Chef Crush

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!

CHRIS and MATT @ Biwa (503) 239-8830
215 SE 9th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97214

Why they’re dreamy:
Steamy, savory ramen that warms our hungry tummies and puts a rosy glow on our cheeks. These charming cookies woo us with addictive Japanese-style fried chicken and dee-lish handmade pork gyoza, and their tasty kimchi adds a little sass to any meal. Who can resist crushably crave-able treats served up by such sexy chow slingers? Certainly not the Crush Girls, or our intrepid readers, one of whom kindly suggested we return to one of our favorite haunts and spread the crush love. Thanks for the tip, J.!

BRANDON @ Caffe Mingo (503) 226-4646
807 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97209

Why he’s dreamy:
Sugo di carne, the house signature dish of penne pasta tossed with Cascade Natural beef braised in chianti and espresso. Yum. Semolina gnocchi “alla Romana” baked with butter and parmesan and topped with salsa rossa sends us swooning. From artful antipasti to sublime salads, fresh pasta or fish du jour, we have never (repeat, never) had a bad meal at the hands of this adorable chef and his kitchen compadres, which include at least one other hottie chefboy and a totally crushable chefbabe. Some of the best service in town adds to the romance with liberal wine pours and perfect meal pacing.

*special note*
This irresistable cutie holds the dubious distinction of being CG1’s original chef crush and the inspiration for this entire website!

BRIAN @ Apizza Scholls (503) 233-1286
4741 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, Oregon, 97215

Why he’s dreamy:
Ooey-gooey, perfectly-proportioned cheesy goodness atop an impossible crisp-chewy crust. We love a rebel cook, and this chefcrush maverick proves the establishment has it all wrong about the perfect pie: there IS such a thing as too many toppings; blacker crust is BETTER; sharing is BAD (if you don’t order enough). We always order too much so there is extra to take home- this pizza re-heats well so you can keep on crushing for days!

JAKE @ Carlyle (503) 595-1782
1632 NW Thurman Street, Portland, Oregon, 97209

Why he’s dreamy:
Stunning Maine lobster risotto turns us into twittering schoolgirls in one scrumptious bite. We crush hard for English pea-mascarpone tortellini in parmesean broth with beech mushrooms and pea tendrils, especially since it is thoughtfully offered in two sizes for those of us who like to taste everything. The generous happy hour goes easy on our purses while indulging our cravings for creative cocktails and swanky food. This chefcrush cutie seals the deal with his Mona Lisa smile and a cherry clafouti kiss. We’re goners…

MATT @ Fenouil (503) 525-2225
900 NW 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97209

Why he’s dreamy:
Halibut with fava bean mousse, shaved asparagus and pea shoot salad, and fingerling potatoes make one sneakily seductive dish, just like the chef who cooks it! Indecently delicious lobster beignets and a variety of reasonably priced wine flights turn our cheeks rosy, or maybe it’s just the kitchen cuties making us blush. And our crush on those pretty profiteroles lingered long after we walked out the door.

CHRIS @ Wildwood (503) 248-9663
1221 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, OR, 97209

SHILOH @ Wildwood (503) 248-9663
1221 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, OR, 97209

Why they’re dreamy:
Mizuna greens salad with fresh cherries and toasted pistachios, and a sweetheart of a strawberry tart covered in black pepper creme fraiche. These cool cooks take the edge off a hot day with enchanting summertime fare, and the cutie at the bar (John?) will save you from the season’s worst curse, an empty glass. Flawless food and comely chefs keep us crushing!

We Crush Girls love us some Toro Bravo (503-281-4464, 120 NE Russell Street, Portland, Oregon, 97212), but we have been cruelly denied our multiple TB crushes due to a lack of flash on not one but two occasions. At the Taste of the Nation, the dim lighting kept CG1 from getting a good shot of head honcho Chef John, and then just last week what looked like a perfectly good photograph of Ryan turned into this…

*sigh* By our count there are at least four crushable cooks on duty in that teensy kitchen at any given time, including a couple of hot chicks who definitely qualify for bad girl chef crush status. Which means that we’ll just have to keep going back for paprika and manchego fritters, succulent seared scallops, and that addictive caramel panna cotta. Tsk, tsk, what a shame. How we suffer for our crushes! Hehehe.

JASON @ Carafe (503) 248-0004
200 SW Market Street, Portland, Oregon, 97201

Why he’s dreamy:
Seared hanger steak with bearnaise sauce and pommes frites that make us Crush Girls want to hop the next flight to Paris. We go weak in the knees for the miraculously light-enough-to-still-be-frisky croque monsieur sandwich, and all those wines by the 1/4, 1/2, or full Liter only enchance the charm of his Cheshire cat grin. Vive la France!