Archives for June 2015

My picks for Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2015

June 10, 2015 by Pechluck Leave a Comment

I had an opportunity to sample a few of the beers at a Media Preview, though a few of my picks are also based on the description of the beer and reputation of the brewery. If you are attending the Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2015 this year, which runs Friday June 12 to Sunday June 14, here is a quick summary of the logistics and my picks of the most interesting beers for Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2015.

Portland Fruit Beer Festival Main Facts

Days and Hours of Operation:
- Friday June 12th 4pm – 9pm
- Saturday June 13th 11am – 9pm
- Sunday June 14th 11am – 6pm (special kegs will be tapped Sunday)
Location: 7th and NE Burnside, which is at Burnside Brewing and also the extra lot (Sat and Sun only) to give more room this year to spread out!
Cost: $20 for for one 21+ entry 12 tickets and a collectible 16oz glass. Purchase and print your ticket in advance for faster entry at Stranger Tickets (so they say anyway – it does add processing fees but at the door is cash only). Re-entry on all festival days is allowed as long as you get your wristband and the glass.
Admittance: The festival is all ages, though you must be 21+ to drink alcohol. There will also be non-alcoholic drinks and food available for purchase
Food Situation: from Burnside Brewery’s brewpub all three days, and/or from food carts on Sat/Sun such as Bunk Sandwiches and Taco Pedaler and the Fifty Licks Ice Cream truck. As extra credit, you can also take a little walk to Bar Vivant/Pix Patisserie and present your receipt, wristband or festival glass from the Portland Fruit Beer Festival and get a token for a FREE beer in their beer garden.

Pech’s Portland Fruit Beer Festival Beer Picks

The reality is that I plan to go more than 1 day, and I will probably taste everything (and re-taste even the ones I previewed as it’s been an additional week so it could have changed). But, I thought by giving a few highlights you can get a little hint at what’s in store this year, and make you want to check out the full beer/cider list here yourself!

This year, the Portland Fruit Beer Festival is releasing a special collaboration beer bottle that will only be available in limited quantity at the fest in draft and bottle form. I had a chance to taste this beer, named Fruit of the Garden of Good and Evil, at the Media Preview and it is spectacular. The beer is a collaboration between Burnside Brewing Co. Sweet Heat and Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider Ghost Chili Tepache. The way I would describe it is that it has the nose and tastes vaguely similar to when you go to a Brazilian steakhouse and they have those grilled pineapples that are juicy and sweet with a bit of sugar and spice with cinnamon… well this beer is like that but better because of the spicy heat from the Ghost peppers, Scotch Bonnet peppers, and Aji peppers that are contributed by the chilis usually present in Sweet Heat and Ghost Chili Tepache.

Available in 22 ounce bottles only at Burnside Brewing during the Fruit Beer Fest for $7 (only 60 cases made), with limited draft poured at the festival, Reverend Nat’s taproom, and special events in the future TBD… I would get the bottles right away when entering myself, but be wary because of the heat that this might blow your palate away so maybe save to drink later after you’ve had all the lighter fruit beers.
I can’t help but go “squeeee” whenever I see female brewers, and the Peaches of Immortality Farmhouse Ale Burnside Brewing is pouring at the fest this year is nicely tart and sour where finally I can taste the peachy flavor (peaches are so delicate and often get lost in beer) along with the French saison yeast. Yay Natalie! She has already put some in a Ransom Gin Barrel with peaches and other goodness that she is setting aside so I look forward to stalking to see what becomes of that batch in a few months.
Ecliptic Brewing‘s is premiering Ultra Violet Blackberry Sour Ale which don’t worry, is not very sour. It has just enough sour to be crisp and balance the Oregon blackberries to make for a very refreshing beer that is dangerous because it tastes much lighter than the 7.5% ABV it punches at. Also, though this is probably no big deal to brewer John Harris ha ha, I thought it was the prettiest beer at the Media Preview.
For an entirely different take on berries (though John used Oregon Fruit Products puree, while Brendan used Columbia Fruit frozen berries), try the ballsy Alameda Brewing‘s Berried By Night Marionberry CDA. Brendan took a big risk by combining Marion blackberries with 7 varieties of hops into this Cascadian Dark Ale – dark and roasty like a porter, some of the hoppiness of the IPA but balanced by those blackberries which you can definitely taste at the tail end after the initial hops and caramel malt. What a surprisingly winning combo.
I love dark beers, so seeing a stout on the list will get my attention. Upright Brewing is presenting their B.B. Stout, which is a stout with over 200 pounds of blueberry.
I haven’t had a chance to taste it yet, but I generally enjoy the beers of Breakside Brewery so their Tropical Fruit Salad Quasi IPA Six Fruit Blend is making my list for it’s attempt to reverse engineer to match the flavors and aromas of fruits that hops sometimes have with six actual fruits.
The Widmer Brothers Brewing Fresh Strawberries Farmhouse Saison with Strawberries is a tasty collaboration with Coda Brewing from Colorado, the winner of the startup brewery challenge to travel up to Portland and become Widmer’s “Brother for a Day”. This takes the Sleepyhead Passionfruit Imperial Kolsch that Coda does (and which took home a silver medal at the 2014 Great American Beer Fest) and combines it now with strawberries and French Saison yeast
Not a beer, but I’m a big fan of 2 Towns Ciderhouse of Corvallis as they are always creating interesting combinations with their ciders. For the fest they will debut the Peach Saison Cider that blends a mix of a blend of several northwest apples (many which don’t admittedly taste good on their own in apple form, but great as a cider) blended with Oregon white peaches and French saison yeast. It’s simply a mix of “good fruit, good cider” Kevin explained.
One of the reserve kegs tapping on Sunday only is the Bogman’s Cranberry Brett Cider by Cider Riot! with traditional Yamhill county English cider apples, Oregon cranberry and inoculated with Cherry cider. At 3pm Sunday they’ll tap their firkin.
Other rare beer tapping on Sunday to lure you in included Hopworks One Tun Tomato Michelada made with Totally radler, chili powder, Worchestershire sauce, house made blood mary mix, and tabasco and (questionable qualification as fruit beer,though the beer itself is interesting to me) New Belgium Brewing Bourbon barrel-aged Salted Chocolate Stout Nitro keg poured through a Randall filled with black cherries
I haven’t had this yet, but the idea of the Hi-Wheel Wine & Mead Co. Kiwi Lime sounds super refreshing. I love lime-ade, so their beverage for the fest of a tart fizzy wine made from fresh lime juice and kiwi that is carbonated seems like a promise to cool off with deliciousness.

