Pechluck Laskey

Santa Fe Art Scene: Enjoying the Southwest Arts

June 14, 2016 by Pechluck 4 Comments

Besides the easy hikes outdoors like Bandolier, Plaza Blanca and Kasha-Katuwe, another fun activity we enjoyed while in Santa Fe was enjoying the Southwest Arts. There a couple main art focused destinations I would highly recommend for enjoying the Santa Fe Art Scene, plus I also threw in a peek at Taos where we took a side trip as well.

Keshi in Santa Fe

In downtown Santa Fe, Keshi The Zuni Connection is a little co-op store that offers arts and crafts directly from the artists. The store has direct, personal relationships with all the individual carvers, jewelers, and potters and continues to buy directly from the Zuni people. The relationships mean that not only can Keshi dedicate particular parts of shelves to that artist, but they can speak knowledgeably about their past work, what they are working on now, and what are the little quirks or special touches that differentiates their pieces. The list of artists they work with is impressive so you will have a huge variety of styles. Those relationships are what inspire “The Zuni Connection” part of the store name.

Keshi the Zuni Connection store is named so because of its close ties with the people of the Zuni Pueblo. Established in 1981 as a co-op for Zuni arts and crafts, Keshi has always maintained personal relationships with individual carvers, jewelers, and potters and continues to buy directly from the Zuni people. Keshi hosts one of the largest selections of Zuni fetishes in the world Keshi the Zuni Connection store is named so because of its close ties with the people of the Zuni Pueblo. Established in 1981 as a co-op for Zuni arts and crafts, Keshi has always maintained personal relationships with individual carvers, jewelers, and potters and continues to buy directly from the Zuni people. Keshi hosts one of the largest selections of Zuni fetishes in the world

They also know the Zuni stories and symbolism that inspires or gives special meaning to any of the pieces. And, they offer lots of small pieces, in particular Keshi hosts one of the largest selections of Zuni fetishes in the world. Fetishes are small carvings using a variety of possible materials although all sorts of pretty stone is very popular. The carvings will usually depict an animal spirit, each which embody different personality traits and symbols.

I definitely love the direct artist connection, and the other thing I love about Keshi is that all their pieces are also affordable – ranging from pottery to fetishes to jewelry, small paintings, or other carvings like my particular interest were kachina dolls. To me, this makes Keshi even more approachable than any art gallery because it is accessible to regular people’s price points.

Entering the store may seem overwhelming at first because there are so many small pieces – but just take your time browsing as the staff are great at leaving you alone to see what calls to you, but also helping you like you’re a regular dear customer. Almost everything is on open shelves so you can really examine the craftsmanship.

Canyon Road in Santa Fe

In Santa Fe, there are several options for little streets of offering art. In downtown Santa Fe, besides the multiple museums there are also quite a few fine art galleries, though the price range is more suitable for collectors you can of course still visit and admire the pieces. Outside of the Palace of the Governers, you will also usually find Native Americans displaying their handmade jewelry, including lots of turquoise and silver. For more modern galleries with contemporary art, you might also visit the Santa Fe Railyard which is also where they host the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays year round, as well as local artist markets and a “Last Friday Art Walk” every month with 10 galleries..

My favorite art neighborhood though in Santa Fe was walking down Canyon Road. This one half mile offers more than a hundred Galleries, Artist Studios, Jewelers, Boutiques and Restaurants. The variety of price ranges and types of art varies widely which makes it an adventure every time you step into a new doorway. And there were plenty of galleries that had stunning sculptures outside as part of a sculpture garden so you could even enjoy just walking outside. We were also there during the fourth Friday of the month, when galleries open later until 7 PM and some offer refreshments and or entertainment. Here’s a look at some of the artistic works we admired on Canyon Road.
Art on display outside as you traverse Canyon Road, this one half mile offers more than a hundred Galleries, Artist Studios, Jewelers, Boutiques and Restaurants. Checking out art along Canyon Road in Santa Fe, the goats by Carole Laroche Gallery

This Canyon Road Contemporary Art was my favorite gallery because of the way they curated whimsical pieces and mixed media. And, I appreciate galleries that have a presence online so even though it’s been months since I visited, I can still visit and see what they have and still dream of purchasing pieces and continue to track artists that I really like. Here you see art from Pat Hobaugh with the retro toys, Amanda Banker with the paintings with a new fairy tale twist (and each painting comes with a paragraph to start the story), Molly Heizer with those cute animal ceramics and totem pole, and the Giraffe by Adam Thomas Rees which is composed of individual printed stamp blocks which he then assembles into a larger sculpture.
Canyon Road Contemporary was my favorite gallery, because of the way they curated whimsical pieces and mixed media. And, I appreciate galleries that have a presence online so even though it's been months since I visited, I can still visit and see what they have and still dream of purchasing pieces. Here you see art from Pat Hobaugh with the toys Canyon Road Contemporary Art was my favorite gallery, because of the way they curated whimsical pieces and mixed media. And, I appreciate galleries that have a presence online so even though it's been months since I visited, I can still visit and see what they have and still dream of purchasing pieces. Here you see art from Molly Heizer with the fun animal sculptures and totems Giraffe by Adam Thomas Rees at Canyon Road Contemporary which is composed of individual printed stamp blocks which he then assembles into a larger sculpture.

