Doug Adams

The Woodsman Tavern

Born in Colorado and raised in Texas, Doug Adams got his start in the kitchens of Missoula, Montana before moving to Portland to attend the Western Culinary Institute (now Le Cordon Bleu). Adams launched his career in Portland at Lucier and helped acclaimed Chef Greg Denton open MetroVino before moving to the city’s iconic Paley’s Place. When Chef Vitaly Paley opened Imperial in 2012, Adams helped to launch the restaurant as Sous Chef before being tapped to lead the team as Chef de Cuisine in 2014. At Imperial, Adams’ creative energy and leadership – and, yes, fried chicken – landed him as a finalist on Season 12 of BRAVO’s Top Chef, earned him a nomination as a 2016 James Beard Award Rising Star, the title of 2015 Chef of the Year from Eater PDX and Imperial itself the distinction of 2015 Best Restaurant from the Willamette Week. Adams is opening of his first restaurant – Bullard – in downtown Portland in late summer 2018 and, while he readies the burners at Bullard, he’s keeping his hand in the Portland food game with a temporary residency at the Woodsman Tavern where fans are flocking not only for his famed chicken but also for his fried bologna sandwich, country ham plate and other mouthwatering dishes inspired by Southern classics.