All photos courtesy of Dina Avila.
Last night, Katy Millard and Ksandek Podbielski served their first supper for a Portland Food Adventures crowd, and at 5 p.m. tonight, they open the doors to their much-anticipated restaurant to the public at large.
For now, Coquine's only offering dinner—think duck wings with Calabrian chiles, pork short ribs with corn, green beans and padron peppers, Manilla clams in a fennel broth, and four-course chef's choice prix fixe dinners—with counter-service lunches coming soon.
Millard has plenty of French pedigree—she spent five years cooking at Michelin-starred restaurants in France—but Podbielski says she has her own personal style when it comes to the kitchen.
"It's strongly rooted in French techniques," he says, but adds that she's equally enthusiastic about practicing the techniques of other cultures and, that over time, Japanese, Italian and classic Southern cooking techniques will find their way on to Millard's seasonal menus.
Rounding out the menu are drinks, carefully chosen by Podbielski, which includes a curated wine list populated by local grape growers and a cocktail list that leans on aperitifs and digestifs.
And if you haven't boned up on your French, Coquine, Podbielski says, is French for a small, mischievous little girl—or, if you're flirting with a grown-up, a naughty little girl.
Coquine, 6839 SE Belmont St., (503) 384-2438; Hours: 5 to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday
