Quick Bites PDX: Tabla Bistro

An online dictionary defines value as "the worth of something compared to the price paid or asked for it?". Taking that definition and applying it to our dinner at Tabla last Saturday, then the value offered by their three course prix fixe menu for $24 can only be categorized as extraordinary. This was perhaps the best return on my dining dollar I've had in a long time. Tabla has a menu that lets you choose one item off a list of appetizers, followed by a pasta choice, then you select your entrée. I've been to Tabla several times before and have usually been, with a couple of exceptions, pretty impressed. I was anxious for this trip because of the new executive chef at Tabla, Anthony Cafiero, who took over the kitchen the first of March. He also spent time cooking under heralded chef Jack Yoss at Adam Berger's other PDX restaurant, Ten-01. This is Anthony's first time over-seeing a kitchen playground, and it was interesting to find out what he had cooking.

This Saturday, going against the grain of what you hear is going on out in restaurant land, the warmly cozy dining room was buzzing when we arrived for our 7:30 rezzies. Since I find decision making much easier with a drink in my hand, I ordered the Bicycle Thief cocktail while w had a glass of prosecco. I can not-so-humbly say I know my way around a cocktail or two, and am not easily impressed, but this concoction of basil-infused gin, campari, and carpano antica was sensational. A tricked out negroni and served up, the subtle basil notes played perfectly with the campari and antica. This was a great start! So w had a pretty good idea of what she wanted for her meal, and I asked our very friendly waitress if she thought Anthony would be cool with making my app/pasta/entrée choices for me. She thought he would be, he was, so I just sat back for the ride. Perfect!

Tabla usually features a different culinary region to focus a few menu selections on. This night it was the Spanish region of Catalunya, and soon to arrive at the table was w's chosen Calçotada, one of their regional picks. A plate of spring leeks, onions, and green garlic with a salbitxada sauce and aoili for dipping. The sauces were excellent, the seasonal ingredients nicely chosen, but just a smidge overcooked and limp. Anthony sent out for me a plate of Citrus-Cured Oregon Albacore (pic above left) with an olive and orange relish and housemade crackers. Two words: Oh yeah! The cure gave the fresh, inherently rich tuna a kiss of tartness and acidity, the relish a nice counterpoint, and crispy crackers just because. This was very good stuff. I was drinking a glass if Lirac blanc from the south of France that played beautifully with this.

While we waited for our pastas, Anthony sent out a pair of little albacore tuna fritters (at left) he was thinking of adding to the regular menu. Not only beautiful to look at sitting roundly on top of a pool of arugula pesto, but quite deliciously fried orbs with a pronounced fresh tuna flavor that didn't get lost under the dough or the pesto. We have vote yes to these would-be addictive bites!



One of the things I like about Tabla's menu is that it replaces the usual dessert choice that accompanies most 3-course menus around town with a pasta choice. Much more of a Euro feel that allows the diner to really taste the full breadth of what the kitchen can do. w's pasta was a Tabla staple, the Rabbit Ragu Pappardelle. The rabbit braised in white wine, porcinis, and tomatoes then shredded as always was tender, perfectly savory, and the fresh, housemade pasta had just the right bite. The kitchen sent out for me exactly what I would have ordered, the Herb Fazzoletti, which was again an über-seasonal selection of fava beans and asparagus over broken sheet pasta with lemon-herb butter and housemade ricotta. This was a dish where the favas and asparagus could easily have been overwhelmed by the herb butter or by the application of too much ricotta, but Cafiero kept everything in perfect balance and each bite let the individual ingredients shine through, the key with seasonal...or any...cooking.

While w waited for our entrées we had the server open the bottle of 2002 Bethel Heights "Seven Springs Vineyard" Pinot Noir (part of w's dowery, by the way...lucky me!) we brought along. This pinot, from a fabulous Oregon vintage, was young on opening and then proceeded to blossom, becoming a fragrant, berry, earth, and spice filled glass of sensual pleasure. A little FYI: Most '02 Oregon noirs I've had recently have been showing they still have years ahead of them and have taken an hour or more to open up. In other words, if you're popping those '02 corks, grab your decanters!

Entrées were up. w had another classic Tabla plate, their Duck Confit with chive whipped potatoes, braised greens, and a port poached orange. Done just right, crisp skin, tender meat...this is why everyone loves duck confit. I was sent out a plate...which I would have ordered for myself as I had my eye on the pork cheeks...of Grilled Monkfish (at left) with warm blood orange and lentil salad with curly endive and a green olive purée. One bite in and I'm glad the kitchen couldn't read my pork-addled mind. Delicious! The monkfish, which is a definite knife-and-fork fish and too often can be cooked to a softball-like toughness, was spot on. Moist, with a tender, meaty texture, and when mixed with the lentil salad and olive purée was complex and incredibly satisfying, sending different flavors ricocheting all around my very happy mouth.

