Sponsored Post Archives - Page 30 of 38 - Pechluck's Food Adventures

Ringside Steakhouse 70th Anniversary

June 2, 2014 by Pechluck 4 Comments

Disclosure: I attended a media preview event that was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Ringside Steakhouse is celebrating it’s 70th anniversary this month in June! This classic steakhouse has been an institution in Portland, and the Peterson family is now on its third generation of owning this award winning steak restaurant (RingSide has been recognized on America’s Top Ten Steakhouse Hall of Fame list and by DiRōNA for high quality service, and was awarded a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2002).

Ringside Steakhouse Uptown location
To help celebrate, Ringside has a few specials planned for this month.

Trio of Beef

First, Ringside is offering a special menu all month in addition to their regular menu: a 3-Course Menu featuring a Trio of Beef for $70 per person. Part of the proceeds will benefit New Avenues For Youth. New Avenues is a great charity that provides a variety of outcome-based programs and services for homeless and at-risk youths with the goal of helping them to build life-skills, establish a stable living environment, and eventually become a self-sufficient adult.

I was graciously invited by Little Green Pickle and Ringside Steakhouse to a RingSide 70th Anniversary Media Preview. There, they had set up three steak stations in order to offer samplings of the special Trio of Beef.

Course 1: Oregon Bay Shrimp Salad with Butter lettuce, endive, celery leafs, red onions, green goddess dressing

Course 2: Trio of Certified Angus Beef Beef served with Chef’s accompaniments

Rib Eye Cap, char-broiled and sliced and served with jus. In case you are curious, the Rib Eye Cap is the top part of the ribeye which is a winning combination of all the flavor and juicy fat of a ribeye but with the tenderness of a tenderloin. It’s a very small cut, so you don’t usually see this available in a steakhouse and you’d have to ask for it especially cut by a butcher. This is quite a treasure. Yes, yes, a meat treasure that you want to serve simple like this to savor all the meatiness. I tell you, it’s a slight tragedy that I’m married to a vegetarian.
Braised Short Rib with Cabernet demi-glace. This was so melt in your mouth! So, I forgot to take a photo of the short rib at the station, but I was barely able to hold myself back to take the photo before devouring this. It was like meat butter, and a favorite by many of the guests at this event.
Tenderloin of Beef Oscar, a Petit Filet Mignon, Dungeness crab, asparagus and sauce béarnaise. This was the other favorite by many of the guests, as it’s a surf and turf in one! Even before it is topped with the crab, asparagus and sauce, look how beautiful it is.

Course 3: House Made Fromage Blanc Cheesecake with Strawberry balsamic jus

Optional wine pairing of 4 @ 3 oz. Pours – $40 for

Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc
Ken Wright Pinot Noir
Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon
Tyrus Evan Syrah

As part of the special media preview event, I had an opportunity to tour the behind the scenes at the Ringside Uptown location. RingSide has an on-site dry-aging room. First steaks arrive fresh with careful temperature and humidity controls the entire way, and then are cut in a special room that they can reduce and maintain to perfect controlled temperature conditions within 10 minutes (I dubbed it the “steak surgery room”).

Then, the cuts go to the aging room (I dub this “most organized and fully stocked meat locker I’ve ever seen, where’s the grill…”) where the steaks are aged for 28 days and hand cut. Since they only have seven decades of experience at being a steakhouse, they manage their inventory expertly to balance having what they need while managing the natural waste that is part of the process of dry aging.
RingsideSteakhouse Uptown, on-site dry-aging room

This part of the little visit was narrated by Ringside Partner Craig Peterson, and Craig humbly said they are still trying to get the flavors perfect in their dry aging process… and that it will probably never be perfect. I have to say I beg to differ here because the steaks I sampled that evening had great depth of flavor. Also, it was all served with forks from the meat stations… no knives, because they weren’t necessary!
Ringside Steakhouse Uptown, on-site dry-aging room, being narrated by Ringside Partner Craig Peterson (3rd generation owner!) RingsideS teakhouse Uptown, on-site dry-aging room, being narrated by Ringside Partner Craig Peterson (3rd generation owner!)

Part of the secret was revealed when we had a chance to peek at the kitchen and I saw the sous vide steaks in process (which was also next to some oysters on ice, and in the back some jumbo shrimp being prepped…). Ringside also knows that guests come to Ringside for special occasions, and they are serious about delivering a memorable experience for you, from food and drinks to impeccable service… and apparently are such the special occasion destination they’ve got to prep dessert dishes for the service (I guess more birthdays than anniversaries that night.)
Ringside Steakhouse - behind the scenes tour, including the sous vide for the steak, oysters on ice and jumbo shrimp being prepped in the back Ringside Steakhouse knows it is a special occasion destination and they are ready for you - apparently more birthdays than anniversaries tonight

Oh, just being served a chocolate truffle in the kitchen by Executive Chef Beau Carr as we followed Craig to check out the onion ring station…
Ringside Steakhouse: Oh, just being served a chocolate truffle in the kitchen by Executive Chef Beau Carr as we followed Craig to check out the onion ring station...

Yes, I got to see the glory of their onion ring station. Yup, a dedicated onion ring station, as you would expect because the onion rings here are among the best in Portland, if not the best.
Ringside Steakhouse onion ring station

Besides being known for its high quality steaks, Ringside is also the home to one of the best and extensive wine lists in town. Jan Peterson took us down via the elevator to the temperature and humidity controlled wine cellar. Wow. It’s is a huge room with two rows of cases of wines 6 shelves high, grouped by region. Yeah, just almost 1000 wines to choose from, that’s all. You see how the shelves on are little rollers? It’s to make it easy to move the wine with less physical exertion, how clever!
RingSide Steakhouse Uptown temperature controlled wine cellar.

Special Dinners and Reception

In addition, Ringside is doing two Chef’s Collabrative Winemakers Dinners. To start off each meal, the Peterson family and Executive Chef Beau Carr will give guests a behind-the-scenes tour of the dry aging meat locker and the climatized cellar that I got a sneak peak of above! You can see it with your own eyes instead of just my pictures!

