A Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo

August 7, 2015 by 21 Comments

I was so excited when one of my favorite food carts, Kargi Gogo announced they were going to host a Supra dinner pop-up. I have been a fan since first visited in 2013 when they initially opened with their ode to Georgia (the Eastern European country, not the US State). Just a couple months ago the Kargi Gogo owners, husband and wife team Sean and McKinze, just celebrated the 2nd anniversary of their cart.

Sean and McKinze spent 2 years in Georgia as part of the Peace Corp, and fell in love clearly with the country, people, and the food and brought it back with them. This video from Behind the Food Carts really captures what Kargi Gogo is like as they create some of their favorite Georgian street food. You can tell they really love Georgia and love sharing this relatively unknown country and food with everyone and anyone.

Being able to expand beyond the space and kitchen in their cart for this supra was a great opportunity for me to explore more of the cuisine of Georgia, and I was really interested in how Kargi Gogo was going to be able to tell more of a story about Georgian culinary culture without the constraints of the faster service pace needed of food cart patrons at lunch. I also love the idea of a supra – which is a celebratory dinner that going into it that night, I only knew involved a lot of food, a lot of drinks and a toast before every drink.

The closest dinner party equivalent would be Thanksgiving in the US – a huge feast of food bringing together family and friends – but add in the influence of going around and around the table with toasts and drinking. And imagine that you could hold a supra for any event or holiday, it’s not just one day a year.

The $90 per person prepaid reservation, as I already knew, included seven full courses with wine pairings. I dutifully did a class at Pulse PDX and walked almost 10000 steps (not counting the Zumba class) even before I showed up for dinner in the Holdfast Dining space at 7 PM, attempting to cultivate a big enough appetite for what the parade of food I thought would ensue. I woefully did not prepare enough. I guess at least I got to experience a traditional supra side effect- restricted breathing because I was so over-full. My take home leftover container alone was probably 2 pounds and an additional 3 meals for me!

And next time, I’m definitely wearing loose clothing and not jeans. And, yes, next time – because I would definitely highly recommend this experience to anyone. Kargi Gogo did a spectacular job in successfully using food as a gateway to Georgia for all of us. Although Georgia was dominated by the Russian Empire and Soviet Union from the 19th century until the fall of the USSR, it has thousands of years of strong national identity and traditions that is unique and fascinating. Looking at the menu at the Georgian script for instance, you can see similarities to Arabic writing from Georgia’s history with Persia hundreds of years before the Russia Empire even existed.
A Supra Dinner with food by Kargi Gogo and wine pairings by Jeff Veir on May 18, 2015 Menu at Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo

A supra always has a tamada, or toast master, who lead the toasts throughout the evening and is the leader of the supra. Sean and McKenzie took turns in leading us to toast to Georgia, to women who are mothers and daughters and sisters and wives, to those no longer with us, to the children the future generation, to peace, to many things that I can’t recall them all since there were like a dozen toasts during the course of the supra. By the end of the evening, we all felt a sense of camaraderie and affection by being brought together by these toasts throughout the dinner, and our mutual stumbling and improvement of cheering the toast with the Georgian phrase “Gaumarjos“, pronounced “gao-oo-mar-jos”… or at least that’s what I left with.

Before each toast, Jeff Vejr, who crafted all the wine pairings and also works as the Winesman for Holdfast Dining, always explained the wine and had a story to tell about the winemaker or the wine grape or how they made the wine or similar. In the photos below, Sean is in the apron, Jeff is in the blazer and pocket handkerchief.
One of the Kargi Gogo owners, Sean in the apron and wine pairings by Jeff Veir in the blazer and pocket handkerchief Owners of Kargi Gogo, husband and wife team Sean and McKenzie
Jeff Veir talks about the next wine pairing One of the Kargi Gogo owners, Sean One of the Kargi Gogo owners, McKinze

On the Table

On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: Tonis puri (a Georgian bread), smoked sulguni cheese, Katmis Satsivi (chicken in a walnut sauce), imported Georgian adjika sauce (the red spicy and salty sauce) and housemade tkemali sour plum sauce, Borjomi natural mineral water, a vegetable plate of pickled sweet peppers, green onions, radishes, and assorted organic fresh herbs, a housemade Tarkhuna Soda (with the blue cap), and a bowl with a tomato and cucumber salad On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: Tonis puri (a Georgian bread), smoked sulguni cheese, Katmis Satsivi (chicken in a walnut sauce), a vegetable plate of pickled sweet peppers, green onions, radishes, and assorted organic fresh herbs, tomato and cucumber salad
The seats for the supra in the space were either at a communal table, or at the countertop bar – the communal table gives you the advantage of lots of conversation, while the countertop bar lets you see the food being prepared and plated. For this meal, I was at the counter. Scattered already were plates of

  • Tonis puri (a Georgian bread)
    On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: Glass of Pheasant's Tears Kisi 2011, a basket of Tonis puri (a Georgian bread), smoked sulguni cheese, imported Georgian adjika sauce (the red spicy and salty sauce) and housemade tkemali sour plum sauce
  • Smoked Sulguni cheese (it reminds me of the flavor of a smoked gouda but texturally is softer like provolone)
    On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: Smoked sulguni cheese, it reminds me of the flavor of a smoked gouda but texturally is softer like provolone
  • Tomato and Cucumber Salad
    On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: tomato and cucumber salad
  • Katmis Satsivi (chicken in a walnut sauce, and one of my favorite Georgian dishes).
    On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: Katmis Satsivi (chicken in a walnut sauce) On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: Katmis Satsivi (chicken in a walnut sauce)
  • imported Georgian adjika sauce (the redder sauce that is spicy and salty – there is a great Road & Kingdoms article about adjika here) and housemade tkemali sour plum sauce
    On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: imported Georgian adjika sauce (the red spicy and salty sauce) and housemade tkemali sour plum sauce
  • Borjomi natural mineral water (you can read about this legendary mineral water and how it is a symbol of the relations of Georgia and Russia at the Economist), and a housemade Tarkhuna Soda (a tarragon-flavored soda like drink)
    On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: Borjomi natural mineral water, a vegetable plate of pickled sweet peppers, green onions, radishes, and assorted organic fresh herbs
  • a Vegetable Plate of pickled sweet peppers, green onions, radishes, and assorted organic fresh herbs
    On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: a vegetable plate of pickled sweet peppers, green onions, radishes, and assorted organic fresh herbs On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo: a vegetable plate of pickled sweet peppers, green onions, radishes, and assorted organic fresh herbs
  • And all of these was paired with the welcoming wine of Pheasant’s Tears Kisi 2011. This is the first of several Pheasant’s Tears wines we would have during the meal – Pheasant’s Tears is located in Georgia and grows Georgian grape varietals using the ancient traditional techniques – ancient as in they are aged in qvevri, which are terracotta pots buried underground. Georgian wine is one of the oldest wine regions in the world, dating back 8,000 years, Jeff explained, including before the invention of amphoras, the portable version of qvevri that the ancient Greeks created later.
    On the Table at the Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo and wine pairings by Jeff Vejr, this glass is the Pheasant's Tears Kisi 2011

Course 1: Appetizer

It was finally time for the beautiful plates we had been looking at while nibbling on the On The Table stuff… and watching two of the chefs Brad and Keaton preparing the bread boats for the Acharuli Khachapuri, which would be the next course.
Preparing the plating of the Appetizer course, the Pkhali Trio at the Kargi Gogo Supra dinner Preparing the bread boats for the Acharuli Khachapuri, which would be the next course at the Kargi Gogo Supra dinner
These are the Pkhali Trio that includes, eggplant (Badrijani with a walnut sauce), spinach pkhali, and roasted beets pkhali. Texturally except for the pomegranate topping, all the pkhalis were soft, reminiscent of what you might think of for pates, but all vegetable.

