Eating Portland: Beaker and Flask

Hard to believe it's been so long since I've written up a restaurant visit. Of course it's also hard to believe the C-boy is four months old. Even harder to believe that last night was the first time we went out without him. Talk about needing to get our freaking lives in order! So last night, to celebrate the onset of babysitting and our anniversary, w and I made a beeline to the much-missed Beaker and Flask here in PDX. If you're a parent you'll get this, and if you're not you'll think "dude, that is SO pathetic", but walking in to B&F without having to worry about a possible baby meltdown was so nice. Sitting at the bar, where we used to love to sit pre-baby..."sniff-sniff"...was also pretty damn nice. Greeted most warmly by owner Kevin Ludwig, we couldn't wait to get our night started. A glass of prosecco was quickly ordered for w, and I told our bartender Michael Shea to make me anything he wanted to as long as it contained a healthy dose of gin. When you have the caliber of mix-masters behind the bar that Ludwig does, I'm always happy to put myself in their spirit soaked hands. I always know at B&F, where cocktails are taken with the proper seriousness, that I would be drinking well, and when I saw the beautifully delicious looking Bronx cocktail (upper left) set down gently in front of me I was not disappointed. The Bronx is a classic from the very old school. I've made them at home and love them. So with that important task taken care of, we checked out the menu and as always were impressed with the number of dishes that sounded so good.

Decisions had to made, so we settled on starters of the Grilled Pork Tongue (left) with asparagus and green garlic cream; Fried Baby Eel with smoked paprika aioli; and the Cabbage Roll with mushrooms, caramelized onions, lentil salad, and mustard. The restaurant wasn't too full so the dishes came out quickly, which was a good thing as the gin was already grabbing my head. All three were standout. The pork tongue was fabulous. I'm not a big tongue guy, having been frightened by the disturbingly hulking cow tongues I used to see wrapped in cellophane in too many meat markets. The B&F versions alleviated any squeamishness and was super tender with a nice meaty texture, and the perfectly crunchy-tender asparagus and sensuously silky garlic cream were a perfect match. The fried baby eel was basically a fried calamari-like plate with the more fishy eel in place of squid. Very good, but it's assertive taste may not be for everyone. w was not as into it as I was. Then there is the cabbage roll (below left). "Cabbage roll". For something that sounds so humble, this was an incredible creation. Looking like a greenish pudding set atop lentils, the cabbage as stuffed with mushrooms and onions and provided an earthy, richly flavored mouthful with every bite. The lentils had the just right bite, and the whole dish was held together by a light application of mustard mixed around the edges. A great beginning, and if you find yourself at B&F anytime soon, the cabbage and pork tongue are must have apps!

Kevin popped the cork on a bottle of 2005 Brick House Gamay Noir from my basement I brought along to have with dinner, and while we delighted in each rich sip we pondered main dishes to come. w has a hard time passing up razor clams, so her choice was made by the Fried Razor Clams with potatoes, octopus, candied orange peel, and aioli. I was torn between pork and fish, but since I've been on a bit of a meat binge at home lately I decided that the Pan Seared Halibut with carrot purée, English peas, radish, bay shrimp, and sweet herb crème fraîche. Sound good? FYI, the word to describe my plate of fish was "freakish". Each bite provided an "Oh my god" moment. Uber-seasonal, the sweet carrot puree and English peas were amazing, then to add in shrimp and the herb crème fraîche sent this off to a wonderland of sensory overload. I don't eat too many truly inspired plates of food. This was one of them! I am always impressed with chef Ben Bettinger's witchcraft in the B&F kitchen. This only confirmed that this guys skill set is right at the top of the PDX heap. And of course w's razor clams, which came stacked in most generous portion, were also excellent. Lightly battered and fried to a toothsome bite ("toothsome"...how very 1960's of me), a smear of aioli on top (ask for an extra side of aioli...you'll want it) with seasoned spuds and bits of baby octopus to make sure you aren't cheated in the flavor department, which isn't ever a problem at B&F. BTW-no pics of mains. Dark light and all we had was our iPhones.

Being very full and getting sleepy...our perpetual post-10pm state these days...we blamed out by not ordering dessert, and on the way home I was already kicking myself for not ordering the Panna Cotta with beignets and huckleberry sauce. But whose life isn't lived with some regret? In any event, this was another evening well spent. We were reminiscing with Kevin about how two years ago while he jumping through his endless series of hoops trying to get B&F open, that he actually bartended at our wedding (and don't think that wasn't off the hook!) and we were shaking our heads at how much all of our lives had changed. Us with a sweet new baby, and Kevin having a one-year old of his own in Beaker and Flask. Both things trying and rewarding at the same time. now he's running a successful restaurant, getting national press (the latest two mentions in the new issue of Food & Wine), exceeding everyone's expectations (except I'm sure his own) and having what I consider one of the top 4 or 5 dining experiences in town!

Quick Bites PDX: Bar Avignon rises!

