Portland Highlights Archives - Page 14 of 28

Restaurants for Raphael House dine out fundraiser on Wednesday, May 20th

May 13, 2015 by Pechluck 8 Comments

Wednesday, May 20th is the 6th annual Restaurants for Raphael House dine-out fundraiser. This event is one day only where many delicious restaurants, and you as diners, can show your support for families escaping domestic violence simply by dining out at one (or more!) of a list of 25+ establishments throughout Portland and Lake Oswego. All of the eateries are donating a percentage of the proceeds (10-25% of their day’s proceeds) to Raphael House of Portland.

Restaurants for Raphael House dine out fundraiser

Founded in 1977, Raphael House of Portland is a domestic violence agency dedicated to fighting the causes and effects of domestic violence. They offer emergency shelter in a confidential location, a 24-hour in-house crisis line, transitional housing and advocacy programs, non-residential advocacy in partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, and also work to bring an end to violence through community outreach and education. Raphael House is the largest domestic violence shelter in Multnomah County. Annually, Raphael House provides 10,000 safe nights for women and children in their emergency shelter and support as many as 5,000 callers on their 24/7 crisis line.

It’s so easy for you to help this valuable cause and support this local agency. Just find a participating restaurant that is convenient to you and dine out! With so many on the list with different cuisines, you will probably find a place that can fit your food preferences. Keep in mind that every $100 that the fundraiser is able to raise during the event will provide one night in our shelter for someone.

So take your family, or go on a friend date. Order generously anything you want from the menu, all food and drink, and any time the participating restaurants are open (so all DAY in many cases), it all counts!

A full list of businesses participating Restaurants for Raphael House can be found online here at the Raphael House website, organized by quadrant of Portland. The list that I saw includes

Southeast

Accanto | Serving Italian fare like handmade pasta, and making the most of lots of local seasonal ingredients for lunch and dinner. Everything here is good!
Bread and Ink Cafe | Roomy, long-lived American restaurant with a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu.
Chiang Mai | Dishing up traditional specialties from Northern Thailand for lunch and dinner, look for dishes you haven’t seen at a typical Thai food menu
Oaks Bottom Public House | Pub located in the heart of Sellwood offering food for lunch and dinner along with craft brew Lompoc beers and a full bar in relaxed atmosphere including a covered private patio out back.
PaaDee | Amazing Thai food that is among the top 3 best Thai in Portland right now with craft cocktails along with some Thai menu options you don’t normally see. Don’t miss the Peek gai tod, fried wings glazed in Sriracha fish sauce, which was among several highlights in my previous Paadee visit post when you come visit for lunch or dinner.
Pacific Pie Co. | Handmade sweet and savory pies (hello Chocolate Bourbon Hazelnut pie, but also Chicken Pot Pie and Shepherd’s Pie and more), plus other snacks and entrees like polenta with mushroom sauce, sausage rolls, chicken schnitzel, bangers and mash and more for lunch and dinner. I wrote a bit about the Northwest location in this Pacific Pie post here.
¿Por Que No? | Hole-in-the wall taqueria that uses sustainable meats and line caught fish in their tacos they serve for lunch and dinner.
REDWOOD | American restaurant & lounge offering brunch everyday along with lunch and dinner that is a mix of classic (chicken pot pie, mac and cheese, fried brussels sprouts, cheddar and corn fritters) and new (grilled eggplant sandwich, braised tongue sandwich, mussels in house curry).
Stickers Asian Cafe | Pan-Asian street fare that offers small dishes, snacks and street foods of Asia: Chinese, Thai, East Indian, Korean, Malaysian and Vietnamese for lunch and dinner.
The Country Cat | Southern food serving brunch (including classic cast iron fried chicken, or chicken fried steak or smoked bbq brisket sandwich) and dinner (from that fried chicken again to a fish fry, duck leg, lamb meatloaf or a dish of whole hog) every day.
Ya Hala | Family owned restaurant specializing in the homey traditional Lebanese cuisine for lunch and dinner. They are getting a big buzz right now for their brunch (which is only on weekends) but their lunch and dinner menus are several times larger than their brunch one!

