At the recent 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards, Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland, OR, was named the country’s top Rising Star. Three and a half years earlier, Restaurant Hospitality declared him a Rising Star. Back then he said nothing was more important to him than “amazing his customers with the unexpected.” Clearly, nothing has changed. Rucker is still dazzling his customers at the funky, bistroish Le Pigeon. To read what we wrote about him then, click on the link.