It has been said that Winston Churchill didn’t want vermouth added to his martini, just present in the same room. It seems vermouth has been very misunderstood. Vermouth, the French pronunciation of the German word wermut (wormwood) at it’s core, is an aromatized wine (infused with botanical) that is then fortified by adding a neutral…

Some days it seems Chef Varin can’t quit smoking. It is a very hard habit to kick, especially when he is working on the josper or the hearth oven.  “Being around live fire every day inspires us to think about how we can add wood flavor to what we cook constantly”. Chef Varin cures and smokes…

Playing with Fire and Knives   Behind every great chef there’s fire and great steel. Professional kitchens brim with devices that wow—thermal immersion circulators and fancy looking siphons—but two at Heartwood Provisions rise above the rest: the humble knife and live-fire wood-burning oven. For Chef Varin Keokitvon both have become essential. “With so many gadgets…

Heartwood Provisions has been over a year in the making. At the center of this new concept are pairings that unite the bar and kitchen. We sat down with Beverage Director Amanda Reed and Chef Varin Keokitvon to learn about the inspiration behind Heartwood’s menu, and to get a sneak peek of what’s to come….

Inspiration for menu items at Heartwood Provisions comes from more than just the pairings and the seasons: For both our chef and Beverage Director, Amanda Reed, alike it also comes from travels. And when you win a Hennessey Cognac cocktail competition—as happened to Reed—and get sent to Cognac, France, you come back bubbling with ideas….

In October, Amanda Reed joined hundreds of other beverage industry insiders from around the country at Portland Cocktail Week. The educational convention is arguably the second largest in the United States, after New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail. The trip began in an Amtrak car reserved exclusively by Brown-Forman (makers of Woodford Reserve.) Then it…