Riyadh's might be decent if you were literally right in the area (say shopping at the awesome Lounge Lizard vintage shop next door!) and all the sudden realized you wanted Middle-Eastern for lunch. Old-school moderate design, no frills, just a low-key place to grab some food.
We ordered the lamb and lamb/chicken combo mezza plates, and they came out relatively quickly, with friendly service. There was not a lot of meat served with the dishes, which was great for me, but 4 pieces of lamb seems a bit light? The hummus/baba ghannouj/tabbouleh were all amazing though. Totally fresh and in healthy portions. The falafel was unfortunately hard and dry, and in very small pieces. The lamb was fattier than I would have liked, but my boyfriend seemed to enjoy his chicken.
The biggest downfall at Riyadh’s is that they use store bought bread. The bread at Middle-Eastern restaurants is key, and should be homemade, thin and delicious, served piping hot. Instead the bread here is just thick white bread in a circle form, served luke warm.
On the upside, this place is cheap, so it would definitely fill the need for an inexpensive dinner for some. All in all, Riyadh's is just not nearly as authentic as I would have liked, and what I have come to expect from some fantastic Portland Middle-Eastern restaurants. I say skip it.
Le Hana would be a great spot to catch your weeknight sushi fix in the South Waterfront area if they at least made decent sushi, but they don’t! What gets people in the door, and I guess coming back because there were plenty of tables full on a Tuesday night, is the ½ price sushi deal. As long as you order one drink/person, every roll on the menu is ½ off. Seems like a sweet deal…but there is nothing good about these rolls – not the quality of ingredients, taste or texture. Overall, the rolls were mainly rice, which would did not even stick together. They fell apart in the soy sauce – ugh.
We ordered:
Drinks:
Draft Sapporo and Pinot Noir - Decent pricing on beers, not on wine.
Starters:
Miso – The best thing we ate, however, it is served in wooden bowls. Since you eat directly from the bowl, I wondered how clean wood would get in the dishwasher, and how many people put their lips on them (the wood was cracking in places). Seemed a bit unsanitary…I wished for glassware at that moment!
Rolls:
Rainbow – So the taste/smell of this roll was so fishy I almost got sick at the table. Something was just not right here.
Spider – Nothing mentioned about being fried in the menu, yet it came with fried crab in the center. Huge disappointment.
Spicy Salmon – lifeless, no flavor.
Pickled Radish – mini-rolls, served in just the seaweed, no rice on the outside. Probably your safest bet at this place.
Needless to say I won’t be back, I don’t care what deals they offer.
Another great night out in Portland! This time we headed out in my neighborhood, Northwest Portland, for some serious eating and drinking adventures.
First Stop: Tanuki
Just to be clear, Tanuki is a Japanese BAR that just happens to serve amazing food, it is not a restaurant. If you are looking for a typical Japanese restaurant, look elsewhere. Tanuki is extremely small and intimate, with minimal tables, some seating at the bar, and 6 stools at a counter in the front window. Low-key Japanese decorations (hanging lanterns, real (gasp!) chopsticks) in Asian pottery complete the laid-back, warm atmosphere.
We arrived at 7pm on a Saturday night, and I was afraid we were going to meet a huge crowd. To my delight, we were seated in the window stools immediately (which were my preference anyway). The concept here is great - everything centers around drinking. You order food to accent the drinks – so perfect! We decided to start with some hot house Sake (very smooth) and some Asahi beer (a full Liter for $7!). Now for food…oh the menu! I guess it changes all the time, but it is quite a long list of superb Japanese delights. It is organized into different sections, including Saki, Drinking Snacks, Stuff on Sticks, and Plates.
We tried as much as possible, and here is the rundown:
Drinking Snacks:
Oshinko ~ Japanese & Korean pickles. Fresh blend of 5 different types of pickles, all described by the waitress as they were delivered. Perfect with the Asahi!
Myulchi bokke ~ wokked sweet&spicy dried anchovies. These were simply just not good, not in taste or texture. Skip them.
Ojingohchae bokke ~ wokked spicy seasoned dried squid. These went oh so well with our Sake! An amazing drinking snack indeed.
Lap cheong ~ griddled cured Chinese sausage w/housemade HOT fermented mustard. This dish had loads of potential, and the sausage was quite interesting. The sauce, however, was not HOT as stated, and really did nothing to compliment the meat.
