Kachka will be closed from June 18-28 as the staff travels to Russia on a research trip
PORTLAND, OR (June 12 , 2017) – Kachka’s front and back of house staffs will be traveling to Russia and Belarus from June 18th-28th for a culinary research trip. The trip will be led by Chef/Co-Owner Bonnie Morales and her family in Russia, and Kachka’s staff will have the chance to immerse themselves in the culture of food and drink which they serve to guests at Kachka daily. Morales makes a biannual trip to Russia (which has also served as inspiration for her upcoming cookbook), but this is the first time that she and husband/business partner Israel Morales have invited the majority of their staff to make the journey. Kachka will be closed while the staff is traveling from June 18th-28th, reopening on June 29th.
“Israel and I are so excited to share something so personal with our staff,” says Chef/Co-Owner Bonnie Morales. “We do our best to communicate how the dishes we serve or the style of dining we create are culturally relevant, but it’s come time to just physically take them there! Our employees work incredibly hard and we just really want to show our gratitude.” The trip will no doubt be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of Kachka’s staff members.
From Thursday June 15th to Saturday June 17th, Kachka welcomes guests to send the staff on their way with a traditional Russian toast of “na pososhok!” (“for the road!”), via a menu of house infusion specials — perhaps paired with a last chance to enjoy Kachka’s pelmeni before the restaurant’s reopening on June 29th!
“Na Pososhok” на посошок Menu ($2 for 30g):
Cacao Nib Vodka
Beet Fernet
Krembambulya (Belarusian spiced honey vodka)
Gorky Park (cognac, branca menta, tiki bitters)
Blackberry Nalivka
About Kachka
Kachka sparked a Russian food revolution when Bonnie and Israel Morales opened their Portland restaurant in 2014. In 2017, Kachka will expand to a second location in Southeast Portland. Chef Bonnie Morales cooks the food of the former Soviet Union, including many dishes inspired by those she grew up eating with her Belarusian family. Meals at Kachka begin with a table filled with zakuski, Russian drinking food, and vodka. Kachka serves over 50 different vodka selections, as well a list of house made infusions, craft cocktails, and a curated list of beer and wine with a focus on Eastern European producers. The warm and lively atmosphere at Kachka turns dinner into an event, fueled by a parade of dishes marked by deep and vibrant flavors such as those in dumplings, cured fish and pickled vegetables. Kachka was Willamette Week’s Restaurant of the Year in 2014 and their #2 on their list of Best Restaurants in Portland for 2016, included in America’s Essential Restaurants of 2015 and 2016 by Eater, one of GQ’s Most Outstanding Restaurants of 2015. Kachka was one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurant nominees in 2015, named “Rising Star” by the Oregonian, and was a semifinalist for 2015’s James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. Chef Bonnie Morales was named one of Bon Appétit’s “Generation Next Chefs” in 2017, as well as one of Portland Business Journal’s “Forty under 40.” Her debut cookbook, Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking, will be released in November, 2017 from Flatiron Books. Kachka is located at 720 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland, Oregon, and open every night for dinner, early and late night happy hours. Follow Kachka on Instagram and Twitter @KachkaPDX kachkapdx.com