Taos

The drive up north from Santa Fe to Taos is very scenic, taking about 1.5 hours from Santa Fe, or 2.5 hours from Albuerquerque. But if you’re not in a rush to get there, I recommend you take the High Road one way (Route 68) through the valleys and canyons, and on the way back take the faster River Road / Low Road instead (518). Both roads offer scenic panoramic views.

On the way to Taos, we whet our whistle at Blue Heron Brewing and Winery, a tiny little stop on Los Alamos Highway
On the way to Taos, we pulled over to try Blue Heron Brewing. We shared a beer tasting tray

Then we went to a full lunch with beer once we arrived in Taos at Eske’s Brew Pub for green-chile beer and a green-chile smothered burrito . As we admired the little muffin tray that they were using as their beer sampler tray, F as a vegetarian had an opportunity to try Green Chile in vegetarian form. Eske’s offers a Green Chili Burrito with a whole wheat tortilla filled with beans, onions, and cheddar smothered in Wanda’s Green Chile Stew. The vegetarian chile, with its huge chunks of carrots, zucchini and other goodies, is an unusual form of green chile.
< We stopped for more beer and lunch at Eske's Brew Pub. Nice tasting tray here - a muffin tin with a few decorative elements...

While in Taos browse this cute small town’s various art galleries, all which are in walking distance and which are offer a large variety of art, and the prices are pretty reasonable.
A look around Taos and the various small art galleries and shops in what feels like a cute small town

Asking about the art can also just be great education in learning the stories. For instance, I learned a lot about Corn Maidens. At Bryans Gallery I learned that there are eight Corn Maidens: the Maiden of the West has a tray of blue corn, the Maiden of the East has white corn, the Maiden of the North has yellow corn, the Maiden of the South has red corn, one Maiden carries black corn, and another carries multi colored corn. Zuni Corn Maidens are carved by hand from a number of materials that range from antler, turquoise, sugarlite, quartz, shell, fossilized ivory, coral, lapis lazuli, amber, and other stones. And, they even had detailed sheets explaining the meaning of various fetishes.

A look around Taos and the various small art galleries and shops in what feels like a small town - Bryans Gallery had a great sheet explaining fetishes and their meanings

On the way back or whichever way you are goign on the River Road / Low Road, you might consider a stop at Chimayo Weavers to look at their handwoven blankets you can purchase or that are in display at the tapestry gallery.

I don’t always think to visit art galleries when I travel – I did so in Las Vegas and here in Santa Fe intentionally because I knew about the great art scene. What about you, do you try to visit art galleries when you travel? What did you think of any the pieces I shared with you today that I saw on my art stops and walks?

Here’s the summary of my series of posts on Santa Fe, New Mexico Travels

Filed Under: Beer Review, Food and Drink, Travel Tagged With: Blue Heron Brewing and Winery, Canyon Contemporary, Contemporary Art Canyon Road, Eske's Brew Pub, Eske's Green Chile Beer, Keshi Santa Fe, Keshi Store, Keshi The Zuni Connection, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Santa Fe art areas, Santa Fe art neighborhoods, Santa Fe art streets, Santa Fe arts, Santa Fe shopping, Santa Fe travel, Santa Fe travel recommendations, Santa Fe travels, Taos art, Taos art galleries, Taos Green Chile Stew, Taos vegetarian burrito, Taos vegetarian food, Vegetarian Green Chile, vegetarian Green Chile Stew, visiting New Mexico, visiting Santa Fe

Marriott Bourbon Battles in Portland

June 13, 2016 by Pechluck 5 Comments

This Tuesday (tomorrow) June 14 is National Bourbon Day. And to celebrate, I wanted to share the winning recipe from the recent Portland leg of the Marriott Bourbon Battles!

Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel hosted the Marriott Bourbon Battles event on May 12, 2016: this is the Old Fashioned

The Marriott Bourbon Battles competition is a tour through five cities (it started Lexington, KY followed by stops in Portland, Calgary, and Boston, with the finals in New York City on National Bourbon Day tomorrow). The Bourbon Battles is being launched to help advertise the Marriott Hotels Bourbon Program, which offers world-renowned spirits brands, curated bourbon flights and hand-crafted signature cocktails (each property’s bartender is given the creative freedom to shake things up with their own take on a drink) at 250 properties.
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel hosted the Marriott Bourbon Battles event on May 12, 2016: this is the Barrel Aged Boulevardier

The Bourbon Battle features four contestants per event, two Marriott bartenders and two local mixologists. The winner from each of the four cities then will compete in the final round in New York City. At the Portland round I attended, the contestants included

Alejandro Monjeau representing Marriott’s FLOE Lounge in Irvine, CA
Jason Marshall of Marriott Waterfront Portland’s Bistro by Truss
Local Portland bartender Jessica Braasch of Bible Club

Photo courtesy of Marriott
Local Portland bartender Chino Lee of Bit House Saloon, Quality Bar and Paddy’s.

Photo courtesy of Marriott

All four did an incredible job with making the cocktails in the time limits while also putting on a pretty good show as they crafted – it was a very spirited atmosphere (ho ho ho) as friends and coworkers as well as guests cheered them on.

