Can you keep a Secret?

It used to be that while waiting for a coveted table at the still über-hot Toro Bravo restaurant here in Portland, the only option was to be crammed into that tiny elongated closet off to the side, packed liked sardines around the tables in the front, or waiting outside. Now, for all of us who want to go to TB but hate to wait, relief is a short walk upstairs, where for the price of a well-made cocktail you can join The Secret Society. The owner of the building that houses Toro Bravo, Matt Johnson, used to have his office in a room that looked out over the sidewalk in front of Toro Bravo. Night after night he'd see crowds of desperate, hungry, and probably thirsty diners waiting...and waiting. Being a smart boy who knows opportunity when it rears its profitable head, he transformed his office into a cozy, darkly lit den of adult refreshment with the titillating name The Secret Society. With its high ceiling, dark red walls, and very inviting bar with ice water dispensers for proper absinthe making on the bar, it reeks of retro cocktail cool (and you can see w looking very of-the-moment at the bar above). Various snacks are available to soak up the well thought out list of libations being offered. Absolutely not just a place to go while waiting for a Toro table, this charming, romantic bar should be on any cocktailistas list!
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Oh, and how as dinner at Toro Bravo? As always it was outstanding. Highlights for me were the always addictive salt cod fritters with aioli (that's an armada of them steaming across a sea of aioli at left) and the squid ink pasta with an hazelnuts and an egg yolk attractively positioned on top. I am always impressed at how consistent this place is considering the crowds. Owner John Gorham really has it working, and at an always reasonable price.

Portland bites and bits!

A few of my favorite local enjoyments, plus a bit of PDX food news....
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Still one of the best dining deals in town is the three course for $24 dinner at Tabla. We went a few weeks ago and loved it. Went again with friends last week and it was still stellar. For your money you get a great app, a primi of pasta or in my case a delicious preparation of De Puy lentils (if these are still on the menu, grab 'em!), and a choice of entrées. All of ours were spot on, and my duck confit leg (left) nailed it. Plus they don't skimp on their portions, and with a bargain like this you'll have plenty of dough left to spring for one of their desserts. If you're going to burn through some $4+ gas going out, you've gotta save your hard earned dollars where you can!
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Also had another great experience at my favorite Thai restaurant in PDX, Mai Thai. Once again w and I were really impressed with the quality and obvious care that goes into ach dish. Everything was perfectly cooked, and plated with an obvious nod to the "you eat with your eyes first" theory. The special daikon fritter appetizer (left) and the Fantastic Tofu entrée were particularly satisfying.
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One of my newest Monday day off traditions (a.k.a. addictions) has been to head down to Caffé Umbria in the Pearl District to have the best cappuccino in town. And what's better than walking into this outpost of Italian authenticity at 11am and having a good percentage of Portland's Italian contingent sitting in Umbria's side room watching an Italian soccer match on TV, yelling, moaning, clapping along with the action. Awesome!
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Another spot I hadn't been to for months is Justa Pasta in NW. My last vist to JP w and I really enjoyed the casual ambience and quality pasta choices. Justa Pasta is a Portland fresh pasta producer who supply many local restaurants. A few years ago they opened the restaurant, and have been satisfying savvy, budget-minded diners ever since. It's really a great deal. You walk in, turn left, and grab one of their menus off the rack. After making your choice from their wide list of pastas (in small or large portions which is a nice touch) and salads, step up to the counter, place your order, choose your table and wait to be satisfied, because I know you will be! I went yesterday with mom for lunch as she lives nearby and hadn't been there. Mom picked their Three Cheese Ravioli with Alfredo (above left) and I had their Fettucine with Bolognese (right). We also shared their caesar, which was a pretty good rendition. Mom's alfredo wasn't too heavy, which is always a concern with this much abused pasta sauce. My bolognese was quite good as well, and I had ordered the very generous large portion, knowing I'd have some leftover for lunch today. At $6.95 for mom's not-so-small dish and $8.95 for my large bowl of bolognese, this is bargain eating at its best!
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Coming Attractions: I just received a press release that in the space previously occupied by the here-today-gone-tomorrow Terroir on NE Fremont and MLK, a new restaurant called Belly will be opening sometime in July. Besides loving the name, their menu looks inviting in that "lots of things look good" way, and quite reasonably priced. Being opened by locals Cameron and Linda Addy who have had experience at places like Gary Danko in SF, and locals Caprial's, Mint, Giorgio's, and Lucere among others, their plan is “to create a place where we would want to eat. Whether on a date, with our toddler in tow or meeting with friends, we wanted a place that met our everyday needs.“ With a nice lineup of starters a couple of pastas and pizzas, and mains that run from a burger, pan-roasted duck breast, halibut, or a culotte steak and fries, it looks promising. I'll keep you updated.

