Doug Adams IN at The Woodsman Tavern

Never doubt the power of honk-tonk music and Southern cooking: After bonding over those two things, Woodsman Tavern owner Duane Sorenson (Stumptown Coffee) and chef-about-town Doug Adams (Imperial) are joining forces. Starting tonight, Adams is a “temporary chef in residency” at The Woodsman Tavern, adding his touch in the form of late-night barbecue, Tennessee-style thick-cut bologna sandwiches, oysters Rockefeller cooked in a Josper oven, and meatloaf, with more to come.

Adams’s own restaurant, Bullard, is still in the works. It’s facing delays — now expected to open summer 2018 — so Adams wanted to get back in the kitchen, according to the press release. Adams is best known as a finalist on Top Chef season 12, before taking a commanding presence at Vitaly Paley’s Imperial (where he won Eater PDX Chef of the Year 2015). Originally from Texas, Adams’s Southern swagger seems a natural fit for The Woodsman.

If you’ve never been to The Woodsman, it’s one of the most Portland things in Portland: a place with wood paneling and paintings of untamed Pacific Northwest frontier where men and women aren’t afraid to wear flannel without irony. Its fried chicken is some of the best in town.

• The Woodsman Tavern [Official]
• 'Top Chef' finalist Doug Adams joins The Woodsman Tavern [Oregonian]
• Doug Adams Is Opening Bullard Restaurant in Portland [EPDX]
• All Previous Doug Adams Coverage [EPDX]
• All Previous Woodsman Tavern Coverage [EPDX]