Plates:
Wakame-su ~ mixed seaweed salad w/cucumber, lotus & special vinegar sauce. A light and refreshing option in between the wonderful meat dishes we ordered.
Oysters ~ 4 Kusshi oysters on the half w/kimchi shave ice. What else could possibly go better with beer and sake?
Niku dango ~ wild boar meatballs simmered in sweet shoyu bbq sauce. Seriously, we got done eating this and said it was the best $6 we had ever spent in our lives – MUST order.
On top of providing a wonderful atmosphere, food and drinks, Tanuki is reasonable priced – woo hoo! They also have a MEAN Happy Hour from what I was reading, as well as Daily Specials (some you can see on their website).
This was a great night out. Inventive, well-crafted Japanese food served with flare and with PLENTY of drinks. I absolutely loved this place, and I can’t wait to go back for more!
Next Up: M Bar
So if you do dinner and drinks at Tanuki, you really must stop in next door at M Bar. This has to be Portland’s smallest bar, and that is exactly why I have been wanting to check it out. It has maybe 4 tables and some window seats, an extremely small bar with one bartender (I would assume the Owner as well), and one bathroom (which oddly enough is ½ the size of the bar, lol). The place was full but not packed when we got there around 9pm on a Saturday night, and we grabbed a small high-top table. Enjoyed a pint of local HUB Lager and people watched for a bit. This is a good place to grab a beer with a friend, chat without needing to scream, and just have a nice time. I am hoping they throw some seats outside when the Summer comes around…
And Finally: Bar Mingo
What a great concept, design and execution of delicious food and drinks in the perfect upscale location of Nob Hill. Not surprising coming from the Owner of the renowned Café Mingo next door, but still to be noted. We stopped in during an adventure down 21st, and it was the perfect ending to our night. We scored a great corner lounge table on a comfy couch, so I was happy right away! The place was full with an energetic, eclectic blend of patrons: first dates, long-time married couples, young single groups, families – it was great to see.
Bar Mingo has a great cocktail list (go figure, right?). After studying it over, I have NO idea why, but I decided on the Caprese Cocktail (house infused sun-dried tomato and basil gin, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, shaken and served up with a salt and pepper rim. As featured in Portland Monthly). Now, while I fully appreciate the originality of this drink, I did not care for the taste of it at all. I felt like I should be eating it, not drinking it (I should note that that my waitress took it off the bill without me even making so much as a face about it, she noticed I only took a couple sips and then ordered something else. I thought that was a very nice gesture, and we tipped her accordingly). Anyway, next time I am going for the Gin Blossom cocktail.
For an Antipasti, we did the “Cheese,” which was assorted cheeses with wildflower honey and fig salami. Yep, fig salami! Heaven is what this plate was, sweet salami smothered with creamy, salty cheese and all topped on fresh Italian bread. Just thinking of it makes me crave it again.
Now for the most important part of any meal…Dolce! We had the Prolifiteroles filled with gelato and drizzled with warm chocolate sauce. One of the best deserts I have experienced in Portland, and perfectly portioned (two small prolifiteroles/order). I enjoyed every last bite of the warm and cold mixtures and highly recommend this desert to anyone!
Bar Mingo is a relaxed environment to have drinks, Happy Hour or desert without the standard wait at the other near-by restaurants like Café Mingo, Serrato and Lucy’s. So glad this place is in my neighborhood!
I love that Lorenzo’s remains relatively under the radar. Mississippi street has some of my favorite spots in Portland, and we have passed this restaurant a million times, yet never really gave it a second thought. I was so pleasantly surprised by this place, and I am so excited we decided to give it a try.
I enjoyed almost every aspect of the restaurant. The space is smaller, but the building is a converted warehouse, so the vaulted ceilings lend a fantastic open feeling. There are various sizes of tables to accommodate any number of dinner party, as well as a separate area in front of the bar where you can dine “living-room style,” complete with plush couches and a small center table (four women were actually sitting on the floor around the table enjoying their dinners and chatting the night away when we were in, adding to the warm ambiance). We arrived around 7pm on a Friday night, and were promptly greeted. The restaurant was full, but we were the first in line for the next table. We headed to the adorable bar in the back of the restaurant (6 bar stools) and ordered a much-appreciated reasonably price bottle of Chianti for $18 (try finding that at many other decent Portland restaurants). The vibe inside is totally homey and relaxed, and you feel completely comfortable. Italian-inspired postcards are scattered underneath the simple glass-top tables throughout the dining area, covering the traditional red/white checkered Italian tablecloths. After roughly 20-30 minutes we were seated at a small table next to the bar. Water was cleverly served in recycled wine bottles, and the complimentary bread baskets contained pieces of two types of fresh Italian loaves. After reading all the wonderful reviews from other Yelpers, it was hard to decide what to order, but here is how we ended up:
Antipasti:
Antipasti della Casa - marinated olives, roasted mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, pickled cipollini onions, fresh mozzarella, mortadella, & cannellini bean puree. This was a nice size starter plate to enjoy with our wine…the sundried tomatoes made the dish!
