Lessons learned!
Last night was the final act in this past months ongoing drama, that if I had to give it a title would probably be "New Food: Is it Good Food?" Based on a whole month of making new dinners at home (okay, full disclosure, we fell back on some old reliables maybe twice when we were feeling really lazy), I have to without hesitation say "hell yes!" All those lonely cookbooks that hadn't been handled since they left the bookstore and were languishing on the shelf finally got their bindings cracked. Last nights delicious ending was a recipe we grabbed out of our local fishwrap The Oregonian. Fresh sea scallops wrapped in prosciuotto di Parma sautéed in a sage infused olive oil with fried sage leaves and sautéed apples on the side. Really good and pretty light. With some of my beloved roasted fingerlings and brussels sprouts it was working.

All in all the month was a pretty cool learning experience. The things we liked most and will find their way into our regular repertoire were the fish dishes. I've been a mostly meat/pasta/chicken cook, and playing with fish was really fun. Plus it ups the kitchen confidence level when the new chow you're cranking out actually tastes good with a couple of "wow" moments thrown in. I think it will be an annual event with us, and I'd highly encourage you to do the same. It's not that tough, and ya just might learn a thing or two!

Will drive for food!
We're hungry with no motivation to cook anything at home, it's cold out, and we're craving FLAVOR for not many dollars. Luckily for us the perfect answer lies within a few minutes drive, and we jump into the car for a quick drive over to Chaba Thai (5810 NE Sandy Blvd.), which for my money is making the best Thai food in the city. The last couple of times in we have been so happy, satisfied, and left without having our wallets fleeced. Pretty much everything I could ask.
We took a quick look at the menu, and I promptly zeroed in on the Golden Bags, which we a special appetizer of deep-fried wonton wrappers around chicken, shrimp, and crab with a couple of dipping sauces. So lovely to look at and delicious to eat! And unlike so many apps you order around town where it seems they've made enough for maybe one very small person, this was an incredibly generous portion for a mere $7.50.














For the main events, the menu listed a whole sea bass on the specials page that "the chef highly recommends and you will love". I'm not too easy a sell, but if you're going to put that shit out there, then I'm in. We also opted for their Pad Thai with shrimp, one of the best versions around. The sea bass turned out to be fabulous...moist, succulent, topped with fresh lemon grass, peppers, and set on a bed of spinach with a light plum sauce. This was really fucking awesome. The lemon grass really gave it this nice zip, it had just enough heat, and I know it'll be one of those dishes I'll end up craving....wow!!

Think for myself? I think not!
As this month of new cooking experiences comes to its conclusion, the temptation is strong to fall back on the old reliable recipes that you can knock out with your eyes closed, especially when one is not really in the mood to try, or even think, of anything new. Such was the case yesterday, where after spending the previous evening wolfing down pizzas with friends at Apizza Scholls (more on Apizza in a future post) we were really in the mood for something a bit lighter. The question was what to do when you don't want to think? Of course, that's why they invented the internet! Shrimp was sounding good, but nothing on epicurious was really grabbing my attention. So on to Food Network, to see what celebrity chef might inspire the evenings intake. Do you watch Food TV ever? Has there ever been anything more annoying than that fake smile on Giada De Laurantiis' face? It's like they botoxed her entire skull so that thing remains plastered on.....creepy. Anyway, I ended up coming across a recipe from food hunk Tyler Florence for linguine with shrimp that not only sounded delicious, but after a quick stop at New Seasons, was very simple. Now I know that "light" and "pasta" don't always go together. But this was exactly that: just shrimp, shallots, garlic, olive oil, parsley, and a bit of butter for depth. Really good, really easy, and exceptionally satisfying.
One thing I've learned to do with these online recipes is read the comments and reviews from others who have made the dish. In this case the suggestions to double the sauce recipe (except for the olive oil and butter) were spot on. You should give this one a try....delivers big for the minimal effort expended. It's like I didn't have to think at all!

As big as all outdoors!
Being the avid outdoorsman that I am.....okay, maybe more of an aspiring outdoorsman....I made the most of a rare Saturday respite from the grueling wine business, with all its attendant drinking and alcohol enabling, by taking a little field trip up to Washington with w and the Chops for some snowshoeing fun. We drove 25 miles north of Carson in the Wind River wilderness at about 3000 feet elevation. The snow was in abundance, the traffic very light, and the scenery awesome with the sun playing hide and seek with clouds. We did a two mile loop, the last half of which was a continuous incline that had me fantasizing about the post-shoeing beer at Walking Man Brewpub in Stevenson. All in all a great day that once again served to remind me that we live in the most beautiful place in the world! Here's some adventure pics....
w and Chops in their outdoor finest!






