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In a move akin to the Rolling Stones reunion tour, bartender Kevin Ludwig and chef Ben Bettinger, the powerhouse behind Beaker & Flask's incendiary launch, are reuniting once again, this time at the meat-haven Laurelhurst Market.
The news comes via Ludwig's Facebook page, where he posted:
"Super excited to let everyone know I'll soon be taking over the bar at my favorite restaurant, Laurelhurst Market. Not only does it mean that I get to work with a great established crew already in place, but I'm once again reunited with my former Beaker and Paley's cohort Benjamin Bettinger. Life is good. Come see me soon for some steak."
Ludwig opened Beaker & Flask in June 2009, luring Bettinger from Paley's Place to open the kitchen. The restaurant earned high praise right from the start, nabbing Willamette Week's Restaurant of the Year crown just three months after opening. Bettinger left in 2012 to open downtown's Imperial, and B&F eventually closed in June 2013.
Lately Ludwig has been running the bar at La Taq, the cantina spinoff from Rodney Muirhead of Podnah's Pit. Bettinger, meanwhile, left his post at Imperial in August to take the Laurelhurst gig, allowing current Top Chef contestant Doug Adams to step up and take his place. Lately LM's bar has seemed ripe for a revamp. It'll be interesting to see where Ludwig takes it.