The dish was paired with Niki Antadze Mitsvane 2010, which you can see a hint of in the 2nd picture. Georgian white wines are not actually white or clear in color but more of this honey color (which Jeff explained are sometimes referred to as “orange wines”) because the grape juice is fermented with the pits, seeds and skins, which also provides natural preservation. I don’t really care what the color is, but I did notice that the mouthfeel of these orange wines is much rounder but without it being a red or taking on the characteristics you would get from using an oak barrel.

I was so full at the dinner that when Jeff announced that he had extra bottles for sale I was not in the state of mind to contemplate purchasing any, but now I regret it. So, if you attend these dinners, you might want to think about if any of these are unique enough to take home to experience again, but with a more manageable amount of food than a supra.
Appetizer course, the Pkhali Trio that includes, eggplant, spinach, roasted beets, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. Paired with Niki Antadze Mitsvane 2010. At the Kargi Gogo Supra dinner May 18, 2015 Appetizer course, the Pkhali Trio that includes, eggplant, spinach, roasted beets, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. Paired with Niki Antadze Mitsvane 2010. At the Kargi Gogo Supra dinner May 18, 2015 Appetizer course, the Pkhali Trio that includes, eggplant, spinach, roasted beets, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. Paired with Niki Antadze Mitsvane 2010. At the Kargi Gogo Supra dinner May 18, 2015 Appetizer course, the Pkhali Trio that includes, eggplant, spinach, roasted beets, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. Paired with Niki Antadze Mitsvane 2010. At the Kargi Gogo Supra dinner May 18, 2015 Appetizer course, the Pkhali Trio that includes, eggplant, spinach, roasted beets, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. Paired with Niki Antadze Mitsvane 2010. At the Kargi Gogo Supra dinner May 18, 2015

Course 2: Bread

Bread course of Acharuli Khachapuri, which is a bread boat that is filled with a sulguni cheese blend and topped with quail egg and local butter, and here is paired with Iago’s Wine Chinuri 2010. To eat it, you tear off the crusty bread around the outside and dip it into the well of gooey cheese and egg.

Bread course of Acharuli Khachapuri, with a bread boat and sulguni cheese blend and quail egg and local butter, paired with Iago's Wine Chinuri 2010 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Bread course of Acharuli Khachapuri, with a bread boat and sulguni cheese blend and quail egg and local butter, paired with Iago's Wine Chinuri 2010 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo

Apparently my joy and fingers full of bread and cheese got lost in the experience here and did not even take a photo of the wine. The only notes I have is that Iago’s Wine is owned by Iago, he has a white wall where visitors write their name with a sharpie, and some of the wines are sometimes called “snowglobe wines” because you might see natural sentiment in the wine instead of it being completely clear, and these natural sediments are sometimes called “wine diamonds” and “wine vitamins”.

I think I also wrote a note about Jeff being a great storyteller at this point, I was surprised later when he said he only had visited wineries for a week in Georgia. It’s really amazing how much he retained in his memory about the wines, the people, the wineries, and all the little nuggets of personality and facts to flesh out Georgian wines, which most of us know nothing about, until something I am more curious about. I had just attended DaNet (a Russian dinner popup) a few days before this supra, and this supra was everything contextually I had wished DaNet had offered more of: more educational as well as personal stories, more sharing of the culture and legacy of the country.

Course 3: Vegetable

Vegetable course of Lobio Mchadit, which is a kidney bean stew. Here, we were served a version that has all the homey comfort of the red kidney beans, onions, Georgian spices, greens but then is elevated with a sophisticated presentation with a scattering of pomegranate and some fried pieces of Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground Cornmeal, and all paired with Okro’s Wine Rkatsiteli 2010.
Vegetable course of Lobio Mchadit, with red kidney beans, onions, Georgian spices, greens and Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground Cornmeal, paired wtih Okro's Wine Rkatsiteli 2010 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Vegetable course of Lobio Mchadit, with red kidney beans, onions, Georgian spices, greens and Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground Cornmeal, paired wtih Okro's Wine Rkatsiteli 2010 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo

Course 4: Dumpling

The hand making of the Tskhvris Khinkali by Brad here: putting down the initial dough circle which would then be filled with the mix of Reister Farms spring lamb, Georgian Dzira spice and broth, and then pinching closed the dumpling
The hand making of the Tskhvris Khinkali - putting down the initial dough circle which would then be filled with the mix of Reister Farms spring lamb, Georgian Dzira spice and broth The hand making of the Tskhvris Khinkali - pinching closed the dumpling The hand making of the Tskhvris Khinkali - pinching closed the dumpling The hand making of the Tskhvris Khinkali - pinching closed the dumpling
The boiled finished product, Tskhvris Khinkali, is a dumpling of dough filled with the mix of Reister Farms spring lamb, Georgian Dzira spice and broth, paired with Pheasant’s Tears Takveri Rose 2013 (look how beautiful the color is of the rose!). To eat the khinkali, you hold it by the nub at the top so it is upside down, take a small careful bite and then tilt the dumpling so you can drink the soup inside. Then, you work your way around eating the dumpling – and you choose to eat the nub or do as Georgians do, which is leave it on the plate to count how many khinkali you have accomplished.
Dumpling course of Tskhvris Khinkali, dough filled with the mix of Reister Farms spring lamb, Georgian Dzira spice and broth, paired wtih Pheasant's Tears Takveri Rose 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Dumpling course of Tskhvris Khinkali, dough filled with the mix of Reister Farms spring lamb, Georgian Dzira spice and broth, paired wtih Pheasant's Tears Takveri Rose 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Dumpling course of Tskhvris Khinkali, dough filled with the mix of Reister Farms spring lamb, Georgian Dzira spice and broth, paired wtih Pheasant's Tears Takveri Rose 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo

Course 5: Meat

Meat course of Khbos Chakapuli, a stew with Nicky Farms Veal, tarraton, Georgian white wine and butter, paired with Pheasant’s Tears Shavkapito 2013. 
Meat course of Khbos Chakapuli, with Nicky Farms Veal, tarraton, Georgian white wine and butter, paired wtih Pheasant's Tears Shavkapito 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Jeff Veir talks about the next wine pairing, a Pheasant's Tears Saperavi 2013

It was around this time that the kantsi, a traditional drinking horn from Georgia, made its appearance as a vessel for giving toasts and which we then passed around the room, starting with Sean.
One of the Owners of Kargi Gogo, Sean with the kantsi, a traditional drinking horn from Georgia, which made its appearance in the 6th course and is a vessel for giving toasts and which we then passed around the room One of the Owners of Kargi Gogo, Sean with the kantsi, a traditional drinking horn from Georgia, which made its appearance in the 6th course and is a vessel for giving toasts and which we then passed around the room

Course 6: Grill

Grill course of Ghoris Mtsvadi, a skewer of Carlton Farms Pork cooked with Georgian White Wine and Svanuri Marili that you use bread to push off the stick, then eat with housemade Tkemali Sour plum sauce or the imported Georgian Adjika sauce. This dish was paired with Pheasant’s Tears Saperavi 2013. We had been smelling the aroma of the grill for a bit now, and were happy to finally see it arrive. I know everyone at my countertop area schemed about how to take a couple nuggets of that pork home in their take home box, ha ha (we all got some).
Grill course of Ghoris Mtsvadi, a skewer of Carlton Farms Pork cooked with Georgian White Wine and Svanuri Marili that you use bread to push off, then eat with housemade Tkemali Sour plum sauce or the imported Georgian Adjika sauce, paired with Pheasant's Tears Saperavi 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Grill course of Ghoris Mtsvadi, a skewer of Carlton Farms Pork cooked with Georgian White Wine and Svanuri Marili eat with housemade Tkemali Sour plum sauce or the imported Georgian Adjika sauce, paired with Pheasant's Tears Saperavi 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Grill course of Ghoris Mtsvadi, a skewer of Carlton Farms Pork cooked with Georgian White Wine and Svanuri Marili eat with housemade Tkemali Sour plum sauce or the imported Georgian Adjika sauce, paired with Pheasant's Tears Saperavi 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Grill course of Ghoris Mtsvadi, a skewer of Carlton Farms Pork cooked with Georgian White Wine and Svanuri Marili eat with housemade Tkemali Sour plum sauce or the imported Georgian Adjika sauce, paired with Pheasant's Tears Saperavi 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Grill course of Ghoris Mtsvadi, a skewer of Carlton Farms Pork cooked with Georgian White Wine and Svanuri Marili eat with housemade Tkemali Sour plum sauce or the imported Georgian Adjika sauce, paired with Pheasant's Tears Saperavi 2013 at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo

Course 7: Sweet

Finally, the sweet course of Kaklis Namtskhvari da Gozinaki, which McKinze learned from her host mother when she was with the Peace Corp. Kaklis Namtskhvari is a cake with walnuts, honey, fleur de sel, housemade whipped cream and Hood strawberries, a piece of Gozinaki (walnut honey bar) both paired with Bagrationi Classic Brut and you can see the slightly greenish yellow liquid on the left is me sipping on the housemade Tarkhuna (tarragon soda).
Sweet course of Kaklis Namtskhvari da Gozinaki, which McKenzie learned from her host mother, a cake with walnuts, honey, fleur de sel, housemade whipped cream and Hood strawberries, paired wtih Bagrationi Classic Brut at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Sweet course of Kaklis Namtskhvari da Gozinaki, which McKenzie learned from her host mother, a cake with walnuts, honey, fleur de sel, housemade whipped cream and Hood strawberries, paired wtih Bagrationi Classic Brut at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo Sweet course of Kaklis Namtskhvari da Gozinaki, which McKenzie learned from her host mother, a cake with walnuts, honey, fleur de sel, housemade whipped cream and Hood strawberries, paired wtih Bagrationi Classic Brut at the Supra dinner by Kargi Gogo

All in all, this was a long meal with a huge amount of food. But, it also felt very apropos given the supra framework to this meal. I know they plan to do more of these, though I don’t know that they have announced specific dates. Sign up on their Events page to let them know your interest as that could help motivate an event and puts you hopefully on a list to be in the know. You can also follow Kargi Gogo on social media at their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

What do you think of this food that you see here compared to the Russian food I shared from DaNet or from Kachka?

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Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015

July 24, 2015 by 20 Comments

I was fortunate to be able to attend last week the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 at OMSI with Chef Ryan Morgan and Chef Jim Dodge. I was excited and very curious to see the many savory ways to incorporate berries into a multi course dinner instead of the usual suspects of berry smoothies and cocktails, pies and ice cream. The menu looked very impressive, with wine pairings or dry sparkling pairing available for each of the four courses.
Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner July 18, 2015 at OMSI with Chef Ryan Morgan and Chef Jim Dodge Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner July 18, 2015 at OMSI with Chef Ryan Morgan and Chef Jim Dodge

The dinner took place on the OMSI terrace, which gave us a view of the Tillikum Bridge as the sun slowly set behind the rest of the Portland cityscape along the Willamette River during dinner.

During the Hors d’oeuvre time as we mingled, cocktail pairings by the Eastside Distilling & Commissary Syrups included this Portland Potato Vodka with Strawberry and Cucumber and Lime, as well as Below Deck Silver Rum with Marionberry, Cacao, Ginger and Lemon. No-Li Brewhouse Mosh Pit Tart Cherry and Cranberry Ale offered a beer pairing option to cocktails.
"Cocktail Cocktail of the Eastside Distilling & Commissary Syrups Portland Potato Vodka with Strawberry and Cucumber and Lime at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015

Hors d’ oeuvres

Blueberry and blue cheese empanada with ginger and green onion chimmi – this was definitely my favorite of the three as it really put the berry front and center and was such a unique combination of flavors that is so creative to put together, very impressive.
Blueberry and blue cheese empanada with ginger and green onion chimmi at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 Blueberry and blue cheese empanada with ginger and green onion chimmi at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 Blueberry and blue cheese empanada with ginger and green onion chimmi at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015
Smoked pork, raspberry glaze, herbed salsa is a combo I’d like to see more often. BBQ is often about the spice and sweetness through tomato, but you can get fabulous sweetness for your bbq meats from berries too!
Hors d’ oeuvres - Blueberry and blue cheese empanada with ginger and green onion chimmi plus the Smoked pork, raspberry glaze, herbed salsa at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 Smoked pork, raspberry glaze, herbed salsa at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015
Cured salmon and shrimp salad with herbs and blackberries in butter lettuce offered an appetizer that was probably the healthiest of the three
Cured salmon and shrimp salad with herbs and blackberries in butter lettuce at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 Hors d’ oeuvres at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015

Salad course

Herbs, flowers and silky greens with honey, up in your face chevre and marionberries was presented beautifully and paired with Adelsheim Vineyards 2014 Pinot Gris
Herbs, flowers and silky greens with honey, Up in Your Face chevre and marionberries at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 Herbs, flowers and silky greens with honey, Up in Your Face chevre and marionberries at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015

Main course

Chicken barbacoa, pickled strawberries, cotija cheese, blackberry serrano sauce served over duck smashed potatoes topped with shaved kale slaw Holy moly was this amazing! My only complaint was that the plating was not consistent – which resulted in my table looking around to find the most photogenic one since the saucing varied so much.
Chicken barbacoa, pickled strawberries, cotija cheese, blackberry serrano sauce served over duck smashed potatoes topped with shaved kale slaw at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 Chicken barbacoa, pickled strawberries, cotija cheese, blackberry serrano sauce served over duck smashed potatoes topped with shaved kale slaw at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015
This course was paired with side by side tastings of Pinot Noir that included Foris Vineyard 2011 Pinot Noir from Rogue Valley with the same year but different area, Seufert Winery 2011 Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley.
Chicken barbacoa with pickled strawberries and blackberry serrano sauce, paired with Foris Vineyard 2011 Pinot Noir and Seufert Winery 2011 Pinot Noir at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015

Dessert

Boysenberry cassata, yuzu butter chiffon cake, soft cream, boysenberry sauce I admit I had never heard of a cassata before this course, and it turns out it’s a Sicilian Italian dessert that starts with a small cake (here a very thin layer of that butter chiffon cake) with a big layer of a softer ricotta cake that’s very soft, almost remisicent of a cheesecake that is softer like whipped cream.
Boysenberry cassata, yuzu butter chiffon cake, soft cream, boysenberry sauce at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 Boysenberry cassata, yuzu butter chiffon cake, soft cream, boysenberry sauce at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015

It even came with a little raspberry spritzer to polish off the berrylicious dinner experience of the Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015
Raspberry Spritzer to go with the Boysenberry cassata, yuzu butter chiffon cake, soft cream, boysenberry sauce at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015 Raspberry Spritzer to go with the Boysenberry cassata, yuzu butter chiffon cake, soft cream, boysenberry sauce at the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Gala Berry Dinner 2015

One of the important things I learned is that while now in the summer it’s easy to support our local farmers with the fresh local berries, you can continue to support them year round by buying frozen local berries in the freezer section. The berries are processed and frozen (or canned,  or jarred, etc.) often mere hours after being picked. So even as you thaw the berries  they will be significantly fresher still from imported berries. Furthermore, Oregon Berries benefit from a especially friendly climate here and soil type which makes them taste different (better!) so you will notice a difference in berry flavors!

Which of these courses sounded most delectable to you?

Disclosure: I attended the dinner as part of a media pass of the Oregon Berry Festival courtesy of the Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission, 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. 

