Zefiro (restaurant)

Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Zefiro

Restaurant information
Established| 1990 (1990)
Closed| 2000 (2000)
Food type|

* Italian
* Mediterranean

Street address| 500 Northwest 21st Avenue
City| Portland
State| Oregon
Postal/ZIP Code| 97209
Country| United States
Coordinates| 45°31′35.5″N 122°41′39.3″W﻿ / ﻿45.526528°N 122.694250°W﻿ / 45.526528; -122.694250

Zefiro was an Italian and Mediterranean restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States.[1][2] The business operated from 1990 to 2000.

## Description

[edit]

The Italian and Mediterranean[3] restaurant Zefiro was located at the intersection of 21st and Glisan in northwest Portland's Northwest District. The interior had sponge-painted yellow walls and a copper-topped bar.[4] The menu included risotto and a Caesar salad.[5][6] The dessert menu included gelato affogato[7] and sorbet.[8]

## History

[edit]

Bruce Carey[9] and Chris Israel[10] opened the restaurant in 1990. Monique Siu[11] and Sarah Wheaton have also been credited for helping the launch.[12] The business closed in 2000.[13][14][15]

## Reception

[edit]

In 1991, Zefiro was The Oregonian's restaurant of the year.[16][17] In 2007, Eric Asimov of The New York Times said Zefiro "set a standard for Portland cooking".[18] The restaurant has been described as "ground-breaking",[19] a "Portland landmark",[20] and "a key watershed moment in recent restaurant history in Portland".[21]

In 2017, Nick Zukin of Willamette Week said "Bruce Carey changed Portland dining with Zefiro back in the '90s",[22] and The Oregonian's Douglas Perry wrote, "Zefiro led the way to the enthusiastic, limited-frills foodie reputation that Portland now enjoys around the world."[23]

## See also

[edit]

* Oregon portal

* List of Italian restaurants

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hagberg, Eva (February 25, 2010). "Karen Brooks On Zefiro; Current, Trenchant, Lost". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
2. ^ "The Chinese-American chef who put Portland on the culinary map". South China Morning Post. July 11, 2019. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
3. ^ Roberts, Adam (November 13, 2012). Secrets of the Best Chefs: Recipes, Techniques, and Tricks from America's Greatest Cooks. Artisan Books. ISBN 978-1-57965-439-9. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
4. ^ Alexander, Kevin (July 14, 2020). Burn the Ice: The American Culinary Revolution and Its End. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-525-55804-0. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
5. ^ Butler, Grant (January 1, 2017). "Tasty memories: 97 long-gone Portland restaurants we wish were still around". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
6. ^ "Eight Classic Portland Recipes, 1932 to Now". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
7. ^ Perry, Sara (2003). The New Complete Coffee Book: A Gourmet Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Cooking. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-4021-7. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
8. ^ Hall, Lisa Shara; Porter, Roger J. (1996). The Food Lover's Companion to Portland. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-1192-7. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
9. ^ Carlson, Kim; Floyd, Carrie (2001). Best Places Portland. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1-57061-267-1. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
10. ^ Alexander, Kevin (July 14, 2020). Burn the Ice: The American Culinary Revolution and Its End. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-525-55804-0. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
11. ^ America's Best Food Cities. Diversion Books. April 10, 2016. ISBN 978-1-68230-541-6. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
12. ^ Smith, Barbara Brown (2007). Rise & Dine: Breakfast in Boston. Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55591-607-7. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
13. ^ Brooks, Karen (August 15, 2016). "How Zefiro Changed Everything for Portland's Food Scene". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
14. ^ Yorkshire, Heidi (February 27, 2007). "LIFE AFTER ZEFIRO". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
15. ^ "Zefiro to serve last dinner". Bizjournals.com. February 17, 2000. Archived from the original on September 14, 2004. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
16. ^ "Restaurant of the Year 1991: Zefiro". The Oregonian. June 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
17. ^ Irving, Stephanie; Carlson, Kim (1992). Portland Best Places: A Discriminating Guide to Portland's Restaurants, Lodgings, Shopping, Nightlife, Arts, Sights, and Outings. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-0-912365-69-5. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
18. ^ Asimov, Eric (September 26, 2007). "In Portland, a Golden Age of Dining and Drinking". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
19. ^ "Restaurant and Bar Saucebox Closes After 25 Years In Downtown Portland". Willamette Week. October 2020. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
20. ^ "Kerns is one of Portland's Sneaky Great Food Neighborhoods". Willamette Week. November 21, 2017. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
21. ^ Smith, Andrew (January 31, 2013). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. OUP USA. ISBN 978-0-19-973496-2. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
22. ^ "The 16 Best Bistro Burgers in Portland". Willamette Week. March 2017. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
23. ^ Perry, Douglas (August 9, 2017). "In the 1990s, these 31 Oregonians made waves that can still be felt today". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

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Chains

* Boxer Ramen
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Related

* Alder Street pod
* Carts on Foster
* Coon Chicken Inn
* Cooperativa
* List of restaurants in Portland, Oregon

* v
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Northwest District, Portland, Oregon

Buildings|

* Campbell Hotel
* Charles F. Adams House
* Cinema 21
* Congregation Beth Israel
* Congregation Shaarie Torah
* Francis Marion Stokes Fourplex
* Hill Hotel
* Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center
* Metropolitan Learning Center
* Mission Theater and Pub
* Montgomery Park
* Northwest Library
* Packard Service Building
* St. Mary's Cathedral

Business|

* Afuri
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* Besaw's
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* Coffee Time
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| Defunct|

* Anna Bannanas Cafe
* Ataula
* Boxer Ramen
* Caffe Mingo
* Dick's Kitchen
* Gypsy Restaurant and Velvet Lounge
* Industrial Cafe and Saloon
* Kornblatt's Delicatessen
* Mama Bird
* Paley's Place
* Rams Head Pub
* Santa Fe Taqueria
* Stacked Sandwich Shop
* Sunshine Noodles
* Tanuki
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|

Geography|

* Alphabet Historic District
* Couch Park
* Slabtown
* Wallace Park

Public art|

* Mimir
* Silver Dawn

Transit|

* Fremont Bridge
* Ned Flanders Crossing

* Category

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