• Home
  • U.S. Destinations
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • Northwest
    • Southeast
    • Southwest
    • Coastal
  • International Destinations
    • Africa/Middle East
    • Antarctica/Arctic
    • Asia
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Mexico/Central America/Carribean
    • Oceania
    • South America
  • Food & Drink
    • For the Home
    • On The Town
    • At the Bar
    • Recipes
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Getting There
    • Staying There
    • Travel Tips
    • Travel Gear & Gifts
    • People Stories
    • Focus on Photos
  • About
    • Our Site
    • Contributors
    • Write To Us
    • Write For Us
    • Work With Us
    • Disclosure
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
Confetti Travel Cafe
Celebrate travel, culture, connection
jackrabbit interior
At the Bar, Food & Drink, Food And Drink, Northwest, On The Town, U.S. Destinations 0

Jackrabbit: Chris Cosentino’s Leap into Portland

By Nancy Zaffaro · On August 14, 2017


Chef Chris Cosentino’s latest restaurant venture, Jackrabbit, is one of Portland’s most anticipated new restaurants this year. Located in the newly re-designed Duniway Hotel, Jackrabbit has all the makings of becoming a city stand-by. Cosentino tells us, “I’m both nervous and excited about what we’re doing here.” Both the restaurant’s menu and décor reflects Cosentino’s sense of fun. “There’s  a lot of Portland culture here. And definitely a bit of Alice in Wonderland going down into the rabbit hole,” he laughs.

Chris Cosentino Jackrabbit

Jackrabbit’s Chef and Co-Owner, Chris Costentino.

Jackrabbit

Jackrabbit’s decor started with this rabbit lamp.

Cosentino is high-energy, funny and willing to share his stories in full, vivid color. He’s both a Top Chef Masters winner and Next Iron Chef competitor. A veteran restaurateur, he’s partnered again with Oliver Wharton, with whom he owns Cockscomb in San Francisco.

Why Portland? Cosentino will remain based in San Francisco but make frequent trips to Portland, a city he already knows well. “I wouldn’t do anything here unless I liked the city and the people.” He’s been coming to Portland for years. He’s a fan of the Timbers, he cycles, and already participates each year in such major Portland food events as Feast and Nicky USA’s Wild About Game. “Portland [food] products are through the ceiling, and the people in this industry are great.”

Day to-day operations will be headed by Executive Chef Chris DiMinno. DiMinno returns to Portland (he spent five years in the city as Executive Chef at Clyde Commons) and is himself a James Beard chef. On the night I’m there, both Cosentino and DiMinno could be seen popping in and out of the kitchen, manning both the stove and making table rounds to check in on guests.

Executive Chef Chris DiMinno.

 A Meat-centric, Locally Sourced Menu

“Food is about engaging. It’s about who you’re with and what you’re eating. It’s about making it fun and getting together with people,” Cosentino says, adding slyly, “It’s giving people the experience of eating with their hands sometimes.”

Sharing starters and salads fosters that community feel at the table. We start with the French Onion deviled eggs, which include Dijon mustard and both fried and pickled onions.

jackrabbit

Jackrabbit’s take on deviled eggs.

jackrabbit.

Sample from the restaurant’s raw bar.

Oysters are next, with a tomatillo salsa and an herb vinaigrette to boost the flavors of the mollusks. (The Daily Board tallies the daily oysters, shellfish, carved ham and charcuterie.)

If you enjoy some heat, do order the chicken wings. They’re coated in a spicy chili paste and are “fall off the bone” tender.

The cucumber, tomato and peach salad exemplify the adage, “things that grow together, go together.”  The pistachios and Zinfandel vinaigrette add just the right zing to the combination of flavors.

jackrabbit

Salads are fresh, local-sourced and creative.

jackrabbit

Shared entrees arrive on large cutting boards. Fingers welcome.

And out comes whole BBQ Dungeness crab—no nutcrackers, no little forks. We’re not shy; we pick away happily at the sticky and sweet and moist crab meat.

