restaurant Archives - Pechluck's Food Adventures

Restaurant Krebsegaarden

October 24, 2018 by Pechluck 4 Comments

If you follow me on Instagram then you know via my Stories I’ve been extremely busy the past few weeks. Besides helping to organize a conference for 1200 people at work in my free time, work at my full time job (which is how I afford my dining out) ramped up, and then last week I was on vacation in Copenhagen! While abroad I visited many spots involved with art or food. The first I’m going to share with you is Restaurant Krebsegaarden.

Restaurant Krebsegaarden in Copenhagen

Restaurant Krebsegaarden is a small restaurant with only 9-10 tables in a little building from 1803- the bathroom are down the stairs, no elevator in this cozy house like setting. They restaurant serves dinner only, and its menu is often inspired by the rotation of art and artists that is displayed on its walls as its other role as an art gallery. During my visit it was the works of Tomas Abrahamsson, who has exhibited with them since 1996.
Restaurant Krebsegaarden in Copenhagen

The menu is limited with 3 starters, 3 mains, and 4 desserts available, but the most popular choice is the Tasting Menu in which smaller portions of those starters and mains are served so you can try multiple dishes. In my case, I opted for 2 starters, 2 mains, and the famous cheese plate dessert that was the biggest draw for me personally for this restaurant. I also opted for wine pairings with the courses, but asked for half glass pours since I was out on my own and wanted to responsibly make it back to my hotel ok. Homemade soft warm bread with butter and a sparkling Naveran Cava Blanc de Blancs Brut Especial was an excellent start. Seriously bread in Europe is soooo good!

Restaurant Krebsegaarden in Copenhagen Naveran Cava Blanc de Blancs Brut Especial

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Filed Under: Food and Drink, Travel Tagged With: #travel, cheese and wine, cheese plate, Copenhagen, Copenhagen dining, Copenhagen eats, Copenhagen food, crayfish salad, Danish cheese, Dinner at Restaurant Krebsegaarden, eat Copenhagen, Eat the world, pan fried trout food and wine pairings, restaurant, Restaurant Krebsegaarden, Review of Restaurant Krebsegaarden, Travel Eats, Wild boar

Autumn Dinner at Serratto

October 26, 2013 by Pechluck 4 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.

I felt honored to be invited to attend a blogger dinner earlier this week at Serratto. Executive Chef Tony Meyers prepared a sampling of fall dishes, and we were able to taste some of the wines from the restaurant’s monthly rotating wine flight. Julie Bond, who with her husband are the restaurant owners, was also present and told us how she fell in love with this space and potential 9 years ago. Since owning Serratto, they’ve expanded the menu from traditional Italian to also incorporate traditions from French and Mediterranean cuisines while also sourcing to support local, from the meats from Nicky USA to talking about the exact terroir of the wines from the specific vineyards in Italy and Spain.

In fact, if you visit you may see the snail on their windows and other decorative elements. The snail represents the Slow Food movement, so its presence is emphasizing the Serratto viewpoint of traditional (taking cues from classic old world European family and warmth) and then melding that with regional sustainable ingredients.

Outside of Serratto restaurant. the snail represents the Slow Food movement, so its presence is emphasizing the Serratto viewpoint of traditional (taking cues from classic old world European family and warmth) melded with regional sustainable ingredient

I was excited to hear about the Serratto new fall seasonal dishes such as Kale Salad and the Forest Mushroom Ravioli. Also, on Mondays and Tuesdays, Serratto now is offering a new prix fixe dinner – 3 courses for $25, such as

Baby spinach salad with gorgonzola, spiced pistachio, warm bacon vinaigrette;
Braised Tails & Trotters pork shank ravioli with Caramelized onion, Grana Padano, baby arugula, stone-ground mustard cream sauce;
Dessert of housemade gelato or sorbetto with marcona almond-white chocolate cookie.

The courses come with suggested wine pairings as well.

As part of this Bloggers Dinner, I was able to check out the new seasonal Kale Salad, as well as try out that prix fixe menu entree option of the Brasied Pork Shank Ravioli!

Here’s the recap of the whole menu for the evening. I should note that even before this Blogger’s Dinner, I have been a fan of Serratto. I have visited many times because I think they have a great happy hour, great housemade pastas, and a really excellent wine selection. The Blogger’s Dinner was offering me an opportunity to sample more small tastes of a variety of dishes that would have taken me many visits in order to write this much of a review. Actually, since every time I come here I always end up with wine and pasta, this was great in forcing me to try to explore the menu more so that I can confidently say that you will have a good time at Serratto, even without wine. But why wouldn’t you have wine?
Serratto Bloggers Dinner

Serratto is located on NW 21st and Kearney, in the trendy but artsy Nob Hill neighborhood. The atmosphere is a perfect combination of being chic so that you could have a dinner out with friends or a date night, but not so hip that you don’t also see corporate dinners of a table suits, or a family and locals also dining alongside you. You can make reservations with them on OpenTable, but I have also walked in and been fine as well.

