BiteStory by Holly Hutchins
Photography by: Aaron Olson
Psychiatrists tell us to never take on more than one major life-changing event at a time, such as change jobs or buy a new home. But for Central Oregon restaurateurs Jerry Phaisavath and Elaine Larson, the winter of 2009 brought an avalanche of change; they closed their original Chloe restaurant in Redmond, opened a new Chloe on the Five Pine campus in Sisters, and started construction on a new home in Sisters. Moreover, just this fall they returned to Redmond with a second, new Chloe location in the former Canyons’ restaurant at the north end of town.
“Since I didn’t go insane this past winter with all that we had going on, I’ve decided I’ll never go insane,” Elaine Larson says with a nervous chuckle.
Admittedly, Jerry and Elaine have their hands full, but the seasoned husband-wife team seems to thrive on the challenge of bringing their version of New American cuisine to Central Oregon.
Their flagship Five Pine Chloe sets the standard for comfortable, informal dining at both locations. Executive chef Jerry divides his time between Sisters and Redmond, crafting a menu grounded in familiar American offerings, but influenced by a melting pot of cultural flavors.
Take Chloe’s coconut flan, for example. Begin with Jerry’s Laotian roots, add his extensive French cooking expertise, throw in a little spice, and the result is a classic fusion of Asian, French and Hispanic flavors. Other distinctive menu selections include lavender-marinated filet mignon, grilled vegetable Napoleon and seared halibut with grape-tomato relish. “This is our version of New American cuisine: still recognizable as American food, but so much more,” says Elaine.
Like many veteran restaurateurs, the journey to restaurant ownership for Jerry and Elaine was a circuitous one. Elaine is a native Oregonian, who grew up picking strawberries near her Mill City home and working in the woods. Her parents came from families that ran a bakery and a butcher shop. A University of Oregon English degree and an abbreviated U.S. Forest Service career eventually led to several restaurant industry jobs and, finally, to a server post at Black Butte Ranch, where she met Jerry, then executive chef.
Silisak “Jerry” Phaisavath, a native of Laos, moved to San Francisco at age 16 to get a business degree, hoping eventually to return to Laos. However, the 1974 Khmer Rouge government coup forced Jerry to seek political asylum in the U.S. A dishwasher job led to a cook position, followed by a degree from the California Culinary Academy and a subsequent successful career as a chef and private club manager in California and Oregon.
After meeting at Black Butte Ranch, Jerry and Elaine got married, and then left to pursue a joint dream of owning a small restaurant. The dream became reality in May 2007 with the opening of the original Chloe (named after Jerry’s first granddaughter) in Redmond.
Jerry and Elaine look at Chloe as a reflection of their life’s work. “Here, real people eat five-star food at reasonable prices in a comfortable setting, served by experienced servers,” Jerry explains. Comfort and informality are clearly present in both Chloe locations, which provide work for more than 40 employees, many of them second-generation servers.
Chloe at Five Pine includes a full bar, spacious outdoor seating under the pines, and catering for the 300-person Elda Teresa Conference Center. Chloe at North Redmond is more business-oriented with conference and banquet facilities, including a second deck with spectacular views of the Cascades.
