Skip to main contentNo Portland restaurant in recent memory has opened to such devastating reviews (including one by this reviewer) as did Ten01 last fall. Rather than close this stylishly designed space in the Pearl and start over—not a bad idea, given the infinite persistence of bad press on the Internet—the owners went looking for a new chef who could turn the thing around, and plucked Jack Yoss from the chic W Hotel in Los Angeles. Yoss (if Jack Black had a skinnier, cuter little brother, it'd be him) is a thorough professional who is attempting to rebuild an ambitious operation while moving full steam ahead. Some results are delicious, like a velvety sweet corn bisque enlivened with lemon crème fraîche, and ethereal goat cheese gnocchi soaking up the juices of grilled lamb chops. Although it was hard to love the beef tartare, which has so much horseradish aioli you couldn't taste the meat, the fried green tomatoes alongside were awesome. Country-style hamhock terrine is a nice take on pâté de campagne , with plenty of good pork fat and a witty garnish of a fried quail egg. For now, the excitement's in the starters, while main courses are a more conservative lineup of protein-starch-veg. (HY)
Signature dish: "Jumbo" quail (a brawny 5 ounces), wrapped in smoky bacon; seasonally changing stuffing often includes wild mushrooms and something sexy like duck confit or ham hocks.
Standouts: Yellowtail sashimi with crisp, lively green apple vinaigrette; soups with multiple layers of flavor; one of the city's classiest wine lists, especially for Burgundy and Northwest pinots.
Regrets: Yoss has righted the ship; now he needs to find a voice edgy enough to create buzz in a city with lots of competition.
WWeek 2015