Competitors in the Marriott Bourbon Battles in Portland included Alejandro Monjeau representing Marriott's FLOE Lounge in Irvine, CA; Local Portland bartender Chino Lee of Bit House Saloon, Quality Bar and Paddy’s; Jason Marshall of Marriott Waterfront Portland’s Bistro by Truss; and ocal Portland bartender Jessica Braasch of Bible Club
Photo courtesy of Marriott

There were three rounds of competition, with the four mixologists creating their own interpretations within certain categories and then being judged by Billy Ray, Senior Whisky Brand Ambassador for Woodford Reserve, James Addison of Marriott Hotels, and Hoke Harden, Local Spirits Consultant.
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel hosted the Marriott Bourbon Battles event on May 12, 2016: this is the Barrel Aged Boulevardier

Round 1, a Manhattan
Round 2, an Old Fashioned
Round 3, Contestant’s Challenge with an unknown mystery ingredient revealed which they must then create a custom drink. In Portland, this ended up being local Clear Creek Distillery Marionberry Liquor

Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel hosted the Marriott Bourbon Battles event on May 12, 2016
Here is the winning recipe by Chino Lee for his winning Contestant’s Challenge beverage – and he won overall and will be competing tomorrow in New York City! The other three contestants all tied for second place because pretty much they are all kickass mixologists.
Marriott Bourbon Battles in Portland, hosted at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel
Photo courtesy of Marriott

You can see a Chino’s entry of the Jasper Sour on the far left.
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel hosted the Marriott Bourbon Battles event on May 12, 2016. There were three rounds of competition, with the four mixologists creating their own interpretations within certain categories and then being judged by Billy Ray, Senior Whisky Brand Ambassador for Woodford Reserve, James Addison of Marriott Hotels, and Hoke Harden, Local Spirits Consultant

Jasper Sour

2 Jack Single Single
1 Apricot Spiced Shrub
.75 Lemon
.75 Egg White
.5 Marionberry Liqueur

Chino Lee was the winner of the Marriott Bourbon Battles in Portland
Photo courtesy of Marriott

Meanwhile, I was impressed by what the Marriott threw down as food for the Bourbon Battles event. As guests returned to their Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel during the two hours of this event, they were thrilled to see this showcase of bourbon including bourbon cocktails like this Barrel Aged Boulevardier

There was also bourbon inspired food that included Burnside Bourbon Cake, Whiskey Brittle Hazelnut Fudge, Bacon Wrapped Dates with bourbon maple syrup, Whiskey Pulled Chicken Bao Bahn Mi with NW raised chickens and pickled vegetables on a steamed bun, NW Bourbon Steak with bourbon brushed steak and Oregon shiitake and spring spinach, and more food.
As guests returned to the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel during the two hours of this event, they were thrilled to see this showcase of bourbon including bourbon cocktails, bourbon milkshakes, and bourbon inspired food that included this Bacon Wrapped Dates of marcona almond stuffed dates with a bourbon maple syrup As guests returned to the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel during the two hours of this event, they were thrilled to see this showcase of bourbon including bourbon cocktails, bourbon milkshakes, and bourbon inspired food like this Whiskey Pulled Chicken Bao Bahn Mi with NW raised chickens and pickled vegetables on a steamed bun As guests returned to the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel during the two hours of this event, they were thrilled to see this showcase of bourbon including bourbon cocktails, bourbon milkshakes, and bourbon inspired food like this NW Bourbon Steak with bourbon brushed steak, Oregon shiitake and spring spinach As guests returned to the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel during the two hours of this event, they were thrilled to see this showcase of bourbon including bourbon cocktails, bourbon milkshakes, and bourbon inspired food as well as these Lamb Belly Crisps with Oregon raised lamb wrapped in a housemade corn tortilla As guests returned to the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel during the two hours of this event, they were thrilled to see this showcase of bourbon including bourbon cocktails, bourbon milkshakes, and bourbon inspired food as well as this NW Herb Seared Salmon with NW salmon, smoked potato puree, and a blackberry wine jam As guests returned to the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel during the two hours of this event, they were thrilled to see this showcase of bourbon including bourbon cocktails, bourbon milkshakes, and bourbon inspired food . No bourbon in here, but these were damn good Fried Mac n' Cheese Bites with fried macaroni and smoked Beecher's white cheddar.

Did I mention the adorable and delicious Boozy Milkshakes featuring Old Forester Bourbon, Tillamook Caramel Pecan ice cream, and Oregon sea salt already?
Bourbon Battles at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront included Boozy Milkshakes featuring Old Forester Bourbon, Tillamook Caramel Pecan ice cream, and Oregon sea salt

Local cheeses and meats were also highlighted, including Chop Sopressata and Cascadia Creamery Sleeping Beauty cheese. I maybe returned 3 times to the tray of Fried Mac n’ Cheese Bites with fried macaroni and smoked Beecher’s white cheddar. The several callouts to using local ingredients made me happy that even they are a corporate chain they also care enough to support and promote local purveyors.
Cascadia Creamery Sleeping Beauty cheese Chop Sopressata

You can see a few more photos here at Bourbon Banter’s recap of the Portland event.
As guests returned to the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel during the two hours of this event, they were thrilled to see this showcase of bourbon including bourbon cocktails, bourbon milkshakes, and bourbon inspired food that included Burnside Bourbon Cake, Whiskey Brittle Hazelnut Fudge

Do you like bourbon cocktails?

