Opening in May, Terroir Restaurant & Wine Bar is taking a sustainability approach to its operations.
With nearly 70 area restaurants committed to local and seasonal food purchasing, Portland is known for its sustainability-focused restaurants. Chef and owner Stu Stein will take the sustainable restaurant business model to the next level by also addressing the fact that, like many human activities, the daily operations of a restaurant have a CO2 footprint.
“It just didn’t make sense to focus so intensely on tracking down local and sustainable foods and not take the same mindful approach to the other materials we use,�? says Stein.
At Terroir, Stein will act as both Executive Chef and co-owner with his wife, Mary Hinds. Their quality-oriented small plate cuisine and the wine and beverage lists will pay homage to the Pacific Northwest by featuring fresh, sustainable, seasonal ingredients from local purveyors.
As well as local and sustainable food sourcing, Terroir will reside in a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified Building, decorated with eco-friendly interior paint and furnished with bamboo furniture and tabletops by Portland-based Tomita Design Build.
Terroir will use green energy, soy-based ink for print materials and menus, chlorine-free paper products, non-toxic cleaning and chemical products and recycled, tree-free, biodegradable and organic products. The restaurant will also employ water efficiency, pollution prevention and conservation techniques, as well as recycling and composting programs. The architect is Kelly J. Edwards of Scott Edwards Architecture. Supplies and interiors for Terroir were purchased locally whenever possible.
Terroir is located in Northeast Portland. The restaurant seats 60 and features floor-to-ceiling windows, open-air glass doors and an outdoor sidewalk cafe.
Literally translated, the term terroir (ter-whahr) means “soil,�? or the effect land has on flavor.