PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – In the Portland metro area, it’s common to hear about local collaborations in food and drinks. Now, one couple is taking that to another level as a top chef and talented brewer open a tasty business together.
Grand Fir Brewing is a match made in Portland’s culinary heaven. Whitney Burnside is rocking the beer scene and her husband, Doug Adams, is rocking the food scene.
“It just so happened with the timing, and we thought, ‘Could this really happen? Could we serve my beer with your food and create something super special?’ And it kind of all came together,” Burnside said.
Burnside, a brewmaster most recently at Ten Barrel brewing and Adams, a top chef most recently at Bullard and Hollar.
“She’s just a superstar in the brew world in Portland and given the opportunity to make food with that beer, it was like a no-brainer, I just wanted to do it,” Adams said.
Their collaboration is in Portland’s Buckman neighborhood, at Southeast Stark and 14th — coincidentally, close to where their love story began.
“Whitney and I met, actually I was judging a cocktail competition, right down the road here,” Adams said.
Over the years, they have worked together, but this takes their partnership to another level.
“We collaborate in all things in life with raising a daughter and keeping a home clean and getting dinner on the table. But we’re so excited – the true marriage of food and beer – obviously it’s a wonderful city for both of those things,” Adams explained.
The menu will have nods to Adam’s roots in east Texas and Burnside’s in the Pacific Northwest.
“We feel total freedom to express the marriage of us and the food and beers and just go wild with the pairings,” Adams said.
Burnside added “I’m really excited to showcase the Texas lager as our house lager to be served with Doug’s food. It even has its own glassware, a dimpled mug.”
Even details in the restaurant showcase a family connection. For example, one of the walls features wood from a fir tree at Burnside’s dad’s house on Whidbey Island, in the Seattle area. Adam’s brother Paul came in from Texas, cut the wood and put them up on panels. Then the general manager and her family assembled it all.
“We just want to serve great food and great beer in a really fun atmosphere,” Adams said.
Grand Fir Brewing officially opens Nov. 18 and whether you’re a beer lover, or don’t know much about it – Burnside said she likes to make all styles of beer from light lagers and culinary-inspired beers to IPAs.
The brewpub will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Thursday from 3-10 pm, and Friday and Saturday from 3-11 pm.