They have a large space in which they can easily adjust tabletops either in the scene-y front (great people watching as folks make their way on the sidewalks from the streetcar down to 21st/are on their way back from their fun time) or the more classic yet cozy back nooks. Towards the back there is one raised area with two private dining rooms- all meaning they can accommodate dinner parties of more than 4 easily, not always easy to find at restaurants in Portland. They do classy holiday parties, but at the same time, this same space, as Julie told us, also was open during December 2008 snowstorm that shut down businesses because since everyone is nearby (she lives in the neighborhood as well), and they decided to be open to just be a place to go for the neighborhood. Elegant, but yet very place next door approachable somehow too!

Serratto Blogger Dinner

– Prosecco Ruffino Extra Dry NV
There really is something to starting out with a glass of bubbly. It lifts your spirits and brightens your mood. There is no reason to save it only for special occasions- in fact, maybe the fact you had a crappy day is exactly the reason to break out sparkling.
Serratto Bloggers Dinner, starting with bubbles is always a happy place: Ruffino Extra Dry Prosecco NV

– Pinot Blanc/Gris/Riesling ’11 from Brooks “Amycas” Willamette Valley
– Ahi Tuna Tartare “Nicoise” chopped egg, capers, olives, housemade potato chips, tarragon aioli
– Kale Salad with pine nuts, honey crisp apple, sour cherries, Grana Padano, apple cider vinaigrette
I loved the simple clean flavors that showed off the quality ingredients in the Ahi Tuna Tartare, and that Kale Salad totally embodied the flavors and feeling of autumn. I probably would have skimmed right over them normally in reading the menu towards the more hearty and comforting pastas, but I won’t make that mistake in the future.
Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Pinot Glanc/Gris/Riesling '11 from Brooks Amycas Willamette Valley Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Ahi Tuna Tartare 'Nicoise' chopped egg, capers, olives, housemade potato chips, tarragon aioli Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Kale Salad with pine nuts, honey crisp apple, sour cherries, Grana Padano, apple cider vinaigrette paired with Pinot Glanc/Gris/Riesling '11 from Brooks Amycas Willamette Valley

Seared Sea Scallop roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, braised cabbage, apple butter, walnuts
This was soooo good, I would have licked the plate if I wasn’t with company.
Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Seared Sea Scallop roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, braised cabbage, apple butter, walnuts

– Margherita Pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomato, garlic and basil
– Pizza Del Giorno with asparagus, bacon, artichoke hearts, arugula, mozzarella, marinara
– Boneyard Pale Session Lager, Bone Light
– Painted Hills Burger with brioche, bacon, white cheddar, aioli, bbq sauce, crispy onions + pommes frites
Can’t go wrong with the beer with citrus, grapefruit, and lemon flavors paired with tastes of the two pizzas and a burger! That burger was so juicy, and apparently is a popular dish for when there are catered events at Serrato… and is also on their happy hour menu.
Boneyard Pale Session Lager, Bone Light Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Pizza Del Giorno with asparagus, bacon, artichoke hearts, arugula, mozzarella, marinara Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Margherita Pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomato, garlic and basil + Pizza Del Giorno with asparagus, bacon, artichoke hearts, arugula, mozzarella, marinara Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Painted Hills Burger with brioche, bacon, white cheddar, aioli, bbq sauce, crispy onions, and pommes frites

– Wine Flight (their September flight)

Mandrarossa “Bonera” Sicilia ’09 Nero ‘D’avola/Cab/Cab Franc
Els Guiamets “Isis” Montsant ’06 Carignan/Grenache/Syrah
Fidélitas “M100” Columbia Valley ’11 Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec

– Braised Tails & Trotters Pork Shank Ravioli caramelized onion, baby arugula, stone-ground mustard cream sauce
– Muscovy Duck Confit with black lentils, parsnip cream, pancetta, juniper demi-glace
Loved the use of the stone ground mustard cream sauce with the arugula. Meanwhile, I thought the Fidélitas “M100” Columbia Valley ’11 Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec paired incredibly well with the duck dish. Also, bacon straw.
alt= Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Muscovy Duck Confit with black lentils, parsnip cream, pancetta, juniper demi-glace

– Apple Turnover served warm with cinnamon gelato, amaretto caramel
We also got a special drink to keep us warm on the way home and as a nod to the other owner, Alex Bond- a Spokane Speedball with espresso and Baileys. It was like being sent home with a hug.
Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Dessert of Apple Turnover served warm with cinnamon gelato, amaretto caramel Serratto Bloggers Dinner, Spokane Speedball with espresso and Baileys warmed on the wand!

