sousòl

"The lively-vibed, sultrily-lit subterranean bar from Top Chef darling and James Beard Award winner Gregory Gourdet is far more than a waiting room for the perpetually booked Kann upstairs; Sousòl is a destination in its own right, serving drinks and snacks leaning heavily on ingredients and flavors from the Caribbean with creative additions. The Heron Vet Milk Punch pairs rum agricole and pear spirit with melon and salted plum. For sustenance, seek out Trinidadian doubles of the sausage corn dog, though the menu may shift with the seasons. And pro tip: It is infinitely easier to get a reservation here." - Rebecca Roland

"The nonalcoholic drinks at this subterranean cocktail bar lean on the ingredients and flavors found throughout the Caribbean, while also incorporating Portland-based brands like Wilderton and Smith Teamaker. Drinks use components like soursop, tamarind and jerk spice, and lime-candied ginger, with foundations of produce like guava or pineapple. Owner Gregory Gourdet, who has talked publicly about his sobriety for years, wanted to make sure the nonalcoholic offerings at the bar were as interesting and nuanced as those with booze, and it shows." - Emily Venezky, Janelle Lassalle, Thom Hilton

"With all the justified adulation Kann receives, Gregory Gourdet’s adjoining subterranean bar Sousòl has managed to slip relatively under the radar, or at least below the ground. Rather than a stripped down work-around for diners unable to nab a table at the extraordinarily popular above-ground flagship, Sousòl is unmistakably kin to Kann but has an identity all its own. The Caribbean-inspired food menu is markedly slimmer and less strictly Haitian than Kann, but just as adventurous, including Trinidadian, Jamaican, and Cuban bar bites. The house cocktails favor rums, and liberally deploy tropical fruits and a bounty of herbs. The décor is somehow both minimal and decadent, as if stepping into a falernum-fueled dream of the late 1980s. As with Kann, it will be exciting to watch the young Sousòl evolve in the years ahead." - Nathan Williams

"While nabbing a seat at Kann can be tricky, Gregory Gourdet’s companion cocktail lounge — a sexy, subterranean bar just around the corner — is a much easier get. The food here is more pan-Caribbean, with things like Trinidadian doubles and Jamaican curry chicken; crudos arrive with salsa macha and blood orange, and pork belly gets a trio of tamarind barbecue sauce, cane syrup, and avocado salsa. Cocktails — alcoholic and not — use a swath of ingredients from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well." - Sararosa Davies, Eater Staff

"Celebrated upstairs restaurant Kann remains one of the hottest tickets in Portland, with reservations coming available just once each month and snatched up fast. Want to see what all the hype’s about without scrambling to book a table? Sibling bar Sousòl — literally “basement” in Haitian Creole — offers a sampling of Kann’s Caribbean dining artistry alongside one-of-a-kind cocktails served in some of the most eye-popping glassware in town. Since chef-founder Gregory Gourdet is himself sober, Sousòl offers truly elite no proof drinks that even imbibers might want to try. The dark, cavernous underground bar includes table seating, plush couches, and a wrap-around bar with typically friendly barkeeps." - Nathan Williams, Krista Garcia