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Oregon Berry Festival 2015 and BlackBerry Grilled Cheese

July 10, 2015 by 8 Comments

Next weekend on Friday July 17 and Saturday July 18 is the 5th annual Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival 2015. This FREE festival at the Ecotrust building  in the Pearl District showcases everything berry, from

  • Fresh berry vendors booths with their farm fresh berries and berry products
  • A Healthy Berry Pavilion education booth with information to introduce you to berries you may not be aware of or ways to incorporate berries into your diet and explain all the various health benefits of berries. And there’s also a culinary historian to give a brief history of Oregon berries.
  • Berry themed food booths
  • Cooking demonstrations featuring berries
  • An Oregon’s Best Blackberry pie contest and demo by Pacific Pie Company
  • Berry themed crafts at a children’s booth, appearances by blueberry mascot Ima Blueberry with coloring sheets and face painting, as well as family friendly live musical entertainment
  • There’s a chance to win a bike by filling out a Oregon Berry Festival passport by following clues and gathering stamps from vendors
  • On Saturday evening a separate Gala Berry Dinner at OMSI will be held to show how you can use berries for every course, from cocktail hour to savory to sweet dishes (tickets are $105 all inclusive, available at Brown Paper Tickets)

Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival

I’ll be attending the Berry Festival on Saturday at part of a Berry Festival media tour with the Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission (ORBC), including visiting a working berry farm. I’ll be reporting back with what I learn and a NEW recipe. For now though…

What: Oregon Berry Festival 2015
When:

  • Friday, July 17, from 12:00pm to 6:00pm
  • Saturday, July 18, from 11:00am to 5:00pm

Where: Ecotrust Event Space at NW 10th and Johnson, Portland, Oregon
Who: Everybody… and it’s FREE!

Recipe for a Berry Grilled Cheese

Blackberry Grilled Cheese with blackberries, basil, fontina, a touch of pesto
Usually my berry consumption is raw: right out of the pint, in beverage form via smoothie or juice (or fruit beer!!), sometimes it’s folded into a salad or ice cream or sorbet. I rarely have it cooked, and when I have cooked berries it’s generally because it is part if a dish while I’m dining out. Also, I am a cook that prefers the forgiveness of savory foods, not a baker. What can I say, I guess I’m not a sweet girl who follows precise technical instructions.

In celebration of the upcoming festival though, I decided to seek out a recipe featuring berry and that cooks with it but isn’t a traditional dessert – and when I saw this Fontina + Blackberry Basil Smash Sandwich from the blog how sweet it is (with her upcoming cookbook Seriously Delish coming out soon), I was sold.
Blackberry Grilled Cheese with blackberries, basil, fontina, a touch of pesto Blackberry Grilled Cheese with blackberries, basil, fontina, a touch of pesto

I’m not going to provide the whole recipe here: you should definitely click on over to check out her gorgeous photos and the recipe instructions yourself. But, at a high level you only need a handful of ingredients!
For your Blackbery Basil grilled cheese, you will use Oregon Blackberries, about 4 ounces (about 14 berries) per sandwich Blackberry and Basil, a great combination of flavors

  • Multigrain bread: I used Franz Mt Hood Multigrain and Flax
  • Fresh Oregon Blackberries
  • Chopped fresh basil leaves from my garden
  • Fontina cheese (mine are from one of my local cheese loves, Willamette Valley Cheese Co)
  • And a little olive oil or butter for grilling!

The slight changes I made is that I probably used a lot more basil than she did for my sandwich (I used about 4 ounces of blackberries, which was about 14 berries FYI and almost 7 basil leaves for each individual sandwich) because I love basil. Do not wear a white shirt when making this blackberry basil smash part/get your apron out.
Make sure you carefully smash your blackberries as it does squirt a bit. Don't wear a white shirt For the Blackberry Grilled Cheese, I used about 14 blackberries and chopped 7-8 leaves of basil for each sandwich

I suggest brushing on the olive oil or melted butter on both sides of the bread before adding your spoonfuls of blackberry basil smash as that makes more logistical sense than her order. I also had a little leftover pesto from the Cashew Cheese on Cucumber recipe I shared earlier this week, so smeared that on also. I was generous with my cheese, probably about 3 ounces per sandwich, which I grated to melt better and spread over every centimeter of my bread.
Franz Mt Hood Multigrain and Flax bread makes for great sandwiches, especially grilled cheese! I used a little pesto inside my Blackberry Basil Grilled cheese Grilling my Blackberry Basil Smash grilled cheese sandwich, adding the grated fontina to the bread and pesto

Since you grill this low and slow to get melty and brown, it shouldn’t heat up your kitchen too much. Maybe you are calling me a cheat because it isn’t so much cooking the berries as slightly warming them up, and the only prep is smashing them essentially into jam… but I don’t care.

Blackberry Grilled Cheese with blackberries, basil, fontina, a touch of pesto

This recipe is ALL win.

Warning: this sandwich needs 2 napkins or a paper towel. I would not fault you for serving this open faced because it really is pretty too!
Blackberry Grilled Cheese with blackberries, basil, fontina, a touch of pesto Blackberry Grilled Cheese with blackberries, basil, fontina, a touch of pesto

For additional variant, you could swap out the fontina for a brie if you can’t find fontina, and feel free to add grilled chicken as a protein to your sandwich.

If you are looking for more berry good recipes, feel free to check out the website Oregon Berries, which not only provides information on various Oregon berries, but has a portion dedicated to berry recipes from food bloggers at Bloggers ♥ Oregon Berries as well as a Recipe Search based on the berry that may intrigue you!

I also have a few more past berry recipes I’ve shared: you can see that strawberries are my favorite berry, and that I could put together a whole dinner with just berries for every course if I wanted to! I wonder what the James Beard Award winning Chef Jim Dodge of the Gala Berry Dinner 2015 for the Oregon Berry Festival will do?!

Have you heard of the Oregon Berry Festival? What is your favorite berry, and how do you like to enjoy it, do you have a favorite recipe with berries and what is it?

Disclosure: I will be attending a media tour of the Oregon Berry Festival, 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. And, this recipe is really delicious, as are all the strawberry recipes I previously shared on the blog. Support Oregon Berries to support local producers and it’s healthy and yummy!

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SALT FIRE WATER with Jacobsen Salt Co and Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

June 26, 2015 by 5 Comments

Ben Jacobsen has a big heart that wants to share deliciousness with anyone he can. First, he created the incredible finishing salts that are the products Jacobsen Salt Co  and which elevate food all over the world. He brought artisan salt to the attention of the US chefs and American consumers. For that, we already owe him a great debt. Once you taste the hand harvested pure flake sea salt from the Oregon Coast, and all the possible flavors infused in salt, you can never look back.
The incredible finishing salts that are the products of Ben Jacobsen and Jacobsen Salt Co and which elevate food all over the world. The incredible finishing salts that are the products of Ben Jacobsen and Jacobsen Salt Co and which elevate food all over the world. The incredible finishing salts that are the products of Ben Jacobsen and Jacobsen Salt Co and which elevate food all over the world. The incredible finishing salts that are the products of Ben Jacobsen and Jacobsen Salt Co and which elevate food all over the world.

It’s like that point in your childhood that you step up from American cheese to real cheese. Suddenly, this whole world you can’t believe you were missing out on has been opened up to you, full of so much possibility. Thank goodness he had the patience and fortitude to work through the messy experimental two years to figure out how to harvest salt (the first since Lewis and Clark to harvest it in the Northwest in the 1800s!) and sampling up and down the coast to find the best sea area (Netarts Bay).

