Canard Readies Opening for April 16th

Canard restaurant from Le Pigeon’s Gabriel Rucker and wine director Andy Fortgang opens April 16th

Two-time James Beard winning chef Gabriel Rucker and wine director Andy Fortgang open an accessible, all day cafe and wine bar next door to Le Pigeon

I’m going to post the entire press release because it will give you more information than I have. Here is a link to their website.

PORTLAND, Ore. (April 9, 2018) – Opening on April 16, Canard is a cafe by day, wine restaurant with great cocktails by night, from the award-winning team behind Le Pigeon and Little Bird Bistro. Joining sister restaurants, Le Pigeon and Little Bird Bistro, Canard aims to be an accessible destination for a broad array of diners, at any time of day. Serving breakfast, lunch, plus weekend brunch, Canard’s all day menu will range from fresh baked pastries, breakfast dishes and a coffee program in the morning to lunch in the afternoon. Evenings will focus on wine, cocktails, and a dinner menu from two-time James Beard chef Gabriel Rucker. Boasting wild French bar food, the menu at Canard will be conducive to snacking and dining. The script is flipped at Canard, where the food is paired with the wines. Canard offers the building blocks to an incredible meal, and showcases Rucker’s playful, no rules style in the form of dishes like Steam Burgers, Ducketta, and Foie Gras Dumplings. Canard will initially be open daily at 4pm, and will add breakfast, brunch, and lunch in May.

“The sky’s the limit here. Our goal with Canard is to make anything possible, for anyone, at any time of day. Andy and I want Canard to be a place people want to hang out, and not take anything too seriously,” says chef/co-owner Gabriel Rucker.

Wines are curated by co-owner and wine director Andy Fortgang, heavy on wines by the glass, with a large bottle list. The wine program at Canard is meant to be broad, deep and fun. Fortgang’s hope is people come in for a glass and a snack and leave hours later after dinner and several bottles. Just as the food menu is conducive to both snacking and dining, the wine list will be, too. Canard will offer 20 wines by the glass, over 250 bottles including a range from the inexpensive to the unique, and a big list of bottles that Fortgang has been slowly collecting over the years. Canard will have Burgundy, sure, but not just collectibles. The restaurant will also have well priced wines that show the value that is there if you look. Canard will have delicious fruity prädikat wines from Germany, many with some bottle age, but also the drier racier wines blowing people away these days. Oregon Pinot of course, but California, too. Loire, Rhone, Galicia, Catalonia, Italy from the north and the south, and many other regions. The only rule, is that it must taste good.

“This wine list is meant to spark conversation. Some of the wines on this list are about innovation, and some are about tradition. We hope our guests will feel encouraged to ask questions, explore, and enjoy,” says co-owner and wine director Andy Fortgang.

Cocktails at Canard do not take themselves too seriously. Crafted by bar manager Aaron Zieske, they compliment Rucker’s food in a way that maintains the aesthetic of the restaurant by being inventive and whimsical, yet still approachable. Featuring unique European herbal spirits throughout the menu, as well as a thoughtful brandy list for after dinner. Once lunch begins in May, Canard will feature boozy milkshakes, with sprinkles. Cocktails will include the Foie Turn, foie gras fat-washed bourbon, sauternes, apricot brandy, sherry, bitters, with a house candied apricot, the Breakfast of Champions, gin, caper brine, dry vermouth, celery bitters, garnished with a lemon twist and optional oyster side, and the Great Pyrenees, tequila, bruto aperitivo, grapefruit juice, lemon, salt. Canard will have two happy hours, from 4-5pm and again from 10pm to midnight. The happy hour menu will include ½ off oysters and steam burgers, as well as $5 aperitifs and a daily wine that will constantly rotate.

Mark Annen of Annen Architecture LLC designed Canard. Canard’s space is blessed by high ceilings and an expansive glass storefront which join forces to naturally illuminate the room. Upon entering, you are welcomed from the bartender’s helm behind a circular, haloed marble topped bar. The front standing room area is open and convivial. Working back into the space it becomes more cozy and intimate with seating at tables along a leather banquette or a line of dining stools at the chef’s eating counter. The kitchen is open and visible to enjoy the show. Farther back the ceiling drops lower for gossip and intrigue. Canard is accented with a deep inky midnight blue wainscot surmounted by warm, pale greenish straw colored walls and ceiling. Framed mirrors, art and wallpaper combine with warm fir floors and white oak countertops. Vintage lights and slow-turning ceiling fans dot the air above.

