Portland Tartare Tour

Portland Tartare Tour Week Offering for March 18-24 – five Westward Whiskey special edition cocktails crafted to pair with a beef tartare dish from five participating locations in Portland, to benefit three local food-focused charities: Hunger Free Oregon, Zenger Farm, and Milk Crate Kitchen.

Which pairing do you want to try?
Scotch Lodge and Westward Whiskey cocktail and steak tartare pairing for the Portland Tartare Tour 2024 in March Scotch Lodge and Westward Whiskey cocktail and steak tartare pairing for the Portland Tartare Tour 2024 in March

Scotch Lodge:
Scotch Lodge and Westward Whiskey cocktail and steak tartare pairing for the Portland Tartare Tour 2024 in March Scotch Lodge and Westward Whiskey cocktail and steak tartare pairing for the Portland Tartare Tour 2024 in March
🥃CURIOSER AND CURIOSER: Shiitake Butter-Washed Westward American Single Malt, Giffard Cacao, Vanilla
🍴TARTARE PAIRING: Pine Nuts, Shiitake, Cacio de Roma, Rakkyo
(raising funds for Zenger Farm)
I admit this was my favorite because I loved how the two complimented each other, and it was the cocktail that I was the most tempted to have a second round. I didn’t think the Cacio crisp was that great of a vehicle for the tartare, but I was more than happy to scoop it up by the spoonful directly to my mouth and take a bite of crisp. Be careful though – once you visit Scotch Lodge you may find yourself staying to order more of the incredible food and drink here, soaking up the elegant speakeasy vibes, and never proceed forward on your tartare crawl!

Bellwether Bar:
Bellwether Bar and Westward Whiskey cocktail and steak tartare pairing for the Portland Tartare Tour 2024 in March Bellwether Bar and Westward Whiskey cocktail and steak tartare pairing for the Portland Tartare Tour 2024 in March
🥃NO. 56: Westward Whiskey Original, Salted Maple Syrup, Tiki Bitters and Citrus Oil
🍴TARTARE PAIRING: Northwest Beef, Cured Duck Yolk, and Aioli served with Rustic Sourdough
(raising funds for Milk Crate Kitchen)
This cocktail has a sweet saltiness from the maple syrup, but is the perfect balance for the classic tartare here which has a touch of saltiness to it and that freshly toasted buttery bread is so good we asked for extra just of the bread. I love that they have an outdoor patio space in the back that is covered and has some heaters if the weather is nice, but the homey interior of this Mt Tabor bar is also so comforting and cozy.

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Supporting People and the Ocean with Oregon Albacore Tuna

The average person, when thinking about Oregon seafood, or Pacific Northwest seafood, may think about Dungeness crab, wild chinook salmon, oysters, perhaps the Oregon coast stops as you drive down the Pacific Coast Highway 101 and see signs for clam chowder and fish and chips. Make no mistake though, Oregon Albacore Tuna is an important catch of the Oregon’s fishing industry, and if you are making a checklist of all the bounty of the Oregon Coast, you should be specifically seeking out Oregon albacore in your food goals of tasting what our west coast has to offer. In doing so you will also be supporting local fishing families and sustainable seafood practices.
Media tour with the Oregon Albacore Commision in September 2023 Media tour with the Oregon Albacore Commision in September 2023

I recently went on a media tour with the Oregon Albacore Commision and learned so much, and wanted to share it with you so you can also make your own informed decisions. I am not being compensated for this – I want to share my education on how to practically support local and those who care and want to be good custodians of our environment and ecosystem.

If you are interested in taking a seafood tour yourself, look for a Shop at the Dock tour during the summer which like my tour, is led by Oregon Sea Grant from Oregon State University – shout out to Amanda Gladics for her teaching me so much (pictured below to the left) and Jeff Wong of Community Supported Fishery for taking time for us as well to tell his origin story as independent fisherman tale. You can also find workshops via Shifting Tides.
Media tour with the Oregon Albacore Commision in September 2023 Media tour with the Oregon Albacore Commision in September 2023

Oregon fishermen are a network of almost all local, independent fishing families, some of whom have been part of the fishing industry for generations. Most of the boats are smaller than you think – 30-50 feet long, with a crew of maybe 5 people are less. Specialized equipment, fishing expertise and safety knowledge is needed because the boats must go out 30 miles or more offshore, so those who make a living as fisherman have made an investment financially and of their time to build the maritime professional proficiency.

Oregon albacore tuna is caught one at a time, by hand, using hook and line fishing methods such as a tuna troller (educational pdf) or live bait jigging (video example) – no nets and by-catch mortality of seagirds and other marine mammals and other harmful effects of driftnet (Wiki article) which happens outside of Oregon and are the opposite of sustainable fisheries management practices and have negative consequences to the ocean ecosystem. It is important to support with your choice of where you spend your money those who are promoting alternative processes to prove out that they can be successful and as consumers we prove it matters.

