love ned ludd

the foyer decor


the heart of the restaurant

i had one of the best dining experiences that i have had in a really long time last week at the newish restaurant, ned ludd. i had driven by the restaurant out on mlk a few times and wondered what it was all about so i was excited when my friend told me that is where we would be dining for his birthday.

we were able to make reservations for the group, which sometimes can be difficult in portland as many restaurants do not take reservations. what's more surprising is that i was the first in the group to arrive and they actually let me sit at the table until the rest of the group got there. immediately i was helped by our very friendly server. i asked to order some olives for the group and she encouraged me to try the pickle platter instead. so the pickles arrived and she told me what kind they all were and wow, let me tell you, they were really good. i'm glad she coaxed me to try something unusual. the entire table was impressed by the pickles--each vegetable had its own distinct flavor.

from here we went straight in to salads and entrees. everything on the menu sounded so good it was hard to choose but i went for the hen's leg with mashed potatoes for dinner and a baby leaf lettuce and duck salad. both of my choices were incredible, especially the hen's leg. other diners at the table had pork chops, trout and roasted vegetables along with an assortment of salads and everyone was very happy with their choices.


the pork chop


the hen's leg

the concept of this restaurant is that they do not use machines to prepare the foods so everything is either grilled or cooked in a wood oven. i'm sure there is much more information about this on their website but i was too busy enjoying my food and company to ask about it. i do know that ned ludd was a man who lost his job at a mill and was replaced by a machine. he was so angry about the fact that people were losing their jobs to machines that he took a sledge hammer to said machine, smashing it to pieces and resulting in a labor movement as a result. there is a wonderful mural of this story in the back of the restaurant but as i was quickly losing light, did not get a shot of it. besides, you really should go and see it for yourself.

and i can't forget to mention the decor. it was so, so cool. i could not stop turning and looking at everything. the other diners probably thought i was casing down the joint but i really just love this style of decor--industrial and open but pretty and romantic at the same time.


the corner of the bar, i loved the barrels on top of the loft area.


the little bar. yes, that's my flash!


this pretty much sums up the decor--the contrast of rustic with romantic.

so i urge you to get to ned ludd and check it out. from beginning to end it was a great experience, and i must reiterate that the service all around was fabulous. i can't wait to get back there as soon as possible. it is a smaller restaurant and i'm not sure if they take reservations for smaller parties but i suggest you call ahead and check. they also have a patio if it's nice out and a small bar area but it was full the entire time that we were there. it's located a little ways out at 3925 ne mlk, jr blvd and they do have some parking on the south side of the restaurant. 503.288.6900

bon appetit!