Portland Food and Drink

Restaurant News and Information For Portland Oregon Area Restaurants and Bars

Billy Wilson Leaving Albina Press, Lucier Opens

by 15 Comments

Billy Wilson PortlandBarista Billy Wilson will be leaving Albina Press

Turns out he’s looking for investors so he can open his own place. In the meantime he’ll be pulling a few shifts up at Coffeehouse Northwest on West Burnside. Billy has won enough competitions to make him one of the rock stars of the Northwest coffee scene. Where does this leave Albina Press? Just fine, I’d guess. Kevin has a fine staff and is very passionate about coffee.

Lucier Restaurant at SW Moody and River Parkway has opened

Some folks saying it is living up to all the hype. I was there the other night with what seemed like most of the Portland restaurant community. I thought it was pretty good, but don’t really think it is fair to to do a detailed review this soon; too many things can change. The food is a bit cutesy for my taste (think 2004 with lots of foams), but overall I had a good experience and will go back this summer. Prices? I’d guess the average bill is around $100 + alcohol and tip. If you want to experience the ambiance but can’t afford a full dinner, go check out the bar. There is a dress code, so use it as an excuse to dress up. There aren’t very many ‘destination’ restaurants in this city, and based on some of my experience’s lately, they had better tune up their kitchens. While I’m on the subject, I’ve gotten many letters that Lucier dumped Scott Calvert, a really nice guy and an excellent sommelier, the night before their opening. He spent months and months putting together what will be one of the best wine lists in the city and was unceremoniously canned the day before the place opened. I’ve heard the sommelier at Fenouil restaurant was also dumped earlier in the week (same company). Not a good way to treat employees when you are first starting out.

 

The Chili’s restaurant chain has closed all Portland area locations

In my last post, I neglected to mention that the Chili’s chain has closed their Portland area locations. I dated a woman once that thought Chili’s was fine eating. We didn’t last long.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. xb says

    re: organic milk in coffee. i would guess (and thats all it is) that most people are so content with all the good espresso drinks around town (most of which, to my experience, use non-organic milk), that they figure it doesnt matter. can we have an informal tally? i think stumptown, fresh pot, and albina press all use non-organic. (do they all use sunshine?) it probably doesnt help that organic milk is roughly 30-50% more per gallon. there is a lot of milk in that latte.

    would i rather be drinking organic? yes. do i care? in some sense of the word. do i find my non-organic latte disappointing? not at the good places!

    Reply

  2. Sarah says

    The question I have is about where one can find a good organic milk, locally. Most of what is available is ultra-pasturized so I wonder if Sunshine’s local (And hormone-free) might actually be a better option. We try to use organic at Alma chocolate, and this is a real conundrum for me. I’m not convinced in our case that organic is necessarily better if the choice is ultra-pasturized. The only local option I have found is Norris dairy– is there another local organic option that is fresh?

    Reply

    • Nikos says

      Ultrapasteurised milk does not mean it is “more” pasteurised, just heated to higher temp than pasteurized but for a fraction of a second. Unpasteurised milk can transmit Salmonella, Brucella, Tuberculosis, Toxoplasma and a host of other infectious agents. Even in Portland political correctness and conspiracy inspired fictions should not trump basic scientific fact!

      Reply

    • Mostly Running. says

      You are a very short-sighted individual who has no concept of sustainability if that is your stance. Organic is not the only part of the answer, but to dismiss it as “diametrically opposed” to sustainability is pure ignorance. Nothing personal, just thought you should know.

      Reply

  5. pdxyogi says

    We lost Chili’s. I see. Never been.
    It’s a running joke on “The Office” when Michael takes the gang out to Chili’s, as if it’s some high-class special occasion kinda place! This from a guy who goes to NYC, wants to take in the “local flavor”, and heads to a Sbarros!

    Brett: Organic diametrically opposed to the concept of sustainability, something I do care about? Then if you don’t care, why bring it up? By your implication, mega-scale corporate agribusiness that uses GMO, irradiation, pesticides, and fertilizer from the petrol industry is sustainable. I don’t see your logic.

    Reply

  6. CNW says

    The amazing drink I had in NYC was a cappuccino, and my decision to begin using Organic Valley in our cappuccino (and offering it for other drinks at soy prices) had less to do with its organic production and more the buttery, rounded quality it lent the mouthfeel and flavor profile. However, OV is too transparent and not sweet enough for exclusive use in a cappuccino, so we’ve begun blending a little Sunshine back into it as a way to balance the profile of the drink overall.

    I hope our efforts to improve will more often tend to the overall quality of a specific drink than reflect some kind of brand- or certification-purism. The rest is not our business.

    Reply

  7. Jack's Cold Sweat says

    Billy Wilson leaving Albina Press?! I’ll be anxiously waiting to see where he lands. (Unfortunately for me, though Coffeehouse Northwest is a great shop, it’s even further off my beaten path than The Press.)

    Reply

  8. nagrom says

    I’ll choose local milk over Horizon or Organic Valley any day. How do they make their milk so transportable over such long distances? Hmmm.

    Reply

    • Jack's Cold Sweat says

      > nagrom Says:
      >I’ll choose local milk over Horizon or Organic Valley any day. How do they
      >make their milk so transportable over such long distances? Hmmm.

      Uh, milk doesn’t care if it’s moving across the country for four days, or sitting on New Season’s dairy shelf for four days. It’s time (and temperature) – not distance – that are milk’s enemies.

      Reply

    • laurie says

      Actually, there are local (Portland area) dairies that produce for Organic Valley. Horizon is ultra pasteurized (i.e., so denatured it may never sour), I think, and is actually the subject of a boycott by those who would prefer that the word organic pertains to animal/farm welfare rather than just serving as a marketable catchphrase.

      Reply

  10. djonn says

    Catching up on various items:

    Based on a walk-by last week, the Chili’s at Clackamas Town Center remains open — as I recall from one strand of the original story, that location is company-owned, whereas the west-side restaurants that closed were franchises.

    Also based on a walk-by, the NE 12th/Broadway Rose’s has opened. There’s also a brand new Web site (http://www.eatatroses.com), listing the forthcoming West Linn location but not mentioning the downtown Wells Fargo building.

    On the downtown grocery front, I’ve seen paperwork projecting a mid-November opening for a brand new Safeway at NW 13th & Lovejoy. (Whole Foods, watch out!)

    Reply

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