Chops blazing the trail








When I get outta here I want a beer this big!

Our Italian Vacation!
It was with great anticipation that w and I drove through the slushy streets last night for a dinner rendezvous at Alba Osteria on SW Capitol Highway. I hadn't been in over a year, and had been telling myself for months to get after it and pay another visit to owner/chef/Piedmontese fetishist Kurt Spack's homey outpost of Italian comfort food. For some reason in my mind it always seems like a trek to get there. But it really isn't, and from my place on N. Mississippi we were walking in their warmly welcoming doors in ten minutes. And I would almost drive ten hours to eat food this good! Kurt makes regular trips to the Piedmont to check out what's going on, do some cooking, and get fresh inspiration. It shows and this is perhaps the most authentic regional Italian food in town.

We were seated at a table in the cozy dining room by the kitchen. A tasty basket of bread was dropped along with the menus and a couple of glasses of fizzy prosecco, and we commenced drooling. I love places where I want to order every single thing on the appetizer list. But more prudent heads prevailed, and we settled on sweet peppers wrapped around delicious tuna salad and Jerusalem artichoke in a bagna cauda sauce. Both were delicious, the sweet piquancy of the peppers playing beautifully off the rich tuna, and the garlicky bagna cauda sauce was eagerly sopped up with bread when the artichoke gratin ran out. We were swooning. Here it is....









Next up was a primi course which we split. In this case a light, dreamy dish of tajarin with butter and sage sauce. All pasta are made in house, and Kurt has the lightest touch, his pastas a perfect balance of meltingly tender but with just enough bite.
Then it was on to entrees, and although no one in town knows sweetbreads like Kurt, and I've loved them in the past, I had to go with the Barolo braised beef, especially since I'd brought along a bottle of 1997 Brezza "Sarmassa" Barolo. w ordered the roast duck breast and confit leg, and it was stupendous.
The confit was perfect..crispy outside, tender and very flavorful inside. The duck breast had crackly skin and that beautiful layer of fat surrounding the meat. My beef was fork tender, served over polenta, and dreding both through the Barolo sauce was an exercise in pure pleasure, especially washed down with sip after sip of the Brezza.



Just in case you have any of this nectar in your collection, the wine opened up beautifully....all earth notes, with dark cherry and tarry fruit with those wonderful rose petal overtones that great Barolo develops. We had the bottle open over the course of about 90 minutes, and it just kept getting better and better. So good, and so satisfying.
We were quite stuffed, as the portions of everything are very generous, kind of what your fantasy Italian grandmother might put in front of you. But we rallied and managed to happily tuck into a light hazelnut torte with house made chocolate gelato. After a quick chat with Kurt, who is one of the nicest people going in the local food biz, we drove home happy, full, and looking forward to a return trip. If you can't get to the Piedmont, this is the next best thing!
A side note: you know it's a compliment to the chef when other chefs show up to get their grub on, and seated close by was Greg Higgins, he of the eponymously named restaurant, who obviously was somewhat of a regular and was enjoying every bite of his dinner.

Paradise found....at home!
Very few local restaurants make food that I can say I actually crave. Maybe the sensuous sopes at Nuestra Cocina. Definitely the burger at Castagna Café. Maybe the thing I've had on my must-have list longer than anything is the Penne alla Vodka at Three Doors Down. This is a fabulous dish of pasta (right up there with Marcella Hazan's Spaghetti alla Carbonara) as food I never want to live without. I used to order it almost every time I went in to Kathy and Dave's soul satisfying outpost at 1429 SE 37th, to the point where Kathy would just roll her eyes and say "Again?!"
Well, now the pressure is off, and I can explore the rest of their fabulous menu, because the recipe (along with several other treats you'll recognize from the menu, including that cursedly addictive white bean spread) is available on their website. In this month of new food that w and I are caught up in this was on our menu last night, and it was just as delicious as at the restaurant. Grab some sausages (preferably at Pastaworks), some Pearl Bakery ciabatta, and other fixings and get ready to indulge. Oh, and don't tell Kathy and Dave I told you!

Forgive me Father, for I am thirsty....


