Ava Gene's: Bon App's #5 Best New Restaurant of 2013

It's official: SE Division's Italian restaurant Ava Gene's has been named to Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurants in America list, landing on the "Hot 10" at number 5, and according to the announcement video, it's "all about the veg" cooked up by chef Joshua McFadden. Writes Bon App restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton: "I'm not sure how McFadden gets such complex flavors out of these unsung ingredients. And that's exactly what makes a meal at Ava Gene's such a revelation."

Ava Gene's, the second restaurant project by Stumptown's Duane Sorenson, opened to much fanfare in December 2012; since then, its sister restaurant/bakery, Roman Candle, has debuted next-door on SE Division. Ava Gene's was the only Portland spot up for Bon App's "Best New" consideration in 2013. And Knowlton must have a thing for PDX's Italian-leaning restaurants: last year, E. Burnside's Luce ranked #4 on the Hot 10.

· Ave Gene's Is the 5th-Best New Restaurant in America 2013 [Bon App]
· All Previous Ava Gene's Coverage [Eater PDX]