Sure the economy is crashing down on our heads, there is war raging across the middle east, and we have 17 days left of Bush. Then there's this little tidbit that somehow slipped under the newswire radar. Bar Avignon, perhaps the place that best captures the spirit of a Parisian wine bar here in PDX, is adding to their well thought out menu of bar snacks and paninos a regular plat du jour (with mussels on the way!), which to me was the one missing ingredient there. Their addictive bar bites and salads...especially those meatballs with romesco that I could eat dozens of...are always delicious. But to make it more of a complete spot for dinner, I always wanted to be able to have a dinner plate of....something. Good things come to those who wait, as was evidenced last night when w and I met there after the VINO Friday tasting.

Owners Randy and Nancy (and yes guys, you're still a bar, not a restaurant!) always provide a gracious welcome, and it got better as our friend's DOR and his lovely wife Dawn happened to wander in at the same time. Which is kind of the essence of a neighborhood spot, right? We grabbed a table with them and dug in. Of course meatballs were had, along with a great bowl of butternut squash and parsnip soup with a little drizzle of sage oil. Then the plat, which tonight was braised chicken breast on polenta, the perfect antidote to a chilly night long with a side of buttered brussel sprouts, this was what I'd been waiting for! Along witha bottle of 2007 Brick House Gamay Noir follwed by a bottle of 2006 Clos des Brusquires Chateauneuf du Pape (for a near insane $52 a bottle) we were feeling about as good as we could. If you haven't hit Avignon yet, it is absolutely something to put on your to-eat list.

Oh, and a quick word about the bar. The cocktails here are first rate, always well made, and the wine list by-the-glass choices are fairly priced and cover a something for everyone range of tastes. Plus the bottle list, as shown by the Chateauneuf we had, is one of the best deals in town. Nicely done, Randy!
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Grilled Salmon w/ Lime Butter Sauce!

Down John! HEEL!!

Of all the Oregon wine personalities to be a national food mag wine-celeb, the last guy I would expect to be a publicity hound is laid back Jackson from Cameron Winery, but there he is on page 10 of the July 2008 issue of Saveur, while his "owner", winemaker John Paul is shamelessly mugging in a desperate attempt to draw attention to himself. On the other hand, of all the wineries in Oregon to get pimped hard, Cameron is at the top of my list because if you ever want to drink Oregon wines with integrity, elegance, style, and just plain deliciousness, these are them.

Saveur has a feature in the mag about touring Oregon wine country, where Doug Tunnell's Brick House Wines, producer of equally worthy, equally well-made pinot noir is also mini-profiled. If you don't grab the hard copy of Saveur, click here to see it online (with more pics).

Cellar report: Owen Roe '00 Merlot; Brick House '03 Gamay Noir

Sorry for the paucity of posts, but I'm on this little thing called a honeymoon, and there's so many other more, um, "interesting" things to do. When I get back I'll give a quick rundown on some good dining places around Calistoga, Ca., and share other trip highlights. But a couple of quick wine impressions from bottles I've brought with me from the cellar to have at dinners out....

2000 OWEN ROE Merlot "DuBrul Vineyard"
We had this at our dinner at my favorite mecca of meat, Jack's Bar and Grill on our first night out. I'd love to tell you that six years have holding it in great anticipation left me speechless in search of the proper words to describe its wonderfulness, but sadly this wine was a goner. At first, the nose seemed to hold out some hope, but the longer it sat open, the more the fruit just disappeared, with unpleasant, aged aromas and flavors rendering it undrinkable. I've kept this well-stored so that wasn't the problem. I always wonder about theses highly extracted, high alcohol wines. Will the fruit hold, or do they just fall apart? In this case it is sadly the latter. If anyone else has had experience with this wine, I'd love to hear about it.

2003 BRICK HOUSE WINES Gamay Noir
On the other end of the pleasure spectrum was this lovely bottle from Doug Tunnell's organically oriented Brick House, a tiny Oregon winery who makes what I think is the best American gamay noir (the grape that goes into France's Beaujolais). This three year old from the ultra-war '03 vintage was superb. Still young, with the fruit starting to smooth out, enticing hints of strawberry and spice coming through. As it sat open, it revealed a beam of ripe, fresh cherry fruit backed with good acidity that made it perfect for our dinner. Another stellar Brick House effort, and exactly the reason I throw some in the basement every year.

"You call this work?"...pt.1

Occasionally in the wine biz, a person gets invited to what they call trade tastings, where a wholesaler will lay out a bunch of their wines for retail and restaurant people to sample. This one took place at Nostrana, and was put on by the PDX distributor Casa Bruno. I know, I know. I can hear you already...."THAT is what you do for work? Gee, tasting about a hundred wines in an afternoon while snacking on some great chow sounds SOOO tough!" Well, just let me say that when you go to one of these trade tastings, not all of the wines are that good. Okay, at this tasting, most of the wines were pretty spot on. But don't forget about the hardships: palate fatigue, having to spit into a little bucket without splashing on yourself or others, deciding if the 2000 or 2001 Brunello di Montalcino is the better wine, not to mention how to juggle a plate of apps, a tasting sheet and pen, and a glass of wine. The things I do for my craft........
An unending row of grapey goodness!










David Autrey of Westrey Wine Company (on the right, standing next to Doug Tunnell of Brick House
Vineyard) trying to feign interest in yet another inane question.