Those brothers of beer have done it again, and perhaps better than ever. Brian and Mike McMenamin have just opened their newest brew joint, the Chapel Pub at 430 N. Killingsworth. This is to me by far their coziest little pub. The converted an old Little Chapel of the Chimes into a wonderful place to have a refreshing malted beverage. I know Mcmenamin's tends to be love it or hate it for a lot of people. For me, I really like their IPA, not so much most of their other beers. And then there's that nagging feeling that the food and service (especially) can sometimes be an afterthought.












But I have no quarrel with their renovations of some of the northwest's finest historical structures. At the Chapel Pub, there is ironwork throughout done by O.B. Dawson in the 1930's. Dawson was the man responsible for much of the incredible ironwork at Timberline Lodge.
You walk into this place and immediately feel warm. With a wood burning stove, a cute ;little corner fireplace tucked away in a side room, and a great oval bar in the main room, everything fits. I love what they've done here in North Portland, and feel it is their best, warmest, most Euro-feeling pub yet. Check it out!

"Curse you Ming Tsai!!!"

Yesterday another foray into uncharted food waters. Water was the dominant theme here last night, both figuratively and literally. Figuratively because this dish was a take on the island nation of Singapore's famous street cart noodles, made with chicken and shrimp and fresh veggies. Literally, because the rice noodles that soaked in water for two hours, per the instructions of tonight's culinary muse, Ming Tsai, were nowhere near soft enough which involved the quick boiling of more water. Now I don't know if our man Ming actually tried these noodles before he wrote up his instructions, but he did call them "Pop's Noodles". Maybe his dad was a shitty cook...I don't know. But after a few well placed invectives hurled his way, considering our unfortunate discovery came at a critical juncture of the whole dinner process, we regrouped and pulled it together. Luckily, after a hasty and very annoying dumping of those first noodles, w went all David Copperfield and made an extra pack of noodles appear from the depths of her pantry.
But I have to say in the course of my cooking career, sometimes you wonder if these people really ever tried the dishes they recommend, and if they did and assuming the recipe worked, did they leave something out of the recipe...maybe something like "cook the fucking noodles after soaking"?
Anyway, as I said, we hustled and the finished product was actually quite satisfying. Would probably do it again with a few adjustments besides the noodley one...a little more curry, and wait a bit before tossing the shrimp into the wok. The best part was it reintroduced us to w's wok, which is sure to get a regular workout in the future. Here's some food porn photos of the operation....
A few of the rather attractive ingredients awaiting their turn in the wok.











The dish....it actually tasted better than it photographed, but you get the idea......

Getting In the Soup

Who doesn't like playing with new toys? It appeals to the five-year-old in all for us. It translates particularly well when you love food and are jumping into a new realm of flavors. Last night in our ongoing month of new, w opened up her culinary toy box and found all sorts of fun stuff....lemongrass, Thai fish sauce, coconut milk, Thai red curry paste....and ended up putting together a killer bowl of Thai chicken soup that would make the flavor masters at Chaba Thai proud. This was rich, silky, spicy, and and comes together more easily than you would think.
Here's some photos of the process....
Flavorizers...aka lemongrass, shallots, and parsley











Fish sauce...the secret weapon!











The results.....who needs chicken noodle?!




This is month of new food is turning out to be a great experiment in horizon broadening. Tonight, celeb chef Ming Tsai is providing inspiration for Singapore Noodles...stay tuned!

New food is good food!

So here's the challenge: Spend the entire month of January adding to the food repertoire. Sounds pretty simple. Get away from all those fall back dinner staples, the things we can make with our eyes closed. Maybe even open some of those cookbooks that have been largely ignored since their purchase. It's kind of exciting actually...a leap into the culinary unknown. Spending the entire month of January, every time we prepare diner at home, making a new dinner entrée.

So here we are, one week in, and because of previous social commitments and sudden invitations, I have to say we've only done three things. But the success rate is encouraging. Two definite successes, one so-so result. Nothing inedible, and one thing that will definitely be in the permanent rotation. The first thing we did, a braised chicken thigh recipe from Gourmet mag, was the ho-hum dinner. Good, not anything exciting. Our second dinner , from the same recipe section of the Jan. '07 issue, was a resounding success. Tilapia steamed in a foil pouch with lemon slices, capers, grape tomatoes, fresh thyme, and a dash of olive oil....delicious, aromatic, light, and incredibly satisfying. The recipe called for sea bass, but as my New Seasons fish guy reminded me, somewhat disdainfully if I may: "We don't carry sea bass. It is endangered, you know." Uh, okay...but can I have some anyway? Apparently not, so tilapia it was. Great meal with a side of rice to help soak up the juices.