Definitely a theme I saw this year is a lot of kettle souring (read more about kettle souring at this great article at the New School website “How Kettle Souring Is Making Sour Beer Cheap and Affordable”), a lot of Nancy’s yogurt (yay choose and support local!), and French saison yeast.

Are you a fruit beer fan? What fruit beers from the Portland Fruit Beer Festival (or cider) sound intriguing to you?

Disclosure: I attended a Media Preview so I was able to taste the beers for free, but I purchased my own ticket to the Portland Fruit Beer Festival with no discount and this post was written because I enjoyed the beer – I was not asked or required to write it. 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.

Filed Under: Beer Review, Festival Event, Food and Drink Tagged With: Alameda Brewing's Brendan Ford-Sala, B.B. Stout, beer festival, Beercation, Berried By Night Marionberry CDA, burnside brewing, Ecliptic Brewing, Fresh Strawberries Farmhouse Saison, Fruit Beer, Fruit Beer Fest, Hopworks One Tun Tomato Michelada, John Harris, Natalie Baldwin, New Belgium Brewing Bourbon barrel-aged Salted Chocolate Stout, PDX Beer, PDX Beer Week, pdxbeerweek, Peach Saison Cider, Peaches of Immortality, portland beer, Portland Beer Week, Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2015, Tropical Fruit Salad Quasi IPA Six Fruit Blend, Ultra Violet Blackberry Sour Ale

Seven Spoons Review

June 9, 2015 by Pechluck Leave a Comment

As I would expect from a book that is written by a food blogger (the food blog Seven Spoons, written by Tara O’Brady), there are lots of gorgeous photos in the newly released cookbook of the same name, Seven Spoons. I mean, just look at the book cover.

So gorgeous that even though I may not have thought much of a recipe title (such as Savory Steel-Cut Oats with Cheese and Spinach), the recipe was immediately bookmarked when I saw the picture. I mean, Oats… normally I would have paged by as I skimmed through the book the first time, were it not for this drool-worthy photo that suddenly changed my perspective on oats.

Yes, many photos alone made me want to make the recipes included in this book. I wish there could have been photographs included with all the recipes. The way she writes the recipes is very conversational and chatty as if you are friends with her and cooking together in the kitchen. This is wonderful in how personal each recipe is. But it does also mean a lot of reading of the intro sometimes to get to the heart of why she loves this recipe or why you should make it – something each of her photos just cuts to the chase to in it’s stunning beauty.

The recipes Tara lists are diverse and take cues from lots of different cuisines – Roasted Carrots with Harissa Aïoli and Dukkah, Indian with Chaat Tostadas, Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream, Bee-Stung Fried Chicken, Huevos a la Plaza de Mercado and more which I really appreciate.

There is a whole section at the beginning just on bread! I would have never considered making my own bread that doesn’t involve my breadmaker, but the photo was really trying to convince me otherwise.
Seeded Boule recipe from the book Seven Spoons by Tara O'Brady

The variety in Seven Spoons means the recipes are both new takes on the familiar, but also offer things completely foreign to explore (such as below Coconut Kheer with Bronzed Pineapple and Halloumi in Chermoula (a Greek cheese enjoyed fried golden with Northern African dressing).
Halloumi in Chermoula recipe from the book Seven Spoons by Tara O'Brady

However, then some of the recipes call for specialty ingredients that I’m not sure I would use very often, and there are some recipes that sound amazing but then have a recipe list of 30 some items (such as Vietnamese-Inspired Sausage Rolls) and several pages worth of steps. Other recipes are only a page and a handful of ingredients – so it is a mix of levels. You have to really read each recipe through, and with no numbered steps you have to mentally break it up yourself.

Something like her recipe Mushrooms and Greens with Toast she explains that the measurements don’t have to be exact and can use a variety of possible vegetables from greens to squash, and can be any cheese. In homey fashion, she even advocates tearing the mushrooms by hand rather than slicing it. Very easy.

Others, like her Burger Treated Like A Steak she goes into the detail of the percent fat of the beef and thickness and width of the patty down to a divot in the center to compensate for swelling as the burger cooks and temperature before resting.
A Burger Treated Like a Steak recipe from the book Seven Spoons by Tara O'Brady

Then there is a recipe like Chia Pudding with Fruit and Golden Honey Elixir seems simple, but involves making Golden Honey Elixir (a recipe on another page) and after mixing the Chia Pudding letting it chill overnight.

Still, I think this is a great book to have in the kitchen to get a bit more variety of food to create in the kitchen, and there are several that I think will become staples for me thanks to her great taste of adding a bit more flavors or textures to make an otherwise normal dish extraordinary (such as the tip about using mayo for Cheese-Fried Toast Soldiers, and variations of peanut butter like Vanilla Espresso Walnut Butter). It seems that all of these recipes have been tested to be truly tasty, and so it’s up to you as the cook to decide what you want to invest in.

Disclosure: This book was provided to me as part of the Blogging for Books program, 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.

