What Happened to George & Rose?

An explanation of what has transpired over the past year is long overdue. Our little family business has been buffetted and battered by storm after perfect storm like a fragile leaf on a mighty river, like a rickety boat in a raging ocean tempest. The twists and turns of the past year play out like the plot line of an epic crime thriller. In spite of this—against the odds—we have survived. We have pivoted, rebooted, re-invented, rebuilt and reset our selves and our businesses multiple times. We are still deep in the throes of defining exactly who and what we are, but the themes are slowly emerging.

Piglets galore! Cully and family have been managing our farm and animal husbandry as we focus on our emerging ventures in Portland.

We have been consumed by the process of building out and developing a French Country themed restaurant, artisan butchery and local food market in Northwest Portland for the better part of a year. How did we end up in Portland after two and a half decades on Vashon Island and Seattle? If you have been following our journey for awhile, you likely know some of the story. For those newer followers of our family adventures, there is a fair bit to catch up on. Regardless, there are many stories and tales to tell, which I look forward to sharing as I resume my weekly posts, and even better by joining you all at table in a new series of events I will detail below! In the meantime, the short answer to the farm question is that we have partnered with a magnificent family of farmers whom have been farming in the Nehalem River valley adjacent to our Neverstill Ranch property for decades and are now caretaking and overseeing our farm operations. This has freed us up to focus on the launch and development of our Coq au Vin space and re-focus our efforts on restaurant and butchery activities.

Duck leg confit plated with celeriac-potato purée

Now that our retail counter, restaurant and bar are fully setup, we are ready to begin hosting a new series of dinner events, based upon the massively successful Farm Dinner events we operated for many years on our Vashon Island Farm. We will be launching a series of seasonal thematic dinners at the Coq au Vin space here in Northwest Portland beginning next month. We will also be launching a series of Farm Experience Events at our new Neverstill Ranch near Birkenfeld, Oregon beginning in early summer. Each of these events will be unique opportunities to join Rose and I in our various elements, properties and roles as farmer, butcher and chef. The Coq au Vin series will be “Farmer Dinners” and will feature coursed meals with Rose and I joining the communal table to engage with you as customers and friends, sharing and swapping stories from life and the farm. We can’t wait to sit down with you all and break bread as a community of passionate lovers of culinary pleasures.