Then last night's attempt at porcine perfection, which I finally remembered to get photographic evidence of, a recipe from Cook's Illustrated for perfect pork chops with a mustard-sage sauce.
I love Cook's illustrated. They take a scientific approach, and sometimes make things 30-50 times to get it just right. Plus who doesn't like product comparisons? This turned out really well, although I left the chops on a smidge too long, missing that seeming microsecond window when pork goes from medium-rare perfection to medium-well over doneness. But the chops still came out juicy, the sauce was savory and delicious, and with a side of brussel sprouts and my personal food fetish, roasted fingerling potatoes, plus a couple glasses (or so) of wine, all was good.

Stay tuned for further adventures in the food wilderness. Tonight: w tackles Thai Chicken Soup!

Paella: A Taste of Spain!

Paella. Just the sound of it gets me salivating! Great paella is a symphony of flavors layered one on top of the other, the chorizo and shrimp and chicken leading the way, with supporting players saffron, Valencia rice, red peppers, onions, and garlic joining in to crescendo on your palate. Okay, had enough of bad symphony metaphors? How about if I just tell you that I've been looking for an excellent, easy-to-make paella to have at home for years. Thanks to a recent article on Leite's Culinaria, one of my favorite food sites, another culinary goal has been achieved. This recipe is remarkably easy, quick, and I think delivers one of the best paellas I've had. Plus I got to pull out the Cadillac of cookware, the Le Creuset! w and I had it last night night with its perfect wine foil, a chilled bottle of rosé. Yum! We were both supremely pleased, and best of all: Leftovers!!
*** *** ***
Paella
by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated
from Cooking at Home with America’s Test Kitchen 2006
via Leite's Culinaria
Serves 6

This recipe is for making paella in a Dutch oven (the Dutch oven should be 11 to 12
inches in diameter with at least a 6-quart capacity). With minor modifications, it can
also be made in a paella pan. Cured Spanish chorizo is the sausage of choice for
paella, but fresh chorizo or linguiça is an acceptable substitute.

Soccarat, a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan, is a
traditional part of paella. In our version, soccarat does not develop because most of
the cooking is done in the oven. We have provided instructions to develop soccarat in
step 5; if you prefer, skip this step and go directly from step 4 to step 6.

ingredients:
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
Salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil
8 or 9 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh trimmed of excess fat and
halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut pole to pole into 1/2-inch-wide strips
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced 1/2 inch thick on the bias
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again
2 cups Valencia or Arborio rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 dried bay leaf
1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

method:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position; heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Toss the shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1
teaspoon of the garlic in a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until
needed. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until
shimmering but not smoking. Add the pepper strips and cook, stirring occasionally,
until the skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the
pepper to a small plate and set aside.

3. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the now-empty Dutch oven; heat the oil until shimmering
but not smoking. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer; cook, without moving the
pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the pieces and brown on the second
side, about 3 minutes longer; transfer the chicken to a medium bowl. Reduce the
heat to medium and add the chorizo to the pot; cook, stirring frequently, until deeply
browned and the fat begins to render, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to the
bowl with the chicken and set aside.

4. Add enough oil to the fat in the Dutch oven to equal 2 tablespoons; heat over
medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook, stirring
frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes; stir in the remaining garlic and cook
until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes; cook until the mixture begins to
darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until the
grains are well coated with the tomato mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken
broth, wine, saffron, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken and chorizo
to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring
occasionally. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven; cook until the rice absorbs
almost all of the liquid, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove the pot from the oven (close the oven door to retain heat). Uncover the
pot; scatter the shrimp over the rice, insert the mussels hinged-side down into the
rice (so they stand upright), arrange the bell pepper strips in a pinwheel pattern, and
scatter the peas over the top. Cover and return to the oven; cook until the shrimp
are opaque and the mussels have opened, 10 to 12 minutes.

6. Optional: If soccarat (see headnote) is desired, set the Dutch oven, uncovered,
over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating the pot 180 degrees after
about 2 minutes for even browning.

7. Let the paella stand, covered, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not
opened and the bay leaf, if it can be easily removed. Sprinkle with the parsley and
serve, passing the lemon wedges separately.

Hanging in the Park!