Disclosure: I was invited to this free event (which was open to the public) but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. I was not asked or compensated to write this blog post, but I wanted to share the bourbon awesomeness. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Filed Under: Cocktails, Festival Event, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #bourbonbattles, Bacon Wrapped Dates with bourbon maple syrup, Barrel Aged Boulevardier, Boozy Bourbon Milkshakes, Boozy Milkshakes, Bourbon Battles, Bourbon Battles PDX, Bourbon Battles Portland, Burnside Bourbon Cake, Cascadia Creamery Sleeping Beauty cheese, Chop Sopressata, Fried Mac n' Cheese Bites with fried macaroni and smoked Beecher white cheddar, Marriott Bourbon Battles, Marriott Bourbon Battles in Portland, Marriott Bourbon food, Marriott Bourbon Program, Marriott Hotels Bourbon Program, Mini milkshakes, NW Bourbon Steak with bourbon brushed steak, Old Forester Bourbon milkshakes, Portland Bourbon Battles, Tillamook Caramel Pecan ice cream, Whiskey Brittle Hazelnut Fudge, Whiskey Pulled Chicken Bao Bahn Mi

Nodoguro SupaHardcore

June 10, 2016 by Pechluck 2 Comments

I’ve written about Nodoguro pretty often, but this was my first time experience their dinner called Nodoguro SupaHardcore. This is also my first, but definitely just the beginning, of experiencing a dinner at their new location at the old Genoa restaurant space at 2832 SE Belmont. The new location is a blend of minimalist Japanese aesthetic with Western modern touches. The back lounge area will eventually be also open for more service which is still to be determined as they get into the groove of their new space and service during these first few weeks.
Nodoguro has moved to a new location at 2832 SE Belmont. The new location is a blend of minimalist Japanese aesthetic with Western modern touches

The main attraction is still the chef counter seating which now has a little bit more room for each guest to comfortably claim versus the tighter seating arrangement at the bar at the old space. Meanwhile, the plating now occurs at a large rolling counter stand in the middle so that everyone can see the magic, but now they have a bit more depth in working space.
Ryan Roadhouse welcomes everyone to Nodoguro SupaHardCore Dinner May 29, 2016

So what is this new SupaHardCore dinner format? Well, Nodoguro first started out with they calling the Sousaku Tasting menu, which offers a new theme every 6 – 8 weeks or so that inspires an 11 course Japanese meal – sort of a “kaiseki without the rules”. Some of my favorite examples of these types of meals vary from the smart Haruki Murakami themed or the Totoro themed to now the famous Twin Peaks theme or more recently for me, the Harajuku Theme. Currently, Salvador Dali is the theme, and as of today some July Sousaku dinners are still available!
Ryan Roadhouse plating a course at Nodoguro SupaHardCore Dinner May 29, 2016 Chef Ryan Roadhouse plating a course of SupHardCore on May 29 2016 at Nodoguro while to the left is Mark Wooten and right Elena Roadhouse, his right and left hand peoples making Nodoguro happen so smoothly

Then, Nodoguro started offering essentially a sushi experience, featuring 19 courses of sushi and sashimi with seafood from Japan’s Tsukiji and the Fukuoka fish market in a dinner experience they called Hardcore Sushi (I last recapped one when I attended one this past January). Now, SupaHardcore takes the Hardcore Sushi up another level by presenting a 20 course tasting menu that includes the sushi experience of Hardcore, but also including composed courses like from the sousaku dinners, plus also featuring A5 Wagyu and Ossetra caviar.

Elena Roadhouse brought out the certified Wagyu for us to admire/take photos of raw, and then Mark Wooten brought it out after it had been grilled over charcoal.
Elena shows the A5 Wagyu from Japan at SupaHardCore Mark Wooten models the certified A5 Wagyu from Japan after it's been grilled

I was out of the country for their first offering, and when they decided to open their new space I immediately bee-lined to get a ticket (you make reservations online at their website – follow them on social media to know when the tickets go on sale, many will sell out quickly, some in minutes!) for SupaHardcore. Here’s a look at my dinner and what it could be like for you (menus are finalized the night before based on the freshest seasonal ingredients so changes). You can choose wine by the glass, or pairings, or sake instead to go with your dinner as well.

One

Sparkling Wine welcome. Sorry, no photo as I was chatting away and taking photos of the space!

Two

Tofu with jam, uni (sea urchin), wasabi, dashi. This was so silky smooth and rich, and I always love seeing tofu being used like this where it almost feels decadent… but it’s tofu!
Tofu with jam, uni, wasabi, dashi at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016

Three

Flounder sashimi. I like the presentation, though honestly I’m not personally a huge fan of putting it on ice if it gets too cold.