Another animal gives its all...thank god!

A quick memo to lucky Portland eaters: Get into Castagna Café while you can and order their Pork Cheeks on polenta with fried sage leaves. So fucking good....a huge wow dish: tender, succulent, freakishly satisfying. Just thought you'd like to know!

The Park Kitchen Pleasure Principle

Sorry for the posting drought. It's not my fault. I've been out of commission for a few days digesting this awesome meal we had at Park Kitchen, chef/owner Scott Dolich's playhouse of all things insanely delicious. w and I met our friends J&K there last Saturday and as always, it was a thrill-a-bite meal. Every time I'm there I am amazed at what Dolich does with flavor combinations. Now I can hack my way through a few pretty good dinners for my friends, but what separates me from those who really have the knowledge is putting ingredients together that to my naïve and unimaginative mind would never even see each other on the same plate.

Case in point is one of his current small hot plates (the menu is divided into small hot plates, small cold plates, and large plates), a fabulous poached duck egg perched on top of a trumpet mushroom sugo, beautifully presented and sensationally delicious. Or off the small cold plates list a mouthwatering salad of asparagus, belgian endive, and whole anchovies that was so fresh, bright, and clean that each bite was like the first bite. Also not to be missed are his flank steak "salad" with blue cheese, parsley, and sherried onions and the baked oysters with spinach and pernod, the oysters maintaining their fresh, briny oceany flavor enhanced by the pernod tang.

For large plates we had an awesome SuDan farms lamb with goat cheese croquettes that was so rich and so good I was swooning. We also had their sliced duck with a Chinese turnip cake and mushrooms braised in red wine...fantastic. Again it seems everything Scott puts down works at least 90% of the time, which when you're performing this culinary high wire act and pushing boundaries like he does is a pretty good average. Finally the desserts were also more than acceptable finishing touches, although the Meyer lemon pudding could have had more of a citrus punch. Like I said, 90% of the time they absolutely nail it. In the end we all walked out more than satisfied, knowing we ate at one of this cities best restaurants....hell, any cities....best restaurants.
eat.drink.think. rating: ***1/2 (out of four)

Note: Also not to be missed is Park Kitchen's tasting menu, which is a great way to go for four+ people. You get an unforgettable tour of their menu that will hit your palate with so may pleasurable tastes your head will be swimming!

photo from singleguychef

The Hour for Happyness on the cheap!

After Sunday's outdoor adventure hiking in the gorge (see previous post), a nice early morning run, and to take advantage of a rare holiday Monday off together, w and I opted for some afternoon indoor activity...and NO, not THAT kind of indoor activity! We had in mind a visit to one of our favorite late afternoon happy hour destinations here in PDX, Ten-01. Their happy hour menu (served 3-6pm) has to be one of the best in town as far as the quality of the discounted grub. Plus barman Kelly has a rocking cocktail list that begs for my attention.

Settling into our seats at the bar, we knew coming in we had to order some fresh shucked oysters, especially at a mere dollar each. Plus an order of their salty, satisfying truffle oil fries (below). While we waited for our appetizing appetizers, we ordered some refreshing adult beverages. w had their Henry II, a mix of bubbly, Clear Creek pear brandy, and a salted almond floating on top. I had the intriguingly named Alaska (above), which I would estimate was about 2.5 ounces gin, maybe 1/2 oz. yellow chartreuse, and a dash or two of Regan's orange bitters (see pic below) served up. w was so-so on hers (after tasting it, I had to agree. Seemed a little heavy on the brandy.). I really liked my libation though, especially that eye-pleasing green tinged color and pleasantly biting bitterness. Our fries and brine-a-licious oysters followed soon after, and both hit it just right. Looking over the happy hour menu, I was also intrigued by the Daily Charcuterie Plate at $6. I know they cure all their own meats, having seen several different chubs curing in their wine room on a previous visit, and our waitress told us it was a great deal, considering that on their dinner menu it is about $15 (with an added slice of pâté). Loving all things porky and, I was all in on that one, so we ordered it up, and what a freaking great deal! Five different samplings of their wares, all really delicious. Definitely put this on your list of future indulgences!

