Arkansas native and Portland restaurateur, Ethan Powell, shares his Creole cuisine with the Razorbacks basketball team while they’re in town for the NCAA tournament.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Ethan Powell grew up like many in the state of Arkansas — in a part of the state that’s known for being “twice as nice.”
“I remember calling the Hogs when I was four or five years old,” Powell said. “My dad, all my family, cousins, friends, everybody called the Hogs, have been doing it now for 48 years.”
After moving to New York City in the early 2000s for culinary school, Powell landed in Portland, Oregon, where he started his own restaurant — an oyster bar with a Creole twist called “Eat: An Oyster Bar.”
“Being from Texarkana, you’re kind of on the border of Louisiana and Texas,” Powell explained. “So there was a lot of southern food, obviously, but also Louisiana-style Cajun Creole food. Portland didn’t really have much of that.”
For years, he had kept up the Razorbacks despite being so far away from home. So he decided he’d reach out to the team to try some of his food while they were in town for the NCAA tournament.
“I was talking to my wife, and I was like, ‘What if I just sent an email and see if they wanted to try some of my food,” he shared.
So, he decided to reach out.
Powell got a call back on Thursday night, granting his request and asking him to bring the team food on Friday after their practice.
“It was an honor of mine, I thought it was awesome,” Powell said. “I got to see Coach Cal, just getting them fed and ready for tomorrow, it was an experience I’ve never had, and I will always remember that for sure.”
And beyond feeding the team, Powell has a special deal for any Razorback fans who might be in the area to watch Arkansas play.
“If you wear Hog gear, you get a free drink on us,” Powell said.
Hopefully, Hog fans can take advantage of that deal come Saturday night, when they face off against High Point at 8:45 CST, with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.
