Nomad PDX

— Refined without being pretentious
— PNW ingredients and dishes inspired by the region.
— There is a sense of playfulness in the dishes while still fine dining.
Overall: You want a wonderful dinner that is impressive in presentation, flavor, texture and experience? You won’t be disappointed. Amazing.

refined without being pretentious; fun without sacrificing quality — nomad pdx is the quintessential dining experience.
the tone of the evening was set before we even stepped foot into the restaurant. chef ryan himself called to confirm our reservation and to take note of any allergies we may have (although Nomad serves a pre fixe menu, the chefs do their best to accommodate dietary restrictions). chef ryan also took the time to give us detailed instructions on how to find the restaurant — situated in the ‘office area’ above a bar (Shift Drinks), it can be hard to find. before hanging up the phone, he colorfully described the upstairs dining arrangement as ‘3 communal tables with luxurious foldout chairs’ and then offered to answer any questions we may have had.
the service remained stellar throughout the evening. the chefs introduced themselves prior to dinner, communing with us as though we were guests in their own home. there were six of us at our table, and they made us each feel like a special snowflake designed just to melt into their warmth and hospitality.
the chefs took turns serving each course, bringing us along a culinary journey. from the ingredients to the plating, each dish told a story.
the food was exceptional. every bite transported us to another place, another time. the pictures don’t do it justice. and the portions were perfect. the boy and i both left feeling full without feeling horrible about life. fifteen courses. fifteen chapters. this story ended perfectly.
nomad-​a what you do in portland, you gotta try Nomad PDX.

While we enjoyed the attentive service and grassroots creativity, it’s a bit overpriced considering what you get.
The ambiance could be improved; when I was there, the guests had to sit in plastic folding chairs.
I’m glad I tried it once, but I’m not sure I’d go again.
(And yes, that cod was impressive from a taste perspective; plating and appearance was a bit off.)

Michelin star dining in Portland. Is this a place you go out on the random Tuesday? Probably not. Are the portions tiny and the tweezers out in force. Yes. Is it creative and delicious food that hits all the notes on taste, presentation and as part of the overall meal– yes. There was only one dish that was a complete miss for us. It is 95 dollars, for a similar meal in San Francisco or NYC it would 150 – 200. Yes it is expensive and yes Portland is not those places but for the folks saying it’s not a good value believe me it is. I think it does have a definite Portland style in the ingredients and some combinations. The fish course was one of the best and I loved that they did real complete desserts. I would have liked three courses with proteins instead of two since they are quite small.
I tend to want to let chefs do their thing and not bother them but it was nice when the people presenting the food are also the ones that have created the dishes and it was a pleasure to meet the chef owners.
Will be back for the Sunday dinners and when the seasons change.
Space-it’s in a tiny room above a bar where you will be sharing a table with other folks. That’s either a plus or a minus, we had nice table companions who were interested in food and travel and talked a lot. The chefs are the servers so it’s simple but effective service and I appreciated that they changed silverware with each course. Would have loved more non-​alcoholic choices but understand it’s a small operation.

I mean, this is hands down the best meal I’ve ever had in Portland. Each dish was innovative and perfectly cooked and the flavor pairings were also wonderful and totally unexpected. After my dinner there I came back on a Sunday night to do the late night a la carte menu and that food was great as well! You would never believe the chefs are cooking in the small kitchen space they have, but that’s just a further testament to their talent.

This review is for Nomad’s Sunday Night a la carte menu, and more specifically, #LetTheKitchenCrushYou.
My friend and I started with a cocktail at Shift Drinks, put our name in, and waited for just enough time to finish a cocktail.
Each small plate on their Sunday night menu is reasonably priced, but for $ 40 you can have every. single. thing. on the menu. It’s a great deal! Ryan and Ali, the executive and sous chef, have made something incredible out of the tiniest professional kitchen I’ve ever seen.
The first course: cauliflower and kohlrabi with chilies and horseradish, incredibly yummy Brussels sprouts, and house made chips with their «slut sauce.» Trust me, slut sauce is primo.
2^nd: Pork Sandwich, beef tongue Ruben (my favorite), and a «slut dog» with foie gras.
3^rd: black cod «sticks», mussel chowder and potato salad.
4^th: Black cod, nori and garlic purée. This dish blew me away.
5^th: They had another locally sourced fish. I was too busy watching GoT on their tv at this point that I can’t remember what exactly it was. But I liked it.
5^th: coffee ice cream with fried leeks and house made cocoa granola. It was SO GOOD.
6^th: Their take on apple pie, with Apple ice cream, cinnamon granola and other deliciousness.
I washed it all down with 2 Session Lagers, which were $ 3 each. Their a la carte drinking menu is fab, too. $ 5 G&T, $ 3 PBR, $ 7 shot of bourbon or fernet.
Service, done by the kitchen team, was fantastic. It’s impressive when chefs can be «people persons.»
It definitely a party vibe, with DMX and Afro man blasting on the speakers. Clearly, Chef Ryan and his team envisioned the a la carte menu for service industry peeps (holla!) and I am so thankful for that.
Thank you Nomad PDX for an incredible meal and experience!

