French Cuisine: 5 Restaurants Found
Castagna
Address: 1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214 (Map)
Portland locals like their dining the way they like their lifestyle: comfortable, unpretentious and high quality. Castagna delivers on all three counts. The décor in the restaurant is understated and neat, leaving diners free to focus their attention on the exquisite food. The dishes originate from classic French and Italian cuisine, but also highlight ingredients particular to the Northeast region. Expect to see local seafood and several varieties of mushroom sprinkled throughout the rotating menu, which includes such delectable offerings as Grilled Cattail Creek Lamb or Muscovy Duck Legs. For a slightly more casual meal, they also have an informal café next door that offers equally delightful fare.
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Le Pigeon
Address: 738 E. Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97214 (Map)
Le Pigeon’s burgeoning chef Gabriel Rucker has a knack for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Having flown the coop from Gotham Building Tavern a few years back to open this small and unfussy eatery, he’s met with nothing but success ever since. His nose-to-tail philosophy of cooking has produced specialties such as Duck-Duck-Pigeon, a pan-roasted squab with duck confit, and Poussin (a young, small chicken) with shell beans, corn, and chanterelles. With his desserts, Rucker veers away from traditional sugar-laden concoctions and opts for savory treats; Apricot Cornbread with Bacon and Maple Ice Cream is one option.
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Paley's Place
Address: 1204 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, OR 97209 (Map)
Located in a charming old Victorian home, Paley’s Place offers Southern French and Northern Italian influenced Pacific Northwestern cuisine. The result, orchestrated by skilled 2005 James Beard Award winner Chef Vitaly Paley, is nothing short of culinary excellence. Whether it be a table on the porch or in the intimate but casual dining room, there’s no bad seat in the house to enjoy some of their seasonal organic specialties such as the Rabbit Ravioli with house bacon, mushrooms and summer squash or 40-Day Dry-Aged Highland Oak Ribeye with sweet onion rings and creamed greens.
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Bluehour
Address: 250 NW 13th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209 (Map)
Restaurateur Bruce Carey’s Bluehour, named for that ethereal time between day and night, is a sophisticated take on Northwest-inspired Mediterranean cuisine. The sleek, contemporary dining room is a harmony of dramatic high ceilings and austere décor. With an intimate private dining space with a wall back-lit with 3,000 wine bottles, this is the ideal gathering place for a group of up to 100 people. Executive Chef Kenny Giambalvo’s fresh menu changes with the seasons but fear not, his signature dishes are as constant as the blue hour that the restaurant is name for.
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Fenouil
Address: 900 NW 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209 (Map)
Situated in a sleek, soaring space replete with roll-up garage doors, a flurry of flowing activity from an open kitchen, and limestone-covered columns, Fenouil is the place to check out in Portland for fine French food. Officially coined as an urban brasserie for its relaxed and upscale atmosphere, Chef Pascal Chureau also adheres to the popular philosophy of using local ingredients as they become available seasonally. Live music graces the chic space on weekends, and the bar is a great stop for small bites, creative cocktails, or a glass of wine from their first-rate European wine list.
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