From the jagged coastline to the lush coniferous forests, the Pacific Northwest has an extremely dramatic and engaging landscape. With an environment so vast and diverse, it is no surprise the flavors the land has to offer would reflect the same. Chef Jason French and the staff at Portland’s Ned Ludd harness these seasonal ingredients of a region in the midst of a budding culinary revolution, in order to create delicious plates and establish themselves as one of the Northwest’s elite restaurants.
Ned Ludd, self-dubbed an “American craft kitchen,” first opened its doors in 2008, and since its inception has grown into the go-to spot for wood-fire cooking in Portland. Using traditional methods of European cooking, the team embraces their singular oven, while at the same time smoking, butchering, pickling and fermenting all ingredients in house.
The oven is the centerpiece of Ned Ludd; the heartbeat that allows the rest of the quaint cooking operation to function properly and chances are if you order something on the menu, you are getting it crisped to smoky perfection by the brick-built wood stove.
Switching the menu with the season, the North Portland eatery makes every visit a new experience. The plethora of ingredients utilized in the kitchen’s revolving bill of fare are sourced from Oregon and other Northwestern farmers validating their promise to create seasonal dishes truly native to the region.
A couple of standout dishes on the summer menu would be the Moroccan-spiced hen with roasted ssparagus, preserved lemon, buttermilk and greens or the Parisian gnocchi with herbs, rabbit and aged goat cheese. When biting into the spiced hen you taste the signature charred flavor discreetly mixed with a herbal kick, the dish really exhibiting the power and beauty of the wood-fired oven. The oven chars, but also retains flavor, there is no need to worry about overcooking.
The only problem with Ned Ludd is that everything on the menu looks too good. Lucky for you, Chef French and company have found a solution: let them cook for you. The “Family Feast” option is priced at $60 per person and requires full table participation, but once you sign up you won’t be disappointed, as the kitchen staff will cook specifically for your table and you’ll see 75 percent of the menu arrive in front of you.
Ned Ludd is the perfect spot to sit down and relax for awhile, a place to really allow yourself to be encompassed by the pleasant aromas, atmosphere and people. Next time you’re in Portland do yourself a favor and go find out what true Northwest flavor is all about, who knows you may even find yourself appreciating all the rain a little more after this experience.
