The aroma hit me just on the other side of Yakuza Lounge as I walked up 30th just south of Killingsworth. The scene, when I entered Beast on a Saturday afternoon to meet with Naomi Pomeroy, was quite different from the one I experienced a month prior—when a dinner highlighted by more than just the incredibly tender duck breast, left an indelible and delicious mark on my food psyche. What I smelled outside—and now, even more so inside—was the lunch Naomi was preparing for her staff and her daughter as they prepped for that evening’s two seatings.
“You want some lunch?” Naomi asked me, over the fairly loud thump of KanYe West’s Monster (credit goes out to my Shazam app for that). Having just come from the Farmers Market at PSU, I politely declined. (“You just turned down Naomi Pomeroy asking you if she could make you lunch with the greens you saw her buying this morning at the market!” I thought to myself.)
“OK, it’s nothing major anyway,” as she proceeded to mix beautiful greens in a silver bowl, tossing some seasonings into the dressed mixture. Then she picked up a pan in which there appeared to be chicken, carefully placing pieces atop the five or six salads on her signature wood plating stage. At my home, that would be considered something quite special for lunch, no matter who made it. She handed her daughter a plate, left some for her staff, and brought her lunch over to me and excused herself for eating while we talked.
My first-hand knowledge of Naomi was limited to two visits to Beast. At dinner, I was surprised Naomi didn’t interact with her 26 patrons, other than to perhaps say, “Thank you for coming.” My palate had been sated completely, but I felt compelled to make eye contact with Naomi, so I introduced myself afterward and offered praise. She was quite gracious, and left me with a tiny dose of connection with the chef who had just presented one of the more interesting culinary experiences I’ve enjoyed in Portland—or anywhere. She is so focused that until she looks you in the eye, she might come off as a bit cold. But her smile and greenish-blue eyes melt though that.
I’d read about the former Naomi Hebberoy in food blogs and in the papers a few years back, not long after I had moved to Portland. Of course, there’s no dearth of information on Naomi now that her chef celebrity status has busted out beyond the confines of Portland and the Northwest. She’s appeared on both Iron Chef and Top Chef Masters in the past year. The most helpful and comprehensive background on Naomi’s career as a chef I could find came from Nancy Rommelmann’s engaging article, “Last Supper,” in Portland Monthly (2007). While you’re Googling Naomi Pomeroy, make sure to read that one.
The first question I posed to Naomi was about her spare time. She drew a blank. As she munched the crisp greens, she called over her daughter and asked her what they do in their spare time. August is 10, with blonde hair and an innocent but aware smile. “Cuddle,” she said, as she looked at her Mom with wide-open eyes. Naomi seemed pleased with the help and the answer. When I asked whether she wanted August to go into the business, she again deferred. August answered that she likes the business but she knows when (not if) she has kids she’d like to have a job where she could spend more time with her family. Naomi smiled.
Yeah.
So where did that come from?
I’m not very Portland. Most people think I’m from New York. Anywhere I go, most everyone would never guess that I was born and raised in Oregon. I love Portland and Oregon so much. But since I was a small child I would think, “What is everybody doing, like, hanging out, drinking beer on their porch—I mean, what’s going on here and why?” It’s nice that there’s that vibe here too, because it creates this quality of life were people aren’t totally insane. But what’s nice about it also is that for people who DO want to do something, and be powerful and make a mark, it makes it easier. The environment isn’t just competitive here in that way. So, I think when you do really stretch yourself and push yourself, it’s easier to shine here than it would be in a bigger city.
Were you driven as a kid?
Always. I had projects going on all the time, like play cooking projects, and I liked to work. My mom would put me to work in the kitchen, and that’s probably how I ended up here. But, I enjoyed working, and I always felt like I was wasting time when I was hanging out.
So then that carried you through to the start of your business career?
I started my first business when I was 22, just out of college. Started an underground catering company with my now ex-husband. I’ve noticed that even if I am not busy career-wise, I will pack my schedule full of different classes and outside things. I like to turn my own screws tight. It makes me do more. When I don’t have that, I feel like I’m not accomplishing enough.
But then, having a child filled a lot of that…
A lot of that got filled out with a child, for sure, for sure. But, to be honest, I happened to get the perfect child for me—in that she’s pretty independent and never really required too much watering, you know? She likes a lot of hugs, and I’m good for a lot of hugs. Other than that, she’s a really good kid, and we do our discipline quickly and efficiently. She’s not a teenager yet, but we’re doing well so far in terms of the balance of life. So, I don’t feel like I got as slowed down as a lot of people might having a kid.
When she was six weeks old, I went back to work and did my first catering event without my husband, who was doing something else at the time. I strapped her into a little front pack, and catered an event for 30 people for a Jim Beam photo shoot that happened during the day at Dante’s! So, I don’t like to pause too often, although, a little bit is really good.
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