“Kitchen Dances” Settles into Brick & Mortar Location at Milepost 5
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Today, August 3rd, marks the grand opening of Kitchen Dances – a new restaurant in the Montavilla neighborhood specializing in organic, farm fresh, and vegan cuisine.
Located on the first floor of the artist community Milepost 5 (850 NE 81st Ave.), Kitchen Dances offers a full menu featuring entrees like walnut meat tacos, raw beet raviolis, and vegan tempeh reubens. Salacious desserts like raw date fudge, fresh seasonal smoothies, and raw coconut cream pie. Top that off with Stumptown coffee and baked goods provided through a partnership with the well-loved Bi-Partisan Cafe and you have one tasty new neighborhood joint.
Created by Piper Dixon and Mandi Plumb, Kitchen Dances began as a Food Cart at the Montavilla Farmers’ Market and also operated at the food cart pod at 43rd and Belmont. Their pre-packaged products like raw hummus, seasonal pestos, and herbed cashew cheese are also sold at the Peoples’ Co-op, Alberta Co-op, A.N.D. Cafe, Papa G’s and Yoga Union.
What sets Kitchen Dances apart is their commitment to fresh flavorful ingredients. Produce is sourced from local farms and their very own kitchen garden. “We’ve got a greenhouse and garden beds. We grow lots of greens, root crops, peppers, tomatos, and herbs,” shares chef Piper Dixon. “The connection between farms and chefs is really appealing to us. Our goal is to represent what our local farms and producers are growing in the area and transfer it the plate.”
Chef Piper Dixon graduated with a Horticulture/Vegetable Production degree from Oregon State University in 2003, worked for Deep Roots Farm, Co-founded Proper Eats in St Johns in 2006, and recently won the Portland Vegan Iron Chef competition. “I’m a chef and an urban gardener, I get to balance both my passions.”
“Our secret ingredient is the ethics behind the food”, says Mandi Plumb, co-owner and raw vegan pastry chef.
What better place to feature two rising culinary artists than at the intentional artist community, Milepost 5? The new restaurant also features a performance space, outdoor courtyard, and front patio – where Montavilla neighbors have already started meeting to discuss ongoing efforts to bring a new food co-op to the neighborhood.
“Portland is creating something that doesn’t exist in the rest of the united states at this level,” Dixon says humbly. “We’re taking steps in so many areas to strengthen our local and regional food system.”
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Kitchen Dances opens Friday, August 3rd and will be open 7 days a week from 9am to 10pm.
The Grand Opening coincides with the Neighborhood’s “First Friday” events.
The event features a live mural painting and music performance from 7-9pm.
Located at Milepost 5: 850 NE 81st Ave – Entrance on NE Oregon, between NE 81st and 82nd.