It happened again. The boys got together for a night 0out last night and we had another phenomenal meal at Park Kitchen (422 NW 8th, 503.223.7275). There were six of us sitting to sup, which is the perfect amount to go through their chef's tasting menu. In taking that option, and if you go there with four or more you're crazy not to, we were guaranteed to taste almost everything on chef Scott Dolich's delicious November menu. It turned into a four course feast, washed down with a wee bit of grape based beverage.
We met at Gilt Club (306 NW Broadway) for a quick pre-dinner libation. This is a really nice spot for a drink, casually comfortable, and I have heard the food there is pretty well done, too. Might have to make that dinner stop soon. We then wandered a block and a half to PK, and settled in for a night of seriously serious food. Scott's menu, as always, is an exploration of everything fresh and seasonal, and in the 20 some dishes we sampled, there wasn't a weak note. The first course featured five different small plates, including stellar buckwheat crepes with duck confit and curried persimmon. And the salt cod fritters were fabulous...crisp balls of delicately fried fish and potato pureed together. He also sent out an amazing black eyed pea soup with foie gras! As Scott said afterward when we were chatting, "I love the foie". We couldn't agree more! And his flank steak with blue cheese, parsley, and sherries onions is not to be missed.
Then came the entrees, including fabulous venison dish, black cod with salsa verde, lamb, and more. After working our way through six different desserts, all of which were remarkable inventive and perfectly done, it was time to escape...to the bar for a quick after dinner sip. As I said we sat with Scott for a few minutes, and he said he loves doing the tasting menu. It allows the kitchen some creative space, and guarantees your meal will be well paced and varied. I've been through this twice now at PK, and it is again perhaps the best food, along with Castagna, going here in PDX. I was telling the guys that being just back from a San Francisco eating weekend, this was as good or better than anything you'll get down there. Major props to Scott and the kitchen crew for once again rocking our palates!!
here's some photographic proof of the food carnage (click on any picture to enlarge). Moving c from top to bottom: the menu, most of which found it's way into our willing stomachs; two of the desserts, including on the bottom a fantastically original carrot quince strudel with pumpkin semifreddo; the venison and lamb entrees...awesome with a super rich 2004 Juan Gil Monastrell; the silky smooth salsa verde sauce surrounding the black cod.

A voice in the wilderness?

In this day when it seems like everyone in the media is afraid to raise their voice and ask the tough questions, or make the tough calls for fear of alienating the "public" (read advertisers/ratings), bravo to Keith Olbermann of msnbc.com. Olbermann, as opposed to the shrieking heads of FoxTV News, actually has reasoned arguments to present. His latest commentary, which you can listen to online (click on his name to listen), needs to be heard and thought about. And if you don't come away outraged, listen again!

The Great Escape....Part 1!

On our quick 3 day getaway to the SF/Oaktown area, there was lots on my mind. Lots of food. Lots of drink. You know, the usual. So upon arriving at w's sis Jane's pad for a quick drop of stuff, we immediately headed out to "the best dim sum you'll ever have" according to the Chan sisters. Always eager to have the best of anything and famished from an early a.m. exit from PDX I walked through the door of East Ocean Seafood Restaurant (1713 Webster Street) in Alameda in a state of high anticipation. Let's see, what is the best way to say this...."incredible" comes to mind..."mind-blowing" wouldn't be bad..."fucking awesome" certainly. This place rocked, and there is nothing in Portland that can touch it. We stuffed ourselves, dish after dish arriving at the table, each one seemingly better than the last, finally finishing the meal with these incredible baked egg custard buns, crispy on top with sweet pastry dough surrounding this decadently delicious coconut tinged egg custard...god, thinking about it now makes me want to beeline back. And all that for the insanely low price of $35...for all of us! If you're down in SF, you HAVE to make the trip across the Bay Bridge and get some of this goodness!!
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Part 2....Chasing a legend!

Ya know how sometimes you just have to go someplace you've always heard about? Last night was one of those gastronomic pilgrimages. Two words: Alice Waters. Two more: Chez Panisse. Okay, two more since we couldn't get reservations at Panisse: Café Fanny. Which isn't a bad way to settle, especially since lots of my PDX food pals have said they actually prefer the more casual ambience of the upstairs CF over the more formal prix fixe style CP. So anyway, w and I made the trip there on our Bay area sojourn, along with her sis Jane and her friend Peter. We had a couple of cocktails along the way, just to get in the right frame of mind. We enter the hallowed portal of CP and walk upstairs to Fanny, passing loads of people waiting for their downstairs tables at Panisse. We were seated right on time amid the bustle. Had some great apps, a bottle of Kerner, which is a super crisp northern Italian white. It went perfectly with our trio of apps, the highlight of which was the local Cannard Farm figs with jamon serrano. I had brought along a bottle of 2002 St. Innocent "Willamette Valley" Pinot Noir, which was opened and ready for our entrees arrival. And you know, they were really good. All the food here was really good. But when I come to a place like this, I have to admit to wanting more than really good. I don't know if it shows that maybe they need to ramp up the creative level here, or if we just eat so well in Portland now that it takes more to impress. Probably a little of both. But when we're shelling out pretty serious dough for a meal, all of us were hoping for more. Here's some pics from the night (again, click on any picture to enlarge)...
The dining room at Fanny.