Northeast

Bella Faccia Pizzeria | Funky neighborhood pizza with New York style pizza, including vegan pizza options for lunch and dinner.
Beulahland | Coffee and Alehouse offering breakfast, and then beer alongside American eats such as sandwiches & games including pinball or on the TVs (particularly futball/soccer from Europe, as well as local Timbers) during lunch and dinner.
Cocotte Bistro | French food in an intimate bistro atmosphere by amazing chef Kat LeSueur. Dinner only.
Dove Vivi Pizza | Pizza with a cornmeal-crust pizzas, there are also vegan pizza options from 4 PM on.
NePo42 | A dog-friendly hangout that offers draft microbrews & American pub food, plus weekly trivia night on Wednesday at 7, pool table, and patio from lunch through dinner.
Smallwares | Asian fusion restaurant from chef Johanna Ware who herself calls it “inauthentic asian” for for dinner.
The Alameda Cafe | Brunch and dinner everyday that is a neighborhood lil restaurant.

North

Las Primas | Peruvian eatery serving sandwiches, empanadas & other traditional street food & cocktails for lunch and dinner. I love their happy hour with their pisco sours (the national Peruvian cocktail) and I can’t resist getting the appetizer of Tequeños (Venezuelan Cheese Sticks), a queso blanco filled fried wonton snack served with avocado-lime dip. It’s a popular street food and I see why because they go down very fast. Though it comes with a dip already, I also endorse getting all the little sauces and using this as your vehicle for all of them. Also try the empanada, and a main dish.
¿Por Que No? | Hole-in-the wall taqueria that uses sustainable meats and line caught fish in their tacos they serve for lunch and dinner.
TILT Handcrafted Food Built For The American Workforce | Unfussy breakfast fare, cocktails & HUGE juicy burgers for lunch and dinner, all in blue-collar industrial-themed digs on Swan Island. Get a Biscuit or Burger to fill your tummy and share a side of fries. Make sure you save room for pie for dessert.

Southwest

Bento Box | A downtown food cart offering chicken with with vegetables, rice, and sauce (teriyaki, grilled onions, sriracha, and/or sweet chili sauce) for a simple and effectively filling lunch from 11-4.
Cheryl’s on 12th | Cute cafe, bakery & market offering American cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have simple but good salads and wraps and burgers and pasta, but also a stuffed meatloaf stuffed with ham and cheese, and an affordable homey prime rib. They are generously donating 25% of the day’s proceeds, so a great choice for dining and doing good at the same time!
Masu Sushi | Japanese sushi served on the 2nd-floor spot of the Indigo building with validated parking in the Indigo Garage, for lunch and dinner.
Mother’s Bistro & Bar | Cafe and bar with homey decor made a bit more fancy with beautiful chandeliers specializes in hearty comfort-food by moms (traditional, homey, comforting, made from scratch), if your mom really knew how to cook, serving breakfast lunch and dinner. They also serve great Cocktails at the bar, and fabulous French pressed coffee.

Northwest

Justa Pasta | Hidden secret with handmade pastas and other Italian classics (mmm their mushroom lasagana) for lunch and dinner.
Pacific Pie Co. | Handmade sweet and savory pies (hello Chocolate Bourbon Hazelnut pie, but also Chicken Pot Pie and Shepherd’s Pie and more), plus other snacks and entrees like polenta with mushroom sauce, sausage rolls, chicken schnitzel, bangers and mash and more for lunch and dinner. I wrote a bit about the Northwest location in this Pacific Pie post here.
TILT Handcrafted Food Built For The American Workforce | Unfussy breakfast fare, cocktails & HUGE juicy burgers for lunch and dinner, all in blue-collar industrial-themed digs in the Pearl. The Burgers and Fries are monstrous and sooo good Make sure you save room for pie for dessert.

Lake Oswego and Happy Valley

Chuckie Pies | Neighborhood pizzeria offers classic Neapolitan-style pies in Lake Oswego.
Chuck’s Place | Neighborhood cafe with coffee, tea, and baked goods (particularly the scones) in Lake Oswego.
Petite Patisserie | Bakery & coffee shop offering European-inspired baked goods, plus crêpes & sandwiches in Happy Valley.