Filed Under: Book Review, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #bloggingforbooks, Blogging for Books, book review, Burger Treated Like A Steak, Chia Pudding with Fruit and Golden Honey Elixir, Coconut Kheer with Bronzed Pineapple, cookbook review, Halloumi in Chermoula, Mushrooms and Greens with Toast, Savory Steel-Cut Oats with Cheese and Spinach, Seven Spoons Review, Sponsored, Tara O'Brady

PDX Beer Week 2015 and other Drink Festivals of June

June 8, 2015 by Pechluck 6 Comments

This year, PDX Beer Week 2015 falls upon this coming Thursday June 11 – Sunday June 21. Yes, it’s more than an actual week/7 days, but I have forgiven that long ago. You can see the full event list here, but I wanted to point my personal top picks. And, not all of them even involve drinking beer – there is for instance, also beer food.

Beer and Food

My favorite event of PDX Beer Week is always the Portland Beer and Cheese Festival. I always go to this event, and you can see my previous recaps from the Portland Beer and Cheese Fest 2014, then 2013, then 2012. As usual, it falls on Father’s Day (Sunday June 21st) from 12 – 5 PM. This year it takes place at the new The Commons Brewery location on 7th and East Belmont. For $35, you get to try 10 paired craft beers and cheeses: the 4 ounce samples of beers come from 10 different breweries and your cheesemaster for the pairings is the famous Steve Jones of Cheese Bar and Chizu.

As in the previous year, you can enjoy complimentary free charcuterie from Olympia Provisions. And new this year you can also nosh on complimentary chocolate from local makers Woodblock Chocolate.

This is a 21 + only event. Tickets are on sale now and they usually sell out so buy ahead of time.
For an alternate Father’s Day celebration where you can bring the whole family, consider the Father’s Day Brewgrass and BBQ. On Sunday June 21st Portland Brewing is celebrating dads with live Bluegrass music from 1 – 4 PM, BBQ Specials all day, and kids eat for free from their kids menu with each paying adult.
There are two Food Cart + Beer events on the calendar for PDX Beer Week. These events will be hosted by Steven Shomler, author of the book Portland Food Cart Stories and the new book Portland Beer Stories, as well as the host of Tasty Tuesday Radio Show on Portland Radio Project. Steve is a great guy who really goes into the stories behind food and beer, aka the people, the idea, the passion and hard work. He has invited other Portland culinary authors to these events, and the Food Carts at these respective Food Cart Pods are working on special dishes to go with the beer.
- June 17th 6-10 PM the Food Carts and Beer event is at the Carts on Foster Food Cart (52nd and Foster) featuring beer from Sasquatch Brewing Company with additional watering hole beverages by Pod Bar, fantastic breakfast and brunch food from Egg Carton, the crazy good burgers from Angry Unicorn, and desserts and sweets by the food cart Sugar Shop.
  
  The Angry Unicorn food truck’s Unicorn Burger, made with “Unicorn meat” a magical meat with ground bacon, strips of bacon, cheddar on a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut
- Then, June 18th 6-10 PM the Food Carts and Beer event takes place at Pod 28 (28th and Ankeny, just off of Burnside) featuring the beer of Coalition Brewing and Pod 28 participants like the outdoor beer garden with Captured Beer Bus, the tortas of Guero Food Cart, grilled pizza from Pulehu Pizza, and vegetarian and Middle Eastern food from Wolf and Bear.
  
  Pizza and breadstick from Pulehu Pizza
Throughout June 11 – June 21, Bunk Sandwiches is offering 2 sandwiches, with Bunk Bar Wonder serving both and Bunk Bar SE Water only serving the official Portland Beer Week Sandwich. Check out pics of the sandwich (as well as the ice cream and donut I mention below) at the beer blog Portland Craft Beer article Portland Beer Week Special Creations Preview
- Official Portland Beer Week Sandwich: Beer Braised Brisket & Gravy Po Boy with Bitter Green Slaw and Herb Salad (made with Good Life Pass Stout) – $11 (Available at Bunk Bar Water and Wonder)
- Extra Credit Beer Sandwich: Deluxe Queso Dip with Beer Braised Brisket (mMade with Good Life Pass Stout) – $8.50 (Available only at Bunk Bar Wonder)
The Portland Beer Week Ice Cream comes Salt & Straw and is a Citra Hop Ice Cream made from Breakside Tall Guy single hop Citra IPA and specked with actual Citra hop flakes. Available at special Portland Beer Week parties only, such as the Portland Beer Week & Fruit Beer Fest Kickoff Party & Pig Roast at Eastburn on Thursday June 11 6-9 PM or the Fremont Brewing & Breakside Brewery: Beer, Ice Cream, Donut Party on Saturday June 13 5-8 PM at Belmont Station.
The Portland Beer Week donut is the Blue Star Donuts Hopworks IPA cake donut with crumbled salty pretzels and is available starting June 11.

Portland beer week lineup #breaksidebrewery #bunkbar #salt&straw #bluestardonuts all doing fun new things, support everyone starting june 11

A photo posted by Blue Star Donuts (@bluestardonuts) on Jun 3, 2015 at 6:41pm PDT
If you are looking for more sweetness than the donuts, consider pFriem Beer & Dessert Pairing Flight . All PDX Beer Week from June 11 – June 21 you can visit Bar Vivant/Pix Patisserie to try a flight of Pfriem Family Brewers beers paired with three bite-sized Pix desserts. Available all week for $20.
The 3rd Annual Mussels from Brussels at Bazi Bierbrasserie on Wednesday June 15 5 – 9 PM features 4 Oregon breweries each creating their own secret sauces to be used with 1 pound of mussels served with fries, and paired with their Belgian-inspired beer. Who will win the title of “Mussels from Brussels”? The previous two times this event was held, Upright Brewing won – will it be a three-peat? Tickets will be sold for one of the multiple seatings, which are in shifts.
If you are looking for a beer pairing dinner, The Lion’s Supper features Firestone Walker beer and David Walker, co-founder/owner of Firestone Walker Brewing and is hosted by Old Salt Marketplace with food by Chef Greg Smith from Grain and Gristle. Reserve your seat for Thursday June 11 6:30 pm ($75 per person for 5 courses and beer pairings) by emailing alex at oldsaltpdx.com
Sounds like a very nice Father’s Day gift: a reservation for the Lompoc Beer Whiskey Cigar Dinner at Radio Room on Tuesday June 16, 2015 7:30 PM The price of $69 you get a four course meal with Lompoc beer and High West Premium Whiskey pairings and at the end of the night a handcrafted cigar. Tickets available at 503-287-2346 or info at radioroompdx.com.

