Who I am in the kitchen as a cook, chef, and leader are because I got to spend 10 yrs in your kitchen. I hear myself telling my cooks the same things you told me, I conduct myself in the kitchen like you are there. I hope to be as good a teacher as you were for me. Thank you for coming in for dinner - it was an absolute honor to cook for you again. Thank you, Vito, for everything.
Peace, Love, Foie Gras.
@vit0bike
@paleysplace
BALANZONI
It’s basically a large tortellini, filled with ricotta. Traditionally served in a butter sauce, I love the mushroom brodo with chanterelle for this one. Yeah, we’re breaking the rules, but so what?! It’s perfect as we transition between seasons, and won’t be leaving the menu any time soon.
Here for you Wed - Sat inside Broder Nord. See you soon! Ciao …
To our first summer back as Estes … Thank you! High high and low lows, a country in turmoil but community bound to stay together. Grazie Mille to everyone for your support, I can’t wait to keep cooking for you all. I’m sad to see tomatoes go, but so happy to see delicata squash. Summer, you were tough but you were fun. Here comes the rain!
Last little bits of summer! Tomato Fest was a blast and I sold out of gazpacho in about 45 minutes … sooo, I’ll make more next year! Me and our sweet boi Leo, such a good dog, hot pot with friends last week reminded me that community is everything - no matter where we come from or what we do, food brings us all together. Thank you so much for your support at Estes - come #eatyourfeelings
Big thank you to friend @shawnlinehan for the first couple of photos at Tomato Fest with @wellspentmarket
A guest came up to the pass last night and said, ‘We love your food. We’ve had it before at your previous spot, and this was our first time to Estes. We loved dinner and I just wanted to say to you, ‘Keep Going’.
The words struck me, and resonated. We were busy, the restaurant was full. Her words meant so much to me because, being honest, we have struggled as a new business. While I have cooked in Portland for many years, starting over with a new brand has proven that none of that matters. Even though I love doing this, sometimes I’ve thought about quitting. It’s tough. It’s also rewarding and I love this too much to give up. I want to share this food I love so much, and I want this to be a great place for our community to gather. It was a great thing that happened to me yesterday, just hearing those words. Keep Going.
Grazie Mille for stopping by the pass.
ESTES
Cooking for others has always been something that I love doing. Being able to cook the Italian food of Estes brings me joy. My mission with Estes is to honor my Mom and our Italian heritage, to share our food and create a space to gather, eat, and be the community we need.
Thanks for coming along on the ride.
Things I love that I’ve learned, things I’m looking forward to, holding onto summer
Happy Birthday, Mama! Thank you for instilling in me the values of community, hospitality and the love of cooking for others. Estes wouldn’t be here without you.
Tanti Auguri, Mama!
National Recovery Awareness month is here! Donating part of our proceeds from our ricotta gnocchi dish to Alano Club of Portland!
The last few weeks … cooking classes for people in recovery … making cacio e pepe - my favorite pasta dish … visiting my friends @sunricepdx - and you should go too! … and taking in all the summer bounty we can! Looking forward to seeing you all this week! Come eat your feelings, and put us in the weeds!
New Dish! Seared Albacore Tuna with a summer stew of tomato, jimmy nardellos, squash, eggplant and olives - basically it’s ciambotta, which is Italian ratatouille, and some salsa verde. We’re holding on tight to summer while we can because we all know the rain is coming!
And hey, I know it’s been a heavy week. School started back (for some, but for us in Vancouver - don’t get me started), we’ve had the slowest start to the week that we haven’t had in quite a while, and we’d love to see you tonite and tomorrow before we head off to our weekend. It’s a good time to come eat your feelings!
Life at Estes lately. It’s been a bit hectic - we run a small crew and every day we have to hustle. I work service as well as production and delivery for pasta and sauce, so Sunday is my only day away from the restaurant. Don’t get me wrong - I get 3 nights at home with my family. The thing is - I love it. I love being on the line and cooking this food. It’s an honor to represent the food inspired by my family. Telling the story of my family through our food as well as doing something I love is pretty freakin awesome. Can’t wait to cook for you all again next week.