Four

Sake steamed abalone and abalone liver puree with kelp – it was poached in sake, then pureed with kelp and steamed
Sake steamed abalone and an abalone liver puree with kelp - it was poached in sake, then pureed with kelp and steamed - at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016

Five

This course was the most beautiful to me in it’s little set tray that included (counterclockwise) Oyster with citrus; Prawn Roll with shiso and avocado; Bone crackers with horse mackerel that are dried, deep fried and finished with curry salt; Fava bean salad with tofu; Then our first style of the A5 Wagyu, here sashimi style with uni and Ossetra caviar. Five little plates for the fifth course! Everyone was oohing and ahhing as these platters were put in front of them.
Course 5 included 5 little bites that were (counterclockwise) Oyster with citrus; Prawn Roll with shiso and avocado; Bone crackers with horse mackerel that are dried, deep fried and finished with curry salt; Fava bean salad with tofu; The A5 Wagyu with sea urchin and caviar - at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016 Oyster with citrus at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016 Tartare or raw sashimi style A5 Wagyu with sea urchin and Ossetra caviar at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016

Six

Grilled Japanese Eggplant with dashi and Cold Smoked Black Cod. This was one of my favorite tastes of the night as I love the flavors of that charcoal grilled eggplant whenever it appears at Nodoguro.

Seven

Sashimi course that includes Amberjack, Giant Clam, and Sea Scallop with aged soy and fresh wasabi. I love the texture of Giant Clam.

Eight

Ryan Roadhouse begins plating the grilled A5 Wagyu steak at SupaHardcore Ryan Roadhouse slices the certified A5 Wagyu from Japan after it's been grilled with assist from Mark Wooten
Second style of preparation of A5 Wagyu, grilled over charcoal with crushed daikon, fermented yuzu skin, peppers, and ginger blossom

Nine

Shirako (meaning white children… it can be any kind of fish but here it’s sea bream sperm sac) and Onsen Egg in Dashi. So clever, having both types of “eggs” here ha ha… clearly SupaHardCore is taking it up a level on eating adventures for everyone. But, having this way is perfect – you may not think to ever order or try it, but when it’s presented to you as part of these courses, why not go ahead and try it – and be surprised that it’s not at all what you thought.
Shirako (meaning white children... it can be any kind of fish but here it's sea bream sperm sac) and Onsen Egg in Dashi at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016

Ten

The third way we enjoyed the A5 Wagyu, here Sukiyaki style with sake, sugar and soy and then served with a yolk sauce and chrysanthemum flower. I could have eaten like 4 more plates of these.

Eleven

New Zealand Snapper with ponzu sushi

Twelve

Hokkaido Scallop with yuzu juice sushi. Hokkaido is famous for their cold waters that are also full of a lot of nutritious plankton (not for us – for the sea life here…) and so the scallops from here are sweeter and as you can see quite plump!

Thirteen

Aji sushi (Japanese horse mackerel) with shiso and aged soy

Fourteen

Uni sushi (sea urchin) from Hokkaido
Uni sushi (sea urchin) at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016

Fifteen

Ikura (salmon caviar) with soy and yuzu over rice

Sixteen

Salmon sushi with shiso, fresh ginger, sesame
Salmon with shiso, freh ginger, sesame at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016

Seventeen

Kojada sushi
Kojada sushi at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016

Eighteen

Anago sea eel sushi
Anago sea eel sushi at Nodoguro SupaHardCore May 29, 2016

Nineteen

Crab Hand Roll with dry curry seasoning and kewpie. You may be surprised that this simple roll was also one of my favorite tastes of the evening. The homemade curry mix that Ryan made was light but with every bite it tasted boldly of curry just like a big plate of curry rice would. I couldn’t believe how much full Japanese curry punch each little bite gave me.
"Crab

Twenty

Miso Soup, served in a mug. I totally forgot to take a photo of this. I love taking photos to help remember and look back on the meal, but sometimes I just love the socializing with others and put my camera down and don’t remember to get the picture

Twenty One

Buckwheat Tea – since I was already heated up from the miso soup it took me a while and a lot of chatting before I drank my tea and I don’t have a photo either.

Thank you for a wonderful dinner Nodoguro! I, and the whole room I think, got blissfully silent as we enjoyed each of our wagyu courses which were a highlight of the entire dinner. But, the wagyu alone wasn’t the only star – several other courses were just as delicious in a different way, a perfect demonstration with how Nodoguro elevates flavors from everything and anything.

This is why Nodoguro is among the best meals and experiences you can have in Portland – and why I keep obviously coming back like an addict. I would definitely do SupaHardCore again.

To make a reservation, follow Nodoguro on social media Ryan Roadhouse on Twitter and get on their newsletter to hear when tickets are going to be released, and be prepared to look at dates/buy your tickets right at when they are released as some dinners may sell out in less then 15 minutes (particularly the SupaHardcore and Hardcore, “which are offered less frequently). You can also contact them directly to book the entire room for instance for your party.

Would you have tried all these courses? Have you had Wagyu before (even if it’s from the US instead of Japan)?

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review Tagged With: #nodoguropdx, #nodoguropopup, A5 Wagyu, A5 Wagyu sashimi style, Aji sushi, Amberjack sashimi, Best Sashimi in Portland, Best Sushi in Portland, Bone crackers with horse mackerel, Crab Hand Roll with dry curry seasoning and kewpie, Fava bean salad with tofu, Flounder sashimi, Giant Clam sashimi, Grilled Japanese Eggplant with dashi and Cold Smoked Black Cod, Grilled Wagyu, Hokkaido Scallop with yuzu juice sushi, Horse Mackerel Sushi, Kojada sushi, New Zealand Snapper with ponzu sushi, Nodoguro, Nodoguro 2016, Nodoguro Dinner, Nodoguro PDX, Nodoguro Portland, Nodoguro SupaHardCore, Nodoguro Super Hardcore, Oyster with citrus, Prawn Roll with shiso and avocado, recap of SupaHardCore, Review of SupaHardcore, Sake steamed abalone and abalone liver puree with kelp, sashimi, Sea Bream Sperm Sac, Sea Scallop sashimi, Sea Urchin Sushi, Shirako, Sukiyaki Wagyu, sushi, Tofu with jam and uni, Uni Sushi, Wagyu Beef, Wagyu Sashimi, Wagyu with uni and caviar, What is SupaHardcore like

