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Two Portland Chefs Come Out Swinging on Top Chef Boston; Laurelhurst Market's Bar Gets a Talent Infusion

Welcome back to Cascadia Wire, covering the latest restaurant news from up-and-down the Pacific Northwest corridor.

TV Land -- Top Chef Season 12 premiered on Bravo Wednesday night, with not one but two Portland chefs vying for the title. Gregory Gourdet from Downtown's Departure, and Doug Adams from Downtown's Imperial restaurant, schooled the reality show's other "cheftestants" (Bravo's word, not ours), by cooking up two of the top-three dishes of the night. Check out Eater's full recap written by comedian Alison Leiby. If you want to taste the action, each week Doug Adams will create a special menu at Imperial inspired by his Top Chef dishes. The special menus will be available for one week and will continue every Thursday after each episode as long as Doug remains in the competition.

Northeast Portland -- In a move akin to the Rolling Stones reunion tour, bartender Kevin Ludwig and chef Ben Bettinger, the powerhouse behind Beaker & Flask's incendiary launch, are reuniting once again, this time at the meat-haven Laurelhurst Market. Lately LM's bar has seemed ripe for a revamp. It'll be interesting to see where Ludwig takes it.

NW/Alphabet District -- The couple behind San Francisco's popular Nettie's Crab Shack have put down roots in Portland, transforming the former upscale Noisette space into a laid back dining room where they can explore Old World European and Mediterranean cuisines. Called Le Vieux, the supper house and brunch spot will open in November.