-deserving spots like Le Pigeon and Simpatica.

A decade ago, rising-star chefs such as Cory Schreiber of Wildwood, Vitaly Paley of Paley’s Place and Greg Higgins of Higgins modernized Pacific Northwest cooking by cultivating connections with area farmers, fishermen, winemakers and artisanal food producers. They preached the gospel of organics and sustainable agriculture and spread their beliefs to young cooks and patrons.
Today, the spirit thrives in smaller, less flashy eateries. Chefs at places such as Noble Rot, Le Pigeon and Simpatica Dining Hall showcase the region’s best ingredients, but they reject many of the trappings of fine dining.
“Because there’s not so much emphasis on style, food remains the focus,” Schreiber says.

This is hardly a mind-blowing critique of the local restaurant scene, but it’s allways nice to get a little love.

Read the whole article after the jump.

January 5, 2007 Friday
FIRST EDITION
LIFE; Pg. 11D
939 words
Portland's palate takes an artisanal turn;
Hip restaurants focus on food raised locally
Jerry Shriver
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Though it's often cursed with gloomy weather, this riverfront outpost belongs among the blessed ranks of hot and hip cultural centers thanks to its edgy arts scene -- particularly the culinary arts.
A decade ago, rising-star chefs such as Cory Schreiber of Wildwood, Vitaly Paley of Paley's Place and Greg Higgins of Higgins modernized Pacific Northwest cooking by cultivating connections with area farmers, fishermen, winemakers and artisanal food producers. They preached the gospel of organics and sustainable agriculture and spread their beliefs to young cooks and patrons.
Today, the spirit thrives in smaller, less flashy eateries. Chefs at places such as Noble Rot, Le Pigeon and Simpatica Dining Hall showcase the region's best ingredients, but they reject many of the trappings of fine dining.
"Because there's not so much emphasis on style, food remains the focus," Schreiber says.
To see where the back-to-the-land approach ignited and where it has spread, check out some of these places (prices reflect the range of dinner entrees):
Le Pigeon
Charming and unpretentious, this 30-seat neighborhood eatery on the east side marries the sensibilities of a last-century Parisian bistro and a classic American diner. The bar wraps around the oven and prep area, where chef Gabriel Rucker performs like a way-overqualified short-order cook, turning out elegant and comforting creations. At night the menu is Euro-influenced with dishes such as rabbit braised with Cognac and prunes and beef-cheek bourguignon. For weekend brunch Rucker puts a spin on the Northwest lumberjack breakfast by building a hash around duck confit and topping waffles with maple-braised pork bellies.
Entrees: $17-$19
To visit: 738 E. Burnside St.
503-546-8796; lepigeon.com
Noble Rot
The alluring concepts of wine bars and small-plates menus are executed perfectly here in one tiny, funky space ("noble rot" is slang for a grape fungus that concentrates the juice for dessert wines). The wine list is filled with unusual choices from around the world (emphasizing Oregon and Washington), and diners can try them in themed flights, order them by the glass from a list of more than 30 or buy them in full bottles to go. Leather Storrs' compact menu offers satisfyingly sized portions of comfort food, some of it amusingly quirky: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes is a melange of pork parts that are lightly breaded and fried, while Apples Carl Sagan is a deconstructed apple pie in the shape of the universe. It's an ideal place to expand your wine knowledge, but bring a flashlight so you can read the menu in the criminally underlit back room.
Entrees: $5-$15
To visit: 2724 S.E. Ankeny St.
503-233-1999; noblerotpdx.com
wPaley's Place
Chef Vitaly Paley and co-owner wife Kimberly observe the same loyalty to local/sustainable produce as the city's other respected restaurateurs, but they add an overlay of unabashed romance. In 1995 the couple opened the 50-seat restaurant in a too-cute Victorian house in the quiet Nob Hill neighborhood and created a sophisticated atmosphere -- flattering lighting, gracious and unobtrusive service -- that's conducive to wooing. Veteran foodies will be seduced by the seasonable menu that draws upon regional dishes (Dungeness crab salad with Oregon black truffles and locally cured bacon), the French countryside (braised rabbit with dried fennel, garlic and bacon) and the Mediterranean (chitarra pasta with porcini mushrooms and pork sausage).
Entrees: $17-$31
To visit: 1204 N.W. 21st Ave.
503-243-2403; paleysplace.net
xSimpatica Dining Hall
Spending an evening at this bare-bones supper club surely must be the most convivial dining experience in the city. A little more than a year ago, a trio of local butchers and charcuterie producers decided to augment their popular Viande Meats and Sausage operation by staging weekend feasts in a bunker-like space that last housed a rock club. On Friday and Saturday evenings, they offer a themed meal for about 50 customers, most of whom are seated at long communal tables. There's only one seating, and reservations are mandatory. Everything is cooked in the open kitchen adjoining the dining area (sometimes a grill is set up on the sidewalk outside), and the staff delivers wave after wave of delicious rustic dishes, all for a fixed price. Meat and charcuterie are usually the focus. A recent Spanish-themed night featured 13 different tapas, a bountiful paella and flan, and other nights have been dedicated to Alsatian cuisine and to dishes made from all the parts of a particular animal. The cumulative effect is that of a perfect dinner party, with emphasis on the party.
Entrees: $30-$45 fixed-price
menu (cocktails, beer and wine
are sold separately by the glass)
To visit: 828 S.E. Ash St.
503-235-1600
simpaticacatering.com
Wildwood
Cory Schreiber's vibrant shrine to the bounty of the Pacific Northwest may not seem as revelatory as when it opened in 1994, but it remains a must-visit nevertheless. Under new executive chef Dustin Clark (Schreiber keeps his hand in daily operations but is no longer an owner), the approach remains the same: Take pristine ingredients such as mussels, salmon, lamb, morel mushrooms, hazelnuts, berries and artisanal cheeses, and treat them simply and very well. Typical of the frequently changing menu items are the pan-seared Washington ling cod with smoked cauliflower puree, delicata squash and spinach (a steal at lunch for $14); Dungeness crab and potato cakes; and a dessert of sugar pumpkin roulade with cream cheese and pumpkin ice cream.
Entrees: $19-$27
To visit: 1221 N.W. 21st Ave.
503-248-9663
wildwoodrestaurant.com
January 5, 2007