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From: buckman
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Urban Works gamble on turning a historically blighted corner into something more is moving full ahead with the development of the northeast corner of Fremont and MLK. signs are now hung for the first tenants, a new wine bar and restaurant called "Terroir". chef is stu stein:
QUOTE
Stu Stein - Chef / Owner & all around smart ass When it comes to regional, market-driven cooking, many chefs talk the talk, but few walk the walk quite as ardently as Stu Stein. Showcasing the products and artisans of the Pacific Northwest has become a mission for Chef Stein.
A graduate of the University of Illinois Business School and the culinary arts program at Chicago's Kendall College, Stein went on to become sous chef at La Fontaine, where he was the recipient of the Champagne Mumm Award for Culinary Excellence. He traveled to France to study under Paul Bocuse in Lyon and Francis Garcia in Bordeaux before returning to the United States to work as chef de cuisine for Jean Banchet at Ciboulette and Riviera in Atlanta. He subsequently went on to be the Executive Chef for award winning restaurants in both Kansas City and Washington, D.C. During this time, Stu was featured in the King Estate Pinot Gris Cookbook, was the 1995 winner of the Evian/Gourmet Magazine Healthy Menu Award for the Midwest and a featured chef on the nationally syndicated cooking series "New American Cuisine."
In the late 1990's, Stein became enamored with southern Oregon while cooking at Oregon's International Pinot Noir Celebration. In 2000 he became Partner and Executive Chef at the Peerless Restaurant in Ashland, Oregon, where he "show[ed] what Northwest produce is capable of," according to Gourmet, and earned praise for "expanding the borders of American regional cuisine" from the Oregonian's David Sarasohn. While at The Peerless, Stein became known for his collaboration with local farmers and received the 2004 Agricultural Progress Award "Chef of the Year" from the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
In 2005, Chef Stein took over as Executive Chef of The Avalon Hotel & Spa and Rivers Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The Avalon is the winner of the Mobil Travel Guide 2004 "America's Best Hotel & Resort Spas" Award. Gayot said ". the menu is as spirited as the scenery. Chef Stu Stein is dedicated to Portland's trademark sustainable cuisine, so Northwest ingredients get the star treatment here."
He has translated his dedication for local, eco-friendly ingredients into his book, The Sustainable Kitchen: Passionate Cooking Inspired by Farms, Forests, and Oceans. The tome was widely praised by chefs and journalists, including being nominated for a 2005 World Food Media Award and a receiving a 2005 "IPPY "Independent Publisher Book Awards Honorable Mention.
Stu has written for Fine Cooking magazine, Edible Portland magazine, Restaurants & Institution's magazine and the Ashland Daily Tidings newspaper and has been featured in Art Culinaire, NW Palate magazine, Gourmet magazine, the Oregonian newspaper and Fine Living Television. Continuing his commitment to sustainability, in 2005 Stu was appointed a commissioner on the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.
In 2005, Chef Stein took over as Executive Chef of The Avalon Hotel & Spa and Rivers Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The Avalon is the winner of the Mobil Travel Guide 2004 "America's Best Hotel & Resort Spas" Award. Gayot said ". the menu is as spirited as the scenery. Chef Stu Stein is dedicated to Portland's trademark sustainable cuisine, so Northwest ingredients get the star treatment here."
This seems like a nice bit of marketing deception. So, in 2004 -- the year before he took over -- it got an award. How did it do AFTER he arrived? Also, why was he there such a short time? It isn't too surprising, but for some reason in the part about all those articles he wrote, he never mentions which were plagiarized.
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"(T)he pigs were inspired by their porcine deity that they should not be cooked, but they lacked a rational argument to support their beliefs. Roast is in the oven!" -- Aldo Edwards
"(T)he pigs were inspired by their porcine deity that they should not be cooked, but they lacked a rational argument to support their beliefs. Roast is in the oven!" -- Aldo Edwards
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From: Albina (NE Pdx)
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Oh, come on you guys. Yeah, he might plagarize. I'm just hoping we get a decent restaurant in there. I'd love to have something other than Acadia and Dalo's Kitchen in walking distance.
[EDIT:] Okay, I read the articles. I abandon hope. I just long for a restaurant that would serve a decent meal! Is it too much to ask? I guess so.