The café menu.











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Part 3....Sublime pleasure!


This is the deal on a super sunny, warm SF day....pre-noon fresh oysters at Hog Island Oyster Company in the Ferry Building overlooking SF Bay. I love the Ferry Building and the mecca of food it has become. The views across the water are fabulous, the Hog Island oysters fresh and briny.
w and I tucked in to the Hog Island dozen.....six each of their Sweetwaters and Atlantics, plus an added half dozen creamy, sweet Kumamotos that were amazing. Add a couple of glasses of vin blanc and we were set!




Yum! Fresh tomatoes, plums, & pears at the Ferry Building markets.





















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Part 4....Bring it on!

One of the most highly regarded restaurants in the SF dining scene is Delfina (3621 18th Street). For years it has been a regular stop for people in the local food biz, and has satisfied hordes of "discriminating" palates for years. We made this our Saturday stop after a long afternoon of wandering around town, browsing, relaxing and having a wonderful afternoon snack at Frjtz, which I think is a great, slightly gritty little joint in Hayes Valley.
They also have a spot near Ghirardelli square, but this tight, cramped spot is right up my alley. Sitting out back on their patio with some great fries and amazing dipping sauces, a delicious salad, and a cold Chimay was the perfect afternoon refresher!

Okay, so then on to Delfina, where we once again hooked up with Jane and Peter. To cut to the chase, we had an exceptionally good meal. Better than Café Fanny. In fact Jane was threatening to weep on several occasions! Our starters of fresh-stretched mozzarella with caponata and tomato crostini and a soul satisfying salt cod mantecato with house made flat bread were heavenly, especially washed down with a crisp chioretto rosé from Italy. Oh yeah, we also had a dish of creamy polenta with fontina that made Peter (and the rest of us) very happy. I have a funny feeling this paragon of Italian comfort food may make its way to his dinner table soon! We shared a wonderful salad and an amazing plate of rosemary tagliatelli with duck giblets and aged balsamico that was a sensual treat...we all LOVED this! Our fabulous waitress, who was fresh, funny, and very attentive popped the cork on a bottle of 1998 Ugo Lequio "Gallina" Barbaresco that I brought along. This was awesome nebbiolo, still fairly young and just starting to reveal its greatness. Man, it was so good! The entrée highlights were a Niman Ranch flatiron steak that w and Jane had, and Peter's Wolfe Ranch quail. My roasted chicken wasn't in the least bit disappointing either. And then we had to have a couple of desserts. What were they? I hate to say I can't remember right now, but they were excellent, especially with a sweetly fizzy glass of moscato d'asti to wash them down. With very full tummies we meandered to the car for the cross bay trip home and a welcome night in bed.
The ethereally good duck tagliatelle!








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Part 5....So this is what heaven looks like!

We woke up to a brilliantly sunny, warm morning. So nice when you know it's pouring down rain back in PDX. After a morning walk with coffee and delicious pastry, the ever-present subject of what to eat next was foremost on our minds. After two nights of pretty intense dining, it was time to get our casual grub on, and Jane had the perfect thing on her mind. There's a street in Oakland called International Boulevard, aka the "Comida Corridor" that is crowded with a mind bending number of taco stops. You may or may not know about my taqueria/taco truck addiction. It's there, I admit it, so it's not a problem! And apparently Jane shares this same lust, because she took us on a tour of some killer chow. She led us on this carnitas crawl on a beautiful 75 degree afternoon. We stuffed ourselves, spending at most $1.25 a pop for these awesome taste treats. Below a couple of shots of true bliss!









Clockwise from top left: the Chan sisters awaiting fish taco nirvana at Tacqueria Sinaloa; your intrepid eater digging into and digging the stupidly good carnitas at our favorite stop, El Grullo; the line at Mariscos La Costa.


