Goodbye Fermenter, Hello Il Paffuto

Il Paffuto signage with reflection — Photo credit: Il Paffuto

As readers of this blog know, Fermenter closed its doors in March, with the promise of a new concept in its place. That new concept is Il Paffuto, which in the words of owner Aaron Adams, “basically means fat guy, which is one way to describe me for sure.” And while it sounds like this is going to be an Italian restaurant, Aaron emphasizes that the food is “DEFINITELY NOT TRADITIONAL ITALIAN”—but they will serve pasta (so think, “Italian-inspired”). He will bring with him the work he’s done with craft fermentation in the restaurant space. As he told me, “If you liked Portobello and Fermenter, you’ll like Il Paffuto.”

Aaron posted on Instagram quite a bit of good information about Il Paffuto, including their opening date of Tuesday, April 16. It’s going to be a dinner spot with sit-down service (no counter service), cloth napkins, and nice atmosphere. “Definitely a different vibe,” he says. He and his team have been working hard this week to get things ready for next Tuesday, despite running into some unexpected challenges—ones they triumphed over and that won’t delay the Tuesday opening.

Fermentation Rules the Menu

Fermentation will remain a major stakeholder on the menu (“this new project will be INUNDATED with fermentation”). Think aged vegan cheeses made with cashew and hazelnut milks, fermented sauces, miso, tempeh, pickles, kombucha, water kefir, and more. When we were chatting, Aaron talked about one of the things on the menu that sounded absolutely delicious: sourdough focaccia flavored with koji, smeared with a mix of miso, garlic and olive oil, finished with fermented turnip greens.

And what happens with the turnip bottoms? They ferment them and turn them into a puree for salad dressing.

Vegetables and Protein

The menu will feature vegetables galore, some paired with other starches—that could be pasta, polenta, or risotto. Gluten-free options will be available.

If you’re looking for protein, it’s likely going to be in the form of tempeh. Aaron likes working with tempeh because, among other things, it’s a fun product that can be done in many ways—fine, coarse, firm, soft. He also likes how, depending on how you handle the fermentation, it can come out sweeter or more savory. They don’t use a lot of soy in the restaurant, so look for tempeh that could be made with barley and hazelnut, sunflower seed and black bean, and even buckwheat.

Pasta, Dessert, and Drinks

As I mentioned earlier, they will serve pasta, something he often made at Portobello (the restaurant he opened with Dinae Horne in 2008). They’ll make it by hand with local grains—like einkorn (a very old variety of wheat), durham wheat flour, and some gluten-free grains—and some of them will be sprouted. He has a powerful pasta extruder with brass dies “that’s been collecting dust” that he plans to use to make a variety of pasta shapes. They are confident that they can make pasta “theirs,” distinctive to Il Paffuto. In this process Aaron tells me, “We’re making food out of the products of Oregon, but importing the spirit of Italy.”

More on the pasta—we got on the topic of using mung bean yogurt as a kind of vegan egg in their pasta-making. This is not just pureed mung beans (like how flax seed is ground into a meal for a vegan egg), but the idea is to soak the mung beans, make a milk out of them, then culture that. It contributes good probiotics and a bit of a tang, not to mention adding unique flavors to the pasta.

Regarding dessert, he is very much dedicated to offering desserts with a reduced amount of sugar. Their presence on the menu is important—it’s nice to cap off a meal with something sweet.

Cocktails/mocktails were on the Fermenter menu, but they are eschewing them at Il Paffuto for naturally fermented drinks like kombucha, water kefir, and tepache. He told me they have a root beer water kefir in mind, which definitely got my attention. They’ll also be offering kombucha that incorporates botanicals. On the other side of the drink menu—the one that includes alcohol—they plan to offer local natural wines, beer, and cider.

Fresh, local, and seasonal are defining ideas of Il Paffuto. Check out the menu on their website.

A Massive Emphasis

On Instagram, he summarizes what they will have a “massive emphasis” on at the restaurant, including:

Use whole foods, not processed foods.
Use healthy fats that are extracted without solvents (this is primarily avocado and olive oils).
Use organic heirloom and heritage varieties of grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits.
Use very little sugar in our desserts, instead utilize fruit purées and juices when possible.

As Aaron says, “Food is culture. Food is life. Let’s make food.” I look forward to stopping in when Il Paffuto opens their doors.

Il Paffuto [opening April 2024]
1403 SE Belmont Street, Portland
ilpaffuto.com | Instagram