Parallel—a new wine bar in the Kerns neighborhood of Portland, Ore.—is challenging the traditional approach to food and wine pairing. Opened last summer, the 2025 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner is the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo chef Joey Gibson and wine director Stacey Gibson. (As Parallel is a full family affair, their daughter jokingly holds the title of “chief of kids’ menu development.”) The interior evokes golden hour vibes with soft brown leather couches, warm wood and touches of blue and gold, both cozy and inviting.
Parallel’s signature is its “reverse pairing” philosophy—Stacey picks a wine, then Joey designs a dish to match. “We like to flip the traditional order of things: The wine comes first, and the food follows,” Stacey told Wine Spectator via email. “Instead of reaching for the safe or expected pairing, we dig into what makes a wine special and build a food experience around that. It creates harmony, but also a little surprise for the guest.”
The dinner and dessert menus list the wines that inspired each dish, encouraging guests to enjoy both together or choose their own wine by the bottle or glass. One standout pairing showcases the Tolaini Toscana Al Passo (a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet) with pork meatballs, polenta and Lunetta’s garlic marinara—a tribute to the New York City restaurant where the couple met. There is also a mushroom raviolo al uovo with porcini brodo, parmigiano and microgreens based on a Belle Pente Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and a watermelon salad with pork belly and basil inspired by a Landmass Two Sides Rosé (which blends Pinot Noir from the Washington side of Columbia Gorge and Tempranillo from the Oregon side of the appellation).
The wine program is ambitious, but straightforward: 95 selections with 12 wines by the glass and three wine flights: a Sherry flight, a blind tasting flight and a themed flight. The list highlights local Oregon wines, such as Eyrie Vineyards, Penner-Ash and Ridgecrest, but also a diverse smattering of global options, including Château Musar from Lebanon and R. López de Heredia from Spain. Beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic choices are also available.
Alongside the wine-inspired small plates, guests can order cheese, charcuterie or fish boards, which offer house-smoked trout, tinned mussels and anchovies. Each dish at Parallel is designed with intention, but there’s no rigid rulebook for what cuisine they stick to, providing Portland’s wine lovers with a fun way to approach pairing.
Gibson’s wine selections reflect her eco-consciousness and her own values. “I gravitate toward growers who farm organically or biodynamically, people deeply tied to their land,” she says.
Parallel also reaches guests at home with two wine clubs: A $55 monthly club offering two hand-picked bottles, and a $425 quarterly Champagne club featuring six grower Champagnes. “The wine club grew organically out of our guests’ curiosity,” explains Gibson. “People would taste something unexpected and ask: ‘How can I keep exploring this at home?’ We wanted to extend the conversation and give people a deeper, more personal entry point into the wines we love.”
Dining at Parallel in Portland, Oregon
Award of Excellence
Hours of operation: Wednesday through Saturday, 4 pm–10 pm, Sunday 4 pm–9 pm
Happy hour: 4 pm–6 pm
Address: 3101 NE Sandy Boulevard, Portland, Ore.
Phone: (917) 339-3143
Website: parallelpdx.com
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