Restaurant Management & Design | SRG | Sage Restaurant Group

The Original: Eat. Drink. Gather.

In the 1950s and 60s, diners and supper clubs were social hubs, gathering spaces that blended a bit nostalgia with the modern rhythms of daily life. The menus were comprised of the comfort foods brought to this country by the immigrants who shaped it, and were refined to satisfy contemporary tastes. The Original, Portland’s downtown destination for all-day dining, renews that spirit for the 21st century by serving up playful variations on the classic standards. Made from ingredients seasonal and local, and prepared with classic French techniques, our inspired menu of eclectic American cuisine takes on regional favorites and modifies them with flavors and textures unique to the Pacific Northwest. Traditional dishes, like Chicken Fried Steak and Beef Stroganoff, have been re-imagined, resulting in authentic meals that are as conceptually enjoyable as they are gratifying. So, settle into a spacious booth for a comforting brunch or a brisk business lunch. Stretch out in our plush retro-luxe banquette for an elegant dinner. Unwind at our candle-lit bar for that much deserved post-prandial nightcap. With an innovative and colorful menu of classic favorites in an atmosphere that’s stylish, sophisticated and cool, The Original honors the past as it listens in on the pulse of Portland’s adventurous and evolving tastes.

General Manager

Troy Christian

The Original Dinerant General Manager Troy Christian brings more than 20 years of restaurant and hospitality experience to lead The Original team. Troy has a deep entrepreneurial spirit as well as a passion for all things local – to be expected of someone with Portland roots. Later, his time in Tacoma, San Diego, and Sacramento built his appreciation for the art of service.

For Troy it started with the opening of a sidewalk café in downtown San Diego outside of then highly acclaimed Dakota Grill and Spirits. With a prime location in the burgeoning Gaslamp district of San Diego, Troy had a crucial hand in crafting a restaurant scene.

After three years with Dakota’s in San Diego, Troy relocated to misty Portland in 1996 and helped open the Alameda Brewhouse on NE Fremont, in the early days of NE coolness. Troy was the General Manager of Alameda Brewhouse for two years, at which time he joined Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group at Pazzo Ristorante in downtown Portland, where he escalated from Assistant General Manager to General Manager within one year.

With a well established name in the Portland restaurant scene, in 2002 Troy took on the task of opening the Tacoma, WA branch of El Gaucho. The opening was widely anticipated in the Tacoma market and allowed Troy to showcase his abilities as a marketing professional as well as a restaurant operator. Troy soared to new heights in Tacoma in 2005 when he took on a chef partner and opened Asado Cucina Argentina on trendy 6th Avenue. The immediate success of Asado led Troy’s team to open a second hit restaurant with Masa Comida Mexicana. Both were sold in 2008 and remain Tacoma favorites today.

Troy’s interest in local food blossomed in 2008 when he helped guide Grange Restaurant, a fine dining restaurant in Sacramento at the Citizen Hotel. At Grange Restaurant, Troy solidified his local passions with his first venture in farm to table dining.

After three plus years in Sacramento, Troy couldn’t resist the pull to return to Portland’s beloved food scene when an opportunity to join Sage Restaurant Group opened up at The Original Dinerant. Troy has witnessed the Portland culinary landscape undergo years of change and transition. He is thrilled to bring his entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to the craft of service to Portland, as he helps move The Original Dinerant even further into the future.