They are changing out the wine flight for November to highlight Beaujolais, since it’s such a great wine for Thanksgiving. I feel like I must do some research into this wine flight, don’t you?

Check out some the other bloggers at this dinner, and/or check the twitter feed of @SerrattoPDX or the Serratto Facebook page, or the Instagram of Executive Chef Tony Meyers where he sometimes shows some serious food photos!

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #bloggerdinner, ahi tuna tartare nicoise, bacon straw, Bloggers Dinner, Julie Bond, kale salad, Nob Hill, pork shank ravioli, restaurant, Serratto, SerrattoPDX, Slow Food, Spokane Speedball, Sponsored, stone ground mustard cream sauce, Tony Meyers, wine flight

Manhattan Beach Post

July 8, 2013 by Pechluck 3 Comments

The last week of June, I spent in LA and San Diego. One of the best restaurant experiences I had during that trip was at Manhattan Beach Post. The day was beautiful, with lots of sunshine streaming down upon us and a slight ocean breeze as we arrived at Manhattan Beach. After our dinner of lots of small plates and some cocktails, we had a walk to aid our digestion along Manhattan Beach Pier.

The restaurant, also known as M.B. Post, was just opening for its dinner service as we arrived, with the front windowed walls thrown open to take in the summer weather, and the wood with modern metal frames throughout the restaurant gave off a beachy chic while touches of nostalgia were brought in with multiple post boxes and the menu delivered in an envelope like a mail package.

Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles

We started out with their infamous bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits with maple butter. They are worth the hype, warm, gooey with cheese inside and speckled with bits of delicious salty bacon and everything was gone from when we each picked ours up just a few minutes either. The maple butter was not needed. If we had not already ordered a third of the menu I might have been tempted for another round.
bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits with maple butter, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles

Now let me pause to discuss some of the handcrafted cocktails. The impressive looking Mo-Pho-Jito, a mojito with starr, kaffir lime, mint, ginger, and coriander honey and a name that makes you roll your eyes but also crack a smile as you order it. The Manhattan Avenue, a manhattan with templeton rye, vanilla, caramel, and bacon dust. You read right, Bacon Dust.

Then, there was the hint of apple pie but not too sweet with cocktail named The Fall of Man, penicillin with compass box ‘oak cross’, apple, maple, cinnamon. And, the Hearts of Darkness, matador with hacienda de chihuahua, pineapple, basil, clove, smoke, oh so much smokiness. Also, finally, the cocktail called Avila’s Heir, a clean citrusy palate cleansing margarita with corralejo reposado, serrano, mandarin, yuzu.
Mo-Pho-Jito, a mojito with starr, kaffir lime, mint, ginger, and coriander honeyManhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles The Manhattan Avenue, a manhattan with templeton rye, vanilla, caramel, and bacon dust. You read right, Bacon Dust. Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles cocktail named The Fall of Man, penicillin with compass box oak cross, apple, maple, cinnamon, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles cocktail named Hearts of Darkness, matador with hacienda de chihuahua, pineapple, basil, clove, smoke, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles cocktail named Avila's Heir, a margarita with corralejo reposado, serrano, mandarin, yuzu, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles

Now back to the food, to our meal of the small plates between the four of us. The ones we loved the most were:

Raviolo- it was a seasonal special of egg yolk raviolo with herb ricotta, snap peas, baby artichokes, red onion jam, and lardo. We attempted to share (each plate had a single supersize ravioli aka raviolo we split in half) and we carefully spooned the broken yolk as we cut the raviolo as to not lose it on the plate. This was the most delicate dish of the evening, and I relished it because of this.
Roasted brussels sprouts with emmental, hazelnuts, sage, which prompted an amusing discussion at our table on the difference between “roasted/browned” and “slightly burned”. Of course the key is charred kind of caramelization, which these sprouts had plenty of
Blistering Blue Lake Green Beans with thai basil, chili sauce, and crispy pork was a bright dish of fresh flavors that had no surviving green beans left
BBQ Moroccan Lamb Belly with harissa caramelized onions, Japanese eggplant was essentially a love note to sticky caramelization
White Oak Grilled Skirt Steak with grilled broccolini and red chimichurri- as you can see, it comes as a layered dish of broccolini, skirt steak, broccolini, skirt steak, one of the best stacks ever!

