Portland boss Gregory Gourdet, top boss contestants and judges and owner of upcoming Haitian restaurant Mayis once again in the national spotlight: his cookbook, Everyone’s table, won Best Cookbook – General at the James Beard Media Awards last weekend. Plus, gear up for a new Indian-inspired restaurant from Deepak Saxena of DesiPDX—which was recently featured on Somebody Feed Phil—and check out some new restaurant-inspired art at Planned Parenthood’s health center on NE MLK.
Gregory Gourdet Takes Home a James Beard Medal
The James Beard Awards took place in Chicago last weekend for the first time since 2019, and chef Gregory Gourdet was the sole Portlander to take home a medal. his cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health snagged the best general cookbook award—no surprise to us, as we’ve been loving these Haitian and Asian-inspired recipes that are also paleo, gluten- and dairy-free. Three other Portlanders made it to the finals in the chef and restauranteur categories but did not win, including Thomas Pisha-Duffly of Gado Gado and Oma’s Hideaway, Carlo Lamagna of Magna, and restaurateur and chef Earl Ninsom of Phuket Cafe and Langbaan among others.
Planned Parenthood and Fisk Team Up to Support Two NE Portland Restaurants
Local artist collective fish has partnered with Planned Parenthood to create artistic homages to two neighborhood restaurants on the NE Martin Luther King health center’s large glass windows facing the bustling street. It’s part of a project called Shared window, begun in 2020. The new displays go up June 16. Artist Francisco Morales created a panel featuring a tortilla press to honor Que Sabrosa, a taqueria specializing in tacos on handmade tortillas, and illustrator Miyu Shirotsuka designed a panel featuring onions, cilantro, and Chile in honor of Zaap Thai. There’s also a panel for Community Warehouse, which collects donated furniture and distributes them to people in need.
Masala Lab + Market, from the Creators of DesiPDX, Will Serve Indian Brunch Starting in July
Deepak Saxena, owner of Prost! food cart DesiPDX, which is beloved for its dishes like chai chicken, is launching another concept: Masala Lab + Market. Scheduled to open mid-July at 5237 NE MLK Blvd, the menu will feature both classic Indian breakfast dishes as well as Indian takes on classic “American” breakfast fare. Look out for a ghee-cooked BLT with tomato chutney and spiced bacon, shrimp and grits with tikka mole, and a pakora waffle made with chickpea flour. A gluten-free pastry program is also in the works. Saxena plans to add dinner service in the fall, plus a market with sauces, spices, and grab-and-go meals to come later in the year.