Why would a chef from a three-Michelin-starred restaurant — one recently named number one on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list — step away to cook eight-course lunches in Oregon’s wine country? Chef Brian Barker left his role as head chef of acclaimed
Smyth in Chicago in March to lead the culinary program for Perlée, a new all-sparkling wine estate in the Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills.
For context, in 2023, Smyth became one of just 14 restaurants to hold three Michelin Stars in the United States, and, as of 2025, the only three-star restaurant in Chicago. But when Barker chose Oregon, he did so knowing that it was an opportunity to hone his personal culinary voice in a location “with beautiful nature and products,” he says. “This is exactly what I’d hoped for,” Barker says of Perlée. “I didn’t think I’d find it. The timing was perfect.”
Oregon’s Willamette Valley built its global reputation on exceptional pinot noir and chardonnay, but a new era is taking root in premium traditional-method sparkling wine with quality, standards, and price points akin to Champagne. However, unlike France, Oregon hasn’t historically been fertile ground for ultra-premium fine dining. Until recently, a visit to Oregon Wine Country would’ve involved the standard charcuterie and cheese board and if you’re lucky, pizza or a sandwich in a tasting room. Sometimes it meant scarfing down a bag of chips or a gas station taquito between winery visits for sustenance. Having lunch at Perlée felt like witnessing a shift. Maybe Oregon is ready for a lunch experience generally held in reserve at palace hotels in Paris, Midtown Manhattan, and the like.
Oregon grows produce that chefs like Brian Barker are drawn to in excess, world-class vineyards are an easy day trip from the city, Portland International Airport is a short drive from every flavor of nature one seeks: In other words, there are countless reasons why Oregon might attract an ambitious chef like Barker.
Founded by Tiffany and Grant Austin, Perlée is neither trying to bring the “big city experience” to the Valley nor are they trying to clone Champagne. They’re trying to showcase what Oregon has to offer through fine wine made from sustainably farmed fruit and high-end experiences that can more than stand on their own on a global stage.
The Austin family has deep roots in the area. They’re co-founders of A-dec, a dental equipment manufacturing company, and also have hospitality experience as developers of Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg. The family is deeply embedded in Oregon philanthropy and business, and have been part of the community in the Willamette Valley for generations. So it made sense that the pair would also develop a restaurant on the estate that Grant Austin’s family have owned for almost 50 years, located in the winery-packed Worden Hill Road.
The driveway’s path winds beneath a canopy of white oaks and Douglas fir before revealing the striking hilltop estate. Past the charred wood exterior and through the oversized doorway, panoramic glass walls frame rolling vineyards and a view of Mount Hood — a seamless blend of land and luxury. Guests are welcomed with a glass of Krug Champagne before being seated at a table set with wares, all handcrafted custom. The 8-course lunch is priced at $250 per person and anchored by Perlée’s inaugural wine. For an additional $150, diners can upgrade to high-end pairings from a generous mix of Oregon and global producers. The guest experience is led by director of hospitality, Kevin Goldsmith, who also happens to be the former wine director for Smyth.
After being open for just over a week, the menu demonstrated a nuanced point of view and refined technique I haven’t seen in an Oregon tasting menu since Matthew Lightner was at the helm of Ōkta. The meal opened with another pour of Krug Champagne accompanied by three composed bites, featuring spot prawns, candied nori, and foie gras. The progression of the menu was a dance through flavors, textures, and temperatures, exhibiting confident restraint that comes from a formula of talent and long-term experience in a kitchen like Smyth’s. The cured rockfish and tomato tartare took me to a taste memory of biting into the perfect BLT with an ice-cold Oregon-grown summer tomato and savory-sweet flavors lingering on my palate. The Chinook salmon was a success in the textbook mi-cuit texture I’ve been hunting for in the fish since Naomi Pomeroy’s Beast. The aged rib-eye was so satisfying, it made me question if I’ve ever eaten a better piece of meat. Dessert was anything but an afterthought. The rock rose ice cream and Hood strawberries quickly rose as my favorite treatment of the ephemeral seasonal berry, and the Raspberry Mosaic let the Oregon fruit shine bright.
“When I moved to Oregon from Miami, I learned that people here don’t lunch,” Tiffany Austin shared with me. “People eat lunch, but they don’t do lunch as an hours-long kind of thing. So now, people can lunch here!”
Perlee Vineyards is located at 11050 Northeast Worden Hill Road in Dundee; open Wednesday through Sunday, with reservations on Tock.
