El Gaucho Portland Welcomes Pastry Chef Quinne Salameh

El Gaucho Portland Welcomes Pastry Chef Quinne Salameh
Talented Pastry Chef Adds A Distinct New Flavor to El Gaucho’s Legendary Tableside Dessert Program

PORTLAND, Ore.—(November 9, 2009)— El Gaucho is thrilled to introduce Quinne Salameh, an inspired pastry chef who is expanding the restaurant’s dessert program to complement such old-school, nostalgic classics as Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee, expertly prepared tableside.

Immersed in food culture since her childhood in Monterey Bay, California, Quinne has spent a total of nearly 12 years working in the culinary industry. Her background is a marriage of the Arabic cooking she learned from her father’s side of the family and the classic American cuisine of her Midwestern mother, both traditions known for delectable, irresistible sweets.

She worked in kitchens throughout college, honing her appreciation for sweets and desserts at Marini’s Candies (Santa Cruz, California). After graduation, she moved to Portland where she enrolled in the Oregon Culinary Institute. A quick learner, she honed her talents at Portland’s Roux before becoming Assistant Pastry Chef and Cook at Veritable Quandary.

As a pastry chef, Quinne focuses on regional, seasonal ingredients, bringing Oregon’s wide variety of fresh ingredients to their full, tantalizing potential on the plate.

Says Quinne, “It’s really exciting to imagine the range of possible desserts that will complement the iconic El Gaucho menu. The favorites will always be here, naturally, but there’s a whole new world of retro desserts I’ll be producing to tempt our guests’ palates.”

El Gaucho is a grown-up refuge, defined by their polished, personalized service, authentic, swanky-supper-club ambiance, and the finest beef available. Quinne’s desserts provide yet another reason to linger over dinner at Portland’s ever popular steak house.

Open since 2000, El Gaucho® is the Northwest's steakhouse legacy focused on elegant, old-school, tableside service for people celebrating their lives. The menu highlights 28-Day Dry-Aged Certified Angus Beef® Prime steaks, cutting edge fresh seafood selections from sustainable sources, and extensive wine and malt scotch lists. El Gaucho’s swanky bar was recently featured in Continental Airlines magazine and given the “Gold Standard” by Portland Monthly magazine. Located at 319 S.W. Broadway, El Gaucho is open Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. Happy hour is available 5 to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close Monday through Friday and all day Sunday. For more information, visit www.elgaucho.com or call (503) 227-8794.

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Media Contact: Andrea Courtney
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757