I hope if you do plan to dine out on Wednesday May 20th, you will choose from that list. Eat well while also supporting an important and worthy cause.

You can post on social media about your support and encourage others to also dine out for the Restaurants for Raphael House dine out fundraiser using the hashtag #R4RH. I will definitely be out, though I still haven’t quite decided where to go yet. Will you be dining out on Wednesday, and where do you think you’ll go?

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights Tagged With: #pdxevents, #pdxfood, #R4RH, Eat for a Cause, Raphael House of Portland, Restaurants for Raphael House dine out fundraiser

Craft Brewers Conference Beer and Food Events

April 8, 2015 by Pechluck 4 Comments

Next week from April 14-17 is the Craft Brewers Conference in Portland at the Oregon Convention Center. This means next week 10,000+ craft brewers and industry people related to craft breweries and brewpubs will all be descending to PDX from all over the US and multiple parts of the world. How does this affect you?

Well, you can expect that many of the breweries that are unique to Portland and/or nearby the convention center are going to get even busier then usual – Cascade Brewing, I am especially looking at you who is also doing a Cascade Brewing Sour & Wild Invitational special beer tappings all week from April 14-18.

You can expect the extra crowds to happen even before April 14 as many will probably fly in slightly before the conference, and/or may stay slightly after the conference as well.

But also, there’s a huge amount of special beer events, including beers that these brewers are bringing from wherever they are coming from, all over the city next week! There are many meet the brewers events, places that special beers are tapping, and my favorite, beer pairing events bringing together craft beers and foods. Beer and Food is totally my thing.

You can see a list of the activities on the Craft Brewers Conference/CBC Website, but a few highlights I thought I would share of the Craft Brewers Conference Beer and Food Events list:

Week long Craft Brewers Conference Beer and Food Events

Monday April 13- Friday April 17 Tap Takeover at Lardo. Enjoy delicious sandwiches (and those Dirty Fries) AND a portfolio of beer from a specific brewery all in one place. At the Hawthorne location, it will be Fort George Brewery, from Astoria OR that includes a wide range of Fort George one-offs and specialty beers on those 13 taps that will be rotated the entire week. Meanwhile, at the Downtown location, San Diego brewery Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits will control the 10 taps there, and at Lardo North the taps get commanded by Oakshire Brewing from Eugene, OR.
Monday, April 13th – Sunday, April 19th Le Pigeon will offer beer pairings to accompany their five and seven course chef’s tasting menus. Usually they only offer wine pairings so this is a special pairing they are offering if you are into food and beer. Which, why wouldn’t you be. Beer flights: $30 (5 pairings) $45 (7 pairings) and the Chef’s tasting menu: $75 (5-course menu) $95 (7-course menu), gratuity not included
Monday April 13 – Saturday April 18 Bailey’s Taproom is doing “The Drinking Lot” a popup beer bar with 12 rotating beers and a rotating food cart at the East Burnside Street and NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in yes, a parking lot (it will be covered). See more details at this article on Brewpublic.

Monday, April 13

EastBurn is hosting a 7-course dinner featuring rare beers from Avery, Burnside, DC Brau, Firestone Walker, Flying Dog, Maui and Surly called the Charlie Bravo Charlie Beer Dinner for $100 a seat that includes 7 courses and the 7 beers. If you aren’t going to the dinner, EastBurn will be closed that night just for that private event.

Tuesday, April 14

Accanto will be pairing their Northwest/Italian cuisine with five farmhouse ales from Green Bench Brewing (from St Petersburg, FL) for a private dinner in the elegant former Genoa dining room on Tuesday April 14th, at 6:30 PM. They are also saying they are hunting down funky Italian beers to have by the bottle all week long; specials to go with those will be on the chalkboard. Call Accanto at 503-235-4900 to reserve a spot at the Green Bench Brewery dinner.