To up the ante on a communal edge to a meal at Jackrabbit, consider one of the shared entrées. There’s Braised Rabbit (featuring 80 cloves garlic, rosemary and carrots), the (4-pound) Pinbone Steak, and the Pig’s Head (with “brainaise,” a house mix of pig brains and mayonnaise).

The Pig’s Head is met with fanfare and humor at our table. (Although it won’t make the squeamish any less so, it’s actually a severed half head.) The meat is dark and succulent and flavorful. The crackling is thick and fried a beautiful amber, crunchy and satisfying. This too, we pick at with our fingers. The greens bring some bitterness to the sweet meat and is garnished with some lightly fried chiccarones.

The Pig Head displays Costentino’s philosophy of “head-to-tail” cookery, and skill at cooking meat to its succulent best.

The Cauliflower is a whole head, roasted in their wood oven. It’s served with tangy harissa, pickled onions, cilantro and pistachios. Again, the flavors are rich and satisfying.  Add some roasted carrots and our feast was more than complete.

jackrabbit   jackrabbit

Other entrees focus on other meat, seafood, veggie and grain dishes, as well as sandwiches and pastas. Something for everyone.

The Bar Program

Consentino’s own homemade cider, Offal Good Cider, carried me through from appetizers through entrees. It’s French-style and unfiltered, and as Cosentino says, “-a little barnyard, a little funk.” He’s also collaborating with Ringside restaurant on a beer.

Offal Good Cider

Cosentino’s Offal Good Cider.

With a menu heavy on darker meats, you’d expect a lot of red wines, yes? He’s got some strong opinions on this, although you’ll find a good sampling of reds available. “Have a palate check,” he advises. “Personally, I can’t drink red wine, bourbons, the oaks; I just can’t do it. Red wine is very dominating, whereas whites, especially those with effervescence; these work well with what we’re serving here.”

The restaurant features a selection of almost 100 gins and the house Negroni mixes Union Gin, Campari, and Punt E Mes. Cosentino likes to cook with herbs and the botanicals in gin lend the same type of appeal.

gin negroni

Jackrabbit’s signature gin Negroni.

 The Desserts

We end our meal with a desert board. After the heartiness of the dinner dishes, Pastry Chef Julie Cogley’s desserts brought a lightened finish to the meal. Most felt light anyway because they featured fruit. (Perhaps too her skill belied the caloric intake.) Regardless, don’t skip dessert.

jackrabbit   jackrabbit

The Coffee (Addict)

Vittoria coffee jackrabbitYes, Portland is a coffee town; and Cosentino is a coffee man, so he chose his brand of coffee carefully. He drinks a wonderfully ridiculous number of piccolo lattes a day.  While the restaurant sources most ingredients locally, he imports his coffee all the way from Australia. “I use Vittoria Coffee in all of my restaurants. It’s that good. It’s consistent. And it’s got a low acidity. There are no broken beans. It’s roasted perfectly and it’s a coffee that goes well with food.”

jackrabbit

Stop by Duniway Hotel’s lobby for an espresso.

Cosentino is persuasive: he convinced the Duniway to put Vittoria coffee machines and coffee in each room of the hotel. And yes, the coffee is excellent.

Offal Good, Comic Books & Caricature Sneakers

Cosentino is tireless, and his varied interests have led to some once-upon-a-time experiences. His first cookbook becomes available at the end of this month. Ten years in the making, Offal Good: Cooking from the Heart, With Guts balances “how-to” knowledge and tutorials with 150 recipes. The book can serve as a manual for the home cook who wants to move into “head-to-tail” cookery. It includes artwork by his friend, the artist Jeremy Fish, who also created Jackrabbit’s logo and designed a pair of sneakers for Cosentino that features the chef himself.

offal good   jeremy fish sneakers

Write a comic book, starring yourself? Cosentino grins. He knows people, after all. And so, he wrote a story for Marvel Comics starting himself and Wolverine. One hundred-and seventy-five thousand color copies 75,000 B/W copies were printed.

Jackrabbit: The Décor

Sit back and relax. Leather, metal and some great woods are softened by cozy lighting. There are two main dining  areas, two private dining rooms, kitchen counter seating, and bar seating.