Oh.
My.
Gawd.
Becky, look at that cod!
Seriously, the cod dish was incredible. You know what wasn’t incredible at Nomad PDX??? NOTHING. I can’t think of a single aspect I didn’t enjoy about this unique dining experience.
First of all the location is just odd in a totally cool way. Nomad is located in a small space with only three tables above a (nice) bar. Ali the sous-​chef welcomes and seats you in a quiet and nervous (?) manner. You sit on folding chairs with other people in a semi-​communal (depending upon how social the others at your table are) dining experience. There’s a flat screen TV mounted to the wall with an Apple TV playing black and white videos. The staff of four starts bringing out your courses, taking turns giving small intros to each and what inspired them.
The food is stellar. The presentation is top-​notch and the tastes, textures, and smells are totally unique. Many of the ingredients are items the staff foraged, bought at markets, or grew themselves. We were incredibly full by the end of the experience but still wanted more, it was so good!
Afterwards we chatted with Ali and Ryan the chef who are both very personable and totally passionate about what they do. It shows, in every way. They recommended other restaurants to try out while we were visiting Portland and every one of them delivered as well. These guys are cool, I could totally hang out with them if I lived in the area. In fact we went back for a second time for their Late Night menu which was just as awesome.
Go here NOW!

I hate to go against all of these excellent reviews, especially since my main issue was not the food or the staff. The food was good, the service was great. The chefs were amazing and came to the table to chat, a couple of lovely people. My biggest complaint was the value. My husband and I love chef’s menus and we have gone to many over the years — many of them here in Portland. This was by far the most expensive and least amount of food we have ever received. The wine pairings were not something I would recommend. For a few of the courses we had to make the pairing last more than one dish and the pours were tiny.
I would definitely recommend this place if you love gastronomic cuisine and are more interested in different cooking techniques. They are really inventive chefs and the food was fresh and yummy. I would just not recommend if you are looking for any kind of value and want to walk away satiated.

Great food, they personalized the menu for an event.
Wine pairing was perfect with meal and excellent ones we would get again. Local OR wines!
We had 9 courses. I expected 12−15ish so that was a big surprise. My husband was a little hungry after.
Each course was beautiful and delicious. The whole experience was wonderful.

Incredible food and flavors! My husband and I went here for our first anniversary and the experience was amazing. The different flavors that Chef Ryan and his crew present are so unique you know you will never have the same again.
I have several food allergies and am pregnant so there are a lot of things I’m not supposed to eat. They were very accommodating of all of it, in some case making me a separate plate that looked very similar and tasted wonderful.
My husband actually ate slowly and savored the different flavors. I don’t think I have ever heard him describe what he was eating so eloquently. we definitely enjoyed the experience.

My husband and I left pretty much convinced that we had just eaten the best meal of our lives (and we have eaten A LOT of amazing food… so this is saying somethin’!). I have a feeling we’ll be able to say «I remember them when…» in regards to Chef Ryan and Sous Ali. They are going places for sure!
As others have mentioned, Nomad PDX is really more of a dining experience than a meal. Every course was inventive, clean, complex and delicious. Even after 2.5 hours at the table, I did not want it to end. As visitors to Portland, we are jealous of the locals who have access to this place every weekend! Make your reservation today, and enjoy!

Literally every course I had was the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Chef Ryan Fox and Sous Ali Matteis are scientists creating delicious art and if you have an interest in any one of those three things, you need to go here.

