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 (2010-02-25). "Karen Brooks On Zefiro; Current, Trenchant, Lost". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
2. ^ "The Chinese-American chef who put Portland on the culinary map". South China Morning Post. 2019-07-11. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
3. ^ Roberts, Adam (2012-11-13). 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 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
4. ^ Alexander, Kevin (2020-07-14). Burn the Ice: The American Culinary Revolution and Its End. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-525-55804-0. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
5. ^ Butler, Grant (2017-01-01). "Tasty memories: 97 long-gone Portland restaurants we wish were still around". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-12-28. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
6. ^ "Eight Classic Portland Recipes, 1932 to Now". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
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 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
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 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
9. ^ Carlson, Kim; Floyd, Carrie (2001). Best Places Portland. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1-57061-267-1. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
10. ^ Alexander, Kevin (2020-07-14). Burn the Ice: The American Culinary Revolution and Its End. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-525-55804-0. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
11. ^ America's Best Food Cities. Diversion Books. 2016-04-10. ISBN 978-1-68230-541-6. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
12. ^ Smith, Barbara Brown (2007). Rise & Dine: Breakfast in Boston. Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55591-607-7. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
13. ^ Brooks, Karen (2016-08-15). "How Zefiro Changed Everything for Portland's Food Scene". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
14. ^ Yorkshire, Heidi (27 February 2007). "LIFE AFTER ZEFIRO". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
15. ^ "Zefiro to serve last dinner". Bizjournals.com. 17 February 2000. Archived from the original on 14 September 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
16. ^ "Restaurant of the Year 1991: Zefiro". The Oregonian. 2009-06-07. Archived from the original on 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
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 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
18. ^ Asimov, Eric (2007-09-26). "In Portland, a Golden Age of Dining and Drinking". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
19. ^ "Restaurant and Bar Saucebox Closes After 25 Years In Downtown Portland". Willamette Week. October 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
20. ^ "Kerns is one of Portland's Sneaky Great Food Neighborhoods". Willamette Week. 21 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
21. ^ Smith, Andrew (2013-01-31). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. OUP USA. ISBN 978-0-19-973496-2. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
22. ^ "The 16 Best Bistro Burgers in Portland". Willamette Week. March 2017. Archived from the original on 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
23. ^ Perry, Douglas (2017-08-09). "In the 1990s, these 31 Oregonians made waves that can still be felt today". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-01-10.

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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
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* Northwest Library
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Business|

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* Le Happy
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* Lucky Labrador Brewing Company
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* Nob Hill Food Carts
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* Straight from New York Pizza
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* XLB

| Defunct|

* Ataula
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* Caffe Mingo
* Dick's Kitchen
* Gypsy Restaurant and Velvet Lounge
* Industrial Cafe and Saloon
* Kornblatt's Delicatessen
* Paley's Place
* Santa Fe Taqueria
* Stacked Sandwich Shop
* Sunshine Noodles
* Tanuki
* Wildwood
* Zefiro

|

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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