King, Krieger: 30 years at the Refectory Restaurant | Portland Oregon newspaper MidCountyMemo.com



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30 years on the job

HEATHER HILL
FOR THE MID-COUNTY MEMO

This month we celebrate three thirty-year careers of service to our community. With dedication, hard work and commitment to quality, they have passed the test of time and earned our praise.

As always, we invite our readers to contact us with recommendations for outstanding companies or employees you think deserve credible mention in the Memo.

King, Krieger: 30 Years at the Refectory Restaurant

Friends and colleagues, Kitchen Manager Gary King, left, and Chef Curt Krieger have conceived and concocted the Refectory’s specialties for 30 years, sharing all but the first decade of this venerable restaurant’s 40-year history.

MEMO PHOTO: TIM CURRAN

he Refectory Restaurant, 1618 N.E. 122nd Ave., is nearing its 40-year anniversary and has no shortage of long-serving employees. Gary King, cook and kitchen manager has shared this kitchen for 30 years with his fellow in arms, Curt Krieger. Cook Craig Krieger, Curt’s brother, as well as General Manager Ed Olson are close behind with 20 years of service. Consequently, anniversaries pass with ambivalence here. The senior staff shirked it off as little more than a matter of attendance, which anyone in the restaurant business recognizes as a feat in itself. After much solicitation, Banquet Manager Pat Williams, with a meager 14 years under his belt, agreed (with King’s consent) to expound upon King’s 30-year tenure as King busied himself prepping in the background.

King entered the Refectory in September 1977 the way most great chefs begin their careers — as a dishwasher. He progressed by bussing tables, then moved on to the prep station and eventually worked his way up the line to run the day kitchen and banquets.

Though King and Krieger would understate their influence, Williams appraised King’s stabilizing effect, “He’s very dependable. He cares about putting out quality food.

“Always imaginative and very versatile,” Williams continued, “he can create anything a customer requests.” In the background, chef King’s voice rang out, “Did you tell her about my soups?” Yes, Williams had mentioned King’s way with soup, as well as noting that King’s inventions and daily specials often graduate to the main menu.

During King’s and Krieger’s careers, the Refectory has grown from a steak-and-potatoes family restaurant to a multi-faceted establishment serving a healthy variety of food to both the dining room and the masses assembling in the lounge for popular sports exhibitions. The banquet facilities, added in 1987, cater to groups celebrating their own milestones.

Williams credited the restaurant’s popularity to the fact that “when customers come in, they know they will get quality food at ample portions for a good value.” To account for employee longevity, Williams praised the open-armed ownership of Mitch and Cecile Stanley, as well as the fun atmosphere. “King likes it here because he has a lot of people he can talk fishing with.”