Gabriel Rucker, chef of Le Pigeon is opening a new restaurant downtown.
The new venture called “Little Bird” will focus on simple French Bistro meals. Erik Van Kley, now at Le Pigeon, will be chef de cuisine. According to the liquor license application, it will be at 215 SW 6th Ave.
The Red & Black café asked a Portland police officer to leave the premises and not come back.
It seems the officer went in to get a cup of coffee and was stopped by a customer for a quick chat as he was on his way out. Owner John Langley “felt uncomfortable” having an officer in the “vegan” café.
From KGW.com, (link no longer works)
Langley makes no apologies. He said if he sees a police officer again, he would ask that officer to leave.
“The job of the police involves persecuting houseless people, immigrants, and having them in this space doesn’t feel right,” Langley said.
Ok. There are so many things wrong with this story. First of all, the owners are idiots. Do they really want to alienate the entire police department? Like cops or not, the day will come when they need help. If I were one of the responders, I wouldn’t exactly be spinning my tires to get there quickly. What if they are being attacked by yuppie anarchists? Yes, the owners have a right to refuse service to anyone, but these people are idiots!
Heck, I remember the days when restaurants gave free coffee to cops just so they’d hang around. I’ll be first to say that I’m not a huge fan of some police officers, but I sure wouldn’t want to do their job. Someone set up a boycott page on Facebook (since removed) – with 15,000 members and counting. This is the type of things that give vegans a bad name (ducking).
Deep breath.
Note: 2015. The Red & Black Cafe has closed.
Kai Jones says
About the screaming chef: Anybody who is yelling like that in a restaurant is also a potential danger to me as a diner–after all, nobody could promise or ensure that yelling person wouldn’t become violent. I’d start with asking for the manager and approaching it from a safety issue-I don’t feel safe in the restaurant, would you please see to that situation. If that didn’t work I’d call the police, thinking I might be preventing an assault. I’m not stupid enough to risk my own life by going into the kitchen.
Jeff Shultz says
Beware that Sage Restaurant page… I hit “Skip Intro” and the link went away… but the intro continued. I clicked on the volume “equalizer” in the lower right corner… and it went away and the music continued.
Incredibly poor coding to go along with the bad design decision of using a big noisy flash intro.
johnny says
I made a comment on the Berchard story referring to the old saying ” there’s no such thinng as bad press” well the owner of the red and black cafe might of just proven that wrong. I’m not a fan of Portland PD either but WOW!! What a dope!! That needs to go into the bad PR hall a fame!!
Food Dude says
The funny thing is, they claim their traffic is up. If that is true, I bet it will go the other direction once the vegan clientele gets bored and forgets about it.
Food Dude says
The worse part is, they keep bring themselves more publicity, keeping it in the public mind; for instance, the most inept press conference I’ve ever seen, which they held yesterday. On the sidewalk, noisy trucks zipping by, people walking behind them, rambling unpolished statement bt a guy who looked rlike that was the first time he’s ever worn a tie.
I guess they didn’t want those awful press people in their cafe
pdxyogi says
I for one am glad cops are no longer allowed to recieve free coffee. It’s called “bribery”.
The R/B owner’s comment that it’s not discrimination because being a cop is a choice is hogwash. People choose their religion and discriminating against people based on religion is a crime.
Kai: Call the cops? In NYC? You’re kidding right? Because someone is yelling and you wish to “prevent” an assault? Good luck on getting a police response within 72 hours on that one!
JDG says
Actually, something like 95% of the world’s population is the same religion as their parents. I read that on the internet somewhere.
wine&dine says
thanks for the heads up on new stuff
Melissa says
Yelling at staff such that it can be overheard in the dining room is being a very poor host. I don’t want to listen to screaming babies, loud drunks, death metal, or screaming cooks during a nice meal.
However, walking into an angry chef’s kitchen, even with a calm demeanor, is just a dumb thing to do. You don’t walk into a kitchen for ANY REASON…it’s just provocative. Cooks consider their territory unbreachable by outsiders and will react poorly to an intruder. No good outcome could come of that interaction, no matter how politely it was rendered. Asking to see a front-of-house manager or restaurant owner would be the way to go, and if the chef was the owner, then asking to see the chef at your table is the safest bet.
And then, of course…there’s always the other side of the story. I wonder how Ron Lieber would react if a cook burst into his office to chastise him for his last column.
Food Dude says
I agree
JDG says
That’s actually not the other side of the story. That’s the same side of a different story.
darryl says
that sage restaurant website it hilarious, not sure that was intentional.
Food Dude says
Really awful. I consider myself pretty web savvy, but it took me time to figure it out… plus half the features don’t work
Joisey says
1) LOL at the “anarchists” at the R&B. I wouldn’t go within two blocks of that place. Seeing the pictures of the “owners”, I can practically smell the place, and it isn’t good.
2) I would rather have my eyes eaten by moray eels than read anything Shuna writes. Everyone loves her; I find her to be beyond arrogant. I’ll bet SHE yells at her cooks.
Nathan says
@ Joisey
Hilarious
homer's son says
My foodie license will be revoked for admiting I watch Hell’s Kitchen. That said, Chef Yelling is now considered entertainment … two favorites: Donkey and Arse.
The Sage website should be a case study in bad web design.
holycow says
What happened at Belly Timber? Anyone know? Thought Chef Paul was supposed to save their bacon.
Food Dude says
Belly Timber has closed
long time lurker says
“This is the type of things that give vegans a bad name (ducking).”
More hate from a portland food scenester.
Quelle suprise!