At home in Oregon s Wine Country. Community Plate Interior Photo: Coral Van Zumwalt

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Ethan Hunt
6 years ago
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1 At home in Oregon s Wine Country. Community Plate Interior Photo: Coral Van Zumwalt

2 Community Plate Interior Andrea Carpenter, Service Lead Photo: Kali Martin

3 COMMUNITY PLATE McMinnville, Oregon COMMUNITY PLATE opened its doors in April of 2011 after six months of construction. Local woodworkers crafted every surface in the restaurant except the original wood floors of the historic building. As the medium of choice, recycled and repurposed wood sourced from area reclamation enthusiasts shapes the bar, shelving, front window counters, shiplap wall treatments and the massive communal tables that dominate the dining room. Casual counter service welcomes customers to order as they enter and the open kitchen keeps crew connected to patrons from ticket to pick-up at the opposite end of the restaurant. Breakfast and lunch menus served all day offer a broad selection of classic American fare: burger & fries, heritage pork hash, reuben, buttermilk pancakes. Ketchup, aioli and local berry jams are all made in-house as well as burger buns, focaccia, and ciabatta for sandwiches. Pork is smoked on-site, fries are hand-cut and corned-beef taken straight from the oven. An elaborate selection of pastries and baked goods entice from the very beginning, and tempt in easy to-go packages on the way out. Beverages hardly take a back seat. Annie s Bloody Mary or breakfast cocktails made with fresh squeezed juices ease post-party headaches and skillfully steamed lattes and cappuccinos offer equal comfort. Portland favorite Stumptown Coffee as well as McMinnville roaster Flag & Wire provide an impressive array of java options. Community Plate partners with local farmers and artisans who produce an abundance of riches from the fertile Willamette Valley. Menus change seasonally and weekend specials showcase freshly available meat, eggs, produce, cheese, honey and a long list of specialty products. The restaurant combines the quality and technique of a fine-dining prep-kitchen with near fast-food speed. The best part? The people. Certainly everyone behind the scenes and the counter makes every effort to create a comfortable and genuine experience for all. But the communal emphasis here encourages guests to be part of the family and, indeed, most use the restaurant as if it were their own kitchen, welcoming familiar faces at the door and stopping at tables to chat with friends. The toy box entertains little ones as parents unwind while business lunches take place aside committee meetings and weekly coffee klatches. Community Plate is a hub of hometown activity and whether you re a faithful regular or a visiting wine connoisseur, you re sure to feel at home.

4 SCOTT & COURTNEY CUNNINGHAM Proprietors SCOTT CUNNINGHAM brings 20 years of restaurant and fine dining expertise to Community Plate s leadership. He began as a professional brewer for Riverside Brewing Company in southern California, which quickly led to restaurant management at Pyramid Brewing Company. A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Cunningham s romance with the restaurant industry caught fire at E & O Trading Company, just a block from the city s bustling Union Square. He honed fine dining service at Oakland s renowned Olivetto and managed Restaurant Anzu at 4-star Hotel Nikko, also in downtown San Francisco. A chance getaway to the Willamette Valley eventually landed him on the opening team for The Painted Lady Restaurant, a multiaward winning restaurant in Oregon s wine country offering prix fixe menus and modified French service. After, Cunningham managed valley favorite The Dundee Bistro until 2010 when he struck out to undertake his own project, Community Plate, located on McMinnville s Third Street. COURTNEY CUNNINGHAM is a native Oregonian and a 15-year veteran of its wine industry. She began at Domaine Serene, managing their first tasting room but found ample opportunity there for putting a diverse skill set to work. Event management, national sales and packaging design/production created a broad résumé and she soon accepted a position as National Sales Manager at Lange Estate Winery in the famed Dundee Hills. In 2008, Courtney was hired by Napa winemaker and Etude Winery founder, Tony Soter, to manage a newly constructed hospitality building and infant direct sales program at his 245-acre Mineral Springs Ranch in Carlton, Oregon. Soter Vineyards is now her largest client, along with the Willamette Valley Wineries Association and a handful of others at her independent marketing and design company, Glint Creative. Together, Scott and Courtney are a force. Their love for the wine industry, the community of McMinnville, and for each other fuels a commitment to their craft neither have experienced prior. Brief periods of working for each other in their respective professions built an intense mutual respect that laid the foundation for Community Plate s success and continued growth. The Cunninghams recognize the Willamette Valley for what it is: a land of abundance and beauty, an award-winning growing region for new-world Pinot Noir and Oregon s next landing place for top culinary talent. Both feel privileged to be a part of an industry and community so dedicated to its own but mostly, they are grateful to call this place home.

5 Scott & Courtney Cunningham, Proprietors Photo: Kali Martin

6 Community Plate Grass-Fed Burger Photo: Coral Van Zumwalt

7 PRESS We like the Bacon, Lettuce and Beet sandwich at Community Plate. - Rachael Ray Magazine At McMinnville s Community Plate, the wine list is local, the food unpretentious and the grilled cheese divine. - Lettie Teague, The Wall Street Journal This sun-filled cafe is the spot to go to fuel your day with everything from biscuits and gravy to heritage pork hash. Breakfast and lunch are served all day meaning you can also get pancakes in the afternoon and mornay-enriched mac n cheese in the morning. - 8 Reasons to Drive to Oregon s Wine Country, Zagat.com A comfortable restaurant in downtown McMinnville with good vibes and old-school cookery. - Gerry Frank, The Oregonian 18 Restaurants in Oregon You Have to Visit Before You Die. - inyourstate.com Charming eatery with a life-changing Bloody Mary! - Yelp.com

8 CONTACT SCOTT CUNNINGHAM, Proprietor MEDIA INQUIRIES: COURTNEY CUNNINGHAM, Proprietress Facebook: Instagram: #communityplate High resolution images and logos: Please note photo credit in file name. COMMUNITY PLATE 315 NE Third Street McMinnville, OR communityplate.com CREW Jenna Hunter, Chef - jenna@communityplate.com Andrea Carpenter, Service Manager - andrea@communityplate.com Kelsey Ramer, Pastry Chef

9 Community Plate Pastries Photo: Kali Martin

WELCOME TO OUR TABLE. Artisanal Fresh Handcrafted Local Seasonal

WELCOME TO OUR TABLE. Artisanal Fresh Handcrafted Local Seasonal LIGHT BITES COURTYARD MARKET Specializing in gourmet hot dogs and sausages and other lunch selections. At Biltmore House. BAKE SHOP Enjoy freshly baked pastries, muffins, and gourmet coffee, or choose