Now probably the most famous artisan salt producer in the United States, Ben didn’t stop there. With the old original salt trailer, he dreamed of salvaging it to create a communal table that people would gather warmly like a family to celebrate good food, good drink, and community. Partnering with Williams-Sonoma Open Kitchen (who believed in his salts to bring it from a Northwest secret to a national offering) and with Ingredient Sponsor New Seasons Market (they were the first to turn his hobby into a business by ordering his salt), thus was born the Jacobsen Salt Co.’s SALT FIRE WATER series. The original pallet is indeed part of the table we gather at (it’s the lighter brown wood in the middle below).
The dining table inside Jacobsen Salt Co. headquarters for the Salt Fire Water dinner series. The middle light brown portion is the original old original salt trailer he used when he first started. Ben Jacobsen dreamed of salvaging it to create a communal table that people would gather warmly like a family and enjoy incredible food - thus the Salt Fire Water dinner series The dining table inside Jacobsen Salt Co. headquarters for the Salt Fire Water dinner series. The middle light brown portion is the original old original salt trailer he used when he first started. Ben Jacobsen dreamed of salvaging it to create a communal table that people would gather warmly like a family and enjoy incredible food - thus the Salt Fire Water dinner series

I attended the third dinner of the 2015 series, which once again paired a Visiting Chef from another city with a local Portland Chef. The first dinner in April featured Chefs Nick Balla and Cortney Burns of Bar Tartine  San Francisco + local Chefs Greg and Gabi Denton of Ox to work together to create a shared experience while still maintaining their distinctive food perspectives – similar to what this third dinner was.  Then the second one in May was a PDX locals collaboration with Chef Jaret Foster of Foster’s Craft Cooking and Chef Kristen Murray of MÅURICE. They joined forces to create a Calcotada Dinner – a Catalonian celebration of the Calcot, a very special variety of onion that is fire-roasted, dipped in romesco sauce and eaten with one’s hands. You can see more incredible photos of this dinner experience at fellow blogger Aubrie at Portland Oregon Food Photographer , and Meredith blogging at Martha Chartreuse.

My dinner brought together Ivan Orkin of Ivan Ramen of New York and Japan  (his first time in Portland! Come back again please!) and the man behind the hard to get into (reservations are out at November) worst kept “secret” restaurant in Portland, Earl Nissom of Lang Baan.
The table setting for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented Williams Sonoma and New Seasons The table setting for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

Wines were poured from Brooks Winery throughout the evening.
Wines provided by Brooks Winery for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Wines provided by Brooks Winery for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Wines provided by Brooks Winery for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

And now, the recap of the Salt Fire Water dinner with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan:
The menu for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Wines provided by Brooks Winery for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

First course

We started with a First course of passed hors d’oeuvres while all the guests trickled in and mingled together.
The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

Those Bites included this Braised Beef Tongue with Dashi + Beef Broth and Scallion by Ivan Ramen. This is a house specialty that he serves at the Ivan Ramen location dinner menu at 25 Clinton in New York, and for this event he served it in shot glasses. It’s probably a lot more convenient to eat in a bowl then as an appetizer like this as I tried to shake the beef from the bottom.
Braised Beef Tongue with Dashi + Beef Broth and Scallion by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Braised Beef Tongue with Dashi + Beef Broth and Scallion by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

The Daikon XO with Dried Shrimp and Scallop Chili Oil by Ivan Ramen is also available as a starter at the Ivan Ramen location for both lunch and dinner – you should definitely keep that in mind if you visit NY because I probably could have enjoyed a dozen spoons of these.
Daikon XO with Dried Shrimp and Scallop Chili Oil by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Daikon XO with Dried Shrimp and Scallop Chili Oil by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

Lang Baan’s Earl Nissom’s spoon was Sweet Sticky Rice with Sun-dried Mud Fish, Fried Shallot, Kaffir Lime. This is a prefect representation of Thai food with it’s balance of bold flavors of salty, sweet, savory, sour, a little funky… all together in one bite.
Sweet Sticky Rice with Sun-dried Mud Fish, Fried Shallot, Kaffir Lime by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Sweet Sticky Rice with Sun-dried Mud Fish, Fried Shallot, Kaffir Lime by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

Next from Lang Baan was Salt-baked Red Tilapia with Rice Noodles, Little Gem Lettuces and Dill.
Salt-baked Red Tilapia with Rice Noodles, Little Gem Lettuces and Dill by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Salt-baked Red Tilapia with Rice Noodles, Little Gem Lettuces and Dill by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

My favorite of the three offerings from Lang Baan though were these spicy Northern Thai Lamb Tartare with Avocado and Belgian Endive, though maybe my bias towards spicy food and particularly Northern Thai food is influencing me with this choice.
Northern Thai Lamb Tartare with Avocado and Belgian Endive by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Northern Thai Lamb Tartare with Avocado and Belgian Endive by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons

Second course

Matthew Domingo, our Master of Dinner I’ll call him, gently herded us to the tables for the next four courses. You can see Ben Jacobsen and Ivan Orkin surveying the guests by that entrance to the William Sonoma Open Kitchen, perhaps talking about future plans for another get together of deliciousness…?
The mingling of guests while enjoying a glass of Brooks Winery white during the First course of passed hors d'oeuvres at the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan - you can see Ben Jacobsen and Ivan Orkin surveying the guests enjoying the First Course right there by the entrance to the William Sonoma Open kitchen.

As we were seated, Brooks Winery’s Runaway Red was poured.
Wines provided by Brooks Winery (here Runaway Red) for the Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, presented by Williams Sonoma and New Seasons Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, moving on to the seated courses as Brooks Winery Runaway Red is poured Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan, moving on to the seated courses as Brooks Winery Runaway Red is poured

The Second course was by Ivan Ramen, and was a dish of incredible Mushrooms Casino with King Oyster Mushrooms, Baby Clams, Bacon, and Crispy Panko. I even liked the fact that we were eating these with the chopsticks as it forced us to really taste the components slowly rather than just shoveling it all in with a spoon like a food drug. Thankfully I or you can get the fix on again at Ivan Ramen’s dinner menu in NY.

Third course

For the Third course, Lang Baan was passed the baton and served a dish of Bee Local Smoked Honey Duck Curry with Cherry Tomato, Potatoes, Onion, Basil, Shallot and Coconut Rice. The Duck was sooo tender and smoky, the curry was a mix of peanut and spiciness that leaned on the side of a massamun mashed up but with deeper savoryness and heat like a red curry that could be calmed by the sweetness of the coconut rice.
Third course of Bee Local Smoked Honey Duck Curry with Cherry Tomato, Potatoes, Onion, Basil, Shallot and Coconut Rice by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Third course of Bee Local Smoked Honey Duck Curry with Cherry Tomato, Potatoes, Onion, Basil, Shallot and Coconut Rice by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Third course of Bee Local Smoked Honey Duck Curry with Cherry Tomato, Potatoes, Onion, Basil, Shallot and Coconut Rice by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

Fourth course

The baton is back to Ivan Ramen, who presented a cold ramen (available at both Ivan Ramen and Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop in New York) in the form of Cold Lemon Shio Dashi Ramen with roasted tomato, Jacobsen Sea Salt, Toasted Rye Noodle, Dungeness Crab, and Scallion Oil.
Fourth course of Cold Lemon Shio Dashi Ramen with roasted tomato, Jacobsen Sea Salt, Toasted Rye Noodle, Dungeness Crab, and Scallion Oil by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Fourth course of Cold Lemon Shio Dashi Ramen with roasted tomato, Jacobsen Sea Salt, Toasted Rye Noodle, Dungeness Crab, and Scallion Oil by Ivan Ramen for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

Fifth course

I know many of us were wondering about the dessert listed, as it seemed like a really bizarre combination. Well, trust in Lang Baan and Earl Nissom to show us that Coconut Ice Cream with Corn Salad, Jacobsen Vanilla Salt, Purple Rice, Strawberry, Peanut, and Jackfruit is a perfect combination of textures and a worthy dessert for such a memorable meal.
Fifth course of Coconut Ice Cream with Corn Salad, Jacbosen Vanilla Salt, Purple Rice, Strawberry, Peanut, and Jackfruit by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan Fifth course of Coconut Ice Cream with Corn Salad, Jacbosen Vanilla Salt, Purple Rice, Strawberry, Peanut, and Jackfruit by Lang Baan for Jacobsen Salt Co Salt Fire Water dinner #3 with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan

For more photos, check out the Williams Sonoma blog entry for #SaltFireWater Dinner with Ivan Ramen + Lang Baan or search the hashtag #SaltFireWater on Instagram!

