The one-of-a-kind space proves that when it takes a village, everybody wins. Next door, the official Dame menu runs from Wednesday to Sunday, and the Collective still runs its wine pick-up/delivery service (not to mention a host of other off-location partners). In any given week, the Collective might host four to six different menus and concepts Lil Dame alone spreads the love between Matta (Monday-Wednesday), Chelo (Thursday-Sunday) and Bialy Bird (daytime, Friday-Saturday). The multi-faceted, multi-building space fills that gap, with larger, dedicated spaces for more tenured concepts alongside the Dame restaurant itself, plus time for one-day pop-ups and special events. Not so anymore thanks to Dame Collective. But for years, once those pop-ups sought to mature into more “official” concepts, there were few options besides opening a food cart or trying to put together a brick-and-mortar on an often shoestring budget. Portland has long been a scrappy restaurant city, one that has supported passion projects and early concepts for dozens of chefs whose pop-ups and special menus carved out nights in empty event spaces, off-days at notable restaurants and even storage areas and entryways. You can see the kind of enthusiasm Kann generates - and if you haven’t made it yet, we figure soon you won’t be able to stop talking about Kann either. We suggest coming with a group, ordering multiples of the plantain brioche (because who likes to share that much?) and any number of plates emerging from the wood-fired hearth: red cabbage with smoked herring and African pepper sauce shimmering glazed duck breast and leg, lacquered with cane syrup and snappy pineapple and a hearty coffee-rubbed, bone-in ribeye. It was the first time Portland ever brought home that honor. It didn’t take long for Kann to scoop a Beard award for Best New Restaurant, what with dishes like its phenomenal gluten-free plantain brioche with epis butter, and griyo twice-cooked pork, both ingrained into signature dish territory. Just downstairs, the restaurant’s dark and moody see-or-be-seen twin, Sousòl, highlights the cuisines of Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Mexico and beyond - in a clubby space decked out in Caribbean blue tile and plush hot pink velvet banquettes. The restaurant – completely gluten- and dairy-free, unbeknownst to many – proudly focuses on Gourdet’s Haitian heritage alongside an unbeatable non-alcoholic bar presence, a beacon for those like Gourdet, who celebrate their sobriety. It was already a hit when it first opened last August, with its gold-brushed ceiling, quartzite counters, and trailing greenery. Yes, this perennially busy restaurant from “Top Chef” alum Gregory Gourdet opened in summer 2022, but there’s no arguing that 2023 was The Year of Kann. But for old time’s sake, here’s one more time for good measure. By now, if you haven’t been able to snag a reservation at Kann, you’re probably tired of hearing people tell you about it.
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