04/01/2026
I feel literally overwhelmed with gratitude for the fact that and Gado Gado have been named finalists again this year alongside so many people we admire so deeply.
It’s such a wild gift to have the opportunity to dream something up, share it with other people, and continue to grow it in ways you didn’t even give yourself permission to believe were possible.
It’s seriously something else to look back at the first time I ever laid eyes on our little strip mall space and see what it has become.
To our guests, thank you for your time and trust. To Portland, thank you for being the kind of city where taking risks and trying something new is celebrated. Most importantly, thank you to our team for showing up with your whole selves, for evolving with us, and for continuing to shape Gado into something more than we ever imagined it could be.
We’ve been finalists before but it truly hits different every single time because we are different every single time. I can confidently say, whatever happens, we are better today than we’ve ever been before and that brings me so much joy.
Go team Gado. Go Chef Tom. Go Portland. I love you all.
Also, since you’re still reading, free Palestine and F**k Ice forever and ever amen.