Rucker opened the doors at Le Pigeon back in 2006 on bustling East Burnside Street, helping to put the Portland food scene on the map. In 2010, Rucker and Fortgang teamed up to open their more casual sister restaurant, Little Bird Bistro the French bistro in downtown Portland. Chef Rucker is one of Portland’s most respected and decorated chefs, earning many accolades including two James Beard Awards for Rising Star Chef in 2011 and Best Chef Northwest in 2013, as well as nominations for Outstanding Chef in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Canard is located at 734 E Burnside Street Portland, OR 97214. Beginning in May, Canard will be open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch on the weekends 8:00am to midnight Monday through Friday; 9am to midnight Saturdays and Sundays. Canard will be open for walk-ins only, and will have a total of 45 seats, which includes a chef’s counter, a bar, and standing room in the front. Follow along on Instagram @CanardPDX, Twitter @Canard_PDX, and Facebook Canard PDX.

Evening Menu Highlights:

(available 4pm until close)

Oysters
zinfandel mignonette, green chile juice

Uni “Texas Toast”
avocado, finger lime, fish sauce

Ouffs in Mayonnaise
trout roe, bacon, roasted garlic, smoky maple

Chips & Dip
smoked mackerel, lemon pepper jam, chips

Rabbit and Prosciutto Terrine
apricot-green pepper relish, frisée, herbs

Pot de Canard
duck rillette, duck liver mousse, port gelée

Steak Tartare
chinese sausage, broccoli, parmesan, cashew

Cabbage Salad
strawberry, cheddar, green onion, ranch

Shrimp Toast
cucumber, avocado, chili mayo, furikake

Foie Gras Dumplings
peanut sauce, truffle, miso-roasted shallots

Chicken Wings
dry-fried, truffle ranch, shaved truffle

Garlic Fries
18 mo. aged gouda, green goddess

Spring Greens
crunchy quinoa, honey herbs-de-provence

Roasted Carrots
sweet-pea hummus, sesame, radish honey

Mushroom Salad
garlic rosemary breadcrumbs, blue cheese

Baguette
european butter, flaked sea salt

Steam Burgers
pickles, onion, mustard, american, Hawaiian roll

Dry Aged Petite New York
french onion soup sauce, swiss cheese toast

Ducketta
chutney, frisée

Swordfish Oscar
crab, asparagus, béarnaise

Spaghetti
artichoke, asparagus, dill, parmesan

About Canard
Canard is an all day cafe serving breakfast, lunch, plus weekend brunch, from the award-winning team behind Le Pigeon and Little Bird Bistro. Located next door to sister restaurant Le Pigeon, evenings will focus on wine, cocktails, and a dinner menu from two-time James Beard chef/co-owner Gabriel Rucker. Boasting “wild French bar food,” the menu at Canard will be conducive to snacking and dining, from oysters to Steam Burgers. The script is flipped at Canard, where the food is paired with the wines. Canard offers the building blocks to an incredible meal. Wines are curated by co-owner and wine director Andy Fortgang, including 20 wines by the glass, with a large list of over 250 bottles, broad and deep, many collected throughout the years. The cocktail program is led by bar manager Aaron Zieske, and mirrors Rucker’s food in an approachable yet whimsical way. Rucker opened Le Pigeon in 2006 on bustling East Burnside Street. In 2010, Rucker and Fortgang teamed up to open their more casual sister restaurant, Little Bird Bistro the French bistro in downtown Portland. Chef Rucker is one of Portland’s most respected and decorated chefs, earning many accolades including two James Beard Awards for Rising Star Chef in 2011 and Best Chef Northwest in 2013, as well as a nomination for Outstanding Chef 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Canard is open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch on the weekends 8:00am to midnight M-F; 9am to midnight Saturdays and Sundays, and is located at 734 E Burnside Street Portland, OR 97214. Follow Canard on Instagram @CanardPDX, Twitter @Canard_PDX and Facebook at Canard PDX or sign up for our newsletter on the Canard website.

Canard will be at 734 East Burnside, Portland 97214