Chef Robert Reynolds with Thomas the dog. Photo by Dan Root.
At heart, Portland Chef Robert Reynolds is a teacher. One of the first things you notice about Chef Reynolds is his dedication to the craft of cooking. His approach to food is equal parts intellect and practical application. He reaches past the recipe to understand where certain dishes, techniques and traditions come from. If you’re lucky enough to share a kitchen with Chef Reynolds, by way of his hands on cooking series, expect a lesson in history along with instruction on how to make the best boeuf bourguignon or homemade ravioli. He tells the story of food and gives cultural context to why we do things the way we do.
The Deal: Reynolds offers an 8week cooking series and 1-day cooking workshops at the Chef Studio, located on SE Pine Street just behind Ken’s Artisan Pizza. The 8 week course spans classical French and Italian cuisine. He is considering adding a component in France. Chances are you fit the description if his ideal student. Classes are geared toward: serious cooks, established culinary professionals, career changers and those simply looking for a solid education in food without forking over your life savings. Several fine dining restaurants in town send their cooks to the Chef Studio to find inspiration or brush up on fundamental skills. Former students have gone on to open food related businesses, aided no doubt by Chef Reynolds’s vast network of contacts in the food world. More information about these courses can be found at his website: www.thechefstudio.com
The Smaller Deal: if you’re unable to commit to an extended series, a fun way to get to know Chef Reynolds and broaden your food knowledge is though Friday Nights At The Studio this fall. It’s an end of the week meal prepared by Chef Reynolds. Not to be missed! Here are some upcoming dates and info:
Friday Nights At The Studio:
Service begins at 6/8:30 pm and involves appetizer with aperitif, and 3-course menu at $38.
October 10 – Menu inspired by Eggs en meurette, and the food of Lyon (BOOKED)
October 17 – Harvest menu featuring Chicken with green grape sauce
October 24 – Menu features a roast of Carlton pork with peppered fruit
October 31 – Menu ends on a note of roasted quince tarts
Email robeirt@comcast.net to reserve.
As I’ve mentioned before in this blog, Chef Reynolds is decidedly old school. (I mean this in the best sense.) He’s a fixture of the Portland food scene. This year he found time to co-author the newly released Paley’s Place cookbook. His own training is owed to the great Josephine Araldo and Madeline Kamman, with whom he studied in France for many years. He also owned the restaurant Le Trou in San Fransisco for more than a decade.
