Portland Dining Month- A Visit to Park Kitchen

March is Portland Dining Month! During this month, almost 100 restaurants in Portland will be offering a special menu of 3 courses for the low price of $29. In most cases, this prix fixed menu have multiple options for the three courses.

Portland Dining Month 2014 is in March- 3 Courses for $29

I covered some highlights from the list in my last post, and this time I wanted to recap one of my Portland Dining Month dinners, my first one- at Park Kitchen! Located in the North Park blocks, just a little walk from the Pearl but because of it’s location parking is very easy if you need to drive, though it is also only blocks away from the Portland Street Car or the Max Lines. Park Kitchen just recently celebrated it’s 10th anniversary. It is the older sibling restaurant to The Bent Brick (who is also participating in Portland Dining Month).
Park Kitchen in Portland, North Park Blocks

For Park Kitchen Portland Dining Month 3 courses for $29, it is a real value! Let me walk you through the options…

First Course

For the first course, you have the choice of two from their small plates section, either a hot small plate of Chickpea fries with squash ketchup, OR the cold small plate of Winter vegetable salad. I would recommend getting the Chickpea fries because they are famous here, and have been for years. I think there might be a riot if they took these off the menu.
Park Kitchen's Chickpea fries with pumpkin ketchup Park Kitchen's Chickpea fries with pumpkin ketchup

In my case the squash ketchup was pumpkin ketchup, and you will want to scrape that empty. When I asked if the chickpea fries could be wrapped up to save room for the other courses and what little pumpkin ketchup was left included in the box, I was lucky enough to even get a little extra in the container, yay! You can see the serving of this hot small plate is more like medium size that can probably feed 4 people. Also you may notice that by total coincidence that Chef Gabriel Rucker (of Le Pigeon) in the background of my shot as he was also enjoying dinner at PK.

Second Course

For the second course, you have the choice of two large plate options, either the Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey OR the Louisiana rice grits with trumpet royal mushrooms (vegetarian). Both these entrees alone you are already getting your money’s worth via Portland Dining Month, as that pork dish is normally at $29, and I think the grits at $27.

I picked the pork and it’s a beautiful, delicious plate. It made me wonder why it’s been so long since my last visit to Park Kitchen, as this plate was so excellently executed and full of flavors. Sorry, I’ll do better now PK, I will not take you for granted.
Park Kitchen Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey Park Kitchen Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey

Third Course

Sticky date pudding with vanilla-rum ice cream and confit lemon. I love how the very tart confit lemon contrasts with the sticky richness of the date pudding.
Park Kitchen Sticky date pudding with vanilla-rum ice cream and confit lemon

Not part of the 3 courses, but because I needed a little something was this Park Kitchen cocktail of Burnsidecar with Whiskey, Cointreau, Lemon, Angostura Bitters, Spicy Chipotle Sugar Rim.
Park Kitchen cocktail of Burnsidecar with Whiskey, Cointreau, Lemon, Angostura Bitters, Spicy Chipotle Sugar Rim

If you can, make Opentable reservations because if you make you reservation through OpenTable,  Downtown Portland will also make a donation to the Oregon Food Bank as long as you use this link. A great majority- 68 last I looked- of the participating Portland Dining month restaurants accept reservations over OpenTable, and Park Kitchen does accept reservations over OpenTable. Last year, more than $1,800 was donated to the Oregon Food Bank to assist with their work of distributing emergency food to hungry families.

Check out the Downtown Portland Portland Dining Month website for a map of where the various participating restaurants are located to be convenient for you, as well as menu listings. If you are interested specifically in which ones have vegetarian or gluten-free options, Portland Monthly has put together a list.

I am also still in the midst of doing a free giveaway where I am giving away a dinner for two at a Portland Dining Month restaurant! You can still enter, but hurry up because it ends Thursday at midnight (when it turns into Friday)! Giveaway has ended
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Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

Disclosure: This was a complimentary event I attended that was hosted by Kettle Chips and Snooth, but they did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

Recently I was invited and attended an event with many other Portland bloggers as well as other guests of Snooth, to the Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour! at the Loft on Belmont space of Vibrant Table Catering & Events. At this Happy Hour event, Snooth and Kettle Brand Potato Chips were showcasing the 8 finalist recipes from their Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-off Competition.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