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ōkta Peak Summer Menu

We celebrated our wedding anniversary with a multi-course progressive tasting menu with wine pairings at ōkta. The timing was with the ōkta Peak Summer Menu Mid-August – Mid-September, part of the Farm Seasion (July-October) where the tasting menu highlights their hearth mimicking the summer sun and its impact on flavor. I had the regular tasting ōkta menu while F had the vegan version – you can see some examples of the slight differences, it was fun discussing what flavors we had in our versions – most of them were very close. We had the same wine pairings every course.
ōkta Peak Summer Menu ōkta Peak Summer Menu ōkta Peak Summer Menu - Tropical Notes ōkta Peak Summer Menu - Pollinators

Friendship

Chrysanthemum, Bush Beans, Maple. This is a custard infused with chrysanthemum with haricot vert and yellow wax beans and I believe maple blossom at the top adding some intriguing textures. His vegan version has a cashew custard.
ōkta Peak Summer Menu - Friendship ōkta Peak Summer Menu - Friendship

Far and Near

Carrot, Caramelized Farro, Sea Urchin. This is a caramelized farro waffle where my version has sea urchin and his vegan version had a kohlrabi puree, both topped with these painstakingly slices carrots. This was my favorite wine discovery from sommelier Ron Acierto, a Clos Cobonne Tentations Rosé Cotes de Provence 2022. It was so refreshing and crisp that really elevated and smoothed the briny richness of the sea urchin with its round palate and hint of fruit balanced with edge of minerality. Luckily we got to revisit this again as it was also the pairing for the next course. I often find rosé beautiful but just a touch on the sweet side for me, and this blend that uses a varietal special to Provence, Tibouren, gives this IMHO the perfect mix of accessible, easy-drinking brightness with layers of complexity. This is why you always go with wine pairings – to discover and learn while also enjoying your fine meal.
ōkta Peak Summer Menu - Far and Near

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Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner

Fullerton Wine has a tasting room in the Slabtown area on NW Pettygrove, with a unique perspective of offering wine to highlight all the AVA (American Viticultural Area) of the Willamette Valley. To help this vision, winemaker Alex Fullerton and father Eric offers fine wine and they love pairing with food, offering dinners and dueling pairings with other winemakers. I’ve attended and loved a dinner previously, and recently attended another one with their new executive chef Andrew Thomas who recently started offering winemaker pairing dinner menu options for non-meat those reducing meat eaters.
Rosemary Focaccia Bruschetta Roasted Summer Vegetables, Gremolata, Toasted Spice Pepitas Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Wood Fired Grilled Steak, Whiskey Braised Cipollini Onions, Thyme Brown Butter, New Potatoes, Romesco Sauce

In a very inclusive move, the wine pairing dinners are offered so that diners can select from a Traditional (omnivore) menu, Pescatarian, or Vegan food pairing. So those with dietary restrictions are thoughtfully accounted for which is worth spotlighting, beyond their convenient location within Portland and great wines. It’s also fun to see how they efficiently create the twists in dishes to meet the restrictions. Here’s an example walkthrough of the Fullerton Pairing Dinner June 16 & 17, 2023 to see what an experience might be like.

We started with a welcome pour of 2021 Three Otters Rosé. This easy to drink and very affordable summer pleaser started as a competition between father and son on who can make the best Rosé (whole cluster pressed vs skin contact over 6 days) and both were blended together when Alex discovered the sum was better together. You’ll notice the family love of otters on the wine label as well as part of the family crest and if you look carefully, an otter calendar hanging inside the tasting room.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner welcome pour of 2021 Three Otters Rosé

First Course

Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons
This course was the same for both of us and was well balanced with the acidity and sweet of the fruit. It was paired with the bright 2022 Three Otters Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley AVA.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons

Second Course

Aleppo Seared Scallop with Israeli Cous Cous Salad Roasted Summer Squash, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing
🌱Vegan: Israeli Couscous, Crispy Chickpeas, Roasted Seasonal Squash, Blisters Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing
Both were paired with 2018 Lichtenwalter Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge AVA which is one of my favorites from Fullerton, with a smooth blend of fruit with spice accent in the flavor profile that’s subtle but distinguishable.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Aleppo Seared Scallop with Israeli Cous Cous Salad Roasted Summer Squash, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Vegan course of Israeli Couscous, Crispy Chickpeas, Roasted Seasonal Squash, Blisters Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing

Third Course

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Grand Amari brings the Amari and Italy to PDX

Grand Amari has just opened at the Hotel Grand Stark at inner SE Portland, offering a new premiere food and drink destination featuring old school traditional Italian flavors, from great ingredients that are highlighted simply by their pantry of almost a dozen incredible olive oils and paired with wines and stories of small producers so far out they may not even speak Italian, or ask for a suggested pairing from over 60 amari. The list is written to include stars to denote the amount of bitterness, and helpful flavor descriptions such as “cola, sasparilla, gentian” for Amaro Dente Di Leon, “sandalwood, cannibis, ginger” for Geijer Amaro, or “dark chocolate, espresso, allspice” for Meletti Fernet. Grand Amari is brought to you by the passionate nerds and visionaries of Olympia Provisions and Bar Casa Vale.
Tortelli with ricotta, sage, and delitia at Grand Amari Grand Amari pasta Cacio e Pepe with Candele pasta for chewy texture, and the noodles are extra long!

Grand Amari also has a sister bar at Little Bitter Bar which I will definitely be back for in July as they finish up their outdoor patio. I can’t wait to enjoy their spritz offerings in the sunshine. They offer three options of spritzes, with the lighter freshing Italicus, the more garden herb Carpano Botanic Bitter, or the stronger almost savory option of Zucca Amaro, with your spritz combination with prosecco and sparkling water. There are even more delightful sounding cocktails at the bar, which I will need to return to try, along with the pizza. For now, here’s a look at some of the dishes I tried from the menu at Grand Amari for dinner. Some of the dishes you will see mentioned here such as the aracini, fritto misto, carciofo arrosto, scallop crudo, tuna belly, and spaghettini pomodoro are also available as bar plates there.

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