Chef Crush

JESSE and DANE @ Cafe Castagna (503) 231-9959
1758 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, Oregon, 97214

Why they’re dreamy:
Sassy starters like sauteed scallops with fennel and cauliflower mushrooms, and adorable arancini- fried risotto balls filled with luscious, gooey fontina cheese. The chanterelle pizza with pecorino fresco and torpedo onion fans our fungi flames, while the gelato affogato decimates our dessert willpower. Every entree these hotties send our way makes us swoon. And that burger? More of a player than John Mayer- it scores with us every time.

RYAN @ Slow Bar (503) 230-7767
533 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97214

Why he’s dreamy:
Crunchy-on-the-outside, perfectly moist-on-the-inside hushpuppies with honey butter. We crush on the white wine fondue with truffle oil and the much-lauded slowburger too, but we rarely make it past this cutie pie’s little corn fritters.

ERIN and MICKEY @ Clyde Common (503) 228-3333
1014 SW Stark Street, Portland, Oregon, 97205

Why they’re dreamy:
One of the best happy hour burgers in town, and that strangely addictive popcorn with pimenton. The grilled whole fish with salt-roasted potatoes, olives, shallot, and tarragon relish makes us feel like kicking up our designer heels, and the “5 hour egg” is four bites of crushworthy deliciousness. And the bonus is that every seat in the house has a view of these cooking cuties! *swoon*

ANTHONY @ Tabla (503) 238-3777
200 NE 28th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97232

Why he’s dreamy:
Sparkling “summer crisp salad” with buttermilk blue cheese vinaigrette, apples, and radishes is the perfect palate teaser for the simple and addictive tajarin, thin housemade pasta with truffle butter and grana padano. So good. The three-course dinner for $24 is hands down the best deal in town, and the $16 wine pairing adds a warm glow to our already blushing cheeks. And is it us (or the facial hair) or does this hottie look a little like a dashing musketeer in chef’s clothing?

SANDRO @ Alu (503) ALU-WINE
2831 NE MLK Jr. Boulevard, Portland, Oregon, 97212

Why he’s dreamy:
Darling charcuterie plates that don’t skimp on the house-made pate and crisp cornichons. Kasespatzle is the snazziest mac ‘n’ cheese you’ve never had, and even the grilled ham and cheese sandwich is snappily dressed in perfect grill marks, and accessorized with a sassy potato salad. This tattooed chef crush makes tasty bites that perfectly complement the extensive beer and wine selections. We’re especially fond of the reasonably-priced wine flights and his exotic bad boy appeal. And did we mention that he does it all in a kitchen smaller than CG1’s walk-in closet? That’s just hot.

KYLE @ Roux (503) 285-1200
1700 N. Killingsworth Street, Portland, Oregon, 97217

Why he’s dreamy:
Tasso-wrapped sea scallops with roasted pepper puree, lemon zest, and fried capers really get our hearts thumping, and deliciously simple fried green tomatoes make a wonderful Summertime starter alternative to a boring old salad. Moist snapper with toasted almonds, salted lemon, and sauteed savory spinach fill us up without weighing us down. In fact, this gorgeous chef crush has quite a way with seafood of all types and comfort food faves as well. Warning: Beware the “Bourbon Street Sour,” especially at happy hour when they serve them in mason jars. Danger, danger!

Hi CrushGirls and CrushBoys!

Cool news in CrushLand these days…

CG1 was just interviewed for Desperate Chefs’ Wives, a blog devoted to the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of people married to or in long-term relationships with chefs. Great idea, don’t you think? Doing the interview was tons of fun, and we think the article came out great. Plus, it’s nice to know that people like this silly blog enough to bother mentioning it elsewhere!

We’ve started getting more cute chef suggestions, and thanks to the aforementioned article, we even received some pictures. So without further ado, we give you our first reader-submitted chef crush…

GEORGE MENDES @ Aldea (NYC, opening this Winter)

Why he’s dreamy:
“I’m a proud chefwife, married to chef George Mendes, and will happily put up my chef for others to crush on, because I think he’s terribly sexy when he cooks. He is so assured and knows exactly what he’s doing, so he’s really fun to watch. I recently helped him out at an event where he served a classic tomato gazpacho with bacalao (which he cured himself) and a coconut foam. Initially when he told me what the dish would be, I wasn’t so sure about the bacalao with the gazpacho, or the coconut for that matter, but somehow it all worked together beautifully and I was surprised and impressed by him. It’s nice to still be surprised and impressed by someone you’ve been with for 7 years!” ~CrushGirlBT

Awwww! He sounds like a winner to us, and just look at that smile! *swoon* Plus, any man who cures his own meats and/or seafood is automatically crushtastic. CGBT, here’s to you and your chefhubby. Thanks for sharing him with us!

As always, please let us know if you’ve run across a crushable cook, and keep those pictures coming!

Hugs and Kisses,
The Crush Girls

RYAN @ Francis (503) 288-8299
2338 NE Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon, 97211

Why he’s dreamy:
Southern comfort food with a Northwest twist makes this cutie a keeper. We adore biscuits with sausage gravy and the almost-a-dessert oatmeal brulee. Grits or hash browns? We only wish we had to make that choice more often! As if breakfast doesn’t make us blush enough, the smoked roasted beet salad and creamtastic mac and cheese always manage to charm us into lunch. Extra chef crush hearts for being a restaurant where our vegan and gluten-sensitive friends can crush without starving, but where we don’t have to eat soy anything unless we want to.

GEMARIE @ Belly (503) 249-9764
3500 NE MLK Jr. Boulevard, Portland, Oregon, 97212

Why she’s dreamy:
Summery corn soup with wax bean salad is like creamed corn and green beans for grown-ups! Frisky oysters on the half shell with cucumber-horseradish granita get fresh with us, while “loaded baked potato” gnocchi flirt with our sense of indecency. Plus we worship a gal who keeps her make-up looking so good while kicking ass on the line. Gemarie proves females in the kitchen can turn out delicious plates and be sexy as hell at the same time, and that’s why she’s our Chef Crush Babe of the Week!

ANTHONY @ Arleta Library Bakery Cafe (503) 774-4470
5513 SE 72nd Street, Portland, Oregon, 97206

Why he’s dreamy:
Semolina griddle cakes with crumbled bacon inside. Sinful but worth it, just like all those sweets tempting us from their perch on the counter. Yummy sandwiches and simple, fresh comfort food hit the spot on those days when we feel mellow and low-key. But we can’t help tossing on a little mascara and lip gloss, knowing this adorable chefboy will be there. *blush* Thanks so much to A. for tipping us off to this cutie!