The idea between Pros vs Joes is that four of the recipes were created by professional chefs (Pros) and four created by Kettle Brand fans (Joes) finalists. After a nationwide call to duty where various Joes submitted the recipes and a social voting period, four finalist recipes made it to the top and they were flown to Los Angeles where they prepared their creation for an audience. In addition, 2 more events to sample and compare the Pros and Joes were held, This was the west coast edition, as earlier in the week they had held this same event in New York / east coast edition. In this event though, a professional kitchen was preparing it, and added to the lineup of 8 was a bonus recipe using the Kettle chip from the local professional kitchen.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth  Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth

While a few of my fellow Portland bloggers were judging, I was also able to taste these top hors d’oeuvres and enjoy complimentary open bar where Snooth offered a chance to try the suggested wine or beer they had paired with the item. For the white, Snooth had selected for the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines. In addition, beer options included local brews Widmer Hefeweizen, Bridgeport Kingpin Double Red Ale, Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale, and Guinness Extra Stout. I only drank the wines, but enjoyed both of them (what, I had to try both based on the Snooth suggested pairings. You know this is work).

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, or the white wine the Trinity Oaks Pinot Grigio, and for the red Canyon Road Pinot Noir, both California wines Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, local brews Widmer Hefeweizen, Bridgeport Kingpin Double Red Ale, Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale, and Guinness Extra Stout beer

The first taste to come out was a Joe recipe of Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin, which utilized the Kettle Cheddar Beer chip infused as part of the dry rub and mustard pre-cooking before smoking. This was very flavorful with the porky smokey taste with the bit of tang but also hint of savory cheese, though we wished the potato chip itself was a bit more pronounced and noticeable such as by being added as a bit of crunchy crust. Check out the recipe here.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand cheddar beer crusted smoked pork loin

Of course, it then turns out the very next dish served up that very idea, where a Joe recipe gave us Kettle Brand Jalapeno Jack chip contributed to a Potato Chip Crusted Quiche by serving as the potato chip crust. This is where it should be mentioned again that the recipe submitters were not preparing this for us, but the culinary kitchen here was doing their best to follow/interpret the recipe. We learned that for instance apparently in New York, they had made individual mini-quiches, while here you can see we are given sliced small pieces, and apparently more bacon than our east coast counterparts! In this case, a potato chip crust seems to imply some crispiness, but in what we had it felt heavy and the Jalapeno Jack flavors seemed to get lost. Check out the recipe here.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Jalapeno Jack chip contributed to a Potato Chip Crusted Quiche

The third tasting was our first Pro recipe, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese, so here is another example of an interpretation by a kitchen because depending on the size of the chip and the size of the terrine (the recipe calls for a 1×1 inch square) the bold flavors of the salt and vinegar of the chip could overwhelm the terrine. The suggested pairing from Snooth was a Suavignon Blanc wine or Pilsner beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chip recipe with Squash and Zucchini Terrine with Baked Ricotta Cheese

Another Pro recipe came out, this was the Kettle Brand Fully Loaded Baked Potato chips further “loaded” with Candied Bacon, Sour Cream, Chive, Eggplant and Sharp Cheese. This got rave reviews by some who liked the emphasis of loaded flavor, while others wondered the creativity of layering the same flavors of the chip on the chip. The Snooth suggested pairing here was a Pinot Noir or Ale beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Fully Loaded Baked Potato chips further loaded with Candied Bacon, Sour Cream, Chive, Eggplant and Sharp Cheese

Next was a freebie that was not part of the competition, a Kettle Brand Jalapeno Chip with Guacamole and Roasted Corn Custard. Many people loved the bright clean cool flavors and creamy textures here that melded well  to counterbalance and complement with the slight kick of the crispy (of COURSE) chip.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Jalapeno Chip with Guacamole and Roasted Corn Custard

We were back to a Joe with this which I probably had about 4 of these, the Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips as part of the breadcrumb mixture, which definitely did pay off in a lot of really great crunch. Check out the recipe here. One person at my table noted that although the recipe calls for frying the eggplant in one inch of oil in a skillet, we could imagine also baking this successfully, and it was a pretty straightforward recipe. The Eggplant Dippers are the ones I will most likely try to make myself.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Crispy Ranch Eggplant Dippers featuring Zesty Ranch potato chips

Another Pro recipe: Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chips showcased in Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion. This was a little difficult to eat balancing that chicken on the chip to your mouth, but very tasty, and adding the buffalo bleu chips and panko together added great flavor to the chicken. The Snooth suggested pairing here was a Pinot Noir or Ale beer.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tabasco Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Kettle Brand Buffalo Bleu chip crust, Creamy Coleslaw Black Pepper and Red Onion

The next one didn’t take much to guess it was a Pro recipe: Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips. I could totally imagine ordering multiple of these at a restaurant happy hour, the flavors really were zingy.