Beer Festivals

Rye Beer Fest at Eastburn from Friday June 12, 2015 4 PM – Saturday June 13, 2015 2 AM. The Festival is a benefit for Dawn to Dusk paddle fund for the Children’s Cancer Association. This festival, as expected from the name, feature more than 20 rye beers as well as rye cocktails, rye themed food and live music. The $10 admission fee includes a commemorative rye beer fest pint glass and eight beer tickets.
Portland Fruit Beer Festival in the lot of Burnside Brewing Co. featuring fruit beers, so it’s really one of a kind already, and add to that nearly every beer or cider featured at the festival have been brewed specifically for the Fruit Beer Festival, so a lot of one-off unique beers you may only see here this one time and that’s it. This festival is all ages and includes on-site food vendors though you could also choose to dine at Burnside Brewing’s restaurant. The festival runs in the evening on Friday June 12 4 PM – 9 PM and then opens at 11 AM – 9 PM on Saturday June 13th 11 AM – 9 PM, then on Sunday June 14th 11 AM – 6 PM. Cost is $20 for 12 tickets and a glass, tickets are on sale now. This years festival is 40% larger in space as they have expanded to an additional lot. I will have a post on Wed with some highlights from the Fruit Beer Fest list.
This free event (pay for the beer you drink) is The New School presenting their annual New Breweries Showcase at Bailey’s Taproom and The Upper Lip. Featuring 10 breweries that have opened within the last year from all over the state of Oregon with two beers featured from each one of the new breweries. The event runs all day but you can meet-the-brewers and The New School team from 5-8pm at Bailey’s.
I am pretty excited about the free event (pay for the beer you drink) of The Weird Beer Bonanza at Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom on Wednesday June 17 5 – 10 PM. The event promises to offer beers that have interesting combinations, such as
- Upright Orange Dream – farmhouse ale with an addition of Townshend’s No.72 herbal tea
- Breakside Cedarbaumbier – amber wheat ale made with foraged Western red cedar tips and fresh ginger
- Fort George Spruce Budd – a hopless brew made with nothing more than organic two-row malt and Spruce tips for ingredients
- Ninkasi Ground Control Imperial Stout – brewed with yeast that’s been to space and back, hazelnuts, coca nibs and star anise
- Payette/Ninkasi Magic Gardens Asian Pear and Lemongrass IPA
- SixPoint Ever Upward Fuji Apple Wheat
- Coalition Dill Dose Sour Pickle Ale
- Oakshire Raspberry Ginger Berliner Weisse
- 13 Virtues Morocco Mole Dunkel
- Burnside Silence of the Lambs Irish Stout brewed w/ Grilled Lamb Hearts
Then a few days later, on Saturday June 20 12:00 noon to Sunday June 21 10 PM Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom is at it again with the Sour Solstice Berliner Weisse & Gose Festival. Taste 10 tart and refreshing, German-style sour wheat beers brewed by breweries across the States. They promise to have a selection of syrups for use in Berliner Weisses, including woodruff, Oregon berry, peach and others. Tickets will be $20 and include entry, commemorative glass, and 5 drink tickets.

Not PDX Beer Week… but also other Beer Events coming up…

There are two other events that are coming up, as long as I’m talking about beer.

The Oregon Garden Brewfest falls upon June 19 – June 21 this year, though given the location of the Oregon Garden in Silverton it’s not really part of PDX Beer Week. The festival is held indoors, but you can also explore the 80-acre botanical garden with your beer, so it’s lovely. The Oregon Garden Brewfest boasts 68 breweries, and live music, and on Sunday only since it’s Father’s Day, minors will be allowed (not allowed Fri or Sat).
The Portland International Beerfest at Holladay Park by the Lloyd Center on June 26 – 28, 2015. As previously the 3-day beer festival specializes in 200 world-class beers, several which are rare, hard-to-find, exotic beers. The beer festival is free to enter, has free parking, AND is across from the Max. You have to pay for any beer you drink, and the festival proceeds benefit Pet Cross and includes live music and some games (real darts, ping pong, croquet, cornhole, various other pub games etc.). A chance to try some rare beers and bid on baskets/snuggle puppies for charity? I’m there.

There are usually copies of the beer list at various bars (you will probably come across it at establishments you visit during PDX Beer Week in fact) – it is printed almost like a newspaper – so you can peruse the list and see what interests you.

Not Beer… but also other Delicious Liquid Celebrations of Portland coming up…

There are two other events for June that are not beer, but still full of delicious liquid celebrations.

Cider Summit on Friday June 19 and Saturday June 20 at the Field Neighborhood Park in the Pearl district. This year’s event will feature over 150 ciders from producers around the country and around the world to sample in 4 ounce pours.

There will also be entertainment via live music, a special Fruit Cider Challenge that you can vote on ciders brewed specifically for Cider Summit, and the DoveLewis/Unleashed by Petco Dog Lounge. The event is 21+ only, but dogs of all ages will be allowed on event grounds. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 (cash only) at the door and are available online via Stranger tickets – admission includes a 5th anniversary souvenir tasting glass, 8 tasting tickets, and a $1 donation to the event beneficiary pool. Cider Summit Portland benefits the Northwest Cider Association, The Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research, DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital, and the Cascade Blues Association.
On Thursday June 25, is the return of Saké Fest Portland. This classy celebration of sake takes place inside the Sentinel Hotel in Downtown Portland in The Governor Ballroom. Admission includes all food and all saké sampling stations (24 producers, and over 130 samples of saké, plum wine and beer varieties) as you learn how to pair the traditional Japanese drink with a wide variety of food, including cheese, desserts, chocolate and a wide range of fusion, Asian and continental cuisines.

