Gabriel Rucker

The Climb

At Santa Rosa Junior College, Gabriel Rucker built the base that later carried him through California kitchens through 2002, then into Portland, Oregon at Paley's Place from 2002. The progression continued at Colleen's Bistro in Portland, Oregon, where he served as head chef until 2007, before moving into ownership at Little Bird Bistro in Portland, Oregon. Since 2007, Le Pigeon has been under Gabriel Rucker's ownership, with Canard added in 2018.

Today

At Canard, Gabriel Rucker serves as owner. The foie gras profiteroles at Le Pigeon show the kind of long-running dish that defines a house line-up: foie in the pâte à choux, ice cream, and powdered sugar. Gabriel Rucker has described the build plainly: “I love the foie gras profiteroles at Le Pigeon, which we’ve had for a long time. We put foie in every component: the pâte a choux, the ice cream, the powdered sugar.”

Signature

Gabriel Rucker's signature dishes run through foie gras profiteroles, Buffalo Sweetbreads, chicken-fried pigeon, and pig tongue with apple barbecue sauce. The range points to a kitchen that works across offal, poultry, and composed sauces without flattening them into the same treatment.

In Their Words “I love the foie gras profiteroles at Le Pigeon, which we’ve had for a long time. We put foie in every component: the pâte a choux, the ice cream, the powdered sugar.”