The Daily Charcuterie Plate of all things porky and good!




ADD Ten-01: While we were enjoying our afternoon treats, we noticed a flyer for a new lunch deal they instituted a couple of weeks ago. Monday through Saturday they serve a three course $15 dollar lunch that looks like an amazing bargain. An appetizer, entrée, and dessert for fifteen bones is a steal, especially considering the food quality these guys seem to be pumping out of the kitchen! I'd love to hear from anyone who's experienced it.

The Ten-01 bitters lined up on the bar. Can you say "we take our mixology seriously!"

But I don't like the real world............

The hard part about leaving a paradise like Playa Escondida is getting dressed to go, and realizing that I haven't had long pants, socks, or real shoes on for the last six days. I haven't even glanced at that long sleeve sweatshirt I wore to the airport when leaving Portland, and now I'm going back to.....that. Cold, wet, dark, while all around me as I sloooowly fill my bag is warmth, sand, sea, and sun. My flip flops seem to be mocking me as I tuck them into the bottom of my bag. Can you say denial? I've already asked for a late checkout. How much would it cost to delay my return by a day? But the truth is without the cruel reality of NW winters, all of this wouldn't have meant near so much.......
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First, setting the scene, my Playa Escondida (hereafter known as P.E.) hideaway is the lower unit of the middle palapa in this view from the P.E. beach. If you click on the link above, it is the Sol 2 unit. Two private decks, an almost outdoor shower to the left, peace and joy within.....

and this view from my bed when I wake up.










now to the delicious parts............













Sayulita Fish Taco and an example of their culinary art. Not bad for two bucks!



Chilling on the beach at Don Pablo's in Sayulita, sipping cerveza and about to slam a fresh camaron quesadilla.







Deliciously fresh & citrusy shrimp & fish ceviche tostadas at El Casteño on the Sayulita beach. A buck twenty each?? Crazy!!






And here's a hot tip for anyone visiting Sayulita anytime in the future. I was looking up information about a tiny town about 8 miles north of Sayulita called San Francisco (aka San Pancho) that I had heard good rumblings about. I read in an online article about how one family in the village owns all the fishing boats and they also happen to be the proprietors of a local restaurant that was reputed to muy bueno. Local fishing monopoly? Great restaurant? Obviously, if you know anything about me, that's all I needed to hear. I grabbed the first taxi I could to find out first hand how fresh it could get. Ten minutes and 80 pesos later I wandered the streets of SF and found the sign for their small open air restaurant called La Chalupa (fyi: a block to the south of the main street, about one block east of the beach). While I was sitting perusing the menu, munching some chips with bright salsa fresca and sauce picante that were dropped on my table, a bunch of burly looking guys marched through the joint towards a back area carrying several huge ice chests. Ever curious, and wondering if maybe they held the key to my lunchtime happiness, I followed at a discreet distance...well, six feet anyway....and right behind the restaurant they started tossing the days catch onto this table where I watched this father/son team of fish filleters make quick work of several delicious looking creatures. Taking my cue that lunch had arrived, I ordered the pescado fritto, and was treated to the best $11 lunch (incl. cerveza) that maybe I have ever had. The fish was brilliantly fresh, cruspy on the outside, moist, juicy, not at all oily inside. Served with tortillas for some DIY tacos, this was what I was looking for. Remember: San Francisco...La Chalupa...fresh fish...happiness.....

Pescado Fritto @ La Chalupa







The kitchen at La Chalupa.....I LOVE it when great food comes out of simple places.






There were several other honorable mention food moments. A plate of butter and garlic/ginger/rosemary sautéed shrimp at the Sayulita Café. An awesome fresh shrimp omelette at P.E., where the food was dazzling at every meal (dinner was always four courses for $25!). And finally, the best dinner I had all trip, not coincidentally also at P.E. ...in fact I ordered it two nights in a row...was a crazily good chile en nogada (right), which is a large poblano chile stuffed with ground beef, raisins, carrots, onions, various spices and smothered in a richly satisfying walnut sauce with pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top, sitting on top of a bed of rice. Freakishly good. Nogada is traditionally a holiday meal in Mexico, and I've only had it a couple of times before and not for years. The P.E. version was the best ever.

In fact, if I could ever recommend a place to stay in Mexico, Playa Escondida would be right up at the top of the list. If you want privacy, beautiful beaches, great food, super comfy accommodations, and employees who seem genuinely happy to be working where they are, this is your spot. It's a 20-30 minute hike to town, and if you don't want to walk back, grab a taxi for 60 pesos ($6.00). Nova, Martha, Sergio, Manuel, and my man Alejandro (killer mojito, A!) were warmly welcoming, and when I got in the taxi to leave for the airport today, it was like leaving friends behind. Which I think is about as good as it can get.


Gracias, Alejandro....good luck in the future, amigo!








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And one of my favorite signs ever, from La Chalupa, on what to do in case of an earthquake. Near as I can tell, at least according to #5 making tea is not the thing to be doing right now, nor is doing a Michael Flatley "Lord of the Dance" imitation (#6). Ducking and covering never seems top get old (#7), and the age old advice to get your ass out of there (#9) always holds true!

Not So Common Clyde

It's too bad all of you don't live here in Portland, because then you could all experience the intense feelings of satisfaction I've had recently during two stellar dinners at PDX's Clyde Common restaurant. I've been there for various reasons on two consecutive Wednesdays, and both times walked away most impressed with what owner Nate Tilden has accomplished. Food that is interesting, accessible, not precious in any way (save that unwanted slot for PDX's Rocket...the restaurant on many diners death watch). Plus the vibe from the moment you walk in is welcoming, friendly, and not at all stuffy.

The first thing you notice is the long wooden tables for communal seating scattered around the dining room. This is recent Portland trend, brought on by all the "family style" supper places that sprung up around town. Now either you love it or hate it. I kind of like it, because you can either engage the person next to you or not. It's not like your forced to chat anyone up. Plus at CC, as my friend and local restaurateur The Handsome One said after our dinner last Wednesday, having the long tables "is kind of like eating at home." Give Nate all the credit for that comfort zone feeling.

And in case it matters to you, the food has been rocking. Some recent highlights would include for starters some serrano ham croquettes on one visit, and spicy coppa croquettes the next time. You match anything with potatoes and deep fry them and I'm in. The CC versions are awesome. Grab a bowl of their fried chickpeas, too. Perfect with that first cocktail...or two. You might be as enchanted as I was with their poached oysters and crispy pork belly with orange marmalade and mint...yeah, it was as good as it sounds! Both the beet salad and the frisee salad with a warm pancetta vinaigrette were fresh, bright, crisp palate cleansers. And don't you dare miss their "smoke board" which has a small mound of the most wonderful smoked mussels you could ever imagine Wow! Those were fucking crazy. Especially with the little shot glass of smoked porter or a splash of aquavit. A nice Scandinavian twist for our NW palates.

And when you step up to the (main course) plate, they keep it firmly in the strike zone (aren't bad baseball metaphors fun?). What has rocked my food loving world? How about seared squid stuffed with fennel sausage with pimenton, chick peas, and squid ink. Maybe some perfectly toothsome tagliatelle with chanterelles and thyme, or crispy salty grilled whole dorade with winter tabbouleh and pomegranate molasses. Their charred new york strip with potato galette, taleggio, and arugula is a pretty good way to get your beef groove on.

My only quibble with Clyde is their wine list. It's well chosen with some interesting selections, but I would like to see a few more choices in the $25-$35 range. With all the great inexpensive French, Italian, and especially Spanish wines out there there's no reason to have your cheapest bottle of red at $33 and to only have one under-$30 white.

I have to admit to not exploring the dessert menu as well as I should, mainly owing to my overindulgence over the rest of the menu. The bar has it down pat, and you can also opt for a quieter table up on their mezzanine. All in all, whether you live here are are planning a visit, this should be a must stop. It's right up in my top two or three favorite spots to get my Portland grub on right now!

"Scientists let loose in the kitchen, diners rejoice!"

Two things I can't do in my kitchen:
1- Deep fry mayonnaise
2- Make foie gras knots
But that doesn't mean I don't want to eat them. And apparently some high end chefs, notable Wylie DuFresne of NYC's WD-50, think others do to. Read about their restaurant kitchens as science labs in this article in the New York Times.

Paley's Pleasure Principle

Paley's Place here in Portland is one of the rare restaurants in town that regularly gets written up in all the national food rags, everyone raving about Vitaly Paley's ultra seasonal cooking and the dining room ambience inspired by his wife Kimberley. I have to say I hadn't been there for dinner for years...and I'm talking, except for a quick visit to the bar a couple of years ago, 6 or 7 years...despite the raves I heard from everyone. I think it has to do with so many good places to eat on the eastside here in PDX, why cross the river? It's kind of like going to the Upper West Side from Greenwich Village. It's not a long trip, but when all your favorite places are a five minute drive (or walk) from your house, even a short 20 minute drive seems like a lot. So anyway, on date night last Saturday w and I made a long overdue pilgrimage. It actually didn't even take twenty minutes to get there, so really we have NO excuse.

I had reserved a table out on their front porch, which starting out on this warm evening was the perfect place to be (a little later it got cool, so we had them switch on the heaters that are thoughtfully arranged above each table). We each had a cocktail and jumped right into the fray with an order of Dungeness Crab Beignets with local microgreens (you see microgreens everywhere these days. What were they called before? Watercress??) and a green goddess dressing. This was wonderful, the beignets were perfectly puffy and light, just a hint of crab matching up deliciously with the green goddess dressing, which is the retro dressing du jour in restaurant world. We also had the thing I was most excited for, which I had on my brief refreshment visit a couple of years ago, Vitaly's perfect Kobe Beef Tartare, served with a bright yellow farm fresh egg yolk on top....SO good, and my first real carne cruda style treat since our Italian sojourn several months ago.















Bouncy beignets and Paley's version of carne cruda...yummm!!

We were ready for entrees, and another thoughtful thing they do at Paley's is offer all their mains in 1/2 portion sizes, which allows you to sample more choices at a very nominal markup. We had a middle course of a 1/2 plate of Corn and Chanterelle Ravioli with cherry tomatoes and basil. This was a lovely interlude, the sweet corn set off by the earthy mushroom flavor, with a nice bite provided by the sweet/tart cherry tomatoes. Again, seasonal cooking at its best.

Ravishing ravioli





After that treat, and just starting in on a slurpy good bottle of 2002 Torii Mor Pinot Noir Reserve (it didn't show much fresh out of the bottle, but after about an hour it was absolutely delicious. Surprisingly we drank slowly enough to get to enjoy it at its best!), our main plates arrived, looking exceedingly fetching. w had ordered their fish special (top pic below), a piece of black cod filet on a bed of lentils with mirepoix and surrounded by steamer clams scattered around the plate. Cooked just right, the fish super fresh and tender, the sauce providing a savory thrill with every bite. I had their Crispy Sweetbreads (bottom pic below), as I have yet to meet the thymus gland that didn't deserve my attention. It was served with grilled peaches and string beans and was superb. Memo to food fearists: do not fear the thymus! This was really good, right up there with the glandular perfection served at Alba Osteria. And again Paley's signature seasonality shining through on practically everything we ate.














Finally, we absolutely did ourselves in with their Summer Berry Trifle and the dessert special which was a super rich peanut butter pie with banana ice cream. Crazy good, totally crushed us like a good dessert should, and left us both knowing that Paley's is slinging some seriously good chow, and my return will be much sooner than later. I'll make it easy for the rest of you: if you live here, put it on your list. If you're visiting, put it on your list!

Dessert deliciousness!












The spoon, honey...USE THE SPOON!!!!