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Chef Spotlight: Taylor Manning of Cafe Olli
As part of our ongoing series featuring great chefs, STEELPORT had the pleasure of visiting Cafe Olli, a beloved culinary destination where quality meets community. Our friend Taylor Manning welcomed us into his kitchen to share his passion for bread, craftsmanship, and the STEELPORT 10” Bread Knife—a tool he trusts to bring out the best in every artisan loaf.
Cafe Olli: A Haven for Thoughtful, Seasonally Driven Cuisine
Cafe Olli is more than a restaurant, it’s a warm, vibrant space where Italian-inspired cuisine is elevated through seasonality, scratch-made techniques, and a deep commitment to both quality and community. From morning pastries and coffee to wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas, every dish reflects the restaurant’s dedication to excellence. The space itself embodies a refined yet approachable elegance—cozy, yet undeniably elevated—making it a sought-after destination for food lovers. Cafe Olli is celebrated as one of the best places to dine in Portland by esteemed local and national publications, including The New York Times, Portland Monthly, Eater, The Oregonian, and Tasting Table, to name a few.
Beyond the menu, Cafe Olli is redefining restaurant culture. Their transparent, employee-first philosophy ensures every team member receives health insurance, PTO, and a stake in the restaurant’s success through an employee ownership trust. This ethos of care and collaboration is felt in every aspect of the dining experience.
To meet growing demand, Taylor and his team recently expanded, transforming the former bakery across the parking lot, into Ollini. “That’s gonna be like grab-and-go stuff. We’ll have case salads, sandwiches, all the bread, pastry, coffee. So when it gets busy over here for say a Saturday/Sunday brunch that’s somewhere you can easily pop in, grab your loaf, and then go about your day,” Taylor explains. Looking ahead, the space will evolve into an intimate wine bar, offering thoughtfully curated selections alongside oysters, olives, and small bites—“a really cute, small space” designed for effortless indulgence.
A Chef’s Journey: From Pasta in Tuscany to Bread in Portland
Taylor was born and raised in Florida, but his culinary journey began in North Carolina, working in his uncle’s restaurant. Craving a deeper understanding of technique, he moved to New York to study at the International Culinary Center’s Italian Immersion program, refining his skills in both New York City and Tuscany. It was in one of New York’s acclaimed kitchens that he met his future business and life partner, Siobhan Speirits. With Taylor’s expertise in pasta and Siobhan’s devotion to bread and pastry, the dream of Cafe Olli began to take shape.
The STEELPORT Bread Knife: Performance in Motion
When we arrived, Taylor already had his STEELPORT 10” Bread Knife in hand, putting it through its paces.
“The weight of it is really nice. This is a fresh loaf that was baked this morning, it’s still even warm to the touch, and having something that is heavy enough to go all the way through without getting stuck to the crumb is really important for us,” he says.
Gesturing toward a rack of golden baguettes, he continues: “This is really good for baguettes too. Baguettes have a really crispy exterior, so we’re able to cut through something that’s really crunchy without smashing it and ruining the integrity of the crumb on the inside.”
As he expertly slices through a variety of loaves, he notes the superior design: “The serrated edge seems a little bit deeper than some other serrated knives that I’ve had too. That really helps with that original first cut, right there [through the crust].”
We couldn’t help but ask about the stunning loaves in front of us.
What kind of bread is that?
“Our Every Day loaf is what we call it, it’s a sourdough country loaf.” Continuing on about the virtues of the STEELPORT Bread Knife, “It’s great to have a longer knife for this particular bread! These are day-old loaves that we use for ricotta toast or salmon toast or something like that, so we need to be able to use the full knife and go all the way through the bread to get a really nice toast slice.”
What’s the best way to store a loaf of bread to enjoy later? Any tips for reviving day-old bread?
“Honestly, you could stick them in your freezer. Pull it out, let it thaw. Turn your oven, if you have the convection setting – use that, spritz the bread with a little bit of water to rehydrate it a little bit. Then convection bake it at 400 for about 4-6 minutes (it depends on your oven). It really brings the crust back.”
Beyond bread, Taylor also finds the STEELPORT Bread Knife to be an invaluable tool for tougher ingredients:
“It’s very ergonomical and it fits in your hand really well. It’s definitely really comfortable. I would use this knife for other prep projects throughout the day because of how well it cuts through things. Especially when we’re thinking of fall and winter veg, something like a delicata squash, this serrated knife works really well because it really cuts through that thick skin that it has on there.”
Whether you’re effortlessly slicing through a freshly baked loaf like Taylor or tackling heartier seasonal produce, the STEELPORT 10” Bread Knife is an essential tool in any refined kitchen.
And if, like us, you’re now craving exceptional bread, we highly recommend stopping by Cafe Olli for one of their celebrated salmon toasts—or picking up a perfectly crusty loaf from Ollini to enjoy at home.
