Have you ever visited a restaurant in your area that you’ve never noticed before, or heard of…and then, BAM, you realize you’ve been missing out for way too long? That is exactly how I feel about Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery. Cyril’s restaurant is located in SE Portland (my turf, yo) and I just now discovered its awesomeness.

The gorgeous, open layout of the restaurant is hidden on the corner of SE Oak and SE 8th Street in Portland, Oregon. The restaurant is connected with the local micro-winery, Clay Pigeon Winery. I loved the open layout of the restaurant, the simple menus, and the excellent attention to detail in menu creation.

While the whole restaurant had a neat, clean, almost modern feel to it, the food had more of a down-home appeal with a Portland-twist. The food was comforting and made with many local and sustainably sourced ingredients. We had so many amazing dishes while we were there.

The menu changes seasonally, and features creations such as their Garlicy Greens (pictured above) which are sauteed greens with garlic, grana padano cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice served on toasted bread. The meal off with a cheese board and a meat board, glasses of wine, and the Garliky Greens. These simple items were elevated by the selection of really great ingredients and sources. Two of Cyril’s entrees came next– one a special on the menu and the other the Boeuf Stew off of their Fall Menu. The Boeuf Stew was rich and tender.

Somehow there was still room for dessert.

I’ve always been a big fan of dessert. The menu reads “Sweet Thing” instead of a list of desserts. At the end of the meal you simply ask the server about the desserts for the day. The desserts were expertly paired with some delicious dessert beverages on request. I could go on and on about the desserts… but, I’ll spare you just in case you go and they don’t have these items.

Instead, let me take a moment to praise the waitstaff. The restaurant front of house was staffed by a small team the evening I visited. Michael and Sasha (the owners) were there as well as the server that waited our table. She was AMAZING. Years in the industry makes me feel like I’m an expert on this–She was stealthy in her clearing skills, quiet when needed, and she knew the menu (and ingredients) backwards and forwards. Which that cannot be a simple task when the menu changes as often as it does! When you visit Cyril’s Restaurant I’d highly recommend asking the staff for their opinion and recommendation. We were not sorry that we did.

And then there is the wine…

You can’t talk about a restaurant that is connected to a winery without mentioning the wine. Right? I had the opportunity to try the Clay Pigeon Winery Syrah. It was smooth, and rich in flavor. Not too dry and not too sweet. It hit that middle ground of fruity that I enjoy. I typically stay away from Syrah wines to be completely honest… but, I’d buy this one again. I was fortunate enough to be able to tour the winery side of the venue to see and taste future vintages in production.

Reading this blog you might think that I love every restaurant I go to… but, that isn’t true at all. There are plenty places that don’t make it on my blog. There are places that are wonderful, but too expensive for me to frequent often (which I’ll always mention), and there are places that have one or two great aspects that I might share. I’ll always be honest about my opinion… and, I was blown away by Cyril’s. I can’t wait to go back…. next time I am going to go with friends and try the table-side Raclette grill!

Want to learn more about Portland Restaurant Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery? 

• Check out their website for menus, blog posts about the restaurant, and future events: www.cyrilspdx.com
• Follow Cyril’s on Twitter
• Follow Cyril’s on Facebook
• Check out their monthly cheese club and look into community-supported cheese habits!

PS. All of these photos were taken on my iPhone. I promise to grab better photos when I go back next time!