When you pay just $24 for three courses of food this good, it seems like bad form (or insert other rationalization here) to not have dessert, so we ended with their Crema Catalana and the Espresso Cheesecake (below). w is quite particular about her crème brulée, and the Tabla Crema Catalana was declared an unqualified success. She thought the top had just the right "crack" to it. I was also similarly enthralled with the cheesecake, all creamy, sensual chocolate with a coffee flavored chocolate nib crust with a dulce de leche sauce. Both desserts proving that sometimes too much is just right!
Overall, obviously I was really impressed with the meal, especially Cafiero's pairing of flavors and textures. There were no jarring moments, and everything seemed to flow together. This was cooking that showed off the inherent goodness of the food, and by extension the chef's skill. Anthony is a regular at the Portland farmer's market on weekends, so I know he has the commitment to local produce and meats. If anything, it seems to me he has raised the bar even higher at Tabla from the previous chef, yet we still get to pay the same ridiculously reasonable price. Value defined!

Quick Bites PDX: Ten-01's chef search is over

Posted on The Oregonian's website this morning is news that Ten-01's owner Adam Berger has settled on a choice to replace the departed Jack Yoss. San Francisco chef Benjamin Parks, late of the Italian restaurant Ducca, where he received three out of four stars from Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer, will be the new exec chef at Ten-01. Parks is yet another national name drawn to Portland by our blossoming organic farmer-driven food scene. In the chef version of the sports clichés "It is what it is", "I just want to win", and it's not about the money", Parks says his cooking is "all about showcasing the ingredients." Hey, he may not be Winston Churchill, but apparently he's a helluva cook. Berger chose Parks out of six finalists who cooked a sample dinner because "His food was perfect". We'll see.............

Jack Yoss leaving ten-01 leaves Portland food scene remarkably unaffected

Just read this post by FoodDude that chef Jack Yoss is leaving Ten-01 this March. According to FD he's leaving for a "world tour" of eastern Europe and Asia. Must be some damn good piroshkis and chicken paprikash to be had. I would disagree with FD's conclusion that "this is a huge blow to the Portland restaurant scene". Granted he resurrected Ten-01 from the culinary dumpster it was residing in, but with so many talented chefs doing equally good and innovative cooking (Kevin at EVOE; Kurt at Alba Osteria; Benjamin at Nuestra Cocina; etc.) and also the fact that Ten-01 really wasn't that high profile (I don't know if any restaurant/chef in town is) to warrant that judgment. It is much more of a blow to the restaurant itself than to the PDX food scene in general.

A toast to well being!

You know how certain things just make you feel comfortable and enhance your sense of well being? A comfy cashmere sweater. A fuzzy puppy. A warm feather comforter on a cool autumn evening. A $200 Nordstrom gift card. A confident bartender who really knows his way around a bottle of gin. Okay, maybe that last one speaks more to me and my needs, but hey, this is my blog, so there ya have it!

Every time I walk into Portland's Ten-01 and see their master mixologist Kelly Swenson behind the bar, I know things are going to get cozy and my personal well being is about to get a lift. We stopped by for some happy hour nibbles and libations yesterday when I took the afternoon off from the wine shack to celebrate w's birthday weekend. There's a sort if illicit thrill that goes with having cocktails out at 3:30 in the afternoon, and I can think of no better place than Ten-01. Besides Kelly's mad skills behind the bar, they have way above average cheap bites (those are their crispy Thai ribs at right) from 3-6. We ordered a couple of drinks...a Paloma for w (that put my attempt to shame and I'm stealing his version) and Kelly's Martini 1812 (pictured above) for me. I asked Kelly about the name and he said that is the year it was invented. Now Kelly forgotten more about making drinks than I'll ever know, so it sounded good. But I did further Googling this morning and found what I think may be the real reference to 1812, which is the year Alessandro Martini, who founded the Martini and Rossi vermouth company, was born. Whatever the reason for the name, this was an outstanding, exquisitely balanced cocktail. A three-to-one mix of gin and Carpano vermouth, with a drizzle of Maraschino liqueur and a dash of orange bitters and an amarena cherry for garnish, this also had a lovely golden tint that made it perfectly matched to the cool fall afternoon outside. So a toast to Alessandro and Kelly, two people who continue to enhance my world!
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Martini 1812
From Kelly Swenson of Ten-01

ingredients:
Three parts gin
One part Carpano Antica vermouth
1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
Dash orange bitters
Preserved amarena cherry for garnish

method:
Fill cocktail mixer half full of ice. Add gin, vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters. Stir to combine and chill. Drop cherry into martini glass and strain cocktail into it. Enjoy!