My Picks for Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2016

June 9, 2016 by Pechluck 5 Comments

I’ll be at the festival on Friday [this post and the top picks list updated Friday 9PM after attending], ~~but going in,~~ here are my recommendations for the Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2016. If you haven’t heard of the Portland Fruit Beer Festival, it is part of Portland Beer Week (as I wrote about earlier this week) and is taking place this year from Friday June 10 – Sunday 12th at the North Park Blocks (entrance on NW Davis between 8th Avenue and Park Avenue). This is a move from the past at Burnside Brewing’s parking lot to a 40% larger space, plus now there is shade! As before, the Portland Fruit Beer Festival is also all ages, though you have to be of legal age to drink beer or cider.

The hours of the festival are
- Friday June 10th 11:30 AM – 9 PM
- Saturday June 11th 11 AM – 9 PM
- Sunday June 12th 11 AM – 6 PM
Cost of the festival are
- Free admission to non-drinkers.
- Advanced General Admission $25 for a 12 oz official Portland Fruit Beer Festival cup and 15 drink tickets (those who arrive Friday before 2:30 PM get an additional 3 drink tickets). The cups are plastic glasses.
- At the Door General Admission $25 for a 12 oz official Portland Fruit Beer Festival cup and 12 drink tickets, but it is cash only at the door
- The sample pours of the fruit beers and the ciders will be 1-3 tickets for a 4 ounce pour. When I was there on Friday, there were 12 beers that were 1 ticket a pour, and most were 2 tickets with a few smaller kegs being 3 tickets.
- You can purchase additional drink tickets for $1. Cash only.
- Once you have your wristband and cup, you do not need to pay to re-enter any of the days – you only need to have bring back the cup and drink tickets to drink.
- In addition, you can purchase 12 ounces of beer via $3 can of Burnside Couch Lager and $4 cans of Burnside IPA from Burnside Brewing’s Burnside Can Garden inside Festival. Cash only.

Cider Riot taster at the Portland Fruit Beer Festival

My personal picks for the Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2016: note that although some of my samplers are modeled in last year’s festival glass, this year since they are in an outdoor park the 2016 glasses will be plastic similar to the Holiday Ale Fest.

I make my selection based on how appealing the combination of beer and fruit sounds, particularly rewarding uniqueness. When I taste the beer I look for balance but importantly also being able to clearly taste the fruit, and any fruity characteristics that come from hop or yeast doesn’t count it must be the fruit added in the brewing process. So many of the beers in the entire Festival lineup are decent beers I’m sure, but I’m looking for distinguishing fruit as a flavor thread as part of the beer. Here’s my top 10 list of what I look forward to…

The Commons: Butterflies Hovering a Saison with pineapple and kaffir lime leaves 5.9% ABV I’m a fan of The Commons farmhouse style beers. With the pineapple it may sound sweet, but was more lime.
Culmination Brewing: Sun Rey, a tea Radler brewed with Jasmine Pearl tea soda, lime and raspberries and kettle soured with lacto for a tart and refreshing summer sipper that offers tartness from the raspberries, citrus from the pineapple and lime, and additional depth of tea flavor. I tasted it at the media preview and wanted more! 4% ABV and 5 IBUs.
Ex Novo Brewing: Cactus Wins the Lottery. Ex Novo felt that cactus deserved its day in the sun – or more honestly, apparently they heard the phrase on some Youtube video and wanted to brew a beer so they could use the meme saying. So this is reverse engineered beer to fit the name of a tart refreshing Berliner Weisse with the fruity punch of prickly pear cactus. They made 30 barrels of this so a few bottles may be found only after the festival at some bottle shops and New Seasons and Whole Foods. ABV 4.2%
54-40 Brewing: Cucumber-Honeydew Bright Ale Crafted with nearly 400 lbs of honeydew melon and well over 100 cucumbers! I already love cucumbers as it is as I find them perfectly refreshing, and was really impressed as both the cucumber and honeydew truly comes through on this beer. 5% ABV 12 IBU
Fort George: Chasing the Dragon is a light bodied blonde Kettle sour with Dragonfruit, and black currant added post-fermentation. Slight sweetness with a tart finish where you start with a weird fruitness (maybe the dragonfruit) and finish with the black currant flavors. 5.4% ABV
Ruse Brewing: Patchwork (Strawberry Basil Tart) pours a pretty pastel pink and this tart ale is kettle soured then conditioned with a touch of basil and a copious amount of local strawberries which really come through in the nose and when you drink it, impressive since strawberry is so much work to get into beer with it’s delicate fruit! 4.8% ABV
10 Barrel Brewing: Plum Spectacular, from Tonya comes a small batch kettle sour made especially for the Portland Fruit Beer Festival. It has a crisp, clean, assertive sourness with plums. 6.4% ABV and 10 IBU
2 Towns Ciderhouse: 2 Thorns is a collaboration cider when 2 Towns Ciderhouse and Portland Thorns FC teamed up to create “Two Thorns”using fresh-pressed Northwest apples, Oregon grown blackberries, raspberries, & rose petals with a special Vinho Verde Portuguese yeast to create a striking floral and berry cider that I found refreshingly tangy. 6.2% ABV
Finnriver Farm & Cidery: Black Stave, special edition of Finnriver’s popular flagship Black Currant Cider, farmcrafted with organic Washington Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples, fermented dry, stave aged for depth and then married with an oaked, funky currant ferment for an extra special depth level of flavor. A limited release of the award winning, contemporary dark fruit cider made with wood. 6.5% Abv.
Portland Cider Co.: Boysenberry Hop blends Oregon boysenberry with an off-dry cider infused with citrus spice New Zealand hops. This is the first in Portland Cider Co.’s summer hop series limited release ciders and even though it looks very fruit forward like “screw the apples just me boysenberry is the star”, the actual flavors when we tried it were well balanced and not as sweet as it may appear as the hopped cider counter the fruit well.
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider: Spicy Mango Tepache (Pineapple Cider) is not actually a cider using apple at all, but all fermented pineapple, this year returning with a mango twist with the addition of Ghost Peppers and fresh mango juice to definitely make a spicy tepache with a great burn. Traditionally you mix this partially with beer so its’ 2/3 Tepache and 1/3 beer – not sure which would be the perfect beer mixer for this, though several of us at a media tasting also whispered how this would be so perfect at brunch with sparkling wine mixed in. 3.2% ABV