To sign up for future SALT FIRE WATER Feasts – click to the Jacobsen Salt Co Eventbrite Ticket site. The next one is a bargain I think on July 12 – “Eclade de Moules” – a French tradition of roasting fresh mussels with pine boughs and then eating then with one’s hands that will take place just outside the Jacobsen Salt Co. Headquarters at 602 SE Salmon St.

The $55 includes a wine happy hour, the feasting with the roasted fresh mussels, and then going inside for a communal buffet featuring Foster’s Craft Cooking as well as live music, a photo booth, and Oregon craft beer & wine.  There will be two seatings, and tickets to the experience are limited to 100 people.

Menu details include

  • Fire-roasted mussels with good olive oil, Jacobsen sea salt and Ken’s Artisan Bread
  • Summer’s Ratatouille Gratin
  • Pissaladiere
  • Northwest Nicoise Salad
  • Cherry Clafouti

If the Calcotado dinner looked amazeballs to you, here’s you second chance for a similar experience!

What do you think of the dishes by Ivan and Earl – what do you think would have been your favorite?

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Portland Mercado

June 12, 2015 by 16 Comments

About two months ago, the Portland Mercado opened in Portland at SE 72nd and Foster. The idea of Portland Mercado has been a work in progress for 9 years, and it was great to see this dream of a Latino public market, community space, and business incubator finally be realized. You can read more details at OPB about how this area of Portland has been gentrifying, and the intent to make Portland Mercado an economic anchor.
Portland Mercado opened in Portland at SE 72nd and Foster. This corner lot has been a work in progress for 9 years, and it was great to see this dream of a Latino public market, community space, and business incubator finally be realized. Portland Mercado and the colorful 8 carts of the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine

As someone who has grown up in Chicago, I am used to the summer weekend markets on Maxwell Street with the street food (hello elote and huitlacoche taco), and vibrant Latino neighborhoods like Pilsen that boast Latino businesses that include not only the excellent restaurants and bakeries, but art galleries, really fun architecture, and colorful murals and somehow, peppy music always coming from somewhere.

In Chicago, the Pilsen area even held annually a big popular festival for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. When I was in high school, there was a student club called Gourmet Club I joined (eventually my senior year I even became the president of it) that opened students’ eyes to Dia de los Muertos and Mexican food beyond Taco Bell or burritos, as well as Ethiopian food and more, thanks to after school field trips to eat at restaurants and explore the ethnic neighborhoods those restaurants were located in.

During the Dia de los Muertos festival in Pilsen, I recall the streets and stores were full of mixed audiences as the community sought to promote the heritage to new people by both celebrating and educating. I remember the altars, the face painting, the mix of somberness and fun, a lot of skeletons, a lot of great art (seriously, there is so much great Latino American art), sugar skulls and lots of sweet bread, and a parade that wound through the parks. More than a decade later, I am still reaping the rewards of curiosity of other countries through cuisine as a gateway. The Portland Mercado could be the start of such a gateway in Portland to promoting Latin America culture.
After ordering food at the food cart pod here, visit Barrio Bar at Portland Mercado where you can order a wine, beer, michelada, or sangria to enjoy. Portland Mercado. The cart Los Alambres offers street food from Mexico City, particularly El Alambre for which the cart is named. Alambre is a grilled mix of Bacon/Ham, Chorizo, Asada, onion, bell pepper, onion, and melted cheese served with corn tortillas. Meanwhile Barrio provided sangria for me to wash it down.

Even though it has only been open a few months, Portland Mercado has already thrown several different days of special events that included DJs playing Latino music, live music, dance performances from Mexico and Latin America, and lots of promotions of drink and food specials.

My steady support has been to patronize the food carts that currently make up the food cart pod at Portland Mercado. Although all 8 food carts serve Latin themed food, they are all different in terms of the type of food they offer and often the region of cuisine they may be representing. I hear they may rotate the food cart owners to change out the cuisine and share the opportunity to other small business owners, but that’s still to be seen.
Portland Mercado and the colorful 8 carts of the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine

Most of the carts operate the same way where you order from the cart window that faces the tables, and then you usually get a number or tell them a name to call. You then step aside and usually if its busy wait to be called at a second window on the side (it might be the same window if it’s not busy).

After your short wait as they prepare your food, you retrieve your order and can take it to go or find a seat at the community picnic tables by the food carts or inside the Market Hall.

Another option is to get a table at Barrio while ordering a wine, beer, michelada, or sangria to wash down your food (you can also order non alcoholic drinks varying from Latin sodas to Horchata from the various carts). The tables at Barrio are for Barrio customers rather then the shared benches and tables by the food carts or inside the Market Hall, and they are smaller in size if you want a bit more privacy in your conversation. If you drink alcoholic beverages, the alcoholic drinks are only allowed at the Barrio tables or inside the Market Hall, not in the dining area by the food carts which are intentionally geared to be more family oriented aka children and dog friendly.

Barrio offers 5 beers on tap, 7 wines by the glasses, bottles aof wine and beer, growlers, and Latin American drink specials. Keep in mind that every drink you order from Barrio helps the community  – a percentage of the beverage profits go back to Portland Mercado’s Arts and Cultural Programming and supporting small business development.
Barrio Bar at Portland Mercado where you can order a wine, beer, michelada, or sangria to enjoy. Every drink you order from Barrio helps - a percentage of the beverage profits go back to Portland Mercado's Arts and Cultural Programming and supporting small business development. Barrio Bar at Portland Mercado where you can order a wine, beer, michelada, or sangria to enjoy. Every drink you order from Barrio helps - a percentage of the beverage profits go back to Portland Mercado's Arts and Cultural Programming and supporting small business development.

The eight food carts at Portland Mercado include quite a variety of food, and can likely with the different offerings accommodate diets – I know vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free and paleo for instance can all be accommodated for by perusing the 8 menus. I have named the carts here in order from closest to the Portland Mercado/left side when facing the carts, as you walk along Foster from 73rd towards the overflow parking lot on 72nd and Foster):

The schedules of the carts vary – they are all open 6 days a week, and will either take a day of rest on Monday or Tuesday so if you have your heart set on a certain cart, make sure you check the hours of operation to make sure it’s open that day!
Portland Mercado food carts

Que Bacano Colombian Food

This red cart on the end closest to the Portland Mercado Market Hall has a lot of unfamiliar words on their menu of Colombian food. For starters there are new dishes you may want to try like Almojabanas (cheesey rolls with cornmeal and cheese), Patacones (fried green plaintains with guiso sauce – shown with the red sauce below like big crispy chips), Yuca Frita (fried cassova root – the dish that some people thought looked like potatoes but it’s yuca below), or Arepas Rellenas (flatbread sandwiches – can be vegetarian or like below, chicken). Don’t overlook the main dishes either, such as Arroz Con Pollo (rice with chicken and vegetables served with patacones), Arroz Mixto (a Colombian version of fried rice), Picada Colombiana (all sorts of meat like steak, chicken, chorizo and veggies like yuca, tomatoes, plaintain) and more.
Portland Mercado and the colorful 8 carts of the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine / Que Bacano here at the end here specializes in Colombian food Que Bacano Colombian Food at Portland Mercado, Patacones, fried green plaintains with guiso sauce Que Bacano Colombian Food at Portland Mercado, Arepas Rellenas (flatbread sandwiches - can be vegetarian or like here, chicken) Que Bacano Colombian Food at Portland Mercado, Yuca Frita, a fried cassova root - the dish that some people thought looked like potatoes but it's yuca
Above, the Patacones (fried green plaintains with guiso sauce), Arepas Rellenas (flatbread sandwiches – can be vegetarian or like here, chicken), and (Yuca Frita, a fried cassova root)
Que Bacano Colombian Food at Portland Mercado, here the Arroz Mixto main dish which is a Colombian version of fried rice with chicken, pork, shrimp, and more and served with two patacones or fried green plaintains Que Bacano Colombian Food at Portland Mercado, here the Arroz Mixto main dish which is a Colombian version of fried rice with chicken, pork, shrimp, and more and served with two patacones or fried green plaintains Que Bacano Colombian Food at Portland Mercado, here the Arroz Mixto main dish which is a Colombian version of fried rice with chicken, pork, shrimp, and more and served with two patacones or fried green plaintains
Que Bacano Colombian Food at Portland Mercado, here the Arroz Mixto main dish is enough for two, it’s a Colombian version of fried rice with chicken, pork, shrimp, and more and served with two patacones or fried green plaintains

