Doug Adams

Doug Adams is the Chef de Cuisine of Imperial and Portland Penny Diner, James Beard Award-winning Chef Vitaly Paley’s renowned restaurants in Portland, Oregon. Adams is a chef full of creative energy, and his career path reflects his insatiable drive to cook and cook well. Growing up in Tyler, Texas, Adams spent time in Missoula, Montana, and eventually moved to Portland in 2008, where he attended Western Culinary Institute (now Le Cordon Bleu) and first worked at Lucier restaurant on Portland’s South Waterfront. With determination and skill, Adams quickly moved on to work for James Beard Award-winner Andy Ricker of Pok Pok and recent Food & Wine Best New Chef Gregory Denton, then of Metrovino (now Ox). In 2011, Adams began working under Paley’s mentorship and tutelage at Paley’s Place, and in 2012, after Paley opened Imperial and Portland Penny Diner, Adams was promoted to Sous Chef at both restaurants. Being included on the opening team at Imperial is one of the accomplishments Adams is most proud of in his career thus far.  Adams has put his drive to good use under Paley’s leadership, recently selected as the first featured chef for Culinaria, a new dinner series that aims to bridge the gap between food and art lovers. In 2013, Adams won a competition leading up to the famed Wild About Game event along with fellow Imperial chefs. In his spare time, Adams enjoys playing the bluegrass guitar, fly fishing and exploring the incredible ingredients of the Pacific Northwest.