Wooden Heart Kitchen Opens in Dundee

The husband-wife team Yvette and Ryan Clark purchased a 1964 Kenskill camp trailer in 2018 with the crazy idea of making it into a fully-operable mobile wood-fired kitchen.

Little did they know, that idea would flourish and expand as word spread about a trailer producing authentic wood-fired pizzas with airy dough, rustic flavors, and high-quality ingredients. Now, two and a half years after serving their first pizza, Wooden Heart Kitchen is welcoming the Newberg-Dundee community into their brick-and-mortar restaurant.

“We’re not nervous,” said co-owner Ryan Clark. “We understand what it’s like to be busy — we want it to be full and fast. Brick and mortar was our ultimate goal; having a place for the community to come together. No, we’re not nervous; we’re ready.”

Situated adjacent to the Dundee Hotel on Oregon Highway 99W, Wooden Heart Kitchen has been a fixture of the Mid-Willamette Valley food scene since March 2021, when they debuted their vintage trailer as a wood-fired pizza cart outside Mac Market in McMinnville, Oregon. The cart relocated to Furioso Vineyards in July 2021 and has remained there since.

“We owe the community so much,” Yvette said. “The support we received is unbelievable.”

Owner Ryan Clark was raised in Newberg; when he and his family moved to Dundee, it marked the furthest distance he had lived from town. He developed his love for pizza while working at the local Domino’s Pizza chain — a love that led him to contemplate operating a franchise himself.

However, he eventually shifted his focus to working in various restaurants around town, most recently at the Dundee Bistro. It was there that he met Yvette, who worked at the front of the house while Ryan worked in the kitchen. It was also where Ryan began honing the idea of crafting high-quality pizzas, from waking up early to mix and make dough, to the special touch that a wood-fired oven brings to any thin-crust pizza.

“The dough recipe reflects the depth of our passion,” remarked Wooden Heart Kitchen Head Chef Daniel Mondok. “The way Ryan meticulously crafted and perfected this recipe is truly remarkable. The result, emerging from the wood oven, is a dark and airy crust — it’s the best pizza crust I’ve ever had.”

Mondok has worked in several restaurants throughout wine country, including the same space now occupied by Wooden Heart, and he believes that what the Clarks are doing is truly exceptional.

“The handmade pizza, the homemade pasta — it’s a genuine example of American contemporary cuisine,” Mondok said. “We’re cooking with heart and cooking from the hip.”

Ryan added, “Our goal is to offer goodness, consistency, and comfort. We envision this as a lively community space, and our food mirrors that sentiment.”

The opening menu showcased four distinct pizza options, as well as an array of offerings ranging from chicken wings to calamari, seasonal salads, fish, pastas, sandwiches, and desserts.

“Serving guests at The Dundee Hotel, the Dundee community, and visitors to the wineries, we plan to maintain a diverse menu,” Yvette explained. Wooden Heart Kitchen shares a parking lot with Le Cadeau, Evening Land, The Dundee Wine Library, Cougar Crest, and North Valley Vineyards tasting rooms.

Moreover, while there are no guarantees, Yvette mentioned their intentions to introduce breakfast and brunch options in the future.

“I’m aware of the limited breakfast choices in town,” Yvette said. “We’d love to contribute to the local community by offering another breakfast option.”

Not to mention, it would provide the team an opportunity to showcase a truly unique recipe: breakfast pizza, featuring traditional breakfast ingredients with an egg cooked right on the pizza in the wood-fired oven.

“There are some exciting possibilities,” Yvette said. “We’re thrilled to share them with everyone.”

Wooden Heart Kitchen will open its doors to the public on Thursday, September 21. Operating hours will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday through Monday. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, with the outdoor area being dog-friendly. While Wooden Heart Kitchen has an initial staff in place, they are actively seeking additional members to join both the kitchen and front-of-house teams.

For more information, visit Wooden Heart Kitchen’s website: https://www.woodenheartfood.com/