I just returned from lunch with the hubbims. The Portland food scene is seriously amazing. As ones who love to eat, this makes us ecstatic and has our heads spinning with options. Today’s mid-day meal has me particularly warm with delight. The place: Ned Ludd in Portland’s NE Irvington neighborhood.
Every bit of fresh meat and produce comes from local farmers (three cheers!!). And here’s the cool thing – there’s no stove! They cook with a wood-burning brick oven and a DIY spirit.
As I learned from reading article after article about this adorably authentic restaurant that’s committed to churning out incredible food, not having a stove was NOT what the co-owners, Ben Meyer and Jason French, originally had in mind. They had a completely different restaurant concept in mind as they started out on making real their plans to open a restaurant. But low rent in an old pizza joint with a wood oven already in place, helped change up the plans. The restaurant is totally working and Portlanders are eating it up!
Got me thinking – how cool is it that these restauranteurs had thought and thought about a concept for a restaurant -probably drawing up plans and menus – and yet where they are now is completely different in application, look, feel than what they had ever conceived. YET the end point is undoubtedly either meeting or surpassing their original dreams.
In order for this to have happened, they had to have loosened their grip on complete control. They went with the flow. They were open to allowing this idea to take shape in its own manner – not forcing it to look just so or be just “this” way. They were open. They were willing to shift and follow their guts. They were allowing and making good with what was presenting itself.
Since I passed on the s’mores dessert they offered, I’ll consider this great reminder as my sweet finisher (which nicely follows the sharp cheddar on wheat that I enjoyed as the entree).
(images from Ned Ludd)