Primi e Secondi:
1) Grilled Layered Chicken & Eggplant Parmesan served on top of garlic bruschetta. What I loved about this dish was that it was not your typical pound of chicken and cheese, soaked in breading and oil. This was a nice size organic chicken breast, served on top of tender eggplant, all layered on a nice piece of crunchy bruschetta. Texture heaven!
2) Penne Puttanesca with capers, olives, garlic, anchovies & onions in a spicy tomato sauce. What a great blend of flavors this was, with a nice little kick in the aftertaste. The sauce was light and the dish was filled with veggies.
Desert:
We asked the server how large the portions were because they were so cheap ($3 for tiramisu!, $4 for many others), and she said very small. In actuality, splitting one tiramisu would have been the perfect end to our large Italian meal. However, we also ordered a piece of the chocolate cake…god forbid we not get enough sweet stuff!
1) Tiramisu – Creamier than usual, perfectly layered, flavors balanced – delicious!
2) Chocolate cake – Rich, luscious chocolate cake with slivers of chocolate crème down the center – need I say more? Chocoholics beware!
3) Drip Coffee – Bold taste and the exact match for these Italian treats.
The service was less than exceptional, but by no means rude. I think they were just trying to turn tables, but you should never try to pull plates from people that are clearly still working on and enjoying their meals, it was a bit annoying. The portions here are great, of course more than you need, but not too much to leave you feeling incapacitated at the end of the meal.
This is the perfect place for a reasonably priced (yet impressive) date, or to take those family members who would be uncomfortable at some Portland’s more upscale Italian establishments. It will satisfy everyone, without a doubt. This is our new go-to Italian, for now :)*Jayne
There is something to be said about the seemingly everlasting dreariness of a Northwest winter. What better way to combat it than some good ole’ fashioned home cooking? And by “good ole’ fashioned” I mean completely organic and totally healthy…haha. For weeks now Jayne has been mentioning that she was craving chili. The time has come to oblige Jayne’s food craving. The elements have finally aligned, allowing me to begin my voyage into the world of chili: A quintessential dreary Oregonian January day, the urge to cook something tasty, and actually having a day off to do it right. Here we go…
Being that it is my first attempt ever making chili, I very diligently looked to the Mecca of cooking recipes: the internet. I discovered quickly that the internet was a terrible place to look for a recipe of this sort. The people who make amazing, mouth-watering chili are not famous chefs, don’t use cookbooks, and very unlikely have sissy food blogs. They are too busy going to car shows, football games, elk hunts, and construction sites. You know, doing man things. There is a culture that surrounds it based on competition, good recipes are inherited as something of value, not something cast around with reckless abandon on something as open as the internet. Sure there is some Rachael Ray version I am sure somewhere to be found, but there is no character in that. In essence it is not what I wanted, and can be assured that it is certainly not what Jayne wants. We want the good stuff, the real deal. So in other words I am left to my own devices. I must leave the beaten path and create my own chili recipe, something that I can tweak, and tout, and someday pass down to God knows who.
I began by thinking of all the characteristics of what I enjoy in a good chili and what it will take to create this from scratch. Perhaps it is the way we are socialized, but for some obscure reason chili to me is masculine (as previously alluded). Its flavor should reflect this feeling; chili should be strong, distinct, bold, and quite spicy. That being said, the first ingredient that came to my head was whisky. Not just any whisky, Crown Royal Canadian whisky. The smooth yet crisp flavor of smoke and maple would be the perfect start to my stock. Being Latino I know my way around a chili or two. I decided that I would use dried California and Ancho chilies for the right amount of heat, and throw in a few seedless fresh jalapenos for a fresher chili flavor. Being that absolutely no ambition of ever entering a chili cook-off, or any type of cook-off for that matter, I will list my recipe below. I must say that for a first attempt I hit the nail on the head. What is listed below is a killer, ultra-healthy chili that will brighten any dreary day that Oregon decides to throw at us. I recommend that you serve it with cornbread and wash it down with an amazing bottle of red wine, as Jayne and I did. I hope that you enjoy!
