Top 50 US Restaurant, Owner Jeff Explains Orange Wine In Person

🌆 First Impression: Dim & Intimate Vibe, Jeff’s Hands-On Hospitality The moment you push open L‘Orange’s door, you’re wrapped in a “perfect dimness”—warm yellow lights only shine on tables and plates, and the surrounding shadows make conversations naturally softer. Couples at neighboring tables lean close, even their laughter feeling private—ideal for dates or slow, thoughtful meals. The biggest surprise? Owner Jeff. No “celebrity chef arrogance” here—he dresses casually but remembers every table’s needs. When we frowned at “orange wine” on the wine list, he immediately leaned over, gesturing animatedly to explain. Afterward, he even poured us a tiny tasting glass—and sure enough, it tasted like he said: a light citrus aroma on the palate, with a hint of sweetness lingering after swallowing, totally smooth. We were hooked instantly 🥂. 🧀 Starters & Cheese: From “Confused” to “Fighting Over It”—Ingenuity in Every Bite 1. Cheese “Flower Ball” with Honey & Hazelnuts | A “Milky Artwork” Shaved to Perfection We froze for a second when it arrived—instead of sliced or cubed cheese, it was shaved (like sharpening a pencil ✏️) into a fluffy ball, piled on a white plate like a cloud of cream 🧀. Spear a bite with a fork: the cheese’s creaminess mixes with honey’s sweetness, then crunch into a hazelnut 🌰. There’s none of the heaviness of strong cheese—instead, it gets more fragrant the more you chew. We polished off the “flower ball” in minutes, even scraping the leftover honey off the plate with bread. 2. Tender Cauliflower with Fresh Pear | A “Flavor Magic” of Curry-Pistachio-Cereal Dressing When this dish hit the table, we stared at “mushy cauliflower + crisp pear” in confusion: Could these two even go together? 😕 The first bite proved us wrong, though! 😲 The cauliflower is tender enough to melt on the tongue, but still retains a hint of vegetable texture; the pear is sliced thin, bursting with sweet juice when you bite into it. The star is the curry-pistachio-cereal dressing 🍛🥜: the curry flavor is subtle, just a hint of spice, while pistachio crumbs add chewiness and cereal brings crunch. It’s an odd (seemingly odd) combo, but the dressing ties it all together: rich butteriness as a base, balanced by the pear and vinegar’s sweet-tartness—sometimes crispy, sometimes soft. It’s a “flavor party” in your mouth, and it only takes seconds to go from “What is this?” to “Can we have more?” 🦆 Mains: “Brick-Shaped” Confit Duck & Pumpkin-Broth Fish—Hearty But Not Greasy 1. Confit Duck | A “Brick” Hiding Tender, Flavor-Packed Meat We laughed when it arrived: instead of sliced duck, it’s cut into little “bricks” 🧱, with fat and lean meat evenly mixed. The skin is slightly charred, glistening with juice. Poke it with a fork, and the meat falls apart—so tender you don’t need to chew, and the duck aroma floods your mouth. No gamey taste at all; the fat melts on your tongue, and the lean meat soaks up the confit flavor. Jeff says “it simmers for 6 hours to let the fat seep into the meat”—no wonder the table next to us ordered two servings! 2. Fish with Pumpkin “Golden Broth” | Black Roasted Leaves Add a “Gentle Twist” The fish is fresh white fish, cut thick—firm but not dry, with a briny sweetness that tastes like the ocean. Underneath it is a sauce made from pumpkin, a soft golden color like “golden broth” 🎃, with mixed vegetables and beans soaking in it—every bite of veggie is packed with pumpkin’s sweetness. The most unique touch? The black roasted leaves 🍂 on the edge of the plate. They look like dead twigs, and we thought they’d be bitter—but they’re totally tasteless! Jeff smiled and said: “They’re for decoration and texture balance. They look ‘wild,’ but they don’t steal the flavor.” Sure enough, that touch of black makes the whole dish visually lively, without feeling too “sweet or greasy.” #PortlandEats #NYTimesRestaurants #FrenchCuisine #PortlandFoodie #CreativeCuisine #OrangeWine