Wednesday, April 15 – the big beer dinner night apparently

There is a lunchtime event (lucky you who can actually make something like this) of Stone Beer & Blue Star Doughnut Pairing at Bailey’s Taproom/Upper Lip. It is beer paired with doughnuts from Blue Star Doughnuts! Dammit, such a good idea, Bailey’s Taproom! Bill Sysak known as “Dr.” Bill in the craft beer community is the Craft Beer Ambassador and Certified Cicerone for Stone Brewing Co. and will also be there to discuss his “Masterpairings” philosophy on pairing beer with food at The Upper Lip. A special private session will kick off the event at 11:30 AM which has limited tickets are available in advance for $28. Then, there will be Public tasting begins at 12:30 PM through 2:30 PM.
Wednesday is a big day for Dr. Bill (Bill Sysak, Craft Beer Ambassador and Certified Cicerone at the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens) because after Upper Lip at lunch, he’s off to Zupans. From 4-6 PM he will be at a Beer & Tapas Social Hour (cost $45) and then 7-10 PM he marathons on with a 5 Course Dinner and Beer Pairing that includes Stone brews paired with a five course menu for $85. Both events listed here take place at Cellar Z (at the Zupan’s downtown cellar, at the Zupans located on Burnside). Purchase tickets in stores or on-line at zupans.com/
Imperial Bottle Shop and Taproom is having a 40 Oz to Fort George and Free Pok Pok Wings Night. Fort George Brewery is taking over the Imperial 14 taps for one night and the first 80 lucky beer lovers that buy a 40 oz drink ticket package (10 tickets) for $15 will also get a FREE 1/2 order of famous Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings from the Imperial Bottle Shop neighbors Pok Pok! Wings will start to be delivered in waves at 6 PM, and be served until gone.
At the McMenamins Crystal Hotel at the Zeus Café, you can make reservations for the Spring Brewers Dinner that includes a tour at 6:45 PM of the brewery and then followed by 4 courses and 5 beers as well as lots of tall tales from McMenamins Crystal Brewers Drew Phillips and Dan Black. $75 per ticket Tickets onsale now at mcmenamins.com
At Hotel Deluxe, a Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner option will be available. As part of their menu offerings a one-night-only four-course prix fixe beer-pairing menu during their dinner service (5-9 PM) that pairs food from Chef Mark Hosak in the sophisticated and elegant atmosphere but reasonable prices of Gracie’s Restaurant with the beers of Sierra Nevada is being offered for $50 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Make reservations to dine anytime between 5 and 9 p.m. by calling the restaurant directly at 503-222-2171 or using OpenTable.
Stammtisch Chef Graham Chaney is collaborating with Eric Toft, the head brewmaster of Schönramer Brauerei from Germany for a five course beer dinner at 6 PM. The beers from Eric will include the first US appearance of the new IPA & Imperial Stout. Tickets are $75, call (503) 206-7983 to make reservations
Ned Ludd and Breakside Brewery are doing a Collaboration Dinner with Elder Hall that includes 5 course, 10 beer pairing dinner with 2 beers for each course, one of them beers that Breakside created in collaboration with Jester King Brewery (Austin, TX), Melvin Brewing (Jackson, WY), Crooked Stave Artisan Beer (Denver, CO), and Moody Tongue Brewing (Chicago, IL) and one beer from the visiting brewery. Tickets are $90 (not including gratuity), with two seatings available at 6PM or 8:30PM. For reservations, email events@elderhall.com or call (503) 477-4725 or call Ned Ludd at (503) 288-6900

