Flying Fish Science Pub

I had hoped, like probably most of the world, that we’d finally be on the other end of COVID-19 by now. Instead, the caution continues, and the feeling of interrupted lives. Because of the high transmission rate of Omicron I’ve found myself mostly focused on takeout and delivery and staying home, with limited dining out. The first exception I’ve made in 2022 though was for the inaugural Flying Fish Science Pub. They hope to hold more events like Flying Fish Science Pub and I wanted to share what the experience is like. Welcome to my recap of Flying Fish presents Science Pub 1.0, a seafood market and restaurant collaboration with Chef Andre Uribe and Chef Patrick Marg of Sustainable Meals Oregon and guest speaker PSU biology professor, deep sea marine biologist and director of CLEE (Center for Life in Extreme Environments) Dr. Annie Lindgren.
Flying Fish Company market and restaurant with tented outdoor space located at 3004 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR, USA

I’ve been a fan of Flying Fish Company since I first met the idea of the company in 2019 and first tried their smoked salmon and a family recipe smoked salmon dip at events like Cowabunga and Nicky USA’s Wild About Game. What impressed me then and what still impresses me now is the passion for talking about where the seafood comes from in terms of the specific seafood type (salmon, albacore, oyster, etc), the environment it was harvested from, the affection and simple care in bringing out the flavors that are naturally there when you have this kind of high quality product. I miss the oyster bar and seafood market at Providore Fine Foods (mainly it’s more convenient location to me), which they closed when they opened their independent brick and mortar market and restaurant at their current location in early 2020, just as the pandemic began to be realized here. Thankfully, their ability to offer groceries and the outdoor dining space they have has helped them survive so far.
Flying Fish Company market and restaurant with tented outdoor space located at 3004 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR, USA

Hands down Flying Fish is the best place in Portland to get seafood if you don’t fish for it yourself or have a line to a fisherman. They publish their “Fresh List” daily like an old fashioned shop that has a board but modern because you can find it on the web. You’ll find fresh fish and shellfish of course, and smoked fish, but also the best pantry of tinned seafood and some meat options if you want to put together surf and turf. They have a menu of prepared food to dine outdoors or enjoy as takeout that includes some pretty amazing small plates and fish and chips. They even have an event list that includes different kind of field trips such as fishing or oysters. When I heard they were offering a dinner event called Flying Fish Science Pub that includes nourishing four course meal and nourishing conversation about sustainable eating, and it included a female marine biologist professor oh yeah, I was all in.

I want to note this was Science Pub 1.0 so it was the first attempt at this type of event, so they may make changes to future events so your experience may not exactly be like mine. But here is what my experience was like.

Flying Fish Science Pub takes place on a Tuesday, when the restaurant is closed normally, which means only the attendees of this private event of 20 some people is who you will be sharing the space with. The event is held outdoors, but it is in a covered tent with plenty of heaters, so you don’t need to worry about the weather or being cold (in fact it was so warm I ended up having to remove my coat!).
Flying Fish Company market and restaurant with tented outdoor space located at 3004 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR, USA Flying Fish presents Science Pub, a market and restaurant with tented outdoor space collaboration with Chef Andre and Chef Patrick of Sustainable Meals Oregon and guest speaker PSU biology professor, deep sea marine biologist and director of CLEE (Center for Life in Extreme Environments) Dr. Annie Lindgren

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Feast Flicks: Republica and Like Water for Chocolate

About last night at the Feast Portland first event for Summer of Feast – Feast Flicks! This year Feast Portland looks a little different for 2021 (after a break during 2020) with adjustments based on the pandemic. This was the first event of the 3 different kinds they are doing – Feast Flicks with dinner and a movie, “family reunions” that have the more typical stations from different chefs that you walk around, and a Claima Stories with interviews and cocktails. This first of two Feast Flicks I am attending was featuring Republica doing it all with two welcome cocktails and dinner including the legendary handmade masa tortillas and complex moles and dessert, and the movie pairing is the classic “Water for Chocolate” courtesy of Hollywood Theater.
The Lot Zidell yards was the location for Feast Portland's Dinner and a Movie event, Feast Flicks

