Portland loves its meat, but that doesn’t stop Greg Perrault from executing his vegetable-centric vision of cuisine at his built-from-the-ground-up restaurant, June. And for Perrault, the journey from aspiring chef to restaurant owner and vegetable advocate (among a crowd of grunt-tastic Portland menus) all began with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from Washington State University. While he was there, Perrault worked for WSU catering for added practical training. After graduating in 2002, BA in hand, he headed straight for the St. Helena campus of The Culinary Institute of America for an advanced culinary arts certificate. While at the CIA, Perrault racked up work experience as a line cook in St. Helena’s restaurants, including Miramonte/Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen and Martini House.

Having worked in Washington and California, Perrault decided to give the East Coast a try. In 2004 he headed to New York as a line cook at Bouley and later as a sous chef at The Tasting Room, where he stayed for another two years. Heeding the call of Oregon’s rich produce, Perrault eventually left the Big Apple to work on farms outside of Portland. That knowledge of local produce proved pivotal when it came time for Perrault to build his own menu. He left the farms to head the pint-sized kitchen at Portland restaurant DOC, a year-long (and perfect) preparation in working in petite kitchen spaces with phenomenal local fruits and vegetables.

When it came time to open June, Perrault and his furniture-building partner Matthew Peterson built the business from scratch, using mostly refurbished materials. This is the kind of independent drive and faith in materials—from scrap wood to frikeh and black radishes—that fuels both the restaurant and Perrault’s cuisine.