Nothing to do after this but lounge around Jane's pad with a magical, never-ending shaker of pomegranate cosmos, having a bit of social intercourse until it was time to head to the airport.
Wow....All in all a great trip. beautiful weather, mostly stupendous food and most excellent company. My favorite food pick was East Ocean. I can't wait to get back. w and Jane thought Delfina really hit it, and of course the Monday afternoon taco spree was right in my wheelhouse. Major props to Jane for being a perfect tour guide and host....I can't wait to see what happens next trip!!

Día de los Muertos

A couple of days ago w and I were fortunate enough to snag the last 2 seats at the annual Por Que No "Día de los Muertos" dinner. This is held on November first, and is a celebration that takes place across Mexico (and now in PDX!) to celebrate and remember the lives and deaths of friends and relatives who have passed on. Bryan Steelman, who is the owner of Por Que No at 3524 North Mississippi Avenue, put on an exceptionally delicious and also touching dinner. The food from his right hand man on the stove Josh was awesome. Four courses plus dessert that left us gasping with pleasure. There was an altar where you could bring in photos/artifacts of anyone you wanted to remember. It was a very cool event, and I felt fortunate to be able to partake of the scene. If you haven't been to PQN, then you need to get by SOON, because their food simply rocks! Here's a few pics of the event.....

The altar with a picture of my pop who passed on a couple o0f years ago. i thnk he was digging the party!






A fabulous first course....with more to come!!








An amazing avocado/chanterelle soup...wow!!

Disaster averted!

It all seemed so promising. The table was set, it was a beautiful,, 70 degree shirtsleeve late autumn early evening outside. Our friend Denise just walked in with an incredible platter of appetizers. w's signature cocktails were going down deliciously easily.
Digging the deck and digging in @ w's!

The soup was made, the late season caprese was ready, then.....then.....the main course of eggplant lasagna made it's unfortunate appearance out of the oven. Now I'm not saying everything I make is great. But I have to admit this is the first time I have ever thrown the main into the trash before it even made it to table. I will accept some responsibility here. But when the girl at Pastaworks tells you that their fresh pasta doesn't need to be cooked in water before you use it, maybe take that with a grain of salt and use your best judgment. Had I done that, dinner would have been a little more complete. As it was, the soup course became the main, along with some pasture-raised lamb off the grill that I had marinated ahead of time that originally was going to accompany the...ugggh, lasagna.
But as always, that little disaster was overlooked in the course of other good food, great conversation, and a wee bit of delicious wine. My friend DOR brought an excellent 2001 Bierzo from Dominio de Tares. You heard it here that Bierzo, a tiny appellation in the northwest corner of Spain where the wines are made from the mencia (pronounced men-thia) grape is going to be the next star Euro appellation. We also popped a 2001 Vietti Barbera d'Asti "La Crena", which is simply a stunning, incredible barbera. One of those reds you want to check in on in about 8 years...wow!
The night, which was spiraling, ended up being fabulous. We even had an early season pumpkin pie courtesy of w's baking skill. More good food, good wine, good friends. It just keeps getting better!

Life is good!
Not to be redundant, but how lucky am I? Two dinners out in the last two days, both absolutely spectacular!! Following hot on the heels of Wednesday's stellar meal at Autentica, w and I celebrated her birthday last night with dinner at Le Pigeon (738 E. Burnside, 503-546-8796), a cozy little bistro just off the east end of the Burnside Bridge. The buzz has been hot and heavy about this joint, and based on my experience it is all too true! The food from beginning to end was fresh, new, and exciting. We settled in to a couple of seats at the counter, always my preferred choice. The seats look right at the cooks who are working it hard, and allow some give and take and timely advice from the ones who are going to be kicking out your food, never a bad thing.
We started with three appetizers, in order:
-Trotter cakes with a creamy, intense aioli: shredded pig foot meat in a potato cake that was crisp and delicious.
-Duck Nuggets, which were as good as they sound, with a plum dipping sauce...so sublime.
-And foie gras on a crostini with a peach topping that was everything I could have hoped for. Decadent, rich, perfectly seared foie gras that had me silently blessing that goose and his fatted liver...yum!
Then on to dinner, in w's case a fabulously savory dish of monkfish medallions, in my case an amazingly creative combination of prawns and pork belly on the best, sweetest creamed corn that had me swooning. We reluctantly passed on dessert, but you can bet I'll be back to tackle that portion of the menu.
This place is a great spot, cute, cozy, great vibe, and the food is among the most creative, satisfying, and well prepared in town. One visit and I'm hooked...you will be too!

