The Portland eatery Quaintrelle revealed on November 19 that Will Preisch, a former chef at Holdfast Dining, will take over the kitchen on Southeast Clinton Street with a stylish, intimate neighborhood pop-up serving casually sophisticated cuisine.
In retrospect, the event seemed more like a trial run than a pop-up. Quaintrelle wrote a farewell statement just four days prior to the meal, signaling the end of an eight-year tenure in which the restaurant moved across town, survived a pandemic, and continuously upheld the fine-dining banner in a place with few such options.
The renowned chef tells The Oregonian that starting next month, the Quaintrelle facility will be transformed into 82 Acres, a classy and welcoming neighborhood restaurant with Preisch at the helm and numerous dishes that made their premiere at the December dinner.
Since he and Joel Stocks closed their Holdfast Dining in 2020, Preisch has worked at Abbey Road Farm, a thriving farm, vineyard, and bed and breakfast in Carlton, where the new restaurant is named after the land.
“I can’t wait to visit Portland more and see what’s going on in the restaurant industry,” Preisch said. My culinary dream has always been to own a restaurant with a farm connected.
The food from Abbey Road Farms, which produced about 94 types of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers last year, will be a major part of the 82 Acres menu, according to Preisch. Preisch and his staff fermented, dried, and processed roughly 250 pounds of tomatoes and 200 pounds of Jimmy Nardello, habanada, and aj dulce peppers for the winter.
Katelyn Sharpe is the culinary farmer on Abbey Road. Ashley Van Meter, who oversees the animal program, is rearing pigs and hens to supply meat and eggs for 82 Acres and the farm restaurant.
Ray Leferink, the chef de cuisine of the restaurant, had a similar position at Quaintrelle. Like 82 Acres, the farm is owned by Sandra and Daniel Wilkens, and Preisch will continue to serve his five-course breakfast menu to patrons there. During the restaurant’s initial period, Preisch will be in Portland two to three days a week.
According to Preisch, we are now essentially creating the menu for the entire year. It will be simple, unadulterated cuisine prepared using some modern methods and traditional recipes that have been modified to suit contemporary palates.
With appetizers like naan with squash raita and spicy seeds, burrata with tomato and Jimmy Nardello pepper jam, and a variation on ouefs mayonaisse topped with crispy chicken skin and trout roe, an early look at 82 Acres’ menu also reveals some international influences.
An English muffin with miso butter and caviar, oysters with a lemon verbena amino sauce gelee, and mussels escabeche toast with saffron aioli are among the smaller seafood dishes in this section.
Preisch, who has worked at award-winning restaurants in Iceland, Denmark, and France, the vegetarian-friendly Ubuntu in Napa Valley, and Le Pigeon and The Bent Brick in Portland, intends to treat veggies like proteins at 82 Acres. Seek out sunchokes with maple, miso hollandaise, and preserved citrus; Brussels sprouts with smoked onion puree, apple, and spicy peanuts; and carrot falafel with herbed yogurt and chili crisp.
A percentage of the 82 acres of produce that will come from Abbey Road is not being set by Preisch. “Be assured that we will serve every last vegetable that comes from the farm,” he stated.
A burger, in this case a patty melt version with rye toast, cheddar, a pickled ramp aioli, and caramelized and fried onions, is nearly a must for 82 Acres given its community aspirations. A koji-roasted half chicken with brown butter jus, lobster with sauce Americaine, and steak frites with black garlic larder aioli and red wine steak sauce are among the other main courses.
Abbey Road Farms wine, as well as wines from other Willamette Valley neighbors and abroad, will be featured on the wine list. The restaurant will include a full bar with N/A drinks and a limited selection of cocktails.Preisch prepares a French toast dessert with chocolate cremeux and white chocolate espresso crumble, which is appropriate for a chef who began his career at his father’s Cleveland cafe.
82 Acres will still have some upmarket features even though its goal is to become a local favorite. These consist of the lobster main and caviar appetizer mentioned above, as well as a cheese cart with selections from the nearby store Cowbell.
82 Acres plans to open at 2032 S.E. Clinton St., the former Quaintrelle, in the middle of February. Visit 82acrespdx to learn more.
Russell, Michael; [email protected]
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