Bistro Agnes
Permanently Closed
Parisian bistro fare, rich brunch, extensive wine & absinthe list
Parisian bistro fare, rich brunch, extensive wine & absinthe list
"Also, Bistro Agnes was always solid and felt a little special even for just a quick bite at the bar." - Eater Staff
"In the beginning of 2018, Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton and Greg Denton opened their little French restaurant, Bistro Agnes, in downtown Portland. Ox, their celebrated wood-fired steakhouse, had just won a James Beard Award, but their experimental restaurant Superbite wasn’t working in that space. So, they swapped the porcini marshmallows and cuttlefish noodles for filet mignon au poivre and cassoulet, focusing on fine-tuned, comforting French standards. However, the restaurant has been closed for around half its lifetime, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Dentons reopened Ox in 2021, Bistro Agnes stayed closed, and, according to an Instagram post on the restaurant’s website, it’s going to stay that way. “The last two years have been challenging for many restaurants and small businesses, and in this case, we just don’t see a path forward without drastically changing the concept to something that is not the restaurant that we built and love,” the announcement reads. The Dentons indicate that they have passed on the space to new owners, as opposed to opening yet another Denton restaurant there; it’s unclear who will take over the space, however. The Dentons have not responded to requests for comment beyond their official statement; this story will be updated with more information. “We named Bistro Agnes in honor of Greg’s grandmother, and her warm hospitality and love of good food will always be a part of us,” the statement reads." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"This downtown Portland restaurant with hardcore brasserie vibes started serving a weekend brunch in April, a decadent affair with french omelets in pools of bordelaise and croque-madame blanketed in mornay. The oeufs en meurette, poached eggs in a red wine sauce with bacon lardons, feel particularly luxurious, especially with a glass of brunch bubbles." - Daniel Barnett
"Portland’s brunch game continues to level up: The bistro from James-Beard-winning restaurant power couple Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez-Denton will begin serving a brand-new brunch starting this Saturday, April 13. Bistro Agnes’ brunch menu is stocked with European classics with a few Pacific Northwestern nuggets, from a traditional French omelet with fines herbes and gruyere to poached eggs served with morels and asparagus. A rosti — essentially a hash brown cake — arrives with smoked salmon, a poached egg, and bearnaise; the classic French sauce also appears on the bistro’s take on steak and eggs, which comes with a grilled ribeye and a choice of french fries or potatoes lyonnaise. In true Portland fashion, the restaurant will also have a breakfast board, a la Broder or Tasty, strewn with bayonne and smoked ham, brie, roasted pear, baguette, house yogurt, and granola. On the sweet side of things, Bistro Agnes will sling a few pastries, including an almond-orange bostock — sort of like a chewy, dry-ish French toast — and bittersweet-chocolate-and-Armagnac-prune coffee cake. Bistro Agnes opened early last year in what was Superbite, the couple’s experimental restaurant built on curated, a la carte bites. The restaurant garnered national attention for its purist take on French cuisine, a pendulum swing away from its predecessor. The restaurant is bringing a few of its dinner dishes to the brunch menu, including its onion soup and chicken liver mousse, and its lunchtime pain perdu, french toast served with an optional topping of foie gras, also makes an appearance. If its lunch and dinner revelry is any indication, Bistro Agnes will offer yet another lavish, opulent brunch in the wake of Bullard and St. Jack’s new morning service. Brunch at Bistro Agnes is served from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"At Bistro Agnes, a stylish restaurant with a blue Turkish-tiled floor, the lunch menu is stocked with French-bistro classics like Nicoise salad, a burger (with aged cheddar, grilled onion, and truffle bordelaise) and fries, a velvety quiche (leeks, spinach, gruyere), a croque monsieur, steak frites, and mussels mariniere. At dinner, sole meuniere and beef bourguignon round things out. If you're able to save room for dessert, you'll be rewarded in profiteroles and Meyer lemon tarts." - Hannah Wallace