The ingredients:
20 oz Fresh Ground Turkey Breast
5 Medium Tomatoes on the vine (diced)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
5 stalks celery (diced)
3 seeded large jalapenos (diced)
2 dried California chilies (finely chopped)
1 dried Ancho chili (finely chopped)
1 medium brown onion (chopped)
2 15oz cans pinto beans
1 15 oz can red kidney beans
1 cup Canadian Whiskey
1/8 cup flour
½ tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 tablespoon paprika
½ tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cube chicken bullion
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese (shredded)
The directions:
1) In crock-pot mix whisky, tomatoes, bell pepper, bullion, celery, chilies, ½ onion, beans, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and oregano and turn heat to high.
2) In a large non-stick skillet put in olive oil and turn to a medium heat. Once oil is hot put the other ½ of the onion in and sauté till onions starts browning. Once browning put in all of the ground turkey and season with the cayenne pepper. Continue cooking on a medium heat until turkey is completely cooked. Because of the extremely low fat content of turkey breast, it is necessary to continually stir the skillet in order to not burn the turkey because it is only being cooked by the pan, not by any grease or oils.
3) Once the turkey is cooked empty the contents of the pan into the crock pot, and continue cooking on high until it reaches a boil. This will take anywhere from 35 minutes to 1 hour. Once boiling, add flour until it reaches an appropriate consistency and then turn croc-pot to the low heat setting. Cook for at least 8 hours stirring every hour or so if needed. Serve into bowls, sprinkle top with shredded cheese and enjoy.
The Chef Naoko Bento Café is a true gem…in fact just writing this makes me crave it again! By far one of the best lunches I have ever had, not only in Portland, but anywhere. The restaurant is located in the unsuspecting row of mediocre places located at 12th/Jefferson. It has a tiny storefront, and the interior has roughly 6 small metal tables and some counter seating that faces the street. The walls are painted a calming green, with some scattered pictures/information about Chef Naoko. She has specialized in organic and natural cuisine in her home country of Japan since 1976, and has now started her US Corporation in Portland (she also handles catering, consulting and cafeteria management services).
The menu is simple and traditional, and includes tofu, poultry and meat dishes. They have daily specials as well, all highlighting seasonal items. The food here was impeccably fresh, locally-sourced, and prepared with the utmost care. They clearly take pride in every item served, and orders are perfectly presented in wooden trays which hold smaller glass bowls containing each of your included menu items (protein, rice, salad, tofu piece, and desert). We chose the Farmers Chicken Bento (grilled chicken and seasonal vegetables with house tomato sauce) and the Umi Fish Ginger Bento (grilled wild salmon with house ginger teriyaki sauce). Both were literally melt in your mouth amazing, with the house made sauces stealing the scene. Portions were enough to put you into the happiest food comma ever, yet not leave you immobile.
It should to be noted that Chef Naoko is SO good, she only needs to be open from 11am-3:30pm, Tues-Sat. Plan accordingly; you absolutely cannot let another week go by without trying this wonderful establishment.
The server/cook was very sweet, making sure to clear our trays and graciously asking how our meal was. My guess is that she knows her regulars and was interested to see what her new patrons thought. At a cost of $6.75-15/meal, this is amazingly reasonable for the quality of food you receive. We left feeling full of wonderfully healthy food, and talking about when we could return.
See review from the last time I went below, but Apizza Scholls is infamous in Portland, and has some of the best pizza I have ever had in my life. Armando, Kyle and I spent the perfect rainy Friday evening drinking Anchor Steam and munching on a ridiculous blend of pizzas (you have to check out the website for full descriptions): Coastal, Apizza Amore and Pig and Pineapple. AMAZING!
Apizza Scholls – visited 11/25/09 w/my Mom
Apizza Scholls, you steal my heart every time! Finally I get to write a review to prove my deep appreciation for this wonderful establishment. Some people may complain about the standard wait for a table here, or the fact that they close when they run out of dough, but for me it just adds to the experience and anticipation. I love to enjoy one of the many beers offered and watch from the window benches as the hoards of hungry people chow on their pizzas.
