Our dearest friends & family, We wanted to write you all a separate note from each of us about our inspiration behind opening our business together. We can't wait to start this phase together, and we hope to have you all by our sides along the process. We promise to send you updates and photos along the way and a killer private pre-opening party when we get close! Thank you, thank you. We love you. Bryna & Lee From Lee: Cooking defines a huge part of who I am. I started when I was six and have been doing it professionally since I was 18. Both my palette and personal goals continue to evolve through years of experience both in and out of the kitchen. A milestone was reached a few years ago when I opened my own restaurant and despite rave reviews I was in over my head and knew then and there that what I needed was a business partner, and not just any business partner. And then along came Bryna! Early on in knowing her Bryna remarked “You know Lee, I should really manage you.” I wasn’t entirely even sure what this meant but something clicked inside me, especially once I realized how good Bryna is at this as evidence by her management success in the music business. Bryna challenges me to create new things and take risks without the safety net of a recipe. All of this is to say, not only have I found a life partner, I’ve found the ultimate teammate, ally, business collaborator and co-entrepeneur. Bryna’s the secret ingredient and she brings with her immense patience, impeccable communication skills and unfettered enthusiasm. She’s got organization and planning acumen to spare and she even knows her way around a budget. Between the two of us, we’re ready to make our mark in Portland’s restaurant scene. From Bryna: Business is an Art. I am an artist, first, but I also love business. I studied art, but ultimately, I am more interested in art of business rather than creating my own pieces of traditional artwork. A decade ago I started an Artist Management Company and the experience of helping people really live their art was immeasurable. There was a time when I used to take photos as an excuse to watch artists in their element. Glimpses into a person’s interior interests me more than most things, especially when someone comes along who is really onto something special. Everybody brings something to the table, but some people bring so much that’s its overwhelming in the best way possible. Ever heard a singer who made you feel things you don’t even have language for? Ever heard someone say something so powerful it knocks the wind out of you? And have you ever had a meal so sublime that it made you realize you never knew what food was before? For me, that person is Lee. Lee has that thing, that raw, innate talent to create art with food. She is to food what I am to people. And we are to each other what makes us say those words, make that food and feel what we didn’t think was possible. Indeed it is love. The irony of Lee's former restaurant being the place that we met,is that it would also manifest into our life together. Although owning and operating a restaurant wasn’t what I thought I would end up doing -despite the Gootkind in my blood- it turns out that it's actually exactly the path I belong on. Plus, my dream of managing Lee gets to come true.

We will be waiting until the Fall, but will be taking our honeymoon to Europe! We want to travel the entire country, but we are thinking our first and final spot for our Honeymoon will be Spain.