Portland’s Sustainable Steak Pop-Up Pasture Wants to Open a Restaurant

Pasture, the pop-up restaurant and butchery specializing in steaks from retired dairy cows, is moving out of the teal-tinged wine bar Dame to find its own permanent locale. Owners Kei Ohdera and John Schaible will take the pop-up around town to a few different locations, with events running throughout August. The goal is to open a full retail shop featuring whole-animal butchery, with sandwiches and light fare during the day and weekly ticketed dinners.

The pop-up will head to the vividly red urban winery Teutonic Wines Mondays in August from noon to 9 p.m; Pasture will serve meaty sandwiches, grilled steaks, and vegetable dishes. Beginning August 9, Bull Run Distillery will host them with a similar menu on Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Sundays, Pasture will join butcher shop Tails and Trotters from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m for sandwiches and vegetable sides. At each location, diners will also be able to order cuts of steak to take home.

Ohdera and Schaible met at the lauded Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York, which former Eater critic Bill Addison called the “best restaurant in America.” The two moved to Portland and worked at the vegan restaurant Farm Spirit before opening Pasture, which incorporates their love of local produce and pasture-raised animals. For the pop-up, the two created dishes with whole animal-butchery from retired dairy cows — a more sustainable option than using cows bred for meat.

Pasture currently runs at Dame from Wednesdays through Saturday, 5:30 to 10 p.m., where it’s been since April 2019. After it leaves, Estes, the Italian pop-up currently filling the other nights at Dame, will take over the weekend slots, running Wednesday through Sunday each week. Pasture’s last service at Dame is July 27.

• Pasture [Official]
• Dame [Official]
• Teutonic Wine Company [Official]
• Bull Run Distillery [Official]
• Tails and Trotters [Official]
• Estes [Official]
• All Previous Dame Coverage [EPDX]