The fun is in the details. The plank wood tables at which we’re seated were cut from a length of a single tree, and then cut in two lengths, each about 8 or 10 feet long. The temperature-controlled “ham room” with house-cured meats is on display as you pass through to the private dining rooms. As homage to Portland’s strip club scene, hams hang on an improvised stripper pole. The centerpiece chandelier is nine-feet in diameter and constructed of bicycle frames, giving tribute to the city’s bike culture. Rabbits and jackrabbits  adorn, and if you’re not easily offended there’s a “colorful” rabbit painting you should see.

Luring Us Back For More

Jackrabbit is an exciting addition to the Portland restaurant scene and to downtown dining. Cosentino says, “I want people to crave our food. I want them to walk out and say, ‘I want the — next time.”

Yes. I’m thinking I need the grilled cheese (with taleggio cheese, duck egg & honey) next time.

jackrabbit dining room

Jackrabbit is open seven days a week. Check hours for breakfast, lunch, happy hour, dinner, late night suppers, and weekend brunch.

For More:

  • Jackrabbit, Portland, Oregon, https://www.gojackrabbitgo.com/
  • Cockscomb, San Francisco, California, https://cockscombsf.com/

-All photos by Nancy Zaffaro.

Download PDF
chefChris CosentinoChris DiMinnodowntown PortlandDuniway HotelJackrabbitOregonPortland restaurantsrestaurant
Share Tweet
Nancy Zaffaro

Nancy Zaffaro

Nancy Zaffaro took her first solo trip at 17 years old and has been hooked on travel ever since. She's a long-time writer and editor and the Editor of ConfettiTravelCafe.com. You can see more of her work at NancyZaffaro.com.

You Might Also Like

  • save money on food while traveling Food & Drink

    How to Save Money on Food While Traveling Abroad

  • International Destinations

    5 Things You Should Know Before You Start Mountain Biking

  • Coastal

    10 Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine

No Comments

Leave a reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Like What You See? Write For us!

We're always interested in publishing new stories that celebrate travel, culture and connection. Take a look at our Submission Guidelines and pitch your story.

