Ken Gordon, of Kenny & Zuke’s fame and more recently the person in charge of the deli case at Sheridan Fruit Company (RIP), has a new project ready to go next week: Bon Temps Poulet. Presumably a riff on the famous phrase, “[Laissez les] bon temps rouler,” they will offer rotisserie chicken and roasted potatoes. According to a post on social media it will start Wednesday, June 10 at Gorges Beer Co. in Southeast Portland.
Ken’s Remarks on This New Project
Ken shared some teasers about this new business back in April and May, Most recently he said, “I’ll be a partner in it, barely SE Portland and only 2 blocks from my old restaurant 28 East. Going in with an existing restaurant, adding to their menu with something that I think will be very successful and maybe lead to additional locations.”
As far as additional locations, this could be a good fit for a food cart/truck.
I asked him why he wanted to start a new project. “Everyone asks me when I’m going to retire,” he said. “I tell them I don’t like hot weather, nor do I enjoy golf or card games. And I don’t really like people, other than one-on-one or small groups.”
He continued, “And I love cooking … So why would I retire. So I found something that’s not going to require me to be on my feet that much, and a fairly easy menu. And that I think will be successful.”
How it Works at Bon Temps Poulet
The setup for Bon Temps Poulet will be outside the Gorges Beer Co Rainbow Road Pub, facing their outdoor seating within Ankeny Rainbow Road Plaza. Chickens will roast outside, street food “much like in Paris,” wrote Ken. “Our chickens are the finest free range birds, dry brined, then roasted in our rotisserie until perfectly done.”
The rotisserie setup is likely more like this than this. Multiple rows of chickens means more drippings on those taters. A friend of mine and her husband in NY have started such operation, which you can see here, to get an idea of how this can work.
What They’ll Offer at Bon Temps Poulet
As I mentioned earlier, their prime offering will be rotisserie chicken and roasted new potatoes. Along with the straight up chicken and potatoes, they’ll offer rotisserie chicken poutine, a chicken sandwich, chopped salad, dirty fries, along with a number of sauces to add to the chicken.
Bon Temps Poulet: More on the Menu
Here are more menu details.
Chicken
You can buy a whole or a half bird.
The half bird comes with two dipping sauces, whole bird with three. All birds come with rotisserie roasted potatoes. Pricing is: half bird The half bird comes with two dipping sauces, whole bird with three. All birds come with rotisserie roasted potatoes. Pricing is: half bird $26.75, whole bird $38.75.
You can also get fries or green salad and chicken jus.
And remember, you can do a lot with the carcass of the bird as far as stock, bone broth, and the like.
Sauces for the Chicken
They have seven sauces to choose from:
- Garlic aioli
- Ranch
- Curry mayo
- BBQ sauce
- Peanut sauce
- Chimichurri
- Peruvian green sauce (aji verde)
While they all sound good, it’s that aji verde that makes my mouth water. Perfect with chicken.
Other Stuff
Here are some of the other you can order.
- Rotisserie roasted potatoes: small $6.75, large $9.75.
- Dirty fries: large fries, melty cheese, chopped chicken, Mama Lil’s peppers, $14.50.
- Chicken sandwich: Bacon, avocado, and aioli on a baguette, $13.75.
- Poutine: fries topped with rotisserie chicken, cheese curds, chives, and chicken gravy, $13.75.
- Chopped salad with chicken “and lots of stuff,” $13.50.
Look for Bon Temps Poulet on Wednesday, June 10. They’ll be operating Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 3pm to 9pm. On Friday and Saturday they operate 3pm to 10pm (so, an hour later). If you don’t want to eat there, you can do takeout and DoorDash.
There’s been a lot of talk about the cost of rotisserie or roast chicken, and this is another one in the mix. Basically everything on the menu sounds good to me, so I’ll be making a visit there very soon. All the best to Ken and his team as they get ready to launch Bon Temps Poulet on the rainbow road, just in time for Pride.
Bon Temps Poulet [opening June 10, 2026]
At Gorges Beer Co. Rainbow Road Pub
2724 SE Ankeny Street, Portland
Meg Cotner
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