Then, there are the chef collaboration dinners themselves. One was on June 1 with The Woodsman Tavern and Woodward Canyon Winery and there is another on June 8 with Toro Bravo and Ken Wright Cellars. The dinners are six courses with wine pairings, and tickets are $200 per person, all-inclusive, with a portion of proceeds benefiting New Avenues For Youth.

There is some amazing stuff on the menu, such as for the Woodsman/Woodward Dinner this past Sunday just oh a “Chef’s Snack Plate” that includes Whipped Kobe Fat, Dark Rolls, Charcuterie, romage, Foie Gras au Torchon, and Ramaki. Just snacks. One of the mains was a Petit Bone-In Filet Mignon, Dry Aged Pacific Rouge Wagyu Marrow Butter with Oregon White Truffle Potato Puree, Roasted Rapini, Ramps, and House Lardons.

For the upcoming diner with Toro Bravo/Ken Wright, this coming Sunday June 8, the snack includes Wagyu Beef Jerky & Slim Jim, Hush Puppies and Devils on Horseback, while mains include A-5 Wagyu Ribeye for one course and for another a Surf and Turf with Oregon Wagyu Consommé, Dungeness Crab, and Bone Marrow Toast.

Drooool.

Finally, Ringside is wrapping up June with a 70th Anniversary Reception on Sunday, June 29th. After a glass of champagne upon arrival, guests can enjoy libations and passed hors d’oeuvres created by the executive chefs of all three of the RingSide properties (both RingSide Steakhouse Uptown and Eastside, and RingSide Fish House). Ringside will also be featuring featuring 100% Wagyu from Oregon and Japanese A5 Kobe. Musical entertainment will be provided, and 50% of every ticket sold will be donated to New Avenues For Youth.

VIP Anniversary Reception 4:00 – 10:00 PM (so 2 hours of extra reception time!)
Tickets are $200 per person and includes a VIP preview from 4-6pm, featuring private tours of wine cellar and dry-aging room, a signed copy of Gerry Frank’s guide to Portland, celebrity bartenders and servers, passed hors d’oeuvres and carving stations featuring A5 Kobe, 100% Wagyu from Oregon, Ahi poke and Foie Gras. Hosted bar with cocktails, beer and wine will be served with complimentary pours of Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut.

Anniversary Celebration 6:00 – 10:00 PM
$100 per person and includes passed hors d’oeuvres, carving stations and complimentary beer, wine and house cocktails, no hosted bar.

You can buy tickets at the Ringside Anniversary page here if you’d like to attend the Winemaker Dinner or the 70th Anniversary Reception. For reservations to get the June special 3 course menu including Trio of Beef, you can go to either Ringside location:

Ringside Steakhouse Uptown

Address: 2165 W Burnside Portland, OR

Dinner:

Mon. – Wed. 5pm to 11:30pm
Thurs. – Sat. 5pm to 12am
Sundays: 4pm to 11:30pm

Happy Hour:

Mon. – Sat. 9:30 – close
Sundays: 4pm – 5:30pm & 9:30 – close

Reservations online at OpenTable or Phone: (503) 223-1513

Ringside Steakhouse Eastside

Address: 14021 E Glisan Portland, OR
Lunch:

Monday – Friday 11:30 to 2:00 pm

Happy Hour::

Monday – Friday 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm & 8:30pm – close
Saturday 11:30am – 6:00pm & 8:30pm – close
Sundays: 11:30am – close

Dinner:

Monday – Thursday 4:30 pm to 10 pm
Friday – Saturday 4:30 pm to 11 pm
Sunday: 3 pm to 10 pm

Reservations online at OpenTable or Phone: (503) 255-0750

Happy 70th Birthday RingSide! You don’t look a day over aged 28 days…

Check out the fabulous photos by other fellow bloggers, as well as their perspectives on Ringside and the steaks!

Urban Bliss Life: [Food Bliss] RingSide Steakhouse 70th Anniversary
The Good Hearted Woman: RingSide Steakhouse Celebrates 70 Years

Filed Under: Festival Event, Sponsored Post Tagged With: Braised Short Rib with Cabernet demi-glace, dry aging meat locker, dry-aging room, onion rings, Rib Eye Cap, Ringside Steakhouse, Ringside Steakhouse 70th Anniversary, Ringside Steakhouse Uptown, Tenderloin of Beef Oscar, wine cellar

Grand Opening: Fogo de Chão Portland Churrascaria

May 2, 2014 by Pechluck 10 Comments

Disclosure: I was invited to a Grand Opening dinner and this meal was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. I have also been back several times since then. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Finally, Portland has it’s own Fogo de Chão Churrascaria (authentic Southern Brazilian steakhouse)! It just opens in downtown Portland today (Friday, May 2) for dinner service, with lunch service beginning Monday, May 5.
Fogo de Chão grand opening in Portland

I really liked this restaurant when I used to live in Chicago, but I haven’t been to it in years since there was no Portland location. I remember when my favorite uncle (also a huge wine lover) came to visit from Thailand, this was one of the places my family knew we were going to take him to dine.

Fogo de Chão is also how I discovered Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread that is made with sour cassava flour or tapioca flour so is also gluten-free, and is like an even better version of French gougeres because they are cheesier and chewy!) and I will forever be grateful for that.

Thankfully, Fogo de Chão has now opened this 24th location in the US in Portland! They have 9 additional locations in Brazil, where it originated when founded by brothers in Porto Alegre in 1979, though they didn’t expand into the US until 1997. They have expanding very carefully and strategically in order to continue to offer high quality food and service. I was fortunate to be able to attend their soft opening, where they literally cut the ribbon as they also provided a donation to Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and cut the ribbon with a carving knife!
Fogo de Chão grand opening in Portland

The concept of the churrascaria is from the centuries-old Gaucho culture (Gaucho is a South American term similar to “cowboy”) and the Gaucho way of roasting meats over pits of open fire for barbecues at festive occasion, especially family gatherings.

