Renowned Portland chef Marco Shaw checks out of PNW to helm Durham's "Eno"

Durham's built itself quite an accomplished little foodie scene over the past couple of decades -- a scene that's gained plenty of national recognition along the way for top restaurants and chefs alike, with the Bull City and its surroundings winning kudos from national magazines for its dining options.

Many of the chefs that make that possible have built their reputations here; some started in places like the Barkers' Magnolia Grill, though some (like Tim Lyons at blu) have moved here from places beyond the Triangle.

Well, that chef relocation engine is still in full swing -- and this time, Durham's picking up one of the stars of Portland, Oregon's renowned restaurant scene.

An alert BCR reader noted an announcement on the web site of The Oregonian (the apparently McClatchy-owned daily paper in Portland) that Marco Shaw is closing his popular Portland restaurant Fife for an "early summer" relocation to the Bull City -- where he'll run the kitchen at Eno, the new farm-to-market restaurant from the owners of Raleigh's Zely and Ritz.

The article cites Shaw's familiarity with N.C. from vacations to the Outer Banks and the presence of family here -- as well as the opportunity "to raise his children in a more diverse environment than Portland offers" -- as factors in the move from the PNW to the Piedmont.

It also notes that Shaw will take part-ownership of a working farm that will supply much of Eno's food -- presumably the same working farm (Coon Rock Farm) in Orange Co. that Zely & Ritz uses; Richard Holcomb owns the farm and helped Sarig & Nancy Agasi to found Zely & Ritz.

(No word yet on whether Shaw has an ownership stake in Eno, which has previously been linked to Holcomb, Sarag Agasi, and Jamie DeMent.

Shaw has attracted national attention, most recently as one of the chefs chosen to cook for the James Beard Foundation's 2008 gala reception. He's also worked with chefs from Emeril Lagasse to Alfred Portale, among other experiences.

The move to run the kitchen at Eno seems to be a natural one for Shaw; in the PDX dining scene, he has been known as a passionate supporter of the farm-to-table concept, as noted in this story from the Oregon Environmental Council:

Marco Shaw at Fife Restaurant in Northeast Portland’s Beaumont neighborhood is one of a handful of chefs in town who walk the talk, and are passionately committed to sourcing locally and sustainably. Chef Shaw sources approximately 95% of the food he serves locally (which he defines as within 100 miles) the 9-10 months of the year that it’s available here in Oregon. The majority of the food he serves is organic. Each winter, he gets together with his farmers and they huddle over seed catalogs to choose what they’ll grow this year for his restaurant. This isn’t easy, and takes significantly more time every day than buying everything from one food service company.

Reviews of Fife at Yelp and elsewhere have largely been very positive, and suggests that Durham's diners have a lot to look forward to with the addition of Eno to the downtown dining scene.

Check out this interview at Portland Food & Drink for more on Shaw, or watch the following YouTube video by the Oregon Environmental Council:

Comments

[B]

I forwarded this post to a friend in PDX, and she wrote back:

"Yes, he's a good friend of some friends of mine and an excellent chef. He's big into local, regional ingredients. His restaurant is great and he has a ton of regulars. Good guy, good food.

Definitely put it on the list to check out."

[thebob.bob]

Portland's loss, Durham's gain. This Portlander and Fife regular will miss Marco's fine cooking.

[tina]

This ex-Portlander is very excited that Durham is getting a taste of the PNW with the Shaws!! We are lucky the Shaw Family is soon going to call Durham home. I can't wait to check out Eno!