Meet Lauren!
Here at the Table, we in the kitchen often personify our freestyle identity. Amongst the crew we swap stations regularly… as chef-owner, Janet is the Energizer bunny with an eight-inch Shun knife, skipping from hot line to pantry to the office to the floor and back; Kyle mostly works the expediting (or expo) station, controlling the plating and timing of the kitchen as a unit, but he slides over to the hot line to handle the meats and pastas, and he even assists in the dreaded front of house from time to time. However, of everyone in the kitchen, the jack (or jill?) of all trades trophy must go to Lauren Lewis.
Ms. Lewis came to us nearly fresh out of school, graduating from the International Culinary School in Seattle. After a few odd jobs here and there, and a memorable couple months in South America, Lauren returned to her Portland home and really sank her teeth into a career as a chef – starting (and continuing) with Bethany’s Table, though she’s sure to make herself known all over the culinary scene in the years to come. Despite having long held a passion for cooking, even doing her high school thesis on a selection of James Beard Award-winning chefs, her resume had yet to be filled out… nonetheless, her application in late 2011 really stood out from the sea of would-be hires. David forwarded her info to Janet with the memo “I have a hunch…” and the rest, as they say, is history.
Lauren is our most dedicated station hopper: expo, hot line, lunch, even dabbling in breakfast… however, after a recent long stint on the hot line, she’s taken ownership of the pantry and, in doing so, seriously revamped the starters and charcuterie we’re putting out. We’ve always tried to provide a selection of fine salumi, pate, and even the occasional foie gras or other more exotic charcuterie, but it’s only recently that Lauren has begun crafting our very own steak tartare, various mousses, plus all kinds of pate: paired with the rise of in-house pickling in recent months, it makes for some pretty mean charcuterie boards!
Lauren’s impact on pantry is further accentuated by her collusion with our local late-summer bounty. Frequent trips to the Beaverton Farmer’s Market have resulted in some pretty fantastic and spontaneous salad specials, such as the collection of blanched and shaved summer vegetables and shoots we ran recently, as well as old favorites like heirloom caprese with fresh house mozzarella. She’s even taken to whipping up the occasional special soup, such as the chilled pea with crème fraiche and mint oil we ran a while back, various gazpachos, and of course her personal favorite: mulligatawny.
Between the terrible intensity of Lauren’s undiluted attention to pantry and Stacy’s phenomenal work with the dessert menu, the cold line is really a force to be reckoned with these days. And while I can’t guarantee Lauren won’t be cooking your steaks or hand-making fresh pasta next time you stop by, I suspect you won’t regret sampling a few extra courses.
Written by John Bowles