This is the second time I have been to Nomad PDX and I love the dining experience! The visual elegance in the plating is wonderful and unique. Who doesn’t love the attention to detail the chefs have when using tweezers to set everything perfectly on your dish. The course set up is very similar to Castagna where you get a series of small bit sized snacks then go into the appetizers, main dishes and finally desserts.
One of the best things about Nomad is the chefs actually come out to the tables to serve the meals, explain the dishes and give a little history of how they came up with the dish they are presenting. That extra personal touch makes them stand apart from many of the other high end restaurants.
Now down to the food:
Some of the dishes are absolutely amazing! The desserts are wonderful the quail egg in the nest is my favorite! The other desserts (4 total) are very good, they are not too sweet and work in ingredients you would not normally think would be dessert, parsnips with vanilla ice cream and granola was a very pleasant surprise. The main courses were very well prepared, the sole with cabbage had a nice balanced light flavor and the ribeye was delicious and tender. The ribeye looks extremely rare but it is fully cooked and had wonderful flavor.
The highlight for me was the winter squash dish, Amazing! I had no idea I liked squash… this was the first time I had tasted a squash dish that I loved. The puréed squash removed the mushy squash texture I always think of when I see cooked squash and the spices were not overly done so they were melded perfectly. I scraped the bowl and was wondering if I could run my finger around the bottom the catch the last bit at the bottom.
This being said, there was a dish or two that the flavors or texture were not quite melded as perfectly as the squash dish but overall the experience is definitely worth it and I will be back!

At risk of piling on with even more praise for this restaurant …
My wife and I dined here last night, during our mini-​vacation to Portland. This was easily one of the most amazing and memorable dining experiences of our lives. Every bite of the 16 (or so) different courses was phenomenal — fresh and interesting flavors, innovative preparations and just a simply fun experience. Notable standouts — Albacore/​Tomato/​Shishito (amazing), Summer Squash/​Dashi/​Rye (fantastic), Wonder Bread/​Peanut Butter (most hilariously tasty dish of 2015), Quail Egg/​Yolk Jam/​Nest (Indescribeable deliciousness). The other 13 dishes were awesome too.
Ryan and Ali could not have been more gracious and charming — young chefs just killing it! Jessica, who ran the front and was de facto sommelier, poured a terrific selection of wine, sake and sherry and was eager to share the interesting back story of each producer.
We are now headed back to our home in Miami, still with major smiles.
Go now.

By far the best dining experience in Portland! I have been two times, once at their new location, and once when they were at Kitchen Cru.
Ryan Fox and his team have an amazing thing going here, creative, thoughtful, and somehow not pretentious.
I just attempted to write a whole paragraph about my last dinner here… but whatever I write will not do the experience justice, so just go. It’s a unique and special evening! Highly Highly HIGHLY reccomend.

Possibly the most outstanding meal I’ve ever eaten! And everyone at our table, a couple from the Bay area and a couple from NYC, agreed. All of us have dined at wonderful restaurants around the world and wholeheartedly agreed that this experience was «as good as it gets», if not better.
This adventure in dining cannot be adequately explained. It was, quite simply, an incredible dining experience in every way. The food was more than exceptional; the wine pairing was spot on; the service was perfect. Nomad is expensive but worth every penny!!!
With each of the fourteen courses, one of these extraordinary chefs, Ryan or Ali, came to our table to explain each dish. Jessica, the sommelier, paired each course with a lovely wine that suited each perfectly. It felt bit like a family dining experience, as we got acquainted with our table mates.
If you’re a foodie, you must not miss this phenomenal dining adventure!!! It exceeded our expectations by miles.

Let me just say, everyone at our communal table got Ryan’s signature at the end of night because he was that good.
We had some trouble finding this place, but someone from Shift drink came out to greet us and took us up to Nomad. Ryan and Ali personally greeted us as we came in. They had personalized our menu for our first wedding anniversary. I had never had dining experience like this before where we have a communal table and get to know other people. The people we sat with were delightful and knew a great deal different herbs and spices so they were asking really good questions that were helpful to us.
The menu listed 13 different plates but there were a lot of other plates that Ryan brought out that weren’t on the menu. With each dish, Ryan or Ali explained the process of preparation of the meal and different herbs that he personally foraged. You could tell, they were super passionate about what they were doing. The restaurant is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday and they spend all the time during the week inventing and foraging different herbs around Oregon. I loved the plate presentation. Some of the rock plates were lava rocks that Ryan found in Oregon and each dish plates were beautifully handmade one of a kind ceramics piece. Everything was made and prepared with precision and care. We were amazed by the flavor of each dish and more blown away by their creativity. It was truly an art form!
It was the best dining experience of my life and the people who sat with us had come from Washington DC another city with great food scene and they agreed this was their best dining experience. The place opened recently so not a lot of people seem to know about it but hands down, it’s the best restaurant in Portland.

I’ll describe my phenomenal experience in two parts. Note that Nomad PDX doesn’t yet have a permanent dining location, so this is based on my experience at this particular location. But trust me, they’ll be great anywhere.
The setting, music, and chefs
You walk into Shift Drinks, a trendy bar, then let the bartender know you’re dining with Nomad PDX. You’re then greeted by Jessica, the friendly Nomad PDX GM. She walks you upstairs into the dining area.
When you get to the dining area, you’re greeted by the chefs, Ryan and Ali, as well as an 80s/​90s mix of upbeat pop, with a sprinkling of high quality hip hop. The music is mostly brought to you by Ryan, I hear.
You sit in communal tables with other diners who are as curious as you are to try this food that hasn’t been documented very much, but that still somehow has this natural buzz about it.
Everything keeps the dining room casual and fun, while still maintaining the fine dining experience. Ryan, Ali, and Jessica were all very approachable and down to earth. They had a lot to the overall great experience.
The food
Food alone is enough to give this place 5 stars. Standard, smaller fine-​dining portions, with explosive flavors and intriguing contrasts in textures and temperatures. We had a dish (pictured) that comprised of smoked (or marinated?) tomatoes and a «cloud» of basil (nitro/​gastro frozen) topped with artichoke (forget how it was prepared, but it was fancy) and fragrant, fresh basil, all on a bed of basil infused oil. It was one of the best dishes of the night, amongst many similarly tasty, exciting, and beautiful dishes (tableware is custom made for them). Each dish is sharp and complex, yet familiar and comforting. I don’t think I’ve ever described food this way, but there you have it.
Going into each dish would take forever, especially since their composition and the technique used to prepare them are sophisticated and thus a bit tough to remember. So I won’t — but this is good for you. I went in with not much of an idea of what to expect and was blown away. Go in with an open mind and you’ll experience the same.

Amazing! My husband and I just had dinner here last night and we had an amazing time! We had 15 courses and we loved every single one! The flavor combinations were awesome and the pacing between courses was perfect. The presentation of the dishes were beautiful and the dishes were so complex yet simple at the same time! Ryan and Ali were great at explaining each course to us and they were great fun to talk to too.
My husband and I eat out 2 – 4 times a week and have pretty much tried every fine dining restaurant in Portland… and we both agree that Nomad PDX was one of the best and yummiest dining experiences we’ve had in Oregon. You can taste the freshness in every bite and we can only imagine all the thought and work that went into preparing the delicious meal. We will definitely be back! Love this place!

Providing accolades for chef extraordinaire Ryan Fox of NomadPDX is a no brainer! A surprise invite from a friend to check out the hottest seat in Portland put me in a chair across from Chef Ryan’s open kitchen a few hours later. His menu is original, regional, skillful, artistic, and satisfying. Through a series of 13 courses, his food appeals to multiple senses throughout; his dishes are beautiful, tasty, and as Ryan describes each in caring, expressive detail, it’s clear he knows a sh*t ton about food and food preparation. (I refer to his culinary expertise as borderline magic!) Anticipation for each dish rose as diners became more impressed with each course — one hearty and smoky, another silky and smooth, and memorably — the last one, fresh and cool. His culinary approach is unique and fresh. It’s clear he pushes himself to master innovative dishes, blend flavor combinations, and harmonize textures — all the while incorporating the Pacific Northwest’s regional fare with complex cooking skills. Ryan’s love of the culinary arts is undeniable and he truly found his niche in life! His public portrayal is real: «People and art has always been the guide of Ryan Fox’s journey in the culinary industry. Ryan’s focus centers on the uniqueness of the people of Portland’s relationship with food. Ryan offers a new experience for those seeking a closer connection with local cuisine in an exquisite, private atmosphere.» Two hours later: a roomful of happy, thrilled diners… it felt like the end of a concert. Each of us were pumped and exhilarated by what we just experienced. We wanted Ryan to give his fans one more dish. One more dish! One more dish! Alas, I’ll wait a couple of months to return (if I can), when Ryan knowingly will switch up his menu with new, seasonal, regional picks — and no doubt, some surprises! I know I’ll say one day, «I knew him when…» It’s only a matter of when that will be. (Tomorrow? Next week? This year???) People, take my advice: he IS the one.
Reservations required.