Thursday, April 16

Brewer’s Dinner with Oakshire Brewing (Eugene, OR) and 3 Floyds (from Indiana) at modern steakhouse Urban Farmer promises to be classy and delicious with a four course tasting dinner with three beers from each brewery! Tickets are $125 per person and include beer and gratuity. Call 503.222.4900 to make your reservation
Ninkasi Space Beer Dinner at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, $60 inclusive, 21+ older only, ID required. Advance tickets required, purchase from the OMSI website. This is the Portland premiere of Ninkasi’s space beer, Ground Control, made from yeast that’s traveled in space. The evening starts with a space science demonstration on “What Would It Be Like to Drink Beer in Space?”, followed by a three-course dinner courtesy Bon Appetit’s Executive Chef, Ryan Morgan. The courses are paired with Ninkasi beers.
Definitely one of the most affordable events is the Heads and Tails CBC Dinner at Culmination Brewing from 5-9 PM (5-6 PM is the CBC VIP hour for those with CBC Badges. Free shuttle service from 4:30 – 10 PM from Oregon Convention Center to Culmination Brewing for CBC attendees.). For only $20 with a CBC badge or $25 without a CBC badge, guests receive a four course tasting dinner starring Tails & Trotters and a commemorative Culmination / Tails & Trotter Belgian tulip beer glass, 2 beer tickets, and a tour of the Culmination Brewery.
Interurban from 6 – 10 PM will offer a special 9 item menu specifically designed to pair with 3 beers each from breweries of other states, namely Alesmith Brewing from San Diego California, Trinity Brewing from Colorado Springs in Colorado (they have already shared that they are bringing Koelorado Spontaneous, Magic Brett Tour #1 Drie, and their Wild Apple Saison), and Against The Grain from Louisville, Kentucky. All items will be available a la carte so this is also a great deal in terms of tasting beer (9 beers!) and food pairings (9 special food items!).
Deschutes Brewing is going all out at the event space Pure Space by throwing a party they call BEER MACHINES A Steampunk Ode To The Craft Revolution. Besides beer, they promise lots of entertainment including circus theater and steampunk art pieces. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and includes beer tokens and all entertainment and starts from 8 PM – 1 AM

Friday, April 17

Lardo ups the game with its beer and sandwiches with a special one day special highlight with Breakside Brewing thanks to a Breakside and Lardo Beer & Sandwich Pairing Collaboration Event at their Hawthorne location from 5:00 pm – 8:00 PM that includes Breakside Brewery and Lardo offering amazing collaboration beer (each beer is a different collaboration of Breakside with another brewery, including Stone, Pinthouse, GBonfire, Iron Goat, NoDa, and Elliot Bay) paired with collaboration sandwiches event. 7 breweries, 13 beers and 6 sandwiches. No cover.
Imperial Bottle Shop and Taproom is hosting The Bruery Pop-Up Beer Pairing Dinner with Coquine Supper Club. Limited to only 40 people, this 6-course, pop-up beer pairing dinner is $75 per person (18% gratuity added for a total of $88.50). For reservations, please email info@imperialbottleshop.com or call Imperial at 971.302.6899 between noon – 5PM. Check out the awesome menu and beers here

Saturday, April 18

You have another chance with doughnuts and beer thanks to Baker’s Dozen Coffee Beers & Doughnuts Festival at Culmination Brewing from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM that offers a total of 13 3-oz coffee beer samples, and 13 gluttonous doughnut morsels along with Olé Latte Coffee. Tickets are limited to 300 and are available through Eventbrite for $20 (or $10 for those with a CBC badge, checked at the door.)
Or, about sour and coffee beers for Saturday brunch instead? Hop & Vine is hosting a Sour Sunrise w/ Sante Adairius, Rare Barrel & Almanac brunch that starts this funky brunch with sour beers with a flight of “mimosa-esque” apricot sours, followed by a “coffee-ish” trio of dark sours, all to accompany a special Hop & Vine brunch lineup to compliment the flights from these three California breweries. Each flight offers three 5 ounce pours. Hop & Vine will be offering 3 seatings for this brunch at 10:30 AM, 12 noon, and 1:30 PM. The reservation is only necessary for the member(s) of your party who will be partaking in the flights/brunch pairing, they have a limited amount of the beer and brunch servings available. An additional brunch menu and full drink menu will also be available. Reserve your spot(s) in person at the Hop & Vine on Sunday, April 12th or make reservations earlier (my recommendation, you pay upfront but gratuity is already included in the presale price) at this link here. Brunch and the two flights are $30 for the beer only and then $20 for the food for $50 total for both. There is also a vegetarian option available for this brunch food (though as noted, you can also decide to offer item from their other brunch menu instead of the pairing one)

So yeah, there’s a lot going on. I didn’t even list the special beer events because then this would be 10 pages long. If you’ve ever wanted to try a beer pairing of beer and food, I can help you out with this list, but you’re on your own looking the rest up for beer only events!

If you are interested, make reservations ASAP because as of this blog post one dinner (Wild Side at Imperial) already sold out and I expect other Beer Food Events to do the same.

I’ll be going to the Bruery Brewery and Coquine Supper Club dinner at Imperial Bottle Shop and Taproom on Friday – that was the one that really stood out to me. I also might try to make Interurban on Thursday because I am highly interested in Trinity beers, and at Culmination on Saturday The Baker’s Dozen as those coffee beers sound really fun paired with doughnuts, though I am equally torn by the Hop & Vine Sour Sunrise Brunch – do I dare do both? Add to this that I also have multiple other events on my calendar (3 a night!) so let’s see how my palate (and my liver) feel.

Did you know about the Craft Brewer’s Conference coming to Portland? Are you thinking of attending any of the beer events happening around Portland next week?

Filed Under: Festival Event, Portland Highlights Tagged With: bailey's taproom, Baker’s Dozen Coffee Beers & Doughnuts Festival, beer and food, beer dinner, BEER MACHINES A Steampunk Ode To The Craft Revolution, beer pairing dinner, Beer Pairing Dinner with Coquine Supper Club, Breakside and Lardo Beer & Sandwich Pairing Collaboration Event, Breakside Collaborative Beer Dinner at Elder Hall, Bruery Pop-Up Beer Pairing Dinner, CBC 2015 Beer and Food Events, Charlie Bravo Charlie Beer Dinner, Craft Beer, craft brewer's conference beer dinner, craft brewers conference 2015, Craft Brewers Conference Beer and Food Events 2015, Dr. Bill at Zupan's, Drinking pop up, Eastburn beer pairing dinner, Green Bench Brewery dinner, Hop and Vine Sour Sunrise Brunch, InterUrban, Le Pigeon beer pairing, Ned Ludd beer pairing dinner, oregon beer, portland beer, Schönramer Brauerei, Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner, Stammtisch, Tails and Trotters Dinner at Culmination Brewing, Tap Takeover, Tap Takeover at Lardo, The Drinking Lot, Upper Lip and Stone Beer and Blue Star Doughnut Pairing, Urban Farmer beer pairing

Spring Beer and Wine Festival 2015

April 2, 2015 by Pechluck Leave a Comment

It’s going to be cool (low 50s) and rainy and windy on Friday… so can I recommend staying indoors but in the company of oh, booths of 33 breweries, 6 cideries, 15 wineries, and 10 distilleries? In particular, I really enjoy visiting the wine booths because this festival is also a competition for them with medals, and you can already see the resulting medal winners for what wine here to help guide your tasting!

Oh, and I shouldn’t exclude 6 booths of chocolatiers, a Tour de Cheese opportunity with artisan cheeses from Jacobs Creamery (usually you can only find Lisa’s cheeses at the Farmers Market, and only a few of her cheeses are once in a while at Whole Foods or a few local stores and restaurants).
Jacobs Creamery cheeses

Plus a chance to browse various booths (there are more than 50 booths) including artisan bottle openers to kilts to fun or classy hats and a balloon artist to gourmet foodstuffs like

Salami and Meats from The Beautiful Pig
Several oil and vinegar vendors (I love tasting the different flavors and getting new recipe ideas from the booths!)
Shrubs from Sage and Sea Farms, as Saveur Magazine raved as a pick of their Sage and Sea Farms grapefruit shrub “Mouthwateringly tart and insanely delicious, this grapefruit shrub, or drinking vinegar, makes a hell of a margarita.“
The delicious jellies of Kelly’s Jelly and more recipe ideas… For instance, a couple years ago she shared this idea of delicious combo of Olympic Provisions Sweetheart Ham with Kelly’s Habanero Pepper Jelly Glaze
Mom’s Booze Balls. Yum.
Hand-crafted, small batch marshmallows from Lil Miss Marshmallow that include Peanut Butter, Peppermint, Cinnamon Sugar, Chai Latte Spice and more flavored marshmallows
And more!

There will also be live music in the evenings, demonstrations on a Culinary Stage every hour on the hour from 1-6 pm varying from talking about home brewing to highlighting artisan vendors to pairing chocolate and spirits.

What is this indoor location? It’s the Spring Beer and Wine Festival at the Oregon Convention Center, this weekend from April 3 & 4, 2015 starting at 12:00pm – 10:00pm both days. It’s hard to believe that this festival has been so successful at it’s indoor summer festival vibe that this is it’s 21st year!

Admission is $8.00 (tickets are on sale here, you can also purchase at the door), plus if you plan to optionally sample beer you need to buy a beer glass (beer is only available in a festival glass or mug). You can purchase a plastic tasting mug or go for the fancy glass with the gold rim… (I admit to having several of these from previous festival years as you can see… the screenshots from the TV are this year’s glasses it seems). They have some packages that include admission, 10 tokens, and a glass as well for a small savings. Purchasing in advance also gives you express entry with no waiting in line and $2.00 off parking at the Oregon Convention Center.
Previous Spring Beer & Wine Fest glass 2015 Spring Beer & Wine Fest glass

Tasting tokens ($1 each token, generally you need 4 tokens to get a full mug). Cider, mead, and wineries may sell samples in tiny plastic cups or have their own glasses for sale or will serve their product in any of the festival glasses. Cocktails and distilled spirits come in their own glasses. Sharing samples is permitted).

Minors accompanied by an adult are permitted until 9:00pm both days, and children 12 & under are free. Plus, on Friday, the first 500 people to enter get in for FREE!

For a little bit more on the history and where the Fest may be going in the future, check out this great writeup in the Oregon Beer Growler by Kris.

What are you doing this weekend?

Disclosure: I have a media pass for the Spring Beer and Wine Fest 2015, but I have attended the festival multiple times in the past, and 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: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights, Sponsored Post Tagged With: Spring Beer and Wine Festival 2015

Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market

March 13, 2015 by Pechluck 10 Comments

I covered in a previous post what Portland Dining month / March 2015 is and a few highlights from the amazing list of more than 100 restaurants in the Portland area offering the $29 3 course special. Today, I’m going to share my second Portland Dining Month 2015 meal. My first dinner was at Aviary, which I covered previously.

Laurelhurst Market is located in the Alberta District at 3155 E. Burnside in Southeast Portland and specializes as both a butcher shop and steakhouse-inspired restaurant that highlights meat and celebrates being a carnivore.
Laurelhurst Market in Portland

Now without further ado, my Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market dinner photo recap.
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market menu and suggested beverages

First course

Roasted cauliflower arancini with radicchio caponata, roasted red pepper aioli and arugula
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 first course of Roasted cauliflower arancini with radicchio caponata, roasted red pepper aioli and arugula

Second course

Ten-hour braised beef shoulder with potato pancake, warm oyster mushroom salad and beef jus.

As you would expect me, this dish is oh so tender and hearty and meaty. It’s a pretty representative Laurelhurst meat entree in which despite the addition of a single potato pancake, sides are extra.

Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 second course of Ten-hour braised beef shoulder with potato pancake, warm oyster mushroom salad and beef jus

Third course

Honey panna cotta with candied fennel and fennel seed brittle
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 third course of Honey panna cotta with candied fennel and fennel seed brittle
This dessert was the only miss for me with the 3 courses, as it was more anise-y then I like. I recommend a dessert beverage to balance it out.

Other

You should not go to Laurelhurst Market without for the love of all, getting the Smoke Signals cocktail. This is a famous cocktail of with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, and to top it all off, Smoked Ice. The smoky nutty whiskey drink is a must.
The famous Laurelhurst Market cocktail of Smoke Signals with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, Smoked Ice

On the Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month menu, there was a suggested Portland Dining Month cocktail of the Salt & Pepper with Gin, Grapefruit, Lime, Peychaud Bitters, Sugar and Salt Rim. It was prettier than I imagined!
Laurelhurst Market suggested Portland Dining Month cocktail of the Salt & Pepper with Gin, Grapefruit, Lime, Peychaud Bitters, Sugar and Salt Rim

Did you know that there is an outdoor patio area right by the bar side of Laurelhurst Market? I didn’t – until I visited on a day where we were enjoying 70 degree weather and so the sunshine and light breeze and a cocktail were perfect. You can even see Kevin Ludwig to the right of the photo as he prepares to concoct the cocktail Pine Tar Incident with Pear Brandy, Genepy, Aperol. Sweet Vermouth