Honorable Mention: Sixpoint: Raspy Sauce (Raspberry Berliner-Weisse w/ Raspberry-Jalapeño syrup) made a special variation of the Sixpoint Lil’ Raspy for this year’s Fruit Beer Fest using Sixpoint Raspberry-Jalapeño syrup. I enjoyed this beer. F and I debated whether it should make the cut because he thought it was a cheat to use the syrup. However, berline-weiss beers are served with syrups, so I think it’s ok that it gets it’s extra raspberry and spicy kick. 4.3% ABV
Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2016 Sixpoint Raspy Sauce beer, a special variation of the Sixpoint Lil’ Raspy for this year’s Fruit Beer Fest using Sixpoint Raspberry-Jalapeño syrup
On the Rare/Rotating Beers and Ciders list (with small kegs rotating throughout – see the full beer list with the rare beers list here in pdf), I hope I might be lucky enough to be around to taste the Breakside: Bourbon Barrel Aged Sour Rye Beer with Coconut

Food options at the festival will include

Hot Lips Pizza will be offering their pizza as well as sodas. Their specialty pizza includes their limited edition PDX Beer Week specials pizza, Beer Bratlips, a pizza with Smoked Carlton Farms bratwurst simmered in Subcontinental IPA with Tillamook extra-sharp cheddar, fresh onions, mozzarella, and a garlic Parmesan base finished with whole grain maple mustard glaze that also has beer in the mustard.
BUNK Sandwiches bringing their famous Pork Belly Cubano as an option and they usually have a seasonal vegetarian option and a grilled cheese too
Urban German Grill offering bratwurst and pretzels
Fifty Licks Ice Cream brings you dessert with ice cream and sorbets

Do you like fruit beers? Do any of the beers I listed intrigue you, and what would be your ideal combo for a fruit beer – what kind of fruit?
4 ounce taster pour at Portland Fruit Beer Festival

Disclosure: I attended a media event to sample some of the Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2016 beers and ciders, but I purchased my own admission/tickets to the festival, and have been attending and highlighting this festival for years! 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: Food and Drink Tagged With: Craft Beer, Fruit Beer, Fruit Beer Fest, PDX Beer, portland beer, portland beer event, portland beer festival, portland events, Portland festival, Portland Fruit Beer Festival, Portland Fruit Beer Festival 2016, Portland Fruit Beer Festival picks, Portland Fruit Beer Festival recommendations

Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

June 7, 2016 by Pechluck 11 Comments

In my last two posts about the splendor of the hikes you can take around Santa Fe, I headed north of Santa Fe where we scrambled up and down ladders at Bandelier National Monument, and then another day head towards the stark inspirational beauty of Plaza Blanca. Our third and final hiking excursion during our stay was to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, which is between Santa Fe and Albuquerque and about an hour away if you start at either of those cities.

What makes this hike fun is that it’s a relatively easy hike that includes walking through (and a few climbing over rocks) in the slot canyons as well as hiking up to the top of the cliffs for some stunning views of the rocks from bottom to top, if you take the 1.5 mile each way Canyon Trail to the overlook 630 feet up. Then on the way back join up with the rest of the 1.2 mile round trip easy Cave Loop and take the other fork to circle back to the parking area, which also takes you past a man made cave.

What makes this hike special are the the unique rock formations that are tent like, giving Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks their name. Kasha Katuwe means White Cliffs in the language of the Cochiti Pueblo people – you drive through some of their tribal lands to get here. We visited on a day after a huge rainstorm, and so the rocks still were retaining the moisture which resulted in more color and being able to really see the geologic layers of all the many thousands of years before us.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument 40 miles S of Sante Fe. Kasha-Katuwe means White Cliffs in the Keresan language of the nearby Cochiti Pueblo. It so happened that there was a big rain storm system that went through earlier in the week though, so instead of being white there is some color in the rock from the absorbed moisture that show off the layers Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument 40 miles S of Sante Fe. Kasha-Katuwe means White Cliffs in the Keresan language of the nearby Cochiti Pueblo. It so happened that there was a big rain storm system that went through earlier in the week though, so instead of being white there is some color in the rock from the absorbed moisture that show off the layers Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument 40 miles S of Sante Fe. Kasha-Katuwe means White Cliffs in the Keresan language of the nearby Cochiti Pueblo. It so happened that there was a big rain storm system that went through earlier in the week though, so instead of being white there is some color in the rock from the absorbed moisture that show off the layers

Walking through the canyons on Canyon Trail, you’ll be able to see the details of these layers up close.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument 40 miles S of Sante Fe. Kasha-Katuwe means White Cliffs in the Keresan language of the nearby Cochiti Pueblo. It so happened that there was a big rain storm system that went through earlier in the week though, so instead of being white there is some color in the rock from the absorbed moisture that show off the layers

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, taking the Canyon Trail

Walking through the canyons, they eventually get tighter into the slot canyons. When you visit, do be aware of any storm systems as slot canyons can be susceptible to flash flooding so take precautions. We saw the trails left behind from the flows of water the day before, but it was all dry for us with some areas of mud for the hike. Of course we weren’t visiting during monsoon season, and I still checked weather reports for flash flood risk.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Part of the trail is going to incude going through some slot canyons that some points require a little scrambling or fit only one person at a time

There may be a few points which require a little climbing over rocks and under a boulder to get through, one person at a time. That just makes it more fun, right?
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Part of the trail is going to incude going through some slot canyons that some points require a little scrambling or fit only one person at a time

After the slot canyon section, you will come to the clearly formulated tent rocks. The cloudy skies cleared for us and provided a brilliant New Mexico blue sky contrasting background. The tent features of the rocks, also called hoodoos, might bring to mind the otherworldly “fairy chimneys” of Cappadocia in Turkey, which is the only other place in the world with these formations. In both cases, it was volcanic activity that then eroded over time into the cliffs, canyons, and cones of softer pumice and tuff.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Sometimes the softer rock portion is topped by a harder caprock, often resulting in fascinating rocks that appear to be barely balanced.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument were formed by volcanic activity that then eroded over time into the cliffs, canyons, and cones of softer pumice and tuff often topped by a harder caprock, often resulting in fascinating rocks that appear to be barely balanced.

And you may even see shapes that you recognize in the rock formations, similar to seeing shapes in clouds… I felt like I was passing guardians along the path at both these points here.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Some of the structures have caprocks perched on top of them; an amazing balancing act on the part of Mother Nature. This one looked like a little person

As you begin to ascend steeply at one point on the trail, you get a chance to see the tent rocks from bottom to top to from above as you continue to walk up the path. The top of the mesa affords you a view over the Tent Rock formations, down Peralta Canyon and across to the far away Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains. This was my favorite view of the hike.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Now we are going up a pretty steep part of the hike so that we get a chance to see the tent rocks from above on the cliffs.

Here is the famous view of the Tent Rocks at Kasha-Katuwe and the gorgeous landscape for miles and miles around us.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The reward for those steep rock stairs - a view of the tent rocks from above, and the gorgeous landscape for miles and miles around us

There’s a few more cool spots as you walk towards the end of the trail before you turn around go back and look down from the top at some of the canyons you had walked through earlier and also see a few more formations.

Looking into the canyon of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument from the cliff top.

As you head back, you should get back on the other half of the Cave Loop trail where it branched, you follow it so that you will eventually get to where can view a manmade cave. The cave still has blackened walls from cooking fires, and notice how it’s high off the ground for safety from animals an weather and enemies.
Cave at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Then when you are almost at the parking lot you will walk past more tent rocks which are more triangular and almost like teepees. I swear there’s a face in one of them…
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument Rock Face at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

In the parking lot, besides a self pay station for the park admission, there is a restroom, as well as several picnic tables for eating before or after your hike if you wish. There are animal friends around hoping you will picnic.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument wildlife friend we encountered by the parking lot by the trailhead

On the trail we encountered 3 other wildlife “friends”. I would not call them my friends, but F was pleased. This is pretty consistent with all our hikes – he’s always looking for all wildlife while I’m mesmerized by the views and getting them from different angles.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument wildlife friend we encountered on the trail

As I said before, of our 3 nature day trips, this was the most fun for hiking because of the variety in the path. We rewarded ourselves on our way back to Santa Fe by stopping at Duel Brewery, which specializes in Belgian style beers .They also have a tasting room under construction in Albuquerque,, so check for an update on their website because you might find it on your way to stop by too even if driving back to ABQ instead. The tasting room we visited at Parkway Drive in Santa Fe also showcases lots of paintings. They offer some light food of cheese, meat or vegetable plates to go with the beer.
Duel Brewing and Taproom specializes in Belgian Style beers. They also had a large variety of art in their tasting room.

What do you think of the tent rocks? Have you been to New Mexico before, what was your favorite day trip or hike? Of the three easy hiking day trips I’ve now shared, which sounds or looks most appealing to you?
Looking into the canyon of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument from the cliff top.