![\"Bruce-Carey-Restaurateur](\"http:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Bruce-Carey.jpg\")
<\/a>There are few names in Portland more synonymous with good eating than Bruce Carey. After first landing on the Portland restaurant scene in the late-90s, Carey has gone on to develop a mini-empire, with five restaurants under his belt, from <\/span>Bluehour<\/span><\/a> to <\/span>Saucebox<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n And yet, Carey is so much more than the purveyor of Portland restaurant goodness. In fact, if you ask him, he isn\u2019t even the one that keeps the machine moving.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJoe, my business partner and life partner, does all the work keeping the restaurants humming,\u201d he says. \u201cI just show up and breeze through looking for things to complain about, or take credit when things are just right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Who would have thought that someone like Carey would have other interests? In fact, his other interests are primarily driven by the calm, family life he now leads.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJoe and I have made a family,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty conventional, really. The only difference is that this family has two dads. They are easily what\u2019s most important to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n So, how has building this family changed Carey?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s no longer about me,\u201d he responds. \u201cI have two kids now that have taken over. Now I actually have to watch the Superbowl instead of just the commercials.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n For being a high-flying Portland restaurateur, family life has even changed Carey in the kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m cooking less experimentally,\u201d he says. \u201cSticking with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and other dishes that you would consider \u2018Mom-Food\u2019, rather than the culinary journeys I used to take in my kitchen at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n One of the best things about living in Portland is how conducive it is to raising a family. And yet, as Carey explains, the City of Roses is not without its limitations.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPortland as a brand is a little bit troubling to me. If we push the \u2018Keep Portland Weird\u2019 ethos too hard it\u2019s bound to become clich\u00e9. Let\u2019s just keep doing our thing and stop trying to place our creative endeavors on a world stage,\u201d he recommends. <\/span><\/p>\n Still, Carey loves his city, and isn\u2019t ashamed to admit it.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I travel, however, I am struck with how manageable Portland is, relative to similar cities that have larger populations. And even though it\u2019s changing fast, I still think you get more bang for your buck here,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n And although Portland is changing and Carey has an empire to manage, he still finds time to revel in the simple things in life, the weird and off-the-wall things. After all, he is a Portlander, is he not?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy favorite object is something I found at a thrift store for four dollars years ago,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s a piece of turned wood that was painted a certain fifties green color you don\u2019t see anymore. It\u2019s thick, round, has three legs and serves no function whatsoever. I can\u2019t figure out what the craftsman who made it was thinking. I treat it like a piece of sculpture because it inspires curiosity,\u201d he finishes.<\/span><\/p>\n Fortunately, Carey\u2019s mark on Portland serves a very relevant function, serving up food that consistently inspires curiosity. He may be one of the most successful restaurateurs in Portland, but is still a <\/span>PDX Person<\/span><\/a>, through-and-through, making his mark in the city we all call home, and we are all better off for it. <\/span><\/p>\n