St. Jack Spinoff La Moule Brings Beer and Shellfish to Southeast

Aaron Barnett outside St. Jack. [Photo: Facebook]

Today The Oregonian comes out with the news that St. Jack chef Aaron Barnett will open something called La Moule, a Belgian-style moules frites- and beer-centered restaurant. It'll go into the defunct Savoy Tavern space on Southeast Clinton Street. On the menu will be six different variations on the mussels-and-fries theme, using Willapa Bay's finest. Also: a load of Belgian beers and local brews made it the Belgian style. Partner Tommy Klus (Kask, Multnomah Whiskey Library, St. Jack) will create eight to 10 classic cocktails, to boot.

When the restaurant opens, you'll be able to order your Pacific Northwest beauties in a classic white wine and butter sauce, a Spanish milieu of sherry and merguez sausage, or an American take with Budweiser and Old Bay, among others. There will also be several salads, and other Euro things like smoked pickled fish, vegan and regular burgers, and "traditional Belgian street-food sausage." This is going to be one of those places where the fries — gremolata-tossed and served with aioli or ketchup — will feel mandatory. As of now, the forecasted arrival is "late August."