This is a longer one, but it really deserved it! This experience was like a New Years party in my mouth!
What a fantastic place to spend New Year’s Eve! After consistently seeing Clarklewis on every “Best Of” list and hearing people rave about the food (apparently the Chefs all have extensive PDX restaurant experience), we finally made reservations here for our NYE dinner.
The location of the restaurant is perfect – a wonderfully classy yet unpretentious building totally off the beaten path in inner SE. The décor was kept in the styling of its warehouse roots (exposed duct work, high ceilings, concrete, etc.) giving it a great spacious feeling. The kitchen is the first thing you see as you walk through the entrance and up into the restaurant. It is completely open so you can watch the Chefs cook in the infamous wood-fired hearth/rotisserie (everything is cooked in this manner). The dining tables are sleek with clean lines, adding further sophistication to the space.
We had reservations for 8pm and were seated immediately, even though we arrived 15 minutes early. The menu for the night was creative – the Chefs had some of their regular dishes, but they also brought back some of the most popular dishes from throughout the year. Each section of the menu was chosen meticulously, ensuring the menu did not get too lengthy. We decided to try something from each section, and here is what we decided on:
Round 1 – Starters: Braised pork cheeks with celery root puree, seared Artisan foie gras, cider and star anise jus. This was so tender and juicy I wanted to scream – couldn’t get enough.
Round 2 – Salads: Belgian Endive with dungeness crab, tart green apples, celery, crème fraiche and tarragon dressing and chives. The combination of the salty crab with the apples and creamy dressing was amazing…in some crazy way reminded us of a crazy modified Caesar.
Round 3 – Entrées (all I can add to these descriptions is that the meat was of the finest quality, and the sides were pure perfection):
1) Grilled Cattail Creek leg of lamb with, spicy Israeli couscous, saffron, heirloom carrot and feta salad with mint
2) Hearth-roasted Artisan duck breast with braised red cabbage, acorn squash, chestnut purée and pomegranate jus
Round 4 – Desert
1) Star anise and vanilla bean crème brûlée with warm gingerbread. In the Top 3 crème brûlée’s I have ever tasted – the flavors were distinct but not overwhelming.
2) Warm triple chocolate pudding with caramel swirl ice cream. Oh the decadence…this is every chocolate lovers dream!
Overall, this was truly a culinary experience to remember and was one of the best meals of my life. Every dish screamed fresh, and knowing that it was all locally sourced (and even what farm it came from in some instances) made me feel that much happier about our chose to patron Clarklewis. I will absolutely be back here as soon as I can, and I cannot spread the word about the quality of this establishment fast enough! BRAVO!
*Jayne