Raviolo- it was a seasonal special of egg yolk raviolo with herb ricotta, snap peas, baby artichokes, red onion jam, and lardo, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles Roasted brussels sprouts with emmental, hazelnuts, sage, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles Blistering Blue Lake Green Beans with thai basil, chili sauce, and crispy pork, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles BBQ Moroccan Lamb Belly with harissa caramelized onions, Japanese eggplant, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles White Oak Grilled Skirt Steak with grilled broccolini and red chimichurri, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles

The tasty, but not quite as oh wow reactions as the above dishes, were:

Fleur De Sel Pretzel, with “David’s nuclear horseradish mustard” I think oversold us with the name of the mustard but was decent
A charcuterie plate- the only negative surprise of the evening as we asked for them to put together a charcuterie plate for us to share rather than picking and ordering some of the individual 5 meats in their cured meats section, and then when we got the check we saw their interpretation of this request was to put all 5 of the meats at full price/full portions, plus a $2 mustard order they put on the board, totalling that charcuterie plate at a cost of $63! Surprise!
Anyway, the cured meats included La Quercia Spec, an applewood smoked americano prosciutto raised by Heritage Acres; Picante Salami, by Cristiano Creminielli from Utah; La Quercia ‘Tamworth’ Prosciutto and also La Quercia ‘Acorn Edition’ Coppa, both raised by Russ Kremer from Czarks, Missouri; and Cabacero de Iberico de Bellota Puro from Extremadora, Spain. The $2 mustard selection included pink pepercorn, stout, and redwine mustards.
Grilled Yellowtail with smashed cauliflower, crispy onions, romesco sauce was a great steaky cut but without the romesco sauce to help it, seemed to me a underseasoned and a bit dry on the outside as if it didn’t spend enough time in a flavored olive oil marinade before hitting the flames
Broccoflower with lemon, caper, chili flake, parmesan was a great idea for a dish, but based on how hard the florets were seemed like they could have used a few more minutes to soften them up just a smidge more

Fleur De Sel Pretzel, with horseradish mustard, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles Grilled Yellowtail, smashed cauliflower, crispy onions, romesco sauce, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles Broccoflower with lemon, caper, chili flake, parmesan, Manhattan Beach Post restaurant, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles

Despite my notes on the second string dishes, they were still tasty, it was just a matter that we were not polishing it completely off because they were so amazing, unlike the the first string dishes I mentioned.

Looking at the beauty of the food above, it’s no wonder that when I tried to make reservations even a week before, the only two openings for our party were at 5:30 or at 8:30 even on a Tuesday evening. We got there when it first opened for dinner service, and this place quickly got busy, the tables all filling up and every chair occupied. My dining companions had a good time along with I grooving to the good background of fun rock music, the staff was smooth in providing recommendations and checking on us to keep us happy with beverages. Great food, great drinks, great atmosphere, great service, this place has it all together.

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review, Travel Tagged With: Avila's Heir, bacon cheddar biscuits, bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits, BBQ Moroccan Lamb Belly, Blistering Blue Lake Green Beans, carmelized onions, charcuterie, dining, Fall of Man, fleur de sel pretzel, green beans in chili sauce, grilled broccolini, grilled yellowtail, harissa, Hearts of Darkness, Japanese eggplant, los angeles, M.B. Post, Manhattan, Manhattan Avenue, manhattan beach, Manhattan Beach Post, margarita, matador, MB Post, mo-pho-jito, mojito, penicillin, ravioli, red chimichurri, restaurant, roasted brussel sprouts, romesco, smashed cauliflower, smoke, White Oak Grilled Skirt Steak

Foods earlier this month: Morso, Pupusas, Mandarin House

May 25, 2013 by Pechluck Leave a Comment

Just rounding up some other good eats I enjoyed during this month…

A lovely cheese plate from Morso:

A lovely cheese plate from Morso PDX

Cheese pupusa from Salvadoran Pupusas and Tamales, a food cart at 4th and Hall, also known as “Fatima’s Pupusas”

Cheese pupusa from Salvadoran Pupusas and Tamales

And a multi course dinner with a group at Mandarin House for some Northern Chinese cuisine: this place is hidden away on the 2nd floor by the Saturday Market/Skidmore Fountain, and I was fortunate to go with someone that knows Chinese and can order off of the Chinese menu. I remember there used to be someone in Chicago who would go to various restaurants and translate these “secret menus” that were only in the native language for food adventurers, and some people would specifically go to his site to be able to pick out a place specifically to find new food dishes and/or have an authentic food experience. I don’t think there is anything quite like that here in PDX yet… idea for someone out there? If you do visit, don’t judge by the way it looks- it is typical in that it looks like a hole in the wall hidden secret, but there is something going on in the kitchen.

Anyway, my dinner here included: