Our story
A small kitchen, one wood-burning oven and a simple idea: cook honest Mediterranean food with the best of what Oregon grows.
From a market stall to Division Street.
Ember & Olive began as a weekend flatbread stall at the Portland Farmers Market, with a trailer-mounted oven and a line that stretched past the flower stands.
The farmers we bought from became friends, and their produce shaped the menu. In 2019 we found a former bakery on SE Division Street, rebuilt its brick oven and opened the doors. Today the oven still runs every night and the same farms still deliver to our back door.
Chef Mateo Ruiz
Raised between Valencia and the Oregon coast, Mateo trained in Barcelona and San Francisco before returning to Portland to cook the food he grew up with.
"I want every plate to taste like the fire and the farm it came from. Nothing more complicated than that."
His menu changes every few weeks, following the harvest from spring asparagus to autumn squash and winter citrus.
Three things we never compromise on
Local first
About 80% of our produce comes from farms within 100 miles. We pay fair prices and buy whole harvests, not just the pretty pieces.
Real fire
No gas, no shortcuts. Every dish passes through our oak-fired oven or grill, which is why the menu tastes the way it does.
A table for everyone
Plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, a kids' menu on Sundays and a room that's step-free and wheelchair accessible.
The room, the food, the people
Come and taste it for yourself
We'd love to cook for you. Book a table or ask us about hosting your next celebration.
Book a table