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Tom yum marinated shrimp grilled with white miso and coriander aioli and lemon balm, utilizing Spicy Thai chips

And finally, the last taste of the 8 was the Joe recipe for Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips. This one seemed to suffer from an execution in that the chicken was a bit dry, and a bit greasy, perhaps left in the deep fryer too long? The recipe card was pretty intimidating, and it starts with 12 thawed boneless skinless chicken thighs! Check out the recipe here. The suggested pairing from Snooth was a Suavignon Blanc wine or Pilsner beer, or a Margarita Cocktail!

Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips Kettle Brand Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Happy Hour, presented by Snooth, Kettle Brand Spicy-Mochico Chicken with Red Chili chips

You can check out other submitted recipes here, at the official Snooth and Kettle Chip Pro vs Joes Cook-Off Website. The website shows recipes for other flavors of Kettle Chips, including recipes for even MORE of the Kettle Chip flavors. You didn’t notice any use of say, Barbecue flavor, or New York Cheddar, or the new Maple Bacon flavor up there after all..

Thank you to Snooth and Kettle Chip for putting together this event, and now I remember how addictive those Kettle Chips are… I had to hide the chip bag from the table display/recipe table in order to control myself and F from eating a whole bag immediately. And now that I looked at their site and saw all these other chip flavors, I think I’m in snack trouble!

Also, it was wonderful to see other fellow Portland bloggers, such as A Well Crafted Party, The Spicy Bee, A Tiny RocketWill Run for Pasta,  and nice again to see Talk. Eat. Drink. Portland. and Salt. Water. Coffee. and I was able to meet the voice behind a new blog to follow, What’s for Dinner, Mama? She was asked to help judge, so check out her blog entry Winning All The Chips for her perspective of the event and tastings!

Disclosure: This was a complimentary event I attended that was hosted by Kettle Chips and Snooth, but they did not require that I write this review nor did they request it.  The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own, and I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences regardless of whether they were complimentary or not.

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Oven and Shaker- the Bianca pizza

As I had promised myself the previous two visits (one during Dining Month and one where I tried Aracine and Cauliflower Pizza), I would return to Oven and Shaker and try the Bianca. This past week gave me an opportunity to do so. As I perused the menu, I noticed that the seasonal pizzas from August that included zucchini and marscarpone and blackberry and peach had been amended, with the blackberry removed (but there is still a peach pizza) and a roasted pepper pizza as well. It’s good to see they are continuing to freshen up the menu monthly. As last time, the service was attentive in checking in for drinks and food so that you can casually chat and snack on starters and small plates, and the food does come out in whatever order the kitchen has it ready.

I started out with a cocktail I had been eyeing my last visit, called the The “Lost” Cosmopolitan. The menu boasts that this is vintage circa 1933. To me though, it tasted pretty modern, a good mix of tart and sweet without being to much of either, thanks to its ingredients of “7 ea. fresh raspberries + 2 oz. Aviation Gin + ¼ oz Cointreau + ¾ oz. freshly pressed lemon juice + ¾ oz. simple syrup Americano”. I would have had more of this delight to drink, but decided to stick to a lot of water because it was a sweltering above 80 degrees that day. But this drink also made me feel so girly and pretty!
Oven and Shaker cocktail

As a starter, I tried the Kale Salad, with grapefruit, toasted breadcrumbs, poppyseed fricco, pecorino, anchovy vinaigrette. The result was a crunchy salad experience with pops of salt. The way the kale was shredded though was a bit long for a neat mouthful but too short to twirl and too thin to cut, which resulted in me wiping my face a lot as the vinaigrette splashed all around my mouth from the length of the kale. Now I felt messy and like a slob with no manners. Thanks for the highs and lows Oven and Shaker. This is not a good dish if you are on a date. Or with anyone who wants to look at your face and not see shiny vinaigrette dribbles shining from you.
Oven and Shaker salad

And then, well there was the pizza I came for, the Bianca. You can tell from the description it has my name appended at the end: a wood oven fired pizza topped with teleme, truffled sottocenere, bufala mozzarella, and fried sage. Teleme is a luscious high fat cheese that is creamy white, sort of like a mix between a brie and creme fraiche because it is very oozy. Then add fresh bufala mozz, and a cheese with flakes of truffles!? Yes please!

If you love lots of gooey cheese on your pizza, and throw in the scents and flavors of  a bit of the smokey dough it is piled and melted on, this is for you. It is quite rich, and if you aren’t ordering this pizza with others that you are sharing with (along with mixing it up with slices of other pizzas), consider adding an extra topping from their menu to add a bit of contrast- I think I woudl choose the spicy roasted chilis myself, although the salt cured anchovies would also work if you didn’t just eat a whole salad littered with anchovy bits. I would get this pizza again in a heartbeat… if I’m not tempted away by a combination of a seasonal pizza making a guest appearance.
Oven and Shaker Bianca pizzaOven and Shaker bianca pizza

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Oven & Shaker: a second visit for Aracine and Cauliflower Pizza

I arrived specifically at Oven & Shaker because I wanted the Cauliflower pizza, which had not been on the menu my previous visit. I was really tempted, just like last time, with the Bianca pizza, boasting teleme, truffled sottocenere, bufala mozzarella and fried sage.

Also new to the menu was a pizza of Blackberry and Peach with garlic, arugula, pecorino, rocotta and aged balsalmic. They also had more specials in the Finger * Fork section (the small plates). But, fearing that the Cauliflower, just like the Brussel Sprout pizza, might be a seasonal and therefore temporary offering, I went with that as my pizza choice. I was very glad I did. But damn you Oven and Shaker, with your temptations that will bring me back again…!

Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland

I started with the fried risotto balls, or aracine. They came in four different flavors, and not able to decide, I didn’t decide at all and got them all. They are very filling- I would only be able to eat 2 slices of my pizza when it would arrive later, and based on delicious the pizzas are, would rather leave the room for more slices. Ranked in order of
what tasted best of the four Aracine:

Oven and Shaker aracine Oven and Shaker aracine

  1. suppli al telefono, wild mushroom risotto, smoked mozzarella and tomato ragu aracini
  2. lager beer risotto cheddar salami aracini
  3. aracini of basil risotto with house mozzarella  and fresh tomato sauce
  4. herb risotto wtih summer vegetables and  fonduta aracini

Even though it was Friday, the restaurant was not very busy, possibly because there were other summer festivals going on that night as well, though it was also pretty early on a Friday- maybe everyone was at happy hour still (O&S’s happy hour is only until 2:30-4 or 10-midnight). Thanks to the lack of crowd, I was able to really admire how long and incredibly well stocked with bottles the bar was.

Also, not being in the weeds greatly improved how quickly I got my food and how well it was executed, and the staff was able to be more attentive in checking on me, bringing food to me promptly, and removing finished service ware.The atmosphere was much more relaxed and casual, rather than leaning on the frenetic side during my last visit.

Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland

While I awaited my meal, I enjoyed a drink that had caught my eye on a previous visit and had remembered, so this visit I didn’t hesitate to reward myself. The Oven and Shaker’s Pepper Smash comes with lots of mint leaves, Krogstad Aquavit (a caraway/anise flavored vodka), lime juice, maple syrup, and freshly extracted yellow bell pepper juice for a very smooth liquid taste of… the description that comes to mind is je ne sais quoi.

It had citrus flavors and a little tartness from the lime but not too sour or acidic thanks to the maple syrup, and then add in that freshness of the bell pepper with the flavors of caraway and anise… it all came into to a unique medley that is refreshing and easy to drink but that you want to sip to have those flavors roll and rest on your tongue.

Oven and Shaker Pepper Smash cocktail, Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland

Meanwhile, the pizzas are all cooked in the wood fired oven so it is ever so lightly scorched for some burnt smoke flavor: this time when it arrived rather than soggy it was a nice thin crisp yet doughy consistency which I enjoyed.

Oven and Shaker Cauliflower Pizza, Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, PortlandOven and Shaker Cauliflower Pizza, Oven & Shaker, Cathy Whims, Wood fired pizza, Portland

The ingredients on the pizza of the roasted cauliflower, mozzarella, provolone, olive, spring onion, Mama Lil’s chilies, crumbled salami was a wonderful mix of the crispy salami and the soft creamy cheese with the tangy bits of olive and taste of smoke from the slightly scorched pizza foundation.

I’m coming for you Bianca pizza… I’m coming back for you.

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Breakside Brewer’s Dinner at Wildwood

There was a Wildwood restaurant event of a Brewer’s dinner with Breakside Brewery Friday, 6.29 in Wildwood’s back (and newly renovated event space) Wood Room. Wildwood’s Paul Kasten & Breakside Brewery’s Ben Edmunds recently collaborated to brew “Old Woody”, another one of Breakside’s series in which Brewer Ben works with a restaurant chef to make an interesting beer. They then created a special pairing dinner to pair various Breakside Brewery beer with Chef Paul’s gastronomic creations, including of course drinking “Old Woody”. All this was at the reservation price of $65 which was inclusive of food, beer and gratuity… yes that’s right, 6 courses, all paired with beer, tip included!

The menu included

  1. strawberries and asparagus basil, spring onion, champagne vinaigrette, goat cheese, saba paired with solera-style lambic. Brewer Ben explained meant that this beer was made using the solera process in which 3 beers were used in succession in the barrel with a little purposely left as the new beer was added, so this beer is the culmination of the flavors from all three (Sour Double Wit, Soursop Wheat, and Sourdough Ale plus Brettanomyces lambicus to make it a lambicdespite all the”sour” in the beer names, it only has a slight sourness to it). Pairing wise, he also noted that the same sort of acid found in this beer was echoed in the goat cheese of this salad.
  2. pastrami pork belly éclair spring onion, pickled chile cream cheese icing paired with newport summer ale although for the vegetarian, the pairing was mixed summer greens with cucumber, snap peas, and feta. Of all the items in the menu, this was one I highly anticipated, and I loved the taste of the pork belly eclair with the chili cream cheese (although I thought the amount of icing was a bit overwhelming for the beer, though it was tasty), a melding of the tang of the cream cheese with the softness of the eclair and the meaty with bit of fat of the meat inside. At the same time, I thought the nice fresh taste of the radishes and greens was quite complimentary with the ale too, perhaps even a better pairing… though I would not give up that pork belly eclair.
  3. lamb carpaccio guajillo oil, grilled scallions, crispy chickpeas, cumin yogurt paired with session brown which for the vegetarian was a grilled asparagus and farro salad with scallions and lemon that used a slight grilled smoke taste from the asparagus to go with the malt forwardness of this beer- in this case both pairings of food dishes was excellent but the lamb was better, particularly with those awesome light as air crispy chickpeas and guajillo oil
  4. crispy chicken confit wild mushroom and fava bean panzanella paired with old woody while the vegetarian had panzanella with wild mushroom and fava beans. Both these dishes were fabulously full of crispness and complex savory flavor to hold up with this collaboration beer that has a touch of sweetness from molasses. Panzanella, a stale bread dish, never sounded that interesting to me but now I know that crunch from the bread balanced with flavors of oil and vinegar and mushrooms sounds simple but delivers more than what you would think from the sum of those parts

  5. pan seared rib eye filet fava purée, grilled porcini, pale ale glace paired with old bourbon woody while the vegetarian pairing was russet potato gnocchi with morel mushrooms, fava beans, and creme fraiche. I’m certain this is the beer that started really working out my liver (just looked it up as it’s currently at Breakside Brewery on their board listed at 11%) but the complexity of flavor that every sip of liquid offered is well worth it, this is one fine beer. Ben also mentioned this beer’s other alias, Old Whiskey Dick.
  6. colston-basset stilton honey, candied walnuts, brooks cherries paired with bourbon barrel aged 1st anniversary wheatwine This was the only beer I didn’t love (though I still like it) because I thought it had too much alcohol upfront (it does clockin at 12.7%) and I would have liked to have it sit a little longer to mellow out, but F thought the beer was perfect as it was/is.

All the food and beer pairings were really wonderful through all six courses without anything being a disappointment and in fact, even impressing us more than we expected. Overall it was an amazing experience as everyone around us was a beer and food lover, but we got to enjoy this in a relaxed but refined atmosphere.

Wildwood also has a great bar with seasonal summer concoctions I enjoyed while waiting between the end of work and beginning of this brewer’s dinner. One of their summer drinks is the The Naughty Kitty with pimm’s, india lemongrass, lime and strawberry puree, a sweet but not too sweet drink that definitely took me away from my worries quickly and smoothly. I also appreciated a little gift from the kitchen of pate with a little dop of mustard and bit of cornichon all vehicled into the mouth by a little toast… as if I wasn’t already grateful enough that the Chef was willing to put together a vegetarian version of the six courses at my request. Enboldened by this bite, I decided I still had enough time to try one more cocktail that caught my eye- Oh Snap! Tanqueray, cointreau, mint tincture, lemon, and sugar snap peas puree, a fresh cocktail. As always, I have never been disappointed by Wildwood in presenting me with local and seasonal flavors that really embody the Northwest region.

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