Sousòl, the subterranean bar beneath celebrity chef Gregory Gourdet’s Kann, has officially opened with hot pink banquettes, dark green wallpaper and a pan-Caribbean menu of bar snacks and drinks.
As first reported by The Oregonian in May, Gourdet didn’t originally plan to add a bar beneath his long-awaited, instantly jammed Haitian restaurant Kann. But “the opportunity presented itself,” as he put it, and the team dove in, transforming a 2,700-square foot unfinished basement into a gorgeous hangout for pre- or post-meal celebrations.
Sousòl, the Haitian creole word for “basement,” draws inspiration from the cuisines of Haiti, Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Mexico and more, as well as “all the influences of those who migrated to those countries,” Gourdet said in June. That includes several dishes — salt cod fritters, beef patties, Trinidadian doubles — previously difficult to find in Portland.
Gourdet, who has been sober for 13 years, had a hand in developing the bar’s zero-proof drinks, highlighting Caribbean spices, syrups and fruit. Bar manager Andrew Embry’s full-proof menu takes a similar approach, pairing similar flavors with Caribbean rums and other spirits. The bar’s “Djon Djon Djin” blends rye, apple brandy, arak, cynar and Haitian black mushroom, while the “Warmer Winters” has a mix of agave spirits, pineapple, demerara and mint. Natural wines and craft beers, many from diverse producers, round out the beverage list.
Tia Vanich, Gourdet’s business partner, steered the project’s design, adding striking fuschia banquettes meant to be an “echo of the salon muse,” caned chairs and swiveling bar stools and wallpaper with dark greens, blacks and illustrated citrus trees. Vanich placed one art piece in the room — a portrait of the late painter Jean-Michel Basquiat (who also had Haitian roots) taken in Hana, Hawaii in 1984 by the photographer Paige Powell. Afro-Caribbean beats and East Coast hip hop pipes in through a KV2 Audio system, with occasional DJ sets and pop-in performances coming from Gourdet’s friends in the music industry.
And for folks who haven’t yet been able to get into Kann — which had full books even before it was named one of America’s best restaurants of 2022 by the New York Times last week — Sousòl could (eventually) offer an easier chance to try a taste of Gourdet’s food, without a reservation.
Take a look at a sample menu for Sousòl:
FOOD
CANDIED NUTS 9
black pepper, habanero, thyme
BUTTER LETTUCE 12
avocado, passion fruit dressing
PRAWN COCKTAIL 18
creole cocktail sauce
ACCRA 18
saltfish fritters, fermented pepper remoulade
TRINI-CHINESE CHICKEN WINGS 17
5 spice, ginger, soy, pineapple
DOUBLES 16
curried chickpeas in fried flatbread, tamarind chutney
BEEF PATTIE 16
scallion, chili, thyme, turmeric crust
MOJO MARINATED ROASTED PORK 17
oregano, cumin, citrus
GIZZADA 13
coconut tart, ginger, allspice, cinnamon ice cream
VANILLA ROASTED PINEAPPLE ICE 13
guava jelly, coconut cream, lime
Cocktails
BOOKMAN’S DRINK 15
crisp and subtly nutty; jamaican and haitian rums, cashew orgeat, clove, lime, creole bitters
PERSONALITY TEST 18
bright, creamy and peppery; raicilla, tequila, peppercorn cordial, grapefruit curd
GIN JOINT 15
floral and fresh; californian gin, hibiscus, mint, ginger, lime, soda
BANNER BEARER 15
vegetal and summery; white rum, aquavit, cucumber, ginger, tellicherry pepper
PLAY FOR KEEPS 17
tropical, playful and spiced; pineapple rum, passion fruit, orange, guava, allspice, falernum
WARMER WINTERS 16
nordic meets carribean; agave spirits, pineapple, opal, demerara, mint
VENUS IN FUR 17
seductive and layered; overproof bourbon, mamajuana, lemon, cane sugar
BWÈ ANMÈ 18
bitter, soft and rich; funky rum blend, campari, italian vermouth. aged in a whole coconut
MIDNIGHT SWIM 17
black, oceanic and elegant; gin, quinquina, nori, squid ink
COCO AND CO 16
spiced and intense; coconut-infused cognac, allspice dram, oloroso sherry
DJON DJON DJIN 15
strong and savory; rye, apple brandy, arak, cynar, haitian black mushroom
ZERO PROOF
FWI PASYON 12
Bright, tart, and fresh; passion fruit, spiced banana shrub, ginger
KONKONM 11
Crisp, vegetal and refreshing; cucumber, ginger-black pepper-lime syrup
CHOUBLAK 11
Round, floral and sweet; hibiscus, fresh mint, cane sugar
BETRAV 12
Earthy and spiced, with a rich froth; beet, dhos bittersweet cordial, cashew orgeat, aguafaba
Wine
PIERCE ‘HEDGROW’ RIESLING AND PEAR 15
2021
CHAGNOLEAU MACON-VILLAGES CHARDONNAY 18
2020
DISZNOKO DRY “INSPIRATION” TOKAJI 16
2018
BOW AND ARROW ‘AIR GUITAR’ CABERNET 18
2019
FORLONG TINTO 15
2019
CHO WINES PINOT NOIR 20
2019
16 ANTONIA MUNARI LAMBRUSCO 14
2021
ETHIC “PEAU À PEAU” VIN ORANGE
2021
Beer
WAYFINDER PILSNER 8
crisp, clean, refreshing (16 oz)
ASEEMBLY TROPICAL IPA 9
lightly bitter with notes of pineapple and pine (16 oz)
VON EBERT ‘ARBOREAL LIGHT’ 14
barrel aged sour with madarinquats and centennialquats (500ml
Visit Sousòl starting on Thursday at 226 S.E. Sixth Ave., just around the corner from the entrance to Kann; 503-702-1142; sousolbar.com
Read more:
Gregory Gourdet to open subterranean bar Sousòl beneath upcoming Kann
12 new restaurants we can’t wait to try this fall and winter (even if they don’t open until spring
Kann, ‘Top Chef’ star Gregory Gourdet’s first restaurant, to open in 2022
Gregory Gourdet sets magical scene with Haitian dishes served in yurts at Kann Winter Village
— Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com; @tdmrussell