Everyone was sitting in pods of 2 and 4 at the outdoor venue The Lot At Zidell Yards which has a great space with spacing and clearly marked areas for social distancing and is doing other events as well from movies to music and more. The only lines were to get in where we got a wrist band, analog check-in by name to confirm the pod number, bag check, and scan of the QR code on the purchased ticket, and then also maybe a quickly moving line to grab a cocktail. Otherwise the courses came served to your pod seating.
The Lot Zidell yards was the location for Feast Portland's Dinner and a Movie event, Feast Flicks The Lot Zidell yards was the location for Feast Portland's Dinner and a Movie event, Feast Flicks The Lot Zidell yards was the location for Feast Portland's Dinner and a Movie event, Feast Flicks The Lot Zidell yards was the location for Feast Portland's Dinner and a Movie event, Feast Flicks The Lot Zidell yards was the location for Feast Portland's Dinner and a Movie event, Feast Flicks

If you are attending any of the 3 left for this weekend, essential packing tips
The Lot Zidell yards was the location for Feast Portland's Dinner and a Movie event, Feast Flicks

  • It’s a dusty, gravel and rock lot so wear flat shoes because the ground is not flat
  • Bring an empty water bottle – they have water stations to fill them with on the right side
  • Sunscreen!
  • Summer hats to block your face from the sun!
  • Bring a personal umbrella since it is unshaded at your pod. That being said, you don’t have to go to your pod right away – there is a slight shade and tented area by the welcome drinks
  • Plenty of restroom facilities at a pod of Honey Buckets on the right side
  • On the left side is the bar where you can get more beverages beyond the welcome cocktail and the included wine bottle with your dinner
  • You can never have too many extra napkins, or even wetnaps
  • I brought a tote which I used to carry my unfinished wine bottle back home – it’s a screw top so no worries about putting any cork back in
  • Once the sun goes down it may get a little cool so you may want a very very light cardigan. But it’s also a summer heat wave weekend again so it doesn’t really drop much, only into 70F.
  • Meanwhile while the sun is up, bring a fan! I had a regular fan you have to fan yourself, but I saw others with little portable battery fans
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Dine out on Wednesday May 16 for Restaurants for Raphael House

It’s that time of year again – the annual Restaurants for Raphael House day. If you dine out on Wednesday May 16 for Restaurants for Raphael House, for any meal or snack or drink all day at nearly 50 participating restaurants all over Portland, Lake Oswego, and Beaverton, you are helping support families escaping domestic violence. Please, call your family, or friends, or colleagues – make a plan to have lunch or dinner, or snacks and a drink. You don’t have to purchase any particular dish or drink – they all count. You don’t even have to dine out actually – many of the participants also offer delivery (via delivery services like Postmates (referral code 1I24N), Caviar, etc. – if you aren’t a member get $10 off with those links for joining) and that counts too towards the calculation of percentage of proceeds for the day.
Restaurants for Raphael House, enjoying a shake at Ruby Jewel Restaurants for Raphael House, enjoying happy hour martini at the lounge of Mother's Bistro

By spending your money in any way you like at these businesses, a portion of proceeds will go towards this non-profit providing life-saving shelter to women, men, and children seeking safety from domestic violence, as well as funding prevention programs. Founded in 1977, Raphael House of Portland is the largest domestic violence shelter in Multnomah County, and is dedicated to fighting the causes and effects of domestic violence.

Raphael House offers emergency shelter in a confidential location, a 24-hour in-house crisis line, transitional housing and advocacy programs to hundreds of adults and children annually, non-residential advocacy in partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, and also work to bring an end to violence through community outreach and education. Raphael House of Portland has been providing life-saving services to families for more then 40 years.

