Chris Frazier IN as Executive Chef of Accanto

Located at 2838 SE Belmont, Accanto has served traditional and seasonal Italian dishes since opening in 2009, and last month, Chris Frazier took the position of executive chef. "My roots are in Oregon," Frazier tells Eater, "and after spending the last 11 years in New York and San Francisco, I found I was missing family and the Northwest and was ready to come back to Portland, buy a house, and finally settle down."

At Accanto, he's overhauled the menu, and some dishes step away from tradition. "I'll be blending everything I know about classic pastas and Italian regional food with the creative, 'no rules' approach of places like Saison and Momofuku Ko," says Frazier. "I've been really lucky to have a wide range of experiences over the years, but this is the first time that I can really synthesize it all and create something that's completely mine."

New dishes at Accanto include Capellini con Aragosta Piccante with shaved lobster roe and dandelion greens and, as a sidedish, peaches seared and topped with chorizo and basil. On the brunch front, Chef Chris recently featured home fries with braised kale, pork belly ragu, two poached eggs, and Calabrian hollandaise.

And speaking of Momofuku, the two-Michelin-star NYC restaurant by celebrity chef David Chang, Frazier's resume has more kick than a Calabrian chili. He managed the hearth at San Francisco's Saison (three Michelin stars, and at one point, the most expensive restaurant in California), and when it comes to Italian, he's cooked at New York's Del Posto, Dell'Anima, and L'Artusi and San Francisco's Locanda. To see what he's making at Accanto, visit the restaurant for dinner any night of the week, or for brunch weekends.