New French Bistro, Alouette, Opens in Portland in May - Eater Portland
"A modern bistro with heavy French influences, Alouette will serve small and larger plates like butter-braised brassicas, beef fat pomme frites, and hangar steak in vadouvan-spiced butter along with cocktails and wines by the glass. Alouette doesn’t seek to evoke a particular style of French dining, but will reflect the kind of cooking that Lam grew up with and the food she makes at home, including vinaigrettes she learned to make from her aunt. 'It’s not Parisian French or Basque French,' Lam says, 'it’s what I would make in my kitchen.' Most important to the team is that Alouette serves the neighborhood and its needs as a classic bistro — a place where diners can stop in to share some snacks and a drink before heading out for the evening, as well as for couples looking for a full meal or even just a glass or two of wine. To facilitate that kind of casual dining atmosphere, the menu will be broken into smaller dishes that can play with one another. Visitors can mix and match dishes and sample from an assortment of small plates to pair with wines. Tan will initially run the wine program — unsurprisingly for a French-style bistro, it will draw largely from France, but with a strong Oregon presence as well. According to Tan, the wine list will emphasize female and non-binary makers and producers. Cocktails, too, will draw from local sources, including nearby distilleries like Freeland Spirits, and Tan tapped bartender Ashley Iler Burson, of vegan Southern restaurant South X Northwest to run the drink program." - Alex Frane