Follow Us on Instagram

confettitravel

What a day, what a day!!! . (Not my images of cour What a day, what a day!!!
.
(Not my images of course and normally wouldn’t do it...but. 🎉)
.
.
#inauguration #inaugurationday #freshstart #hope #healing #action #46 #celebrate
Remember that lovely little #amaryllis bulb encase Remember that lovely little #amaryllis bulb encased in red wax? Well, I’ve been enjoying the growth and blooming process! With #gratitude for such a thoughtful gift.
.
The tall #bulb is in its third bloom by the way; great fun to help make happen!
.
#amaryllisflower #flowers #winter #wintercolors #addsomecolor #friendship #gifts #newyear
Morning cappuccino and homemade biscotti! . Fun to Morning cappuccino and homemade biscotti!
.
Fun to have my daughter making the biscotti now, from my favorite recipe.
.
#morningcoffee #morningmotivation #coffee #coffeelover #espresso #cappuccino #biscotti #chocolatechips #chocolatechipbiscotti #chocolatechipcookies #startmyday #happysunday
‘Tis the spirit of the season! A good friend sto ‘Tis the spirit of the season! A good friend stopped by with the most #apropos #gift !
.
 #christmas2020 #christmas2020🎄🎅🎁 #tistheseason #besafe #besafeoutthere #xmas #christmasdecor #christmasornaments2020 #friends #friendship #makemelaugh #laugh #smile #wehavetolaugh
Raise a glass ... Happy Christmas Eve! . . #girlfr Raise a glass ... Happy Christmas Eve!
.
.
#girlfriends #morningyoga #christmas #friends #friendship #giftexchange #christmasgifts #christmastime #mimosa #mimosas #raiseaglass #soover2020 #before5
A good start to any #holiday ! We had every intent A good start to any #holiday ! We had every intention of doing our morning yoga ... but #mimosas and gift exchanges were calling! Rare to miss ... but ... Happy Christmas Eve!
.
.
#girlfriends #morningyoga #christmas #friends #friendship #giftexchange #christmasgifts #christmastime #mimosa #mimosas #raiseaglass #soover2020
Christmas Eve and the last window on my 1960 Adven Christmas Eve and the last window on my 1960 Advent calendar is open! I love this little tradition.
.
Sorry, no chocolates in this one! Merry Christmas! I wish you all a healthy and happy and safe #holiday !!
.
#christmas #merrychristmas #advent #adventcalendar #childhoodmemories #windowsofinstagram #familytime #memories #tradition #traditions #familytraditions #nochocolate #besafe  #besafeoutthere
A bad mom moment ... I don’t remember which #kid A bad mom moment ... I don’t remember which #kiddo made this or when! But I still love my #winter doorstop! Ha! Merry Christmas!🎁 
.
.
#christmas #christmasdecor #christmaspast #homemade #kidmade #doorstop #family #familytime #gifts #kidmade #christmastime
Always something new under the stars and sun and m Always something new under the stars and sun and moon! A friend gave me an #amaryllis and check it out! Encased in red wax, no watering needed. Can’t wait to see the #bloom! And I’m including a shot of my “old” Amaryllis as well. The blooms won’t be ready for the holidays, but this will be the third time since last Christmas that they will bloom. Yay me!
.
.
#flowers #flower #christmas #gift #tradition #enjoytheholidays #happyholidays #red #colorful #christmasgifts #christmasdecor #friends #friendship #luckyme
Squash seeds ... I’ve always baked them with dry Squash seeds ... I’ve always baked them with dry spices. But this time around, I took a tip from my daughter-in-law and baked them in a little #marinade of soy sauce, ginger and some hot chili oil. Delicious!
.
.
#squash #seeds #snacks #fallfoods #foodies #foodie #foodporn #foodiesofinstagram #fromthegarden #gardentotable #chilioil #soysauce #ginger
My city of bridges ... A #saturday walk around dow My city of bridges ... A #saturday walk around downtown Portland ...
.
.
#portlandoregon #portland #eastside  #westside #inmycity #takeawalk #willametteriver #walk #walking #fall #fallvibes #fallweather #waterfront #bridges #tillikum #tillicumcrossing #steelbridge #steelbridges
Perfect day to walk the Esplanade in downtown Port Perfect day to walk the Esplanade in downtown Portland ...
.
.
#portlandoregon #portland #eastside  #westside #inmycity #takeawalk #willametteriver #walk #walking #fall #fallvibes #fallweather #waterfront
happens every December, don’tcha know ...the foo happens every December, don’tcha know ...the food bill goes through the roof! Can’t resist buying all kind of little favorite delicacies!!
.
.
And I haven’t even STARTED picking up #cheese and #charcuterie yet! LOL!
.
#holidays #foodie #foodiesofinstagram #favoritethings #favoritefoods #christmas #gourmet #gourmetfood #truffles #cranberries #mussels @penncoveshellfish #capers #dittmann  #saltedcapers @starvationalley  @drinkcacoco #drinkingchocolate @jacobsensaltco #oregon #washingtonstate #washington #cooking #cookingathome
And a merry Christmas ... I really do love the hol And a merry Christmas ... I really do love the holidays and this year, in that regard, is no different than any other. #bekind #beafriend #breathe 
.
.
#christmas #christmastree #christmas2020 #christmastime
A little prayer for peace...happy #Hanukkah! . . # A little prayer for peace...happy #Hanukkah!
.
.
#hannukah #hanukkah2020
A #granddog boy-dog and his treat! Cooper, loved s A #granddog boy-dog and his treat! Cooper, loved seeing you ... oh, oh and your mom and dad...😉
.
.
@cooper.d.shiba #dog #dogsofinstagram #caninelove
Exploring the neighborhood and this is the view on Exploring the neighborhood and this is the view on my way back before getting off the main road and back onto my little side street.
.
#walking #takeawalk #fall #walk #mthood #mthoodoregon #portland #oregon #inmyneighborhood
New house, new garden, new season, new world...in New house, new garden, new season, new world...in full fall color!
.
.
#fall #autumn #fallcolors #mybackyard #trees #hugatree #outside #garden #inthegarden #fallcolor #newhouse #oregon #clackamas #portland #happyvalley #happyvalleyoregon #peaceful #relax
Scenes from a small, healthy and happy #thanksgivi Scenes from a small, healthy and happy #thanksgiving ...
.
.
#framily #goodfood #goodfoodgoodcompany #portland #besafe #simplepleasures
Thanksgiving Manhattans ... . . #thanksgiving #bes Thanksgiving Manhattans ...
.
.
#thanksgiving #besafe #manhattans #dolin @vermouthdolin #whidbeyislanddistillery #rye #ryewhiskey @whidbeyislandgrown @whidbeydistillery #amarena @toschisyrup.ng #amarenacherries #staywarm #warmandcozy #friends
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Our Contributors!