There is nothing new that I can say about this pizza, but I will state the obvious: handmade dough, the freshest ingredients, crafted with care. The crust is always a slightly soft/crunchy blend, and never too thick. Toppings are always generous. Service is not something they focus on based on the volume of people that come through, but the staff is always friendly when you catch them in conversation. The owners are always running around somewhere, and truly run the business as a hands-on operation.
I love this place so much I didn’t even care when they completely botched our order last night. We ordered a ½ margherita, ½ sausage/onion/pepper pizza, but were served an entire sausage/onion/pepper pizza. Bummer because my mom isn’t the biggest meat fan to get so much of it. The server offered to cook us another, but after already waiting 35 mins already, we were starving and just dug in. Hopefully us being so nice about it will bring good food karma in the future!
Apizza is a bit pricy, but the food and comfortable atmosphere worth every penny. I do wish they would open the back patio to the public for the Summer…it looks so cute! If any of you have seen the Anthony Bordain Portland episode from a few years back, you know what I am talking about.
Again and again, Apizza is my go-to for consistent, delicious pizza!
It’s always great when a fun new place opens up right in your neighborhood, especially when that place serves solid sandwiches. Melt is getting much deserved praise from my fellow Yelpers, and I am officially on the bandwagon. It is a small, comfy place with maybe 8 tables, some window seats, and a few bar stools. Some colorful lights greet you on the exterior of the building, and inside is an eclectic blend of modern touches.
They have a great menu of 10 sandwiches, making it almost impossible to choose between them (pulled pork, pot roast, or the tuna melt? AHHH!). My boyfriend tried the pot roast, and it really was yummy. Tender and moist, although it did need a bit of a kick (he added hot sauce and made it perfection!). I had the chicken and rice soup (nothing to speak of, tasted canned) and the veg sandwich. The sandwich was exactly what I wanted – fresh veggies with a flavorful yet not overpowering basil/chick pea spread served on toasted ciabatta bread. We also tried the widely praised parmesan fries, and although tasty, the sandwiches still prevail as the highlights. Melt also has local microbrews on tap, as well as a full bar. Service was friendly, and our food arrived quickly (granted there were only 4 other people in the place on a Monday night at 8pm). Pricing is not cheap for a sandwich shop, but really what would you expect in good old NW PDX? Definitely worth a try for the novel menu items and chill vibe.
The Happy Hour menu looks fabulous; I will be back for that!
I, admittedly, put a huge amount of pressure on my dining experience at Autentica. It has gotten so much fabulous print hype and word of mouth from a number of my friends/colleagues that I placed it on a pedestal. To add fuel to the fire, I was determined to take my Mexican boyfriend here to prove there is quality Mexican in Portland (which he was so very skeptical on). His response before I get into the details: best Mexican he has in Portland by far, but absolutely not the authentic Mexican food that he grew up on, and that Autentica prides as the focus of their restaurant.
The location of Autentica is great, at NE 30th/Killingsworth in the new, unassuming foodie kingdom (Beast and Yakuza are literally across the street). The restaurant is smaller but this gives it a homey feel. The décor is simple and understated, but the walls are painted a fantastic burnt orange. There are three seating areas: the main dining area as you walk in the entrance, seats at the bar where you can watch the chefs, and a separate room to the right of the entrance. We had reservations and were seated in the front of the restaurant as soon as we arrived.
The menu, food and service:
I appreciated that the menu was simple and included only the best Mexican favorites. The food fits on one side, the drinks on the other, nice and easy. After reading all the reviews on Yelp before we headed out, we were surprised that they only had 3.5 stars. As you read them, you realize almost every review mentions bad service in some fashion. Unfortunately, this will also be my biggest complaint about Autentica. I think our server was covering the entire main dining room, which may be small, but requires a lot of work. It took 20 minutes just to order drinks, and another 20 to actually get them into our patient hands. It was worth the wait though…we had the “Cadillac Margarita” (yes, at $11/drink!), and they were perfection. Strong and flavorful with a shot of grand marnier, glass rimmed with just enough salt, and slices of orange/lime on the side. For food, here it goes:
• All tortillas are house made, and they are the perfect accompaniment to the dishes. The blue corn tortillas served with dipping sauces as you sit down to your table were delicious –heartier and thicker than you would expect.