Mixteca PDX Tamales and Mole

This cart specializes in Oaxacan cuisine, which adds to what you see normally see here in the US as traditional Mexican with regional ingredients like Oaxacan cheese and loving the use of moles. Here, they really go all out on the moles, with their best sellers probably being the Mole Bowl or Mole Plate with their Mole Negro (one of the seven famous moles of Oaxaca region). They have other a la carte dishes with other moles, such as Tamal Oaxaqueno with Mole Oaxaqueno, Chileajo with red mole, and several dishes that have a sauteed tomato sauce. They also offer a tamale box that you can naturally, add mole sauce to if you’d like. Below the dish I had was the Chileajo, which I further topped with one of the sauces they had on the side, a pumpkin seed one here.
-"Portland Mixteca PDX Tamales and Mole food cart at the Portland Mercado's A La Carte dish of Chileajo, a shredded pork with deep red mole sauce that is mild and smoky (aka chileajo mole). I further topped mine with pumpkin seed sauce.

Fernando’s Alegria Burritos and Wraps

This cart is just as the name implies, all about the burritos and wraps. The insides of the burritos vary from breakfast versions to steak to chorizo to pork carnitas with grilled pineapple or pollo tinga to even veggie or vegan (such as grilled tofu and nopalitas) for accommodating any dietary need.
Portland Mercado has 8 carts in the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine.Fernando's Alegria at Portland Mercado offers burritos and wraps

El Gato Tuerto

The blue El Gato Tuerto cart brings Cuban/Argentinian Food to the cart pod. This includes main dishes like Pescado al Mojo (marinated fish in Mojo sauce) and Ropa Vieja (shredded beef simmered and served with rice) that represents the more Caribbean side towards Cuba, or Churrazquito (beef,  chicken and chorizo that is grilled and brushed with chimichurri)  that represents Argentina. They also offer a handful of sandwiches such as the Argentine Choripán (chorizo) or Milanesa (breaded pan fried chicken, beef or eggplant) sandwiches, or the Cuban Sandwich de Platano (sweet plaintain) or a Cubano (roasted pork, ham and cheese). For an interesting vegetarian choice, the vegetarian Gaucho sandwich offers nuts, herbs, eggs, cheese, spices and mushrooms for lots of fun textures and flavors without any meat. Besides the mains and sandwiches the cart offers quite a few sides, including Lengua (marinated beef tongue Argentine style), Plaintains, and Yuca con mojo (cassovo root with a garlic sauce, pretty much guaranteed deliciousness).
Portland Mercado has 8 carts in the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. The blue El Gato Tuerto cart brings Cuban/Argentinian Food to the cart pod.

5 Volcanes

5 Volcanes focuses on their handmade pupusas and pastelitos,  which are typical Salvadorian dishes. A pupusa is a thick corn tortilla filled with cheese and a filliing of your choice varying from Chicharron (fried pork rinds) to Loroco (edible flower) or chicken or beans. You see an example pupusa below. Meanwhile the pastelitos are corn tortillas folded and fried, and filled with choices like chicken, beef, or veggies. They also have a dessert option of Empanadas de Platano, which are plaintains filled with milk, corn starch and beans and fried before sprinkling sugar on top.
5 Volcanes specializes in pupusas and pastelitos which are typical Salvadorian dishes. A pupusa is a thick corn tortilla filled with cheese and a filliing of your choice varying from Chicharron (fried pork rinds) to Loroco (edible flower) or chicken or beans. The pastelitos they serve hereare corn torillas folded and fried, and filled with choices like chicken, beef, or veggie Portland Mercado has 8 carts in their food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. The cart 5 Volcanes specializes in pupusas and empanadas which are typical Salvadorian dishes - here you see a pupusa

Las Adelas Mexican Comfort Food

Las Adelas Mexican Comfort Food offers some unique dishes like Pozole soups, which are stews with either chicken or pork soup and hominy with tostada, onion, radish, cilantro, lemon and sauce.

They also offer huaraches, which are topped with various options and salsa, like the Huarache Acorazado (beef, pastor, chicharron, chicken, or chile relleno with rice and beans) or Huarache de Cecina (with salted beef and mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, cheese, and green or red salsa). It is the Huarache de Cecina that you see below.
Portland Mercado has 8 carts in the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. Las Adelas Mexican Comfort Food offers some unique dishes like Huarache and Pozole (either chicken or pork soup and hominy with tostada, onion, radish, cilantro, lemon and sauce) Las Adelas Mexican Comfort Food at Portland Mercado offering of Huarache de Cecina (an oval fried masa patty with salted beef and mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, cheese, and green or red salsa) Las Adelas Mexican Comfort Food at Portland Mercado offering of Huarache de Cecina (an oval fried masa patty with salted beef and mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, cheese, and green or red salsa) Las Adelas Mexican Comfort Food at Portland Mercado offering of Huarache de Cecina (an oval fried masa patty with salted beef and mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, cheese, and green or red salsa) Las Adelas Mexican Comfort Food at Portland Mercado offering of Huarache de Cecina (an oval fried masa patty with salted beef and mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, cheese, and green or red salsa)

There are a few other plates too, like Pollo Azado (a special seasoned chicken with salad, rice, beans, and handmade tortillas) and Carne Azada Plate (beef, melted cheese, nopal salad, onion, rice, beans and handmade tortillas).

Los Alambres

Street food from Mexico City, particularly Alambres for which the cart is named. An alambre is a grilled mix of Bacon/Ham, Chorizo, Asada, onion, bell pepper, onion, and melted cheese served with corn tortillas. So full of flavor and texture… really good. A Pambazo grilled bread with Guajillo sauce and potatoes, chorizo, lettuce, sour cream and queso fresco also is a tasty special, in addition to the almost dozen tortas or sandwich combinations they offer. The alambre is their best dish in my opinion though.
Portland Mercado has 8 carts in their food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. The cart Los Alambres offers street food from Mexico City, particularly El Alambre for which the cart is named. Alambre is a grilled mix of Bacon/Ham, Chorizo, Asada, onion, bell pepper, onion, and melted cheese served with corn tortillas Portland Mercado has 8 carts in their food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. The cart Los Alambres offers street food from Mexico City, particularly El Alambre for which the cart is named. Alambre is a grilled mix of Bacon/Ham, Chorizo, Asada, onion, bell pepper, onion, and melted cheese served with corn tortillas.