Restaurants for Raphael House, enjoying happy hour martini at Tilt

You can find the complete list here on their website along with a map, but here’s my list that includes descriptions of the restaurants from me to further encourage you to visit and order!
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Dine out for Restaurants for Raphael House

Every year, I like to highlight the Restaurants for Raphael House event. For May 17, 2017, 45+ Portland area restaurants are participating in this tradition, now in its seventh year, where you can dine out for breakfast, lunch, dinner, any time on May 17 and participating restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to ensure our life-saving services are available to women, men, and children seeking safety from domestic violence.

Restaurants for Raphael House, enjoying a shake at Ruby Jewel
I grabbed a milkshake from Ruby Jewel last year as one of the stops to support Restaurants for Raphael House 

You can see the full list at their website, divided by areas of Portland (and a few in Lake Oswego and Beaverton) but a few summaries of what each of these restaurants offer based off a version of the list I saw this week include of what each of the participating restaurants are below. [Read more…]

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Curse of the Haunted Curds 2016 at Portland Brewing

Two years ago I attended the first Curse of the Haunted Curds event at Deschutes. Although I missed it last year being out of town, this year I’ll be attending again and I’m super excited about it! The Curse of the Haunted Curds 2016 will be taking place at Portland Brewing Company Tap Room at 2730 NW 31st Ave. From 11 AM at lunch to the 8 PM evening on October 27, guests can choose to sample a flight of 5 poutines (fries, gravy, and cheese curds), each created from 5 competing chefs for just $10. You can optionally enjoy the poutines with beer pairings for an additional $6.

The Curse of the Haunted Curds at Portland Brewing 2016, 5 poutines from competing chefs of 5 breweries using beer in their gravy and Face Rock Creamery Vampire Slayer cheese

As before, Curse of the Haunted Curds continues to be for a good cause. 50% of all poutine and beer pairing proceeds go towards Friendly House, a non-profit neighborhood center and social service agency. Founded in 1930, Friendly House provides programs and services at no charge or on a sliding fee scale to ensure access to all members of the community of all ages and backgrounds in three program areas: Children’s Programs, Community Recreation and Education, and Community Services.

You’ll be sampling the 5 poutines from competing chefs from

Then cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award for Curse of the Haunted Curds 2016. The winner of the live judging as well as People’s Choice will be announced at 7:30 PM. Each of the poutine recipes must use one of the breweries’ beers from the competing brewery in the gravy.

Curse of the Haunted Curds, a Poutine Pop-up with proceeds to the D Wright Way Foundation featured 5 poutines from 5 chefs for $10 at Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House
My flight of 5 poutines from 5 chefs from 2014 Curse of the Haunted Curds

Teaming up with them is also local (Bandon Oregon) Face Rock Creamery with their Vampire Slayer cheese curds, which took 1st place at the American Cheese Society’s 2013 Competition. Face Rock sources grass-fed cow’s milk from Oregon dairy families, and they make cheese the same day the cows are milked. Face Rock cheese, including these curds, are available at their creamery, in more than 3,000 stores, and online at their website.

At $10, there’s a huge value with the amount of poutine you get, definitely enough for 2 to share. They are also doing a costume contest!

If you haven’t been to the Portland Brewing Tasting Room before, parking is easy in this industrial area and they offer not only their own brewed beers but also beers from their sister brewery the Pyramid Brewing Co. Their Thursday daily special is “Throwback Thursdays” with $2 pints from 6 PM to close – they have one daily special every day, ranging from Kids 12 and under eat free for each adult Sunday to matching a purchased flight or pint or growler with a free one on other days and “hoppy hour” every day 3 – 6 PM and 9 PM – close.

This entire month of July 2014, Portland Brewing is donating a portion from every case or growler of ZigZag River Lager (growlers must be purchased at the Portland Brewing Co Taproom, cases must be purchased in the state of Oregon) sold back to our Northwest waters via Sandy River Basin Watershed Council.

Have you been to Portland Brewing? What do you think about this upcoming Curse of the Haunted Curds 2016 at Portland Brewing event?

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