Fogo de Chão grand opening with some bubbly

Here is a little bit more detail on the Gaucho way in this video: one quote I particularly thought encapsulated the philosophy is this: “We want to feed people, we want to feed you, try this, try that! what do you think about this? and we do that with passion… We want to deliver the tradition to the table”.

It’s a great story that it’s not just about a buffet of delicious meat. The video is also how I found out that it is not pronounced “Fogo de Chow” but “Fogo de Shone“.

The Fogo de Chão Portland restaurant is located in the former NikeTown space on 920 Southwest Sixth Avenue. I particularly liked that the feel of this Portland outpost has a lot more light than the darker restaurant in Chicago- it felt spacious and open, and in the back you can’t help but notice the huge wall of wine bottles.

Dining here is generally going to be a prix-fixe menu experience. You can order just the salad bar if you are a vegetarian or want to forego the meats. There are some special items that are also priced separately, and so instead of the meats you can also order some items à la carte such as a couple seafood items – just ask your main table captain/waiter. The evening we visited, they had a chilean sea bass with mango salsa, and also big shrimp cocktail. Here is our main table captain from the evening, thank you for your impeccable service.
Fogo de Chão grand opening - our table main/waiter who fetched us wines and made sure we we were doing well

Most will probably order the regular meal, which includes all you can eat salad bar and all you can eat meat. You can visit the all you can eat salad bar with more than 40 items, such as what you see below. It clearly has more than just your typical green salads.

Some people like to start with a plate from the salad bar, others might choose to start directly with the meat and then visit the salad bar for a break. I like starting there so I can pick some veggies and cheese to have on one plate that I can eat, while simultaneously my second plate in front of me will be for the meat parade. You might also want to finish before the sweet desserts with some of the cheeses they have here!
Some of the cheeses at the Salad Bar at the Fogo de Chão Portland Churrascaria Fogo de Chão grand opening in Portland- some examples of what is at the salad bar

There are some family style sides for the table such as polenta, garlic mashed potatoes and caramelized bananas.
Fogo de Chão grand opening - sides for the table of polenta

Oh, and those damn cheese bread with tapioca flour (so they are gluten-free!) AND with cheese, that chewy Brazilian take on gougeres of pão de queijo. So addictive.
Fogo de Chão grand opening - that chewy Brazilian take on gougeres of pão de queijo

At the same time, the main course is delivered tableside to you. You have a two sided card, one side red, one side green, and when you flip it over to the green side different chefs come by, each offering you one of the 16 types of meat options.

Fogo de Chão grand opening - red mean stop, green means go, serve me meat!

These meat chefs walk around all night a la espeto corrido, or “continuous service,” so you can always have the meats available to you. It’s up to you to choose whether you want what they have, what side and how much they carve out for you. You can have as much or as little of any of the food as you wish, based on your preferences. You decide whether they stop at your table based on turning your card to the red for need a break, or green for go, ask me about meat!

If there is a certain cut you are looking for, feel free to wave a gaucho over and he’ll tell his friend or bring it to you himself. My friend and I both asked for medium rare slices of the Filet Mignon, and hers was a little more rare then mine and he remembered a few minutes later and came over to check on her and offer another less rare piece if she didn’t like it. Fortunately, I chose wisely in selecting a meat friend to bring and we both don’t mind red in our meat. Thanks for joining me S, and I still apologize for initially introducing you to a few people as a coworker rather than a friend. You ARE a friend! And, the gauchos are also our friends!
Fogo de Chão grand opening Portland, a Brazilian Churrascaria offering meat buffet

This dinner service is intended as a replication of the Gaucho way after working all day, gauchos would gather to grill meat in ground pits (Fogo de Chão means fire on the ground. Ha, men and meat and fire… tale as old as time). As you saw from the video, the way the gauchos and their families eat really does involve carving meat for each diner from a large skewer and community vegetables and sides. Portland’s location has an open grill kitchen so you can look through the glass and see the skewers as they are getting ready for you and as the gauchos skewer and check on them to make sure they are just right before bringing them out to serve.
Fogo de Chão grand opening Portland, a Brazilian Churrascaria offering meat buffet

I had every intention of trying to track which meats were which as they were being served to me- but they come so fast and furious, and all smell and look so good, and the gauchos are so handsome and friendly, I just kept saying yes and lost track. Ooops.
Fogo de Chão grand opening Portland, a Brazilian Churrascaria offering meat buffet

The 16 cuts of meat to be looking out for:

Picanha (2 versions)- prime cut of top sirloin, either traditional light seasoning or garlic version
Alcatra – a special Southern Brazil cut of top sirloin
Filet Mignon (2 versions)- besides the traditional filet mignon cut from the beef tenderloin, there is also a bacon-wrapped version
Beef Ancho – marbled prime rib eye
Fraldinha – juicy bottom sirloin
Costela – beef ribs
Costela de Porco- baby back pork ribs
Lombo – pork loin filet crusted with Parmesan cheese
Linguica – cured pork sausage
Codeiro (2 versions)- lamb chops or tender leg of lamb with fresh mint marinade
Frango (2 versions)- chicken legs or bacon wrapped chicken breasts

Desserts (such as Chocolate Mousse Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, and South American Flan and ones we didn’t try like Papaya Cream, creme brulee, key lime pie and molten lava chocolate cake) are extra cost to the lunch or dinner price. I really enjoyed the South American Flan as a lighter dessert at the end after all that heavy meat.
Fogo de Chão grand opening Portland, Chocolate Cake Fogo de Chao dessert

You might also consider trying their various cocktails (also priced separately), including Brazilian cocktails- Caipirinha anyone?- only Brazil’s national cocktail comprised of cachaça (sugar cane hard liquor), sugar and lime. It’s a perfect mix of the sweet and sour of a margarita with the light freshness of a mojito. They also have a tropical version that has more fruit if you wish.
Fogo de Chão grand opening - Caipirinha anyone? - only Brazil's national cocktail comprised of cachaça (sugar cane hard liquor), sugar and lime. Fogo de Chão grand opening - Tropical Caipirinha anyone?

They also have an extensive wine list of more than 200 items befitting a steakhouse, particularly they have a lot of South American wines and they have their own line of Fogo de Chão wines as well. That night we were sampling more than a few times the Fogo de Chão Malbec, which had a spicy characteristic to the wine that complimented the meat.

Fogo de Chao wine, Malbec 2013

They don’t have a happy hour and bar food menu ~~yet~~ (Update: now available weekdays in the bar only 4:30-6:30 PM), ~~but I hear it is in the works~~ if you don’t want to do the full buffet experience but still enjoy a few bites and take advantage of the delectable cocktails and fine wine selection, perhaps more details to come in the next couple weeks as they open. I was teased that one of the bar food items are sliders made with that cheesy pao de queijo bread and picanha meat! I am definitely keeping my eye out for more. I have visited Fogo many times in Chicago, and am planning to do so now here in Portland!
Fogo de Chão grand opening, pouring some of their fien wine selection Fogo de Chão grand opening, coffee cocktail to end with

You can make reservations online or by calling (503) 241-0900. Lunch service is scheduled for Monday – Friday 11:30am – 2pm | $29.50 | (Salad Bar Only – $22.50) Dinner service | $49.50 | (Salad Bar Only – $26.50) Children 6 and under are complimentary. Children 7 to 12 are half price.

Monday – Thursday, 5pm – 10pm
Friday, 5pm – 10:30pm
Saturday, 4:30pm – 10:30pm
Sunday, 4pm – 9pm

Are you interested in checking out Fogo de Chão Portland Churrascaria? What is enticing you- a certain cut of meat, the drinks, the salad bar?

Other bloggers photos/recaps, if you are interested in more!

The Good Hearted Woman

Serious Crust

A Cloth Life

Disclosure: I was invited to a Grand Opening dinner and this meal was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. I have been back there several times since the Grand Opening myself! The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #FogoPDX, all you can eat, Beef Ancho, Brazil meat, Brazilian Steakhouse, Caipirinha, Churrascaria, Costela de Porco, Filet Mignon, Fogo de Chão, Fraldinha, Frango, gaucho, guide to Fogo de Chao meat, Linguica, Lombo, meat buffet, Picanha, portland, Portland Churrascaria, salad bar, Tropical Caipirinha

Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 Recap and Upcoming Blogger Bake Sale #NoKidHungry

May 1, 2014 by Pechluck 3 Comments

Disclosure: I attended the Portland Taste of the Nation as a media member, but I am not being compensated for this post. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Earlier on April 29 (my birthday!), I was proud and happy to spend it at Taste of the Nation Portland, helping to raise awareness through social media for such an important cause, and continuing to do so today.

As I mentioned in my previous post and giveaway, Taste of the Nation is a series of culinary events throughout the US and throughout the year to raise money for Share Our Strength, a national organization working to end childhood hunger in the US. 100% of ticket sales support the efforts of the Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.

Taste of the Nation Portland, Team No Kid Hungry

This is a very meaningful cause for me. If you enjoy food and think of yourself as a food lover in any way, I consider it part of our duty to also give back in fighting against hunger. We should be thankful of what we are able to enjoy while also being aware not everyone is blessed with the access and plenty that we have and that we have the means, however large or small, in helping to ease that burden. I was fortunate in that I have never known true hunger, and it breaks my heart to think of children crushed when there is not a school day because it means missing a meal, or not being able to concentrate and learn because they are hungry. As little as $1 can connect a child to 10 meals – so feel free to sign up as I did to donate on a monthly basis and take the pledge.

Feel free to learn more at the No Kid Hungry campaign at their official website and also Twitter @NoKidHungry.

I have been watching the feeds as the events in DC, Philadelphia, and San Francisco kicked off, and the one in Portland here coincided also with the one in Boston, though a few hours later because of the time difference. The caliber of the events have been amazing, and so was the one here in Portland. I’ll get to my recap and photos in just a minute!

Gorgeous display by Portland Taste local sponsor Charlie's Produce

Gorgeous display by Portland Taste local sponsor Charlie’s Produce

This year the event was held at the McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom. The proceeds are going directly to No Kid Hungry Oregon non-profit allies of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, Oregon Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul Society and Klamath/Lake Counties Food Bank. The tickets to the VIP admission sold out a week before, and then the General Admission tickets sold out 2 days before the event… so remember that for next year to not wait for the last minute to buy your tickets!

There is still an upcoming opportunity to support No Kid Hungry though- and that’s with the National Blogger’s Bake Sale Portland Edition this upcoming Saturday May 3, 9am-1pm, at Powell’s Book Store, near Couch/11th Ave. I’ll be there after my workout to help support them even though I am planning on purchasing/consuming and not baking anything, or you can also visit the page and click the link to donate towards the Portland fundraising goal!

You CAN help make a difference!

Ok, now onto the Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 Recap. First, a huge round of applause to all the chefs, restaurants, wineries, breweries, spirits, other beverages, and other sponsors who participated. I was really impressed with how prepared everyone was- there was rarely a line to get food because of how prepared everyone was to handle the many excited and hungry supporters of this cause that evening. And there was definitely a serious number of people who are serious about fighting hunger at this event:

Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 at McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom

Some of my favorite samplings of the event included:

Mediterranean Exploration Company (coming soon from John Gorham, of Toro Bravo, Tasty n Sons/Alder) offered this delectable house canned Albacore Tuna board with Mediterranean accompaniments. I can’t wait for this to open in the former Riffle space (in the Pearl District) in July!
The Country Cat‘s offering of fried chicken lollipops & honey, and also of a vanilla hot fudge sundae! I was a little intimidated to pick up the big drumstick but it was well worth the sticky fingers.
Multnomah Whiskey Library with their Sazerac Punch with James Oliver Rye, Oleo Saccharum, Peychaud Bitters, and Anise spiked Sparkling Wine, a nice updated twist but still classic
Pok Pok‘s Khano Niaw Sangkhaya Bai Toei, a sweet sticky rice with duck egg pandan coconut custard wrapped and steamed in banana leaves was a little bit of sweetness that was a great followup after a sip of Moet, I definitely could have had more of these!
No photo from the event, but the Imperial potato latke topped with salmon pastrami, sour cream and dill cooked in duck fat that I first sampled at the Taste of the Taste preview (and my photo is from that). In addition, Imperial Bar Manager Brandon Wise made two sample cocktails utilizing Dogwood Distilling Union Gin and Franklin Vodka and since it’s from Brandon of course both were excellent.
Renata offered My Pharm Rabbit N’duja with pickled carrots and pea shoots, a medley of textures between the crispy crostini and the rich creamy rabbit
I really enjoyed the St Jack chilled Stinging Nettle Vichyssoise with crispy chicken skin and chili oil, it was definitely one of the top tastes of the evening for me
I know it’s simple, but I confess I had two samples of the Grassa Lumache Cacio e Pepe. I thought it made up for the fact that I resisted the Griddled Mortadella with Provolone, Mama Lil’s Peppers and Mustard Aioli mini sandwich across the way at the Lardo table since I had it during the Taste of the Taste event (with photo of it from then)
I also admit I went back twice for Laurelhurst Market‘s baked macaroni and cheese with house-smoked hot dog and potato chip crust. Of course Mac and Cheese was a perfect snapshot of the theme this year, What My Family Ate and comforting food memories
Bamboo Sushi, Jin Soo Yang, Kalbi Ssam House Kimchee Grilled Short Ribs with Lettuce and Rice was a bright bite of lots of flavors. I wish I could have grown up with this!
Many loved smallwares and their taste of Beef Tataki with Kimchi, Blue cheese, Thai basil, and Pickled pear- a very mature and complex medley of flavors that I wish everyone would demand was regularly on their menu
Aviary, soup dumplings that explain why they are planning a Soup Dumpling pop-up at $35/person on May 20th- check their website for more details!
Batch PDX Jeremy Karp impressed so many of us with his assorted chocolates that included so many interesting combinations of flavors like chocolate with Vietnamese coffee or Thai Ice tea or Earl Grey tea, flavors of Pina Colada and Margarita, this was definitely one of the surprise finds of the evening!
The bar up at the mezzanine included quite a few cocktails, including this Pegu Club with Aria Gin, Orange Liquor, Fresh Lime, and Angostura Bitters, as well as you call it cocktails made from Bull Run Distillery liquors and DRY soda

And here are a few other excellent tastings that evening to give you a feel for why you should go next year if you aren’t convinced already:

Gregory Gourdet of Departure was there, glowing and smiling as always, hands on as they gave samples of chicken stewed with peppers, pickled chilies, and ripe plaintain
Smokehouse 21 was calling my name with this Smoked Land and Sea tasting with pork and eggs. Also bonus points as I watched the man crack half a dozen soft boiled eggs perfectly and speedily. Minus points for what sea are you talking about, what kind of eggs were those…
Produce Row Cafe offered a vegetarian winner with their crispy chickpea fritter, harissa, and cultured cream
Black Rabbit offered “Ham and Eggs” with black truffle custard, Marsala braised duck “Ham” Fennel Jam on a parmesan crostini
Irving Street Kitchen refreshed the palate with a smoked Albacore Tuna crudo with charred padron pickle and creamy tonado
I always love the charcuterie of Olympic Provisions
It was nice to take a break from so much meat with Biwa‘s Ohitashi of asparagus steeped in a dashi base sauce
Boke Bowl brought the heat with their crawfish and pork in spicy black bean sauce over rice tots
Zeus Cafe had a big serving of pork belly and kimchi croquette with black vinegar aioli and herbs.
Gracie‘s taste was a stuffed Medjool date with spicy marcona almond and local goat cheese wrapped in pancetta
I stopped by for some Strawberry rhubarb pie from Pacific Pie, though they also offered their popular staple Chocolate Bourbon Hazelnut. I had to try the Strawberry Rhubarb though, especially after I saw their cute segment about making it on TV the week before
Xocolatl de David‘s Fluffernutter and Chocolate Milk! Great idea for the theme of memories from family time!
Raven & Rose offered a few desserts of delicious simplicity
Moet & Chandon flowing during VIP hour

There was more I missed- with more than 60 possible participating restaurants and beverage providers to visit, there were more tastes than I or anyone could have in one night. I took all my photos and ate and when that was done (because I was getting really full, not because I managed to visit everyone!), that’s when I put my camera away and went beverage tasting, so there are many distilleries and wineries that are not in this recap. Amazing vendors right??

I also was outbid on silent auction they were holding, but they had some really unique baskets and experiences- examples were

Summer School that included 4 tickets to an Around the World rum tasting with Blair Reynolds of Hale Pele, tiki mugs, mai tai glasses, and syrups/mixers, and four weekend passes to Tiki Kon;
French Mathematics that included champage tasting for 12 from David Speer of Ambonnay; Chemistry Tutor with cocktail tutoring for 10 with appetizers with Kasey Kasten of Saucebox;
various baskets of impeccable wines (donated by wonderful wineries, or one package in which 12 famous Portland chefs each picked a wine and included a pairing recipe suggestion for the wine!);
and my favorite, a Hall Pass that offers the opportunity to cut to the front of the line at hot spots like Toro Bravo, Salt & Straw, Mother’s Bistro, Pok Pok, Tasty N Sons, Besaws and Multnomah Whiskey Library – WOW!

Taste of the Nation Portland Silent Auction

Remember to support No Kid Hungry at the National Blogger’s Bake Sale Portland Edition this upcoming Saturday May 3, 9am-1pm, at Powell’s Book Store, near Couch/11th Ave. Say hi to me as I drop by around 11:30 Saturday after my workout and squee at the beautiful blogger baked goodies with me, or you can also visit the page and click the link to donate towards the Portland fundraising goal!

Filed Under: Cocktails, Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #nokidhungry, #pdxevents, #portlandtaste, Albacore Tuna crudo, Aria Gin, aviary, Bamboo Sushi, Batch PDX, Beef Tataki, Biwa, Black Rabbit, Boke Bowl, Bull Run Distillery, charcuterie, Chocolate Bourbon Hazelnut, crawfish and pork in spicy black bean sauce rice tots, crispy chickpea fritter, Departure, DRY soda, Fluffernutter and Chocolate Milk, fried chicken lollipops & honey, Gracie's, grassa, Gregory Gourdet, Imperial, Irving Street Kitchen, Jeremy Karp, Jin Soo Yang, Khano Niaw Sangkhaya Bai Toei, Kimchee Grilled Short Ribs, Laurelhurst Market', Lumache Cacio e Pepe, macaroni and cheese with house hot dog and potato chip, Mediterranean Exploration Company, Moet & Chandon, Multnomah Whiskey Library, National Blogger's Bake Sale, Ohitashi of asparagus, olympic provisions, Pacific Pie, Pegu Club, pok pok, pork belly and kimchi croquette, portland, Produce Row Cafe, raven & rose, Renata, Sazerac Punch, Smallwares, Smoked Land and Sea, smokehouse 21, soup dumplings, St Jack's Aaron Barnett, Stinging Nettle Vichyssoise, Strawberry rhubarb pie, stuffed Medjool date, Taste of the Nation, Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 Recap, The Country Cat, Xocolatl de David, Zeus Cafe

Acadia Bloggers Dinner

April 28, 2014 by Pechluck 6 Comments

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Acadia, a New Orleans Bistro, at NE Fremont and 13th in the Sabin neighborhood of Portland serves modern American cuisine with local ingredients rooted in Louisiana Cajun/Creole traditions. Every day, Acadia serves up Louisiana classic southern food, including shipping the real deal ingredients that can’t be sourced locally here right from the South like Gulf shrimp, blue crab, and Louisiana crawfish to compliment the locally sourced fresh Northwest ingredients.

The food is high quality and service very smooth and caring like your charming neighborhood favorite restaurant (I saw staff welcome back and chat with several regulars during our meal).
Acadia Restaurant in Portland, a Sabin neighborhood Cajun/Creole restaurant

Chef/Owner Adam Higgs is representing New Orleans here- I think the restaurant’s New Orleans artwork and Creole/Cajun artifacts are from his personal collection. Similar to how Andy Ricker researches every year in Thailand for Pok Pok, Chef Adam also travels to New Orleans at least once a year for research as well.

Inside, the restaurant is bold with color instead of the usual bare bones natural wood/stone/concrete you so often see, with yellow, cobalt blue, bright reds to rejuvenate you from what may be a rainy Portland grey day into more festive spirits.

Acadia Restaurant in Portland, a Sabin neighborhood Cajun/Creole restaurant

I was recently fortunate enough to get to family style share and try some of the current seasonal dishes and some of the popular mainstays from the regular menu with a few other Portland bloggers. These included

Cornmeal-Fried Louisiana Soft Shell Blue Crab with jalapeño tartar, English Pea & mint salad, and fresh lemon, a springtime adaptation of a very popular dish.
Louisiana Barbeque Shrimp with lemon, black pepper, white wine and butter. I went back to the bowl and spooned the sauce right onto my bread.
Chicken-Fried Chicken Skins with cayenne-cane syrup mustard. Let’s face it, this is the best part of the chicken, without all that pesky chicken. You know when I come back I’m going to order this dish again. And this time I won’t have to share, muahaha.
Radicchio Treviso & Rhubarb Salad with Portland Creamery Chévre, spicy candied pecans, honey-cured kumquats and poppy seed dressing. I loved the little honey cured kumquats here
Crawfish Boil & Collard Greens Salad with crawfish tails, red remoulade dressing, boiled fingerlings, corn, andouille, shaved Parmesan and a crispy poached egg. I don’t know how they did that crispy poached egg, but there was a little mini sigh/gasp on my side of the ten-top as Rebekah cut into the egg and the golden yolk oozed out.
One of the 3 mains we tried was special sexy sexy bang bang (ok, I dubbed it that) pork dish off menu- Acadia changes the menu often, though they will probably have some version of their thick Grilled Carlton Farms Pork Chop on the menu. We were all having silent moments as we enjoyed our share of this pork.
Bronzed, Wild-Caught Louisiana Sheepshead with Spinach Madeline pie and blue crab meuniére. Sheepshead is a brackish water fish (sometimes called convict fish because of its broad black & white stripes) that’s fished from rocky waters. It has a texture that is almost creamy but not fatty, and some describe it as “crab-like” which is interesting because the fish’s diet is comprised heavily of shellfish and bivalves.
Portland Creamery Goat Cheese Gnocchi with foraged stinging nettle purée, early morels, asparagus, spinach, sliced toasted almonds and shaved Grana Padano Parmesan. The vegetarian entree, though the gnocchi is updated with what is fresh and seasonal of course. There are also several items that are or can be made gluten-free.

We also shared (thus all the straws you may see in a drink sometimes) FIVE fabulous cocktails, all of them real beauties, courtesy of Bar Director Beau Burtnick. These included

Big Easy section: Julep with bourbon, mint, sugar and some special secret ingredient…
Light and Breezy section: Young Sarandon with Union gin, fresh rhubarb, suze, house-made rhubarb sorbet.
Light and Breezy section: Study Retreat with cucumber vodka, blood orange, byrrh, peychaud’s bitters, port, salt.
Big, Rich and Boozy section: Commander La Croix with tequila, lemon, apple cider vinegar, ginger beer, cayenne-sugar rim.
Big, Rich and Boozy section: Portland Caprese with white rum, clarified tomato, fresh basil, cane vinegar, honey, lemon, salt and pepper. My favorite of the evening! I really like savory drinks though, and I appreciated the balance with acidity from the tomato and cane vinegar but it was not sour. Also, cheese helps everything.

Finally, desert. I was in love with all of them, but vowed to return for that bread pudding alone. But, I also want the Pecan Pie with praline-bacon ice cream, which we did not try…
Acadia Restaurant dessert of Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding with white-chocolate brandy ganache, thickened sweet cream poured dramatically tableside

Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding with white-chocolate brandy ganache, thickened sweet cream poured dramatically tableside (as captured by fellow blogger Jenni Bost, blogger/writer/designer/stylist of blog A Well Crafted Party here) and toasted pecans
Tropic Thunder dessert of Banana cake with maraschino drizzle, coconut frosting, passion fruit cheesecake, and Golden Graham macadamia crust
Chocolate Espresso Layer cake with burnt marshmallow, fudge icing, and white chocolate crumb. We were all so excited to dig into this cake that I missed getting a photo, so I’m referring to this lovely collage of all 3 by lilslimlady who writes the blog Salt. Water. Coffee.

Acadia is located at 1303 NE Fremont St., Portland. They are open for Dinner Monday through Saturday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm, for Lunch only on Wedsnedays 11:30 am – 2:30 pm.

On Mondays is their special Cheap Eats nights with half a dozen entree options for $10 or less. Their menus change seasonally, and they offer several gluten-free options- you can check out some sample menus here.

Recaps from other bloggers for more pictures and perspectives:

Urban Bliss Life

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #pdxbloggers, Acadia, Cajun food, Chef Adam Higgs, chicken skin, Chocolate Espresso Layer cake with burnt marshmallow, Commander La Croix cocktail, craft cocktails, Crawfish Boil, Creole food, drink portland, Fat Tuesday, Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Julep, Louisiana Barbeque Shrimp, Louisiana Sheepshead, Mardi Gras, PDX Cocktails, Portland Caprese cocktail, Radicchio Treviso & Rhubarb Salad, savory cocktails, Soft Shell Blue Crab, Study Retreat cocktail, Tropic Thunder Banana Cake, Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding, Young Sarandon cocktail

Taste of the Nation 2014 is coming! +2 Tickets Giveaway!

April 15, 2014 by Pechluck 14 Comments

Disclosure: I attended a complimentary Taste of Taste of the Nation media preview event, but I am not being compensated for this post. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own. Thank you to Lisa Hill PR for providing the Taste of the Nation tickets for the giveaway.

Have you heard of Taste of the Nation? It is a series of food and wine events that have been taking place in 50 cities across the United States since 1988. The goal of these culinary events is to raise money for Share Our Strength, a national organization working to end childhood hunger in the US. Together, we can make the goal of no kid hungry a reality.

Most of Share Our Strength’s work goes toward infrastructure improvements to create long-term solutions to the hunger problem, or towards grants to fund other non-profits. Most grants go directly back into the same community from which the money was raised.

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is ending childhood hunger in Oregon and across America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need every day. Did you know that Oregon has one of the highest rates of children at risk for hunger in the nation?

29% of kids in Oregon struggle with hunger, and 53% of Oregon’s students (K-12) are eligible for free or reduced price school meals. Fortunately, the No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need to nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals, and also teaches low-income families to cook healthy affordable meals through its Cooking Matters program.

This year, Taste of the Nation 2014 Portland edition falls on Tuesday, April 29 (2 weeks from now!) and is being held at the McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom and will be going directly to No Kid Hungry Oregon non-profit allies of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, as well as to Oregon Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul Society and Klamath/Lake Counties Food Bank.

There are two tiers of entry to the Taste of the Nation Portland.

General Admission at $85 allows admission from 6:30pm – 9:00pm
VIP Admission at $150 allows access starting an hour earlier from 5:30pm, including exclusive access to special participants only during that early hour from restaurants like Multnomah Whiskey Library, Paley’s Place/Imperial/Penny Diner, Pok Pok, Renata/Project Grace, Tasty n Alder/Tasty n Sons, The Country Cat, and Xocolatl De David. VIP ticket holders also get complementary parking and an exclusive VIP gift bag.

Example sample bite, potato latke with steelhead pastrami, sour cream, and dill from Imperial, with Chef Vitaly Paley and Imperial’s Executive Chef Benjamin Bettinger themselves behind the table- direct from their hands to yours!

During General Admission time, there are more than 20 restaurants that are donating their resources in order to provide food samples for you to all you can eat try. There will also be a silent auction.

The theme this year for the samples that are being prepared is “What My Family Ate” which translates to many chefs preparing favorite dishes from childhood.

I was invited to a Taste of the Taste of the Nation event and some of the example tastes we tried to give a feel of what you might get at the actual Taste of the Nation Portland included

elegant taste from Renata/Project Grace popup of My Pharm Rabbit Terrine with Giardinara Aioli
the complex flavors of a smoked halibut pea and garlic soup from Irving St Kitchen
the earnest sample of Lardo’s menu with a mini version of their griddled mortadella with provolone, marinated peppers and mustard aioli (which was easily accomodated into a griddled mortadella salad for one guest who is gluten-free)
my favorite sample bite of the evening the potato latke with steelhead pastrami, sour cream, and dill from Imperial
Boke Bowl offered a unique taste with their Crawfish and Pork in spicy black bean sauce over rice tots representing their mashup of west and east flavors.

Also participating at Taste of the Nation 2014 are more than 30 beverage providers, including

non-alcoholic such as DRY Soda, Portland Juice Press, or Smith Tea,
breweries and cideries, such as from Burnside Brewing or Ecliptic Brewing or Wandering Aengus Cider,
Distilleries such as Bull Run Distillery and Indio Spirits, and
Wineries such as Chapter 24 Vineyards, Moet & Chandon, Pamplin Family Vineyards and much, much, much more.

At the media event Taste of the Taste of the Nation, I sampled

refreshing Volcanic Mineral water to cleanse my palate between tastes of food,
a really great American Whiskey Ginger cocktail by Bull Run Distilling made with their new Temperance Trader American Whiskey that is perfect for mixing with drinks (along with ginger beer, ginger liquor, and some mysterious homemade citrus blend!),
a take on the Negroni with Aria gin, the first gin I might even consider drinking on its own because of its complex layering of flavors varying from herbaceous to citrusy to savory all together!
I also tried a few tastes of wines, such as the JRG 2010 Red wine from Pamplin Family Winery, a taste of Moet or Newton Red Label Chardonnay, and the volcanic soil wines particularly The Fire or The Flood (both Pinot Noirs, one vibrant and forward, the other smooth and elegant) from Chapter 24 Vineyards.

100% of ticket sales go to programs that feed Oregon’s hungry children.

No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger.

29% of kids in Oregon struggle with hunger.

221,000 low-income children in Oregon receive free or reduced-price school lunch. But did you also know summer presents a time of uncertainty for kids without consistent access to food. With school out of session, kids who rely or free or reduced-price school meals find themselves without the safety net of those meals.

Currently only 16% of children eating free or reduced-price school lunch are getting summer meals.

With support from the campaign, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon is expanding the number of summer meals sites and conducting outreach to help families learn about the availability of free summer meals. The success of last year’s event helped provide more than 2,000 extra meals for kids across Oregon.

Come be part of the solution to ending hunger.

That leaves me asking you- have your purchased your tickets yet to this incredible event?

Maybe you’re hesitant because of the ticket price. Let me break it down for you- it is going to be 2 1/2 hours of dining that includes samples like I showed above- and you will be completely full, possibly rolling out at the end. Each of those tastes are just a few bites, but multiply it by each restaurant and you have just had 20 small tapas!

The earnest sample of Lardo’s mini version of their griddled mortadella with provolone, marinated peppers and mustard aioli

Also consider that the taste samples that are from amazing top restaurants and top chefs in Portland. Think of how many meals you would have to have in order to try 20 restaurants- but you will be able to do that at this one event.

And, I haven’t even mentioned yet the ability to try those fine wineries, mixed cocktails, beers and cider and other non-alcoholic beverages. You know how a flight of wine might cost you $10-15? You can do that at least 2 or 3 times with the wineries.

Also consider these are wineries that you would be driving all over in order to visit their tasting room, but now they are all gathered all together conveniently for you!

We are so fortunate to live in a city with so many amazing purveyors of food and drink so that we individually can enjoy the bounty of Oregon. However, there are others who are not able to have consistent access to food, much less enjoy the deliciousness that Portland offers. Events like this both allow you to explore the wonderful many local businesses in the food and drink industry while also doing good with your money by contributing to the effort in also feeding others.

Elegant taste from Renata/Project Grace popup of My Pharm Rabbit Terrine with Giardinara Aioli

If you enjoy food and think of yourself as a food lover in any way, I personally find it part of our duty to also give back in fighting against hunger- to be thankful of what we are able to enjoy while also being aware not everyone is blessed with the access we have.

I also mentioned that 100% of the ticket sales go directly to the programs to fight hunger right? Directly to them.

To help support the Taste of the Nation, I am going to give away 2 general admission tickets! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter! Since the Taste of the Nation is in 2 weeks, this contest is running just until next week April 22 so that you will know whether to buy your tickets ASAP or not!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you want to hear more, listen to the Right at the Fork podcast with Sarah Schafer from Irving Street Kitchen talking about hunger in Oregon (plus they share some touching childhood food memories by some of Portland’s best chefs).

I hope to see you at the 27th Taste of the Nation! It’s also on my birthday, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate it then by enjoying deliciousness while giving back at the same time. I’ll be Tweeting and Instagramming away with #nokidhungry and #portlandtaste.

For other fellow bloggers’ coverage, check out

The Good Hearted Woman: No Kid Hungry – Taste of the Nation {Event}, who also shares a heart warming personal story about why you should be buying your tickets now
Bakery Bingo: Buy Your Tickets Now for Taste of the Nation!, who also shares some tips for attending Taste of the Nation from previous experience
Mrs. Maki Cooks: Back to work, Taste of the Nation and Portland Penny Diner
Mixed Adventures: Taste of the Taste
(Just) Trying is for little Girls: Taste of the Nation – A Portland Culinary Experience
Check out PDX Pipeline to try to win tickets for two- winners will be drawn April 24

If the ticket price is still too dear, you might also consider volunteering to help at the event– you will still have to purchase a ticket to attend the event but volunteering can earn you a discount. I’ll also be posting a blog post covering one other event, Share Our Strength National Blogger Bake Sale on May 2, and details of the Portland edition.

Also feel free to learn more at the No Kid Hungry campaign at their official website and also Twitter @NoKidHungry.

You can also check for the latest on Taste of the Nation Portland at Twitter @PortlandTaste and see photos from last year’s event, including much much better photos of the incredible food at their Facebook album of 2013 TOTN PDX

See you there in 2 weeks, right?!
Tuesday, April 29
McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom
General Admission at $85 allows admission from 6:30pm – 9:00pm
VIP Admission at $150 allows access starting an hour earlier from 5:30pm
Tickets on Sale – Please note, all attendees must be 21 years of age.

Disclosure: I attended a complimentary Taste of Taste of the Nation media preview event, but I am not being compensated for this post. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own. Thank you to Lisa Hill PR for providing the Taste of the Nation tickets for the giveaway.

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #nokidhungry, #portlandtaste, Partners for a Hunger-Free oregon, Share Our Strength, Taste of the Nation

Ringside Steakhouse 70th Anniversary

Trio of Beef

Special Dinners and Reception

Ringside Steakhouse Uptown

Ringside Steakhouse Eastside

Happy 70th Birthday RingSide! You don’t look a day over aged 28 days…

Grand Opening: Fogo de Chão Portland Churrascaria

Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 Recap and Upcoming Blogger Bake Sale #NoKidHungry

Acadia Bloggers Dinner

Recent Posts

About Pech

Sponsored Ad

Categories

Archives

Legalese

More Content!

Meta