Photos by Hung Q Phan
There are two tiers of tickets (both on sale now), Regular and the limited Early Admission. Some of the amazing participating restaurants include biwa and Noraneko, Chizu, Smallwares, Yakuza Lounge, American Local, Hokusei Sushi and more, as well as craft artisans representatives from Batch PDX, Yume Confections, The Meadow, Uwajimaya, and others to offer 19 different tables of food pairings. Saké is not a beverage you often get to sample so many varieties at once, so this Saké Fest is really a unique opportunity to learn what is out there and start to decode the mysterious types and labels to better pair with your sushi and more!

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink Tagged With: Bazi Bierbrasserie, beer and food, best of PDX Beer Week, best of Portland Beer Week, bunk sandwiches, Eastburn, Father's Day Beer Events, Father’s Day Brewgrass and BBQ, Highlights of PDX Beer Week, Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom, Imperial Bottle Shop and Taproom, Mussels from Brussels, New Breweries Showcase, Oregon Garden Brewfest, PDX Beer Week 2015, PDX Beer week donut, PDX Beer Week doughnut, PDX Beer Week ice cream, PDX Beer Week sandwich, Portland Beer Week, Portland Beer Week donut, Portland Beer Week ice cream, Portland Beer Week Sandwich, Portland Brewing, Portland Fruit Beer Festival, Portland International Beerfest, Rye Beer Fest, Sake Fest, Sake Fest Portland, Sour Solstice Berliner Weisse & Gose Festival, The New School, The Weird Beer Bonanza

Russian Dinner at Kachka PDX

June 5, 2015 by Pechluck 7 Comments

Russian food is comforting and filling as you would expect from a country where it can get negative 30 below. For a country that has gone through so much famine and a generation with harsh memories of long queues for rationed food, what cuisine the people have been able to put together feels full of love and hope and celebration.

The cuisine has all the complexity yet simplicity of home-cooked, like you are at a family meal that has perfected and passed a recipe on through generations. The food feels emotional, with its contrast of plenty (though you will notice plenty of food showcasing mayo or pickles, or lots of flavors that may have been a way to make up for the small amount of meat since part of what you purchased may be rotten) with the reality of the harsh, melancholy heartbreak and hardship of Russian history.

One of my favorite restaurants when I lived in Chicago was Russian Tea Time (chef Bonnie Morales and husband Israel Morales are from Chicago too). When I moved from Chicago to Portland in 2008 I was disappointed by the lack of Russian cuisine in Portland. Then, after a few years I was thrilled when I got a bit of a taste with a Russian Pop-up at an early test of what would be eventually Da Net via Vitaly Paley’s Russian Pop-up back in March of 2013. Then, a month later, Kachka PDX opened as a permanent location to get a Russian cuisine fix . After completing a promise to myself to finish a book on Soviet food, I rewarded myself with several visits that I am now sharing with you. While DaNet, as I covered in a previous post, is a pop up Russian Experience with a set menu, Kachka is a restaurant you can visit any day and order your Russian meal a la carte.

Located at 720 SE Grand Avenue, Kachka doesn’t look like much from the outside with it’s rectangular, narrow long space that is dimly lit. Half the wall has fake windows, making you feel just like you were in a communal dining room with other comrades (well hello, I guess we are).

Stepping inside, you feel a bit like you are in a Russian living room with the utensils and napkins on the table in a flowery mug. , The tables are a bit cramped together to continue to give the requisite vibe of a communal space while thankfully, still having your own private table (no shared tables here unlike some actual communal table restaurants). A few kitschy references to Rodina (Russia portrayed as a Motherland) are scattered on the wall here or there to provide warmth, and there are a few pieces of Soviet political decor here or there as well.
Kachka PDX front Kachka PDX front host stand I came in early on a Monday for happy hour on a super cold rainy day and was treated to the ability to take this great shot of an almost empty Kachka. Several seats were taken only minutes after this photo. Bar at Kachka PDX is a nod to the propaganda of Soviet Russia times and Imperial Russia Kachka PDX simple Soviet nods on the wall

While my previous Russian restaurant experience offered more homey foods of the different regions of Mother Russia, Kachka focuses mainly on zakuski, which are small hot or cold super savory small plates that are meant to accompany enjoyment of vodka. The goal is to completely fill your table with zakuski and as you drink your vodka, always have a toast and a bite of zakuski along with spirited conversation.

With their offering of a vodka flight at a reasonable 30 grams times three, or ordering any individual at sizes of 30, 60, or 100 grams, it’s possible to get a taste of that tradition of drinking and eating without going overboard. You can go traditional vodka or the infused with additional flavor liquors (mostly vodka but not exclusively) like lemon vodka, rosemary vodka, chamomile vodka, horseradish vodka, cocoa nib vodka and more like caraway rye whiskey or Earl Grey brandy. My personal favorite is the horseradish vodka.

They also have some pre organized vodka flights for you, this one is the Mother Russia vodka flight with from right to left, green mark, hammer + sickle, and imperia. Even if you don’t think you like vodka, I really encourage you to try one of the flavor vodka in 30 grams in the spirit of what Kachka is trying to do.
Kachka PDX Vodka Flights: 30 grams x 3 of curated vodka. This one is the Mother Russia flight with from right to left, green mark, hammer + sickle, and imperia Kachka PDX 30 g of lemon infused vodka

If you come at happy hour though, or you just want something a bit more with your vodka, check out the cocktails featuring some of those flavored liquors or vodkas. For instance, for a while there was the Baba Yaga with chamomile vodka, liquore strega, lemon. A constant cocktail offering (and also $5 at happy hour) is the Moscow Mule with vodka, lime, homemade ginger syrup, ginger beer. I will count that for you as trying Russian vodka too and getting into the spirit of zakuski.
Kachka PDX Happy Hour drink of the Baba Yaga with chamomile vodka, liquore strega, lemon

Now let’s look at some of the drinking food, aka zakuski. The much raved about “Herring Under a Fur Coat” cold zakuski is beautiful, and it seems to be the glamour shot that represents Kachka in most media avenues that I see Kachka mentioned in.
The famous Kachka PDX dish of the Herring Under a Fur Coat, a 7 layer dip but russian. and actually a salad, with herring, potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, mayo, eggs.

