About

About the General Manager: Julie Chambers

Here's just a few things that we love about Lauro's new general manager, Portland native Julie Chambers: She can manage a packed-to-overflow dining room. She can sooth the wait staff on a rough night. She knows which wine goes with the seafood special. She knows how to keep the front of the house happy and satisfied. And that's just the beginning. In the world of professional restaurants, Julie knows her way --forwards, backwards and sideways. She gets things done.

From Pazzo to Lupa to Lauro

A restaurant professional with hard-won, real-world experience, Julie worked as a server for Lauro's chef/owner, David Machado back when David was Executive Chef at Pazzo and 600 dinners a night was routine. Her capacity for hard work and grace under fire got Machado's attention and brought her into the restaurant's management trainee program. Julie later took that experience to New York and into Mario Batali's Lupa - his famed Roman style Trattoria in the Village. A strange thing happened - Julie's capacity for hard work, grace under pressure and knowledge of the restaurant business was quickly recognized and Julie became Assistant General Manager in short order.

A four year stint, and a homecoming

In 2006, Julie returned home to Portland to be closer to friends and family and for the possibility of a living space that might be larger than a postage stamp. In July of 2007 she jumped at the chance to team up again with Dave Machado, who by now was firmly established with his own venture, the wildly popular and successful Lauro Kitchen. Asked if she has a favorite dish at Lauro, she doesn't hesitate, "That's easy, the Calamari, Melon Salad and the Linguine with Prawns in White Wine, Garlic, Parsley, and Chile and glass of Chiaretto."