Three of my new favorite things...or: Why I love living in Portland!

As you all know I never hesitate to feed my food fixation. Self-indulgence and immediate gratification are two of my favorite things. Every now and then certain things just grab my mind, and I think about them probably too much. But they taste so good, and my will is weak. Three of my current favorite obsessions here in PDX.....

The brand new on the menu crispy calamari at Kevin Sandri's "Garden State" food cart on SE 13th and Lexington here in the wine shack neighborhood. He brought me over a sample today and they are PERFECT! Crisp, lightly battered, tender, with a lemony aioli that is the ultimate accompaniment. This is a great takeaway treat, as good as any you'll have at any restaurant in town, and you'd best be trying them while they're around!
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Just to show you how good my life can be, one of my other favorite lunch bites is from the cart right next door to Garden State (and hence right across the street from the wine shack!!) at The Chuck Wagon. Chuck's pulled pork sandwich absolutely rocks. Moist, tender, just-right-hot sauced shredded bbq pork topped with a delicious slaw, all piled on a white bread bun. This is down home eatin' at it's best!
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w and I hit Ten-01 for happy hour the other day and my man Anthony sent us out a plate of their Thai Style Pork Ribs that were fabulous. Addictively spicy, fall off the bone tender, and if I remember right about five bucks for a generous portion during Happy Hour from 3:30-6:00. Crazy good shit that I could eat way too much of. Also not to be missed on the HH menu is their fresh shucked oysters at a buck apiece!

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!"

Eating out and about.....

I've been having, as usual, some pretty kick-ass meals around PDX. Here's a few quick impressions.....

TEN-01: There has never been a restaurant in Portland to rise Phoenix-like from the ashes like Ten-01. I wouldn't have bet a plug nickel on their chances after the scorched earth reviews it received upon opening. I mean, it was brutal. And deserved. Well, my how times change. About a year ago they hired the very talented Jack Yoss to take the helm in the kitchen, and ever since this ship has been moving in the right direction. Very seasonal, farm-to-table food. We went there for a boy's night out recently. Eight guys, all of whom know their way around the kitchen and have eaten more than their share of meals out. The bottom line was we were all uniformly impressed with everything we had, and we ate our way through most of the menu. where there was hardly a weak spot in evidence. It was a few weeks ago, so I'm sure the menu has changed some, but from that meal and the buzz on the street, this has to be on your hit list. It has an elegant, yet comfortable feel. Kelly at the bar is absolutely nails, too, making several satisfying libations from various in-house infusions, and more importantly a rock solid martini! I also respect the kitchen's appreciation of foie gras in several dishes, especially in these food intolerant times when far too many chefs have caved to the demands of food Nazis who don't have a life of their own, so they feel the need to tell us how to live ours. And major props to my man Anthony for hooking us up with an off the menu treat that night in the form of some crazy good raviolis. Fucking awesome.....you rocked it, dude!

BASTA'S: Time was I used to go to Basta's all the time when they first opened. Then I moved out of the neighborhood, other eating opportunities caught the attention of my roving palate, and Basta's kind of slid to the back burner. w and I made a much overdue trip their before the symphony about three weeks ago, and now I'm kicking myself for staying away. The space in the former Tastee Freeze is cozy as ever. Owner/chef Marco Frataroli is really hitting it right now in the kitchen. Everything we had was delicious. The calamari was spot on, my all-time favorite pasta from back in the day, the fettucine al' anatra (duck pasta) was on the menu as a special, and it was exactly as delicious as I remember. w had the cioppino (pictured...via the camera phone!) and it was beautifully presented, really stunning to look at, and very well prepared....fresh, with a bright, flavorful broth. And Basta's all-Italian wine list is also a treat, with loads of choices at way more than reasonable prices, easily one of the best value lists in town!

CASTAGNA CAFE: I've mentioned my love for virtually all things Castagna several times. On a recent trip they had yet another thing to put on my "Foods I Crave" list, a freakishly good appetizer (left) of roasted shrimp, garbanzos, and garlic in olive oil. Another "Oh my f-cking god" moment, and I grabbed some bread and sopped up every last savory drop of sauce. So good. If it's not on their appetizer list when you go, let's badger them to get it back. Crazy stuff!!