I did love the dish, but I also highly enjoyed different mayo Russian salad, perhaps even more so then the Herring Under a Fur Coat. That mayo Russian salad I’m referring to is the Duck Olivier. This cold zakuski is a take on salat Oliver, a traditional Russian salad that as I learned from reading Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking (you can read my review of that book here), has lots of variations representing regions and even the type of person you are (privileged, peasant, artsy dissident…) in Russia. This is the most popular salad in Russia.

This cold salad includes diced boiled potatoes, carrots, brined dill pickles, green peas, eggs, celeriac, onions, diced boiled meat – in this case duck, and all mixed with mayonnaise. Kachka’s version uses duck meat and crispy duck skin, and duck fat mayo. Um, yummm. Fantastic. This is the salat Olivier that is my gold standard to beat and measure all salat Olivier or any potato salad.

Kachka PDX cold zakuski of duck Olivier, a cold salad that includes diced boiled potatoes, carrots, brined dill pickles, green peas, eggs, celeriac, onions, diced boiled meat - in this case duck, and all mixed with mayonnaise. Kachka's version uses duck meat and crispy duck skin, and duck fat mayo

The lesson with either of those Russian salads, whichever one you try, is don’t be afraid of the presence of mayo. As I was enjoying these two dishes (2 different visits), I thought about the book I read, and how containers were hard to find during the Soviet era, and so mayo jars were very commonly used to hold anything and everything. Mayonnaise, similar to sour cream, dill, stews and oven baked pies, are a critical part of Russian food.

For a simpler cold zakuski that is vegetarian, try the brindza pashtet, a sheep cheese and paprika spread with scallion served with lavash.
Kachka PDX cold zakuski of brindza pashtet, a sheep cheese and paprika spread with scallion served with lavash

Or feel luxurious and fancy with one of the Caviar & Roe dishes – the most affordable one is the House Cured Steelhead, but during my visit we went for the prettier Beet Cured Whitefish. All the Caviar & Roe dishes are served with yeasted blini, challah, chive, butter, and sieved egg to make your little piles of bite sized vehicles for the caviar. The Blini here are small and thin, lighter and almost approaching crepe compared to the more richer decadant pancake Blini of DaNet.
At Kachka PDX, feel luxurious and fancy with one of the Caviar & Roe dishes - the most affordable one is the house cured steelhead, but during my visit we went for the prettier beet cured whitefish. All the Caviar & Roe dishes are served with yeasted blini, challah, chive, butter, and sieved egg to make your little piles of bite sized vehicles for the caviar. At Kachka PDX, feel luxurious and fancy with one of the Caviar & Roe dishes - the most affordable one is the house cured steelhead, but during my visit we went for the prettier beet cured whitefish. All the Caviar & Roe dishes are served with yeasted blini, challah, chive, butter, and sieved egg to make your little piles of bite sized vehicles for the caviar.

When it comes to hot zakuski, in particular the Horseradish Vodka pairs perfectly with this dish Crispy Beef Tongue with citrus marinated rhubarb, roasted garlic, chive blossom, and buckwheat cracker. Similar to the Herring Under a Fur Coat and the Duck Olivier, I think this Crispy Beef Tongue represents what Kachka is all about – the homey weirdness of some traditional Russian cuisine but elegantly and expertly refined to a fine dining level fit for a czar.
Kachka PDX Hot Zakuski of crispy beef tongue with citrus marinated rhubarb, roasted garlic, chive blossom, buckwheat cracker

My favorite hot zakuski is the khachapuri, which is smoked sulguni cheese wrapped in dough, sort of like a pita quesadilla. It’s not as doughy or thickly cheesy comforting as an authentic Georgian khachapuri and the adjika is not nearly intense enough, but I can have this one with vodka anytime for dinner so I give points for accessibility and context for this take on the Georgian national dish. The more like a pita bread version here also has a slight crispness that is a great contrast to the oozy cheese, but be careful with your fingers as its less dough layers from that hot cheese to you too!
Kachka PDX Hot Zakuski of khachapuri, which is smoked sulguni cheese wrapped in pillowy dough -- like a crunchwrap and a cheese calzone had a lovechild.

You should not miss the melt in your mouth dumplings – be it the meat ones like this Siberian Pelmeni with Beef, Pork, Veal and Onion or if you get the vegetarian version of Tvorog Vareniki with Farmers Cheese and Scallion. Do not miss this, it is a must order.
At Kachka PDX do not miss these Russian Dumplings of siberian pelmeni with beef, pork, veal and onion and also on the happy hour menu! Kachka's tvorog vareniki, a dish of scallion and farmer’s cheese filled dumplings that are just melt in your mouth, and also on the happy hour menu!

There are only a handful of main dishes, which rotate in and out with new items. During the winter months, I was surprised to see a traditional dish called kulebyaka of multi-layered pie filled with black cod, red chard and crepes, served with creme eurette. This is a time consuming dish – even at Kachka it takes 30 minutes to prepare from when you order. And it’s huge- enough to feed 2-4. I was glad I had a chance to try it while it was on the menu (it was rotated out in the spring menu).
Kachka PDX, a traditional dish called kulebyaka of multi-layered pie filled with black cod, red chard and crepes, served with creme eurette

End your meal with some tea (or start with some if you come in on a cold windy rainy day like I did!). If you happen to come during happy hour, besides the pelmeni and vareniki dumplings which are both on the menu, there is also the option of the Red October with lamb meatballs, adjika, cheese all on a hoagie roll. It’s definitely the largest food item on the happy hour menu.
The biggest item on the Kachka Happy Hour menu is this Red October with lamb meatballs, adjika, cheese all on a hoagie roll.