Tierra Del Sol Oaxacan Cuisine

This cart specializes in Oaxacan cuisine. I think Tladuya is the inspiration for the Americanized Mexican pizza. The traditional Tladuya starts with a baked corn tortilla the size of a small pizza that is covered with meat, cheese, beans, tomato, cabbage, radish, avocado and salsa. If you stop at this cart, I highly recommend you walk away with this Tladuya dish (it can be meat or vegetarian). As they promise on their menu, the Tladuya is indeed enough for 2 people, or maybe 4 if you treat it like a shared appetizer.
Portland Mercado has 8 carts in the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. Tierra del Sol specializes in Oaxacan Cuisine, and most noticable from this cart are the Tladuya, which starts with a baked corn tortilla the size of a small pizza that is covered with meat, cheese, beans, tomato, cabbage, radish, avocado and salsa Portland Mercado has 8 carts in the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. Tierra del Sol specializes in Oaxacan Cuisine, and most noticable from this cart are the Tladuya, which starts with a baked corn tortilla the size of a small pizza that is covered with meat, cheese, beans, tomato, cabbage, radish, avocado and salsa Portland Mercado has 8 carts in the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. Tierra del Sol specializes in Oaxacan Cuisine. Here is a veggie mole enchilada using handmade blue corn tortillas along with veggie stew and topped with mole, lettuce, red onion, queso fresco, sour cream from Ochoa Quesaria in Albany Oregon and served with a side of rice and beans
If you see anyone with blue corn tacos or quesadillas or mole enchiladas, they also come from this cart,  and they are handmade. The tacos and then the mole enchilada plate are shown below. The vegetarian mole enchilada plate is a version with handmade blue corn tortillas along with veggie stew and topped with mole, lettuce, red onion, queso fresco, sour cream from Ochoa Quesaria in Albany Oregon, and served with a side of rice and beans. I would recommend the Tladuya of all the dishes at this cart though.
Portland Mercado has 8 carts in their food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. Tierra del Sol specializes in Oaxacan Cuisine. They use blue corn tortillas on their tacos, quesadillas, and mole enchiladas. Portland Mercado has 8 carts in the food cart pod, where each food cart specializes in different Latin cuisine. Tierra del Sol specializes in Oaxacan Cuisine. Here is a veggie mole enchilada using handmade blue corn tortillas along with veggie stew and topped with mole, lettuce, red onion, queso fresco, sour cream from Ochoa Quesaria in Albany Oregon and served with a side of rice and beans

Consider making it a progressive meal where you order from multiple carts… because I have done exactly that every single time I have visited. I like to spread my support around to everyone! A good trick for this is to order from carts next to each other, not on far ends by the way (doh!), or even better strategize with your dining companions what you will be sharing family style. For instance, below I have the Arroz Mixto from Que Bacano that I enjoyed with a horchata from the cart next door, Mixteca, and then dessert was from Fruit Box.
Portland Mercado, here the Arroz Mixto from Que Bacano Colombian Food at and a horchata from the cart next door, Mixteca

Make sure you wander inside the Market Hall after your meal… you might find some meat (perhaps carne asada or something in the Latin American style marinades they offer) to take home to cook for dinner tomorrow at El Carnicero.

Portland Mercado opened in Portland at SE 72nd and Foster. This corner lot has been a work in progress for 9 years, and it was great to see this dream of a Latino public market, community space, and business incubator finally be realized. Portland Mercado opened in Portland at SE 72nd and Foster. This corner lot has been a work in progress for 9 years, and it was great to see this dream of a Latino public market, community space, and business incubator finally be realized. Portland Mercado, the Market Hall includes tables for dining as well as the Carnicero here. Portland Mercado opened in Portland at SE 72nd and Foster. This corner lot has been a work in progress for 9 years, and it was great to see this dream of a Latino public market, community space, and business incubator finally be realized.
Definitely consider the different chorizos by Don Felipe Products – I particularly like Chorizo Verde, a green chorizo that includes beef and pork, spinach, serrano peppers, pumpkin seeds, garlic, onion, apple cider vinegar and spices. The Chorizo Rojo has pork, red crushed peppers, paprika, garlic, apple cider vinegar and spices with a hint of cinnamon, and their Chorizo de Pollo has chicken along with chipotle peppers, apple cider vinegar, cloves, cumin, garlic and salt. All their chorizo are lean, all natural, minimally prossed and free of fillers, glands, added sugar and all made in Portland.

Portland Mercado - Don Felipe products include Chorizo Verde, Chorizo Rojo, and Chorozo de Pollo

There may be fresh tortillas still warm fresh off the grill on the weekend at the Kaah Market Grocer, or check out their fresh tomatillos or chayote.

¡Buenos días! #tropicalfruit #portlandmercado A photo posted by Portland Mercado (@portlandmercado) on

Browse the fun Mexican candy or chips or other snacks (she often has samples of several things to try, and everything is very affordable to get a single piece to try as a candy adventure. And, she’s super sweet just like her store!) at Fiesta Tradicional Pinatas and Candies, located just across the entrance by Barrio. Inside the Market Hall is also where the restrooms are located. Portland Mercado opened in Portland at SE 72nd and Foster. This corner lot has been a work in progress for 9 years, and it was great to see this dream of a Latino public market, community space, and business incubator finally be realized. This is Fiesta Tradicional Pinatas and Candies, with Mexican candy chips and other snacks At Portland Mercado's Fiesta Tradicional Pinatas and Candies browse the fun Mexican candy or chips or other snacks Inside the Cafe Revolucion Coffee Shop are some amazing looking dessert pastries such as 3 leches cake and flan in the case, or in the pastry cabinet Conchas (Mexican sweet bread), Nino Envuelta and more. You can also order Mexican drinks like various atoles, which are traditional hot corn masa based drinks with milk, cinnamon, and piloncillo (molasses) and other ingredients like strawberry or chocolate or pecan. Portland Mercado: inside the Cafe Revlolucion Coffee Shop are some amazing looking dessert pastries Portland Mercado: inside the Cafe Revlolucion Coffee Shop are some amazing looking dessert pastries At Portland Mercado, inside the Cafe Revolucion Coffee Shop are some amazing looking dessert pastries such as 3 leches cake and flan in the cases or here in the pastry cabinet Conchas and Nino Envuelta and more At Portland Mercado, inside the Cafe Revolucion Coffee Shop are Mexican drinks like various atoles, which are traditional hot corn masa based drinks with milk, cinnamon, and piloncillo (molasses) and other ingredients like strawberry or chocolate or pecan As another dessert option, you could be tempted by Churros PDX at the Mercado if you visit Portland Mercado on Wednesday-Sunday afternoons, where this cart sweetens the air with the scent of fried dough and cinnamon sugar. Their cart is located right by the entrance to the Main Hall, by Fiesta Tradicional.

Churros PDX at the Mercado this weekend and every week from Wednesday-Sunday! #churros #pdx #pdxeats #portlandmercado A photo posted by Portland Mercado (@portlandmercado) on

The Fruit Box Snack Bar also might be a great dessert with its multiple fruit options that are made into Mexican fruit salad desserts topped with Crema Bionico (a sweet cream I think made with condensed milk? You can even purchase jars of this to go to top your own fruit at home), granola and coconut. They offer the fruit in beverage form like Jugos Frescos (fresh juice), smoothies, milkshakes, and raspados (snow cones!!). There is other stuff on their menu, but I would recommend sticking with what I just mentioned since it’s their clear specialty.

Below is the Fruit Box Diablito, a fruit drink that is also spicy and also a bit like a slushee or water ice. You choose the fruit flavor – I picked strawberry here.
Fruit Box Diablito, a fruit drink that is also spicy and also a bit like a slushee or water ice. You choose the fruit flavor here I picked strawberry Fruit Box Diablito, a fruit drink that is also spicy and also a bit like a slushee or water ice. You choose the fruit flavor here I picked strawberry Fruit Box Diablito, a fruit drink that is also spicy and also a bit like a slushee or water ice. You choose the fruit flavor here I picked strawberry

I am wishing a lot of luck to Portland Mercado, and I hope you will join me in supporting the Portland Mercado vendors and the community.

I’m not being sponsored and I wasn’t asked to promote them – otherwise you would see a disclosure statement at the end of this post. I just think this is an important group of businesses that deserve our patronage and that could pave the way for other public market and business incubators in Portland, it’s a way to build community, and so I want very much for Portland Mercado to succeed.

What better way to bring people of various backgrounds and economic situations together than food, and Portland Mercado has plenty of it to try.

Have you been to Portland Mercado yet? What cart did you try, or cart do you want to try when you go visit?

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