[mczlaw]

I received this today:

Quote

Dear Mr. Zusman,
I enjoy your writing about restaurants and what is happening to
them. I wonder if you know what happened to Chef Tucker's that used
to be on Hawthorne? It closed suddenly and many of us in my circle
of friends really enjoyed the quality of the cooking. Do you know
where he has gone now?

I don't know the answer. Do any of you?

--mcz

[gal4giants]

From Craigslist today

****New SE Portland Restaurant****

We are a new pacific northwest eclectic restaurant looking for the perfect team of professional individuals. If you have a good knowledge of local, seasonal products, and are motivated, responsible, hardworking and fast, this may be the job for you. Minimum 2 years experience.

Bring resumes to 3257 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Thursday-Saturday from 2-4pm ONLY

Anyone know what's up?

[greycoral]

gal4giants, on May 29 2008, 05:46 PM, said:

From Craigslist today

****New SE Portland Restaurant****

We are a new pacific northwest eclectic restaurant looking for the perfect team of professional individuals. If you have a good knowledge of local, seasonal products, and are motivated, responsible, hardworking and fast, this may be the job for you. Minimum 2 years experience.

Bring resumes to 3257 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Thursday-Saturday from 2-4pm ONLY

Anyone know what's up?

On the way to work today, I noticed them moving chairs and such into the building. Tonight I also noticed this on portland food and drink (http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/?p=1257).

"Rumors abound as to where Tommy Habetz will end up. Sounds to me he will be opening his own place in SE Portland. I’m not going to say any more… yet."

Could it be?

[mczlaw]

greycoral, on May 30 2008, 01:24 AM, said:

gal4giants, on May 29 2008, 05:46 PM, said:

From Craigslist today

****New SE Portland Restaurant****

We are a new pacific northwest eclectic restaurant looking for the perfect team of professional individuals. If you have a good knowledge of local, seasonal products, and are motivated, responsible, hardworking and fast, this may be the job for you. Minimum 2 years experience.

Bring resumes to 3257 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Thursday-Saturday from 2-4pm ONLY

Anyone know what's up?

On the way to work today, I noticed them moving chairs and such into the building. Tonight I also noticed this on portland food and drink (http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/?p=1257).

"Rumors abound as to where Tommy Habetz will end up. Sounds to me he will be opening his own place in SE Portland. I’m not going to say any more… yet."

Could it be?

Don't think so. Stay tuned.

--mcz

[sfspanky]

No, Tommy is not going to be opening a new venture in the old Chef Tucker location. David Siegel, who worked under Tommy at Meriwether's, and who also ran the East Side Dining Club out of Le Pigeon for a while last year, is at the helm of the new venture at the old Calendula/Chef Tucker location.

Tommy left Meriwether's last Thursday.

[tastyvittles]

The old Calendula/Tucker space is going to be a place called Belly Timber. Don't know too much else about it as of yet (including if such persons as Tommy are involved.)

[Markovitch]

belly timber the erstwhile caterers and bloggers?

http://www.belly-timber.com/

[Egads]

gal4giants, on May 30 2008, 10:11 AM, said:

I'm just really curious about the old Calendula spot....so much money went into it when Calendula had the space & it just doesn't seem inviting enough from the street regardless how beautiful it is.

You can make a popular restaurant out of an old house--look at The Farm. However, the house on Hawthorne is too imposing, and, as you say, not inviting. It's more "fussy old aunt with doilies all over the place" old house as opposed to "cool hipsters down the block" old house. I don't know what it will take to change that. They could start by putting a menu board down at street level; I've never understood why none of the places that have gone in there have done that. Why ask people to climb 15 steps to see what's on the menu?

Also, they should do more local neighborhood outreach. Look at what positive word of mouth did for Lauro down on Division. Dave Machado has said numerous times that they get a huge % of their business from repeat customers in the neighborhood. The Calendula spot is in a prime area for this kind of thing, but neither Calendula or Chef Tucker's ever bothered to send sample menus around or anything of the sort. I was always surprised about that--I think the neighborhood is more than ready to support a decent place.

[joeleatspdx]

We got a soft opening invite to Belly Timber from our friend Tara, who is co-owner of Equinox. Invite was from Tara, Michelle, and David.

[fulio]

Is that the Compass Cafe David Siegal?

[joeleatspdx]

Can we get a topic split:

1) to follow roamin' Tommy's Roman thing
2) to follow Belly Timber

[ExtraMSG]

This thread has been split and renamed to protect the guilty.

[Calabrese]

fulio, on Jun 2 2008, 10:00 AM, said:

Is that the Compass Cafe David Siegal?

http://fohboh.ning.c...ile/DavidSiegel http://fohboh.ning.c...d/list?q=siegel

According to this, he'd have been mighty young when he was at Compass Cafe.

[ExtraMSG]

Here's what the invite I got says:

Quote

Tara George and Michele Stultz, owners of the highly anticipated Belly Timber Restaurant & Bar, invite you to an evening of cocktails and appetizers - providing a 'sneak peek' into the flavors that will be present throughout the restaurant's full menu.

David Siegel, formerly of Nostrana, Meriwether's, and the East Side Dining Club, has created seasonal dishes using local ingredients for Belly Timber.

Enjoy the ambiance of this beautifully restored, 1850's period home, as you taste foods inspired from the Pacific Northwest's bounty. Lance Mayhew, President of the Oregon Bartender's Guild, will be mixing signature cocktails to enhance and compliment the cuisine's creative and diverse flavors.

Belly Timer will officially open to customers on Wednesday, June 11.

WHERE: 3257 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (@ SE Hawthorne and 32nd Place)

[fulio]

My mistake -- I think it was Michael Siegal that was at Compass and then had Dining Room at 21st and NE Fremont.

[mczlaw]

fulio, on Jun 4 2008, 10:46 PM, said:

My mistake -- I think it was Michael Siegal that was at Compass and then had Dining Room at 21st and NE Fremont.

Or Steven Segal who was doing a martial arts themed restaurant somewhere.

--mcz

[Angelhair]

sfspanky, on May 30 2008, 11:20 AM, said:

Tommy left Meriwether's last Thursday.

Day-um!!

[Calabrese]

fulio, on Jun 4 2008, 10:46 PM, said:

My mistake -- I think it was Michael Siegal that was at Compass and then had Dining Room at 21st and NE Fremont.

If I remember Michael was the Italian FOH half ownner of Compass Cafe who was not part of Dining Room.

[ASquared]

The name of this place doesn't really work for me.

Is there a significance to it that my feeble brain isn't aware of?