We love our Contributors and enjoy building a community of writers. Take a look at who’s writing for Confetti Travel Cafe on our Contributors page!

Find us on Facebook

Recent Comments

  • Nancy Zaffaro on 7 Best Places in Japan for Freelance Writers
  • writeessaytoday on 7 Best Places in Japan for Freelance Writers
  • Nancy Zaffaro on Top 10 Destinations to Visit in Moscow
  • Arie on Top 10 Destinations to Visit in Moscow
  • Nancy Zaffaro on Tiffany Stained Glass Windows in Franklin, Pennsylvania
  • Donald Ziegler on Tiffany Stained Glass Windows in Franklin, Pennsylvania

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

Recent Posts

  • How to Save Money on Food While Traveling Abroad
  • 10 Need-To-Know Tips for Cold-Weather Kayaking
  • Share Your World: Top Travel Instagrammers Build Community
  • Travel For All: Accessible Travel for Those of Us with Disabilities
  • 7 Technologies to Protect Your Home While You’re on Vacation
  • Preparing for a Long Road Trip
  • 5 Virtual Tours to Fairy Tale European Christmas Markets
  • Home
  • Our Site
  • Contributors
  • Write To Us
  • Write For Us
  • Work With Us
  • Disclosure

Categories

  • Africa/Middle East (15)
  • Antarctica/Arctic (1)
  • Art & Culture (26)
  • Asia (31)
  • At the Bar (54)
  • Canada (3)
  • Coastal (36)
  • Europe (42)
  • Food & Drink (139)
  • Food And Drink (67)
  • For the Home (31)
  • Getting There (22)
  • International (91)
  • International Destinations (116)
  • Mexico/Central America/Carribean (13)
  • Midwest (4)
  • Northeast (12)
  • Northwest (76)
  • Oceania (7)
  • On The Town (75)
  • Outdoors (16)
  • People Stories (23)
  • Recipes (30)
  • South America (6)
  • Southeast (33)
  • Southwest (17)
  • Staying There (44)
  • Travel & Lifestyle (69)
  • Travel Destinations (21)
  • Travel Gear & Gifts (27)
  • Travel Tips (52)
  • U.S. (73)
  • U.S. Destinations (138)
  • Uncategorized (1)

Recent Posts

  • How to Save Money on Food While Traveling Abroad
  • 10 Need-To-Know Tips for Cold-Weather Kayaking
  • Share Your World: Top Travel Instagrammers Build Community
  • Travel For All: Accessible Travel for Those of Us with Disabilities
  • 7 Technologies to Protect Your Home While You’re on Vacation
  • Preparing for a Long Road Trip
  • 5 Virtual Tours to Fairy Tale European Christmas Markets

Tag Cloud

rare Todd Ketterman IPNC what to do in Deland Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Carousel Museum river cruises Jennifer Pharr-Davis Resorts World Sentosa Bar Casa Vale plan your visit to the UK John Russell Devoted Kiss Unlisted Collection Cider Rite of Spring tapas Chef Joey Gibson dog-friendly outoodrs Machli vacuum packs kare-kare Portland tea shops Ram Khamhaeng National Museum lunch Malta Kentucky Bourbon Trail coffee maker Calibama Cooking Wit Cellars Tilcara science fiction food lovers Susah Cahill alligators Yucatan Kaylene Chadwell slow boat Pushkar Camel Fair France

© 2020 Confetti Travel Cafe. All rights reserved.