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From: At the Beach
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QUOTE (vj @ Apr 13 2007, 06:22 PM)
Oh, come on you guys. Yeah, he might plagarize. I'm just hoping we get a decent restaurant in there. I'd love to have something other than Acadia and Dalo's Kitchen in walking distance.
[EDIT:] Okay, I read the articles. I abandon hope. I just long for a restaurant that would serve a decent meal! Is it too much to ask? I guess so.
Ok VJ you are right....I'll give the guy a chance...it's just so fun to give him ^&*(
Regarding edit.. I'd love to have another decent place to eat. Again....I'll give the guy a chance.
I should note that some of the other principles are decent folks. I have no clue if Stein can cook.
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"(T)he pigs were inspired by their porcine deity that they should not be cooked, but they lacked a rational argument to support their beliefs. Roast is in the oven!" -- Aldo Edwards
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I guess, "proof is in the pudding" but the guy sounds shaky. I hope the plave has parking. Also I believe his ad in Craigslist was something like this....."Come work at a restaurant that Corey, Gegg, and Phillippe would be proud of".........sounds kinda cheesey????beautiful space from the outside.
Between the new Ten 01 and Terroir, and Higgins, Paleys and Wildwood....how much more farmer to table, NW cusine can we sustain in Portland?
On a side note, Ten 01 new chef left the W to come to town. Thats great, but you gotta figure his salary adds another 75-100,00 plus benefits to the already taxed, and heavy pay rolled restaurant. Hey Ken, how much does the house have to make just to get a 100k covered??? Plus moving expenses????
Between the new Ten 01 and Terroir, and Higgins, Paleys and Wildwood....how much more farmer to table, NW cusine can we sustain in Portland?
It's only a problem if they clone each other. Look how Rucker asserts his own identity in his dishes.
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"(T)he pigs were inspired by their porcine deity that they should not be cooked, but they lacked a rational argument to support their beliefs. Roast is in the oven!" -- Aldo Edwards
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It appears that a lot of money is going into this venture. On the website www.terroirportland.com under "our people" there have an impressive list of people that I would imagine come at a significant cost.
While they may have deep pockets right now I don't think the location will do this restaurant well. It is singled out... whereas Acadia is surrounded by elements of foot traffic and charm the Terroir space is kitty corner from a gas mart and that's about it. It is also on the 82nd of inner Portland, two blocks from a Popeye's Chicken, and in each direction at least six blocks until you get some sense of comfort.
If the space was on Mississippi, Alberta, 42nd Street, Woodstock, Scholls Ferry, Killingsworth, even if it were out in St. Johns I would expect a better possibility of success, however I think that Fremont/MLK location will be the fall of Terrior.
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Wow, that is flagrant. I'm used to seeing unattributed weak paraphrase in these cases but word for word stealing is rare. Can't believe it hasn't been yanked from the sites where it was published.
It hadn't occurred to me before as a scenario but count me as someone who would boycott a restaurant on grounds of literary integrity.
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The interesting thing about the Terroir web site is that it's all about seasonal and local ingredients, limited energy use, sustainability and similar concerns. There's nothing the matter with any of that, in fact it's great, but ultimately anyone parting with, say, thirty dollars a person is going to want to eat some damn good food. And the web site is pretty light on details about that.
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From: At the Beach
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Today I was at the intersection of Freemont and MLK looking at the place...the word Terroir invokes in me a visual of green grassy areas...grapes growing wild, sheep grazing on lush greens and berries, and here I was at a stop light, a guy in front of me flipped off a pedestrian, I smelled diesel fumes, horns were honking....bad location!
Yeah, expect to see that connection in reviews if they suck.
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"(T)he pigs were inspired by their porcine deity that they should not be cooked, but they lacked a rational argument to support their beliefs. Roast is in the oven!" -- Aldo Edwards
At least he looks a lot less creepy than his infamous nose-in-the-wineglass picture.
One question- where is he getting the oregon grown seasonal european cucumber and celery this time of year???
I'm at least curious as to what the finished interior will look like. Hopefully they'll have happy hour-the easy non-committal time to check a place out.
Terroir Restaurant and Wine Bar, NE Fremont and MLK
Apr 13 2007, 08:08 AM