• Salads – Vetabel con habanero (spicy lime beet salad). This was spicy indeed, but the blend of beets with I believe blood oranges, onions, limes and radishes was a wonderful.
• Small Plates (pictured above) – Queso fundido con chorizo (Oaxacan melting cheese and chorizo served with corn tortillas). One of the most authentic tasting Mexican dishes in my opinion; a must-have from here. Apparently this is traditionally served with chips, not tortillas, but I loved this all the same.
• Large Plates
o Filete de Tilapia – Ecuadorian tilapia filet marinated with adobo rojo, cooked in banana leaf and served with fried chile sauce. This dish was the star of the night on flavor – texture, sauce and rice were all dead on.
o Carnita Autentica - traditional pork carnitas autentica style, served with refried black beans and grilled tomatillo sauce. I loved this, but my boyfriend said it should have been a bit more well done (as in crunchy on the outsides). The black beans with cheese were out of this world.
In a nutshell:
1) This is undoubtedly good Mexican food, but the prices seem are unreasonable for this type of food as well as within Autentica’slow-key environment. Pambiche would kill this place on food quality/price/atmosphere any day of the week.
2) Service can kill any meal, we all know that. That is what happened here.
3) Sit at the bar and watch the chef’s, that way you won’t realize how long your order is taking!
We headed to Prost! for a night of beer drinking, meat eating merriment. I just love how Armando is representing Detroit so well in this photo! This place is such a blast. See my review below from a previous visit.
Prost! – 11/14/09 w/Sarah & Chris
I was SO excited to check this place out for eats/drink prior to heading over to Mississippi Studios for a show. The location is perfect, right in the center of the awesome Mississippi Marketplace with all the phenomenal new carts! It is just what I was hoping for: an authentic German experience in good old Portland! Having traveled through Germany a bit and attending Oktoberfest, I had high expectations. I was so happy to see that they nailed every aspect from the cozy, wood décor, to the perfectly chosen beer list (the Paulaner Oktoberfest was a nice treat), and a small menu of simple, traditional eats that are actually served at the real Oktoberfest (from plain bratwurst and pretzels, to a couple of more hearty dishes). The bratwurst was delicious, and I plan to go through the menu over my next visits! We met one of the owners, and he was a very friendly guy with a long bartending history. He was truly happy to just see everyone packing this place (and it was packed!) and he did a great job of working the crowd.
What a treat this place is! This will be my new go-to bar without a doubt. It has great location, character, beers and food – what more could you want?
I have lived on 21st for a year and half now, and as much as I like sushi, I have never had an interest in trying the SanSai Japanese Grill. On a whim one night, and wanting cheap, close sushi, we gave this a try. It is exactly what you would expect – totally laid back and generically decorated interior, with mediocre sushi to match. The sushi was extremely loosely rolled, and in quite large pieces, so it really just fell apart when you went to eat it (or dipped it in soy sauce). The miso soup was decent, but served with funny little plastic spoons (how very non-authentic, lol). They do have Sapporo on tap though, so bonus points for that. It reminded us both of a place that, if still in college, would totally have been a splurge night. Too funny, and my how things change (these days Bamboo Sushi suits me quite nicely). I think the whole meal, with soup and four rolls, probably cost $35. They advertise “1/2 off rolls all day,” and special Happy Hour things, but we went around 7pm, so no dice there.
In all honesty I probably won’t go again, but overall if you are looking for cheap sushi in a clean environment, this is your place. It doesn't claim to be anything it's not, so for me that gets it 3 stars.
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!
When one foodie meets another, happiness blooms. When one foodie meets another in Portland, OR, life becomes bliss. Meet Jayne and Armando, two fat kids at heart making their way through the best eats and drinks this city has to offer. In 2010 we'll be tracking our never-ending gastronomical (and beyond) adventures right here for all of our friends and family to admire. We hope you enjoy reading about it as much as we have enjoyed consuming it. We hope to see you all out here soon!
Without further ado...Bon appetit!/Buon appetito!/Cheers!/ENJOY :)
Vagabonds in a sense, we currently reside in El Paso, TX. We have lived in three states since we were married in 2011 (Oregon, Washington and now Texas). We have grown our family by two furry Golden Retrievers in this time, Miss Stella and Mr. Hops. Collectively we are Team T and are ready for our biggest challenge yet…a real human baby.
