Le Pigeon

738 Burnside St.

Portland , OR , United States http://www.lepigeon.com/

(503) 546-8796

Wunderkind chef Gabriel Rucker was just 25 when he opened this brick-walled bistro in 2006, with a distinctive brand of sophisticated offal-centric French cooking. Despite opening a second spot, Little Bird, in 2010, the tattoo-covered Rucker can still be spotted in the open kitchen at his flagship most nights, challenging diners with lamb tongue salad and beef cheek bourgignon. The menu changes from week to week, but there’s often an eccentric foie gras preparation (like the foie gras Monte Cristo sandwich, filled with duck ham, rhubarb and Emmental cheese) and, for the less adventurous, an excellent burger topped with pickled onions and blue cheese dressing.