THIS SUNDAY – COOK LIVE WITH NAOMI TO HELP #SAVERESTAURANTS
BEAST + ACE KYOTO
PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE OF BEAST
Hello Loyal Fans of Beast, We’ve missed you SO much. This is the last picture taken of all of us in February in front of the Restaurant.
It’s hard to believe its been more than 3 months since we last welcomed you to our tiny, charming dining room filled with more than TWELVE YEARS of memories.
Everything we’ve done, we’ve ever done, we’ve done for you. Because of you, we’ve made a LOT of memories in these four walls. . From opening day September 27th, 2007 Mika and I working the 2 induction burners (with no open flame or hood) – to winning a James Beard award in 2014, and adding delicious and more causal Tuesday nights in early 2019. We’ve had many marriage proposals, new friendships formed, taught cooking classes (one of them that ended in tears on Nov. 1, 2016- Please VOTE this year) and every playlist, new menu and high five that ever happened. All in the name of creating experience with you, and being in LOVE WITH LIFE.
With that in mind, this letter is also for YOU. I bet you’ve noticed that we haven’t suddenly changed course and starting offering our food in the ubiquitous brown paper rectangles and plastic quarts. A lot of our resistance to a “quick pivot” as you’re seeing out there with all the cool scrappy makeshift markets and the otherwise resilient survival tactics we’ve seen others employing, was a feeling that our brand was in for a bigger shift than that.
We’ve been concerned about not wanting to rush into things for 2 big reasons. First, we don’t feel like we STILL don’t know what is truly safe (remember our space is thimble-sized). And second, we don’t want to make something that feels like a place holder.
So here we are. The summer solstice just passed, and many of us have been in our homes (for better and occasionally for worse) – for more than 3 months. As you are coming out of your dream state- you are waking to a planet in SHIFT. We are seeing the shortcomings of the legacy of profit over people in MANY areas, and I for one, am over it !!! It’s back to the drawing board on so much. But we did it before (have I ever told you I never expected Beast to last past the 6 month mark!?).
We are making new things. We aren’t quite ready to talk about it, but ALL of that info is coming !!! Beast will be the biggest shift, so make sure to follow Naomi on Instagram@naomipomeroy. The @beastpdx Instagram gets updated much less often, but you can follow that one too.
Expat will be similar to its old self, but with some AMAZING changes that will make getting those things you want without waiting even easier *(think reservations! And maybe all day Nachos). Expat is on IG at @expatriatepdx – Our opening announcement will happen there.
Colibri is adding some WINE from the curated Beast list to our flower deliveries – And that should launch in the next couple of weeks ! Follow our flower shop @colibripdx on Instagram for constant updates- and support our DELIVERIES which have been back since Mother’s day.
COOK WITH NAOMI FOR CHARITY!!
This Sunday, June 28th at 3 PST/6EST, Naomi will be cooking from her home kitchen in Portland, but you can cook right along with her LIVE – and all the money she raises will go to benefit the Independent Restaurant Coalition – a group she helped form back in March.
The IRC has built a grassroots movement to secure vital protections for the nation’s 500,000 independent restaurants and the more than 11 million restaurant workers impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. The FUTURE OF BEAST, and all these independent restaurants depend on getting industry specific support, which fortunately has just been proposed in BOTH the HOUSE AND SENATE- !! Even if you cannot cook with Naomi Sunday, please CALL YOUR REPS and ask them to support THE RESTAURANTS ACT, which would give $120B to Revitalize our industry.
Last but certainly not least, we know you’ve all been glued to Instagram and the news.. But in case you missed it – Naomi and the Beast team are opening our first-ever overseas restaurant in the Ace Hotel in KYOTO JAPAN!!
The renovated building is lovingly done by architect Kengo Kuma and our (to be named) restaurant will be the main one, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant will open up when it’s time for us to all pile in a plane and go out there, but right now we are guessing that might mean late fall. Follow Ace Kyoto on Instagram @acehotelkyoto
Naomi is looking forward to hearing directly from you !! If you want to send her (or anyone else on staff) a message, please write in to beast@beastpdx.com – with the subject line “Personal Letter for..” We are excited to welcome you back and would love any feedback.