Because you can order a la carte Kachka gives you control of how many dishes you fill your table with, or simply order the zakuski experience and let the kitchen fill your table on your behalf. Zakuski plates are mostly small to encourage a lot of sharing and trying of a variety of dishes. As you can see everything is plated beautifully and elegantly rather than home style casual, which provides an atmosphere of luxury on the plate contrasting with the humble around you in the restaurant decor. It’s a feel of public communal dining hall but you are given individual party privacy and elevated take that made me feel a bit like a peek into the nomenklatura or privileged class of Russia. I can’t think of a better place in Portland to celebrate the art of zakuski in such an upscale way.

As a coincidence, I saw the day before this post was scheduled to be published that Eater just created a “One Night” feature on Kachka, which includes video and gorgeous photos giving you a peek at one night at Kachka – take a look at One Night at Kachka here. Eater’s feature piece does include pictures of every single thing on Kachka’s menu, at least in May, and a video on how they make those delectable dumplings. Also, it’s just a super cool feature that takes advantage of the web (I recommend seeing it on a computer as the design doesn’t translate as well to mobile though it’s still better than most any other article you would read online in embracing telling a story using all the media available).

What about you? Have you been to Kachka? Is there anything about Kachka that I’ve shared that makes you curious to give it a try? What did you think of the Eater feature if you perused it?

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review Tagged With: Baba Yaga cocktail, Beet Cured Whitefish, brindza pashtet, caraway rye vodka, Caraway Rye Whiskey, Caviar & Roe, chamomile vodka, cocoa nib vodka, Crispy Beef Tongue, duck olivier, dumplings, Foodie Friday, happy hour, Herring Under a Fur Coat, horseradish vodka, Kachka, Kachka PDX, Khachapuri, kulebyaka, lemon vodka, Moscow Mule, Mother Russia vodka flight, PDX Eats, PDX Food, pelmeni, Red October sub sandwich, rosemary vodka, Russian cuisine, russian dumplings, Russian food, salat Oliver, salat olivier, sheep cheese and paprika spread, Siberian Pelmeni, Soviet cuisine, Tvorog Vareniki, vodka flight, zakuski

Visiting the Oregon Dunes

June 2, 2015 by Pechluck 13 Comments

Did you know that there are sand dunes in Oregon, only 3 hours away? And that in fact, the sand dunes are part of a National Park that is protected? The 182 acres of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is part of Siuslaw National Forest extends for 40 miles along the Oregon Coast from Florence to Coos Bay. In places, the dunes extend 2.5 miles inland, and some of the dunes reach as high as 500 feet. It’s breathtaking – it’s land, but ripples and moves like water.

I wish I could say that I was very clever and decided to go drive down the Oregon Coast and visit the Oregon Dunes in preparation for watching the new Mad Max: Fury Road movie and this was all part of a planned theme for this Travel Tuesday post. I admit, it’s merely coincidence: I was actually looking to see Velella velella in person (those blue wind sailor jellyfish that have been washing ashore by the thousands. On my coastal weekend though they were all going to California, figures).

From Portland, to drive here it’s possible to simply take I-5 down and then go west on OR-38W, but we decided to take a really scenic route. I recommend taking OR-99W S to OR-18 W instead. This means you get a chance to drive past the wineries through McMinnville and lovely forest roads, so it is a lovely drive that gives you a chance to admire the bounty of Oregon even though you’re on the road, rather than just the usual speeding down the interstate. It adds 45 minutes rather than going more directly, but I think it is completely worth it.

You could stay at many places in reach of the Dunes, and for this trip we chose to stay in Florence. It’s a coastal town where we were able to find an affordable room in walking distance of their Historic Old Town that offered close to a dozen options of eateries and places to have a libation, and only a short walk to admire the Suislaw River Bridge. After several hours of driving I like staying someplace where we can walk around to areas instead of more driving in town. If you are looking to eat with a view of the river and bridge in a elegant setting, I would recommend Waterfront Depot, which is a small intimate restaurant (reservations recommended). There are plenty of other restaurants you can see walking down Bay Street, varying from the eclectic Spice or Bridgewater Ocean Fresh Fish House and Zebra Bar to Seafood, casual bar and grill, pub burgers and beer, family-friendly Pizza or Firehouse themed and more.

Suislaw River Bridge, view from Historic Old Town Florence Fun painting outside in Old Town Florence, Oregon in front of Bay Street Grille

There are also many options for camping, but I’m not a camping girl so can’t help you there. I can point out as a reference though this video from Grant’s Getaway. He mentions campgrounds like Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park with its 80 years of history as a family vacation spot.

But back to visiting the Oregon Dunes. There are two kinds of experiences you can have at the Dunes. First, you can just walk. It can be serene and peaceful to just see the undulating waves and hills of sand. The area you walk may just be all desert like you’re in Lawrence of Arabia, or Armour of God II: Operation Condor or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or there may be shrubberies, or even oceanside. It was mesmerizing for me just listening to the waves and watching the waves of grasses in the wind.
Oregon Dunes area by Florence, South Jetty area

If you are looking for more beachside walking with some dunes thrown in, you might want to consider the South Jetty, as you only have to clamber over the dune by the parking lot to get to the beach and there are many parking lots. If you want to see more rolling hills but still reach beach, the Umpqua Dunes may be what you’re looking for. If you want parking lot to sandscape to forest (a beach is possible too but it’s several miles further) then try the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.

These areas do require a National Park day use pass (you can get one when you enter by putting $5 in an envelope at any of the locations and tearing the other part to display in your car) or alternatively a National Park recreation pass. Exceptions include special free days, including the upcoming National Trails Day – June 6, 2015 or National Get Outdoors Day – June 13, 2015.

The other kind of experience is fast – riding in ATVs or buggies. You can rent an ATV and drive yourself, with rental vehicles that can fit 1, 2 or 4 depending on your choice/party, they have mini individual ones for the kids to drive (must be aged 12-15). Alternately, you can be driven and go on tours with experienced drivers in buggies who can be a lot more daring speeding up/down the dunes and drifting down the side of hundreds of feet than you probably will be. That’s what we rationalized.

