Vivienne Culinary Books

Vivienne Culinary Books is an independent, woman-owned cookbook store on NE Alberta Street in Portland. The shop is set up like a friend's home, with a kitchen, dining room and library stocked with new, used and rare cookbooks, kitchenwares, linens and wine. It holds a 4.6 Google rating from 159 reviews.

Cooking classes here are called Book Workshops. Each one centers on a single cookbook the staff loves, such as Pasta Grannies, The Palestinian Table, Plantas or Ever-Green (Vegan) Vietnamese. The format is part class, part dinner party. The group cooks several recipes from the book, picks up fundamentals along the way, then sits down to eat together. You can take the book home if you want it.

The store also hosts evening author talks with conversation, audience Q&A and a book signing. It runs occasional tastings too, like a radicchio night with Lane Selman of Portland's Culinary Breeding Network. Private classes and parties are arranged by email.