Authentic? You bet!

I hear a lot of restaurant recommendations from a lot of different people. One place where the buzz in my ear has been loud and clear is Autentica (5507 NE 30th, 503.287.7555), a newish Mexican joint a couple storefronts north of NE Killingsworth Street. All I kept hearing from my foodie friends is that this place is the real deal and the food is crazy good, not your typical cheesy-AmerMex blend of stomach binding ingredients. Well, last night after a terrific wine tasting at my friend Whitney's cute little bungalow in NE, I had the opportunity to check out Autentica on my way home. Um, how to say this? How about "Holy shit this place is rocking!" If you haven't been there yet, get your appetites going and get over there, because based on a somewhat frustratingly limited exploration of the menu (frustrating only in the sense that I can only eat so much by myself!) I am hooked. I mean, everything that owner/sous chef Oswaldo Bibiano was rolling out of the kitchen was absolutely knock out grub, and my tastebuds were loving every last morsel. Okay, to start, I ordered 1/2 dozen oysters that were a deliciously fresh, briny beginning hopped up with a drop of hot sauce. Then came a dish of Queso Oaxaca con Chorizo, which is basically a bubblingly hot melted dish of Mexican cheese with bits of chorizo, served with their silky smooth housemade corn tortillas. Here's a graphic representation of this bowl of goodness.....
Yum, so good and on a cool, damp PDX evening so satisfying. And it comes with a trio of homemade salsas that are to die for. I also had to try, to satisfy my taqueria/taquito fetish, their Tradicional Taco al Pastor which is probably the best $1.50 appetizer in town. Now with the whole Large Plates side of the menu open to me, it was getting tough to make a decision. But since a real mole is kind of the litmus test of true regional Mexican cuisine, I went with the Pollo en Mole Teloapan. A half chicken blanketed in a chocolatey brown Guerrero style mole. Wow!! It's made with eight different dried chiles and nuts. This was by far the best mole I've had in Portland. Complex, rich, silky smooth with a nice spicy kick. Absolutely sensational and the flavors truly explode across your palate. I was sittng at their kitchen bar, and asked Oswaldo how long it took to make. He said he starts on Monday and basically spends an entire day prepping, mixing, slowly simmering this magical concoction. Here it is, before my knife and fork made a mess of it....
The object in the upper right is a beautifully presented serving of rice in a corn husk. They also serve it with another helping of their perfect corn tortillas, which you can stuff with the succulent meat or use as a mop to clean every bit of this saucy deliciousness off your plate. The whole meal was exceptional, and incredibly affordable. I barely scratched the surface of the menu, and can't wait for my next trip!

Give a man a fish......
.....and he can make a decent small bite to eat. Give a man three fish and he can make a pretty mean meal for unexpected friends who drop by.
I had plans to make a quick trout dinner before w and I went to the Mississippi Pizza Pub to see our friend Andrew Field play some music. Never having roasted a whole fish, I planned ahead and picked up one extra of our scaly meal-to-be in case things went off the tracks and I needed a backup up plan. Then came a late call from my friend Amy Ruppel, asking if we were going to see Andrew and if we would want to have a drink before hand with she and her hubby Randall. Not wanting to pass up the chance to hang with two of my favorite people and since I live a mere three blocks from the Pizza venue, it only made sense to have them come by for a quick pre-show drink and snack. Out came plan B in the guise of fish 3, some quick prep on he and his two piscene brothers, in this case a few well placed knife slashes on both sides of the fish, a rub of olive oil and a sprinkling of S&P, some fresh thyme and lemon stuffed inside, 15 minutes in a 475 oven with some thin sliced russet potatoes (also w/olive oil and S&P), a deliciously crisp bottle of 2004 J. Christopher "Zoot Allures" Blanc, and voila.......
......an incredibly satisfying, clean, fresh, and best of all super easy-to-make nibble to send us out onto the street with four very happy tummies!

It was a perfect night out at Edgefield last night as w and I drove east to see someone who came west to entertain us, that person being Matisyahu with his joyous brand of Hassidic Jewish/Reggae/Hip-hop music that had the crowd on their feet throughout the show. Matisyahu comes at us from White Plains, NY, and his music is awesome. The moon was full, the beers were cold, and M's backing band Roots Tonic was rocking...guitarist Aaron Dugan was especially tearing it up! Matisyahu's recent cd's "Youth" and "Live at Stubb's" are both deserving, and maybe mandatory additions to your iTunes collections.