Definitely have a hair tie if you have long hair. And even though you’re having fun, make sure you keep smiling with your mouth closed. Haha. No really. There was also a surprising amount of sand in our hair, ears, and down our shirts.
Taking a ride on a Dune Buggy for an Oregon Dunes tour with Sand Dunes Frontier just a little south of Florence, Oregon

Seriously though, it is not as fast as a roller coaster and you just don’t know where to look- ahead of you as you accelerate down a dune (especially fun as you are pausing at the top and you cannot see any of the dune ground below you at all it’s so steep…), or gaze sideways at the dune wall as you traverse down, or behind you… You can watch other RV riders ranging from other buggies to bikes or people with their trucks and jeeps… And then there’s the beauty of the dunes around you also.
Taking a ride on a Dune Buggy for an Oregon Dunes tour with Sand Dunes Frontier just a little south of Florence, Oregon

Two major operators, Sand Dunes Frontier (who we used) and SandLand Adventures. They both end up touring the same Sand Dunes recreational area. SandLand Adventures has more ways to earn your money with go carts and bumper boats and train rides, while Sand Dunes Frontier if you are craving more you can then rent your own ATV (at another business, but at the same location- Torex ATV Rentals) to try out now that the SandLand tour has helped you scope out the lay of the lands and who is out there and what you might want to do.

For an alternate “fast” way to see the dunes, consider visiting Sand Master Park and trying to sandboard (similar to snowboarding but with sand), or use surfboards and boogie boards (like with water… but with sand). Who knew?

One last bit of trivia – if you’ve ever read Frank Herbert’s Dune book science fiction/space series, or watched the movies (old 1984 movie or the new Sci Fi channel series), it was the Oregon Dunes that helped inspire him!

And, if you are looking for some additional motivation to visit the area, there’s also this… the Great Florence Duck Race with lots of rubber duckies which benefits the community of Florence.

Also just a dozen miles north of Florence is the Sea Lion Caves, America’s largest sea cave at two acres and 12 stories.
The Sea Lion Caves, the World's Largest Sea Cave located 11 miles north of Florence, Oregon

When we visited the sea lions were soaking up the sun outside and only two were inside the caves – but that meant the caves area smelled better than it normally would, and we still enjoyed marveling at the caverns. One of the informational panels talks about various formations you look for in the walk wall like a Native American Princess and Brave, or Goddess of Liberty, or Abraham Lincoln’s profile and decide for yourself how much of a stretch it is. It’s probably just a 45 minute stop, but can still be fun. If you want to really make sure there are sea lions present, the Sea Lion Caves has 3 webcams you can check on your tentative visit day.
The Sea Lion Caves, the World's Largest Sea Cave located 11 miles north of Florence, Oregon

Another mile or so north of the Sea Lion Caves is Heceta Head Lighthouse. The Cape Creek Bridge is only a dozen or so yards from the parking lot and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It uses a design that is similar to Roman stone aqueduct design (notice the two levels of arches and columns), but using modern materials. Combined with the tunnel that US 101, which runs on the bridge and then through a tunnel that goes through Hecate Head, was a huge headache for engineers to construct and is part of the “million-dollar mile” part of this highway.
At Heceta Head Lighthous Viewpoint, the view of Cape Creek Bridge. It uses a design that is similar to Roman stone aqueduct design (notice the two levels of arches and columns), but using modern materials.

You can walk up to the lighthouse in a 1/2 mile walk on gravel to admire the view of Cape Creek Cove and Cape Creek Bridge below among the cliffs. Here are photos taken while heading up to the lighthouse.
At Heceta Head Lighthous Viewpoint, the view of Cape Creek Cove Heceta Head Lighthouse

This cove is lovely to watch the sunset and even on cloudy days like when we visited (the sun and clouds kept taking turns) too for the play of shadows here. This is why Pacific Northwest beaches are the best – even when it’s cool and windy and cloudy the beaches are never boring, just beautiful in a different way.
At Heceta Head Lighthous Viewpoint, the view of Cape Creek Cove

If you are looking for really unique experiences and places to stay, Hecata Head’s Lighthouse Keeper’s cottage is a Bed and Breakfast, and they encourage you to use flashlights to go up and visit the lighthouse at night. You can see the cottage just to the right of the lighthouse below from this photo I took at a scenic viewpoint between the lighthouse and Sea Lion Caves.
A look at Heceta Head Lighthous from a Scenic Viewpoint further south on 101 between the lighthouse and Sea Lion Caves

Also nearby is Darlingtonia State Natural Site and you can see an interesting plant at this little garden: cobra lilies, a native carnivorous pitcher plant that are 1.5 – 2 feet tall! Don’t worry – they only eat insects, not humans. Sand, swimming, sea lions, carnivorous plants – this seems to be a fun place to take the whole family.

Did you know about the Oregon Sand Dunes? Have you ever been? How would you like to visit the dunes – walking or driving – or will you both like we did (which would you do first)? Have you ever been to this area by Florence, Oregon – and if not, do any of these attractions make you want to visit?

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: #oregoncoast, #traveloregon, #traveltuesday, Cape Creek Bridge, Cape Creek Cove, Florence, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Heceta Head Lighthouse Viewpoint, Historic Old Town Florence, Largest Sea Lion Cafe, Oregon Coast itinerary, Oregon Coast trip, Oregon Dunes, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Sandland Adventures, Sandland Tours, Sea Lions Cave, South Jetty, Suislaw River Bridge, Travel Oregon, Travel Tuesday, view of Cape Creek Cove

Archives for June 2015

My picks for Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2015

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Pech’s Portland Fruit Beer Festival Beer Picks

Seven Spoons Review

PDX Beer Week 2015 and other Drink Festivals of June

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Russian Dinner at Kachka PDX

Visiting the Oregon Dunes

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