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About > David Machado
David Machado, Chef/Owner
When chef David Machado opened Lauro Kitchen in July, 2003, he was, according to some, heading upwind. More than one person told him it might not be the wisest move to launch a brand new restaurant on a then-untried corner of Southeast Portland. But Machado's 20-plus years in the hospitality industry gave him an edge over less experienced, less visionary entrepreneurs.
A chef-owned, neighborhood restaurant
"The obvious places to open were Northwest 21st Ave., downtown or the Pearl District," he recalls. "But I felt that the era of the large downtown restaurant had peaked, and that the time was right for smaller, human-scale, chef-owned restaurants in the neighborhoods. The demographic and financial data showed me that I could create a quality product – and a successful one – with this concept."
His hunch paid off. Two years later, Lauro Kitchen has been embraced by its neighbors and restaurant-goers from all over the city, garnering critical raves and exceeding Machado's wildest projections. There's no tougher table to get on a Saturday night in Portland. Yet, in retrospect, given the chef's background in every aspect of restaurant planning and management, Lauro's success isn't so surprising.
A growing national reputation
Machado, a 1986 honors graduate of the California Culinary Academy, began a seven-year career with The Kimpton Group, a San Francisco-based hotel and restaurant management company in 1990. He came to Portland in 1991 to open Pazzo Ristorante in Kimpton's Vintage Plaza Hotel; the restaurant was hailed by The Oregonian as "one of the most creative and consistent kitchens in Portland."
Joining The Heathman Group in 1997 as vice president for restaurants, Machado eventually was responsible for five full-service restaurants with 450 employees and $17 million in annual revenue. Highlights of his tenure include the opening of Hudson's Bar & Grill, an American regional restaurant in the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, Washington. He conceived and opened Southpark, a Mediterranean-inspired seafood grill and wine bar located in the heart of downtown Portland. Under Machado's direction, the restaurant was featured in Bon Appetit, Nation's Restaurant News, The Wine Spectator, Food Arts, The New York Times and Santé Magazine, among other national publications. He also served as Southpark's executive chef from 2001-2003.
Esquire, Food Arts, Food and Wine, Northwest Palate, Bon Appetit and The Washington Post have praised Machado's restaurants, and he was featured on the Discovery Channel's "Great Chefs, Great Cities" cooking series. He is frequently invited as a guest instructor at prestigious institutions like the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, the California Culinary Academy and Draeger's Culinary Center in California.
A chef sources near and far
In 2002, The Oregonian's FoodDay honored Machado on their Honor Roll of "passionate achievers who have enriched the Oregon food scene. "David Machado greatly contributed to the scene when he arrived in 1991," the editors wrote. "He got our attention with fresh pasta dishes like his butternut squash ravioli in sage butter, served with locally grown vegetables and house-made focaccia. He developed relationships with farmers for fresh produce and arranged to import, directly from Italy, prosciutto, whole wheels of Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil."
Machado has contributed countless volunteer hours to the Portland and Oregon community over the years, taking a leading role as an officer and director of Portland Farmers Market and a trustee of the Oregon Restaurant Association's Education Foundation, among other causes. He is committed to the issue of hunger relief and regularly contributes his time and energies to Oregon Food Bank and Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading anti-hunger, anti-poverty organizations.
Experience Lauro Kitchen
Take a video tour of Lauro Kitchen, David Machado's acclaimed Mediterranean restaurant. Winner of Willamette Week's Restaurant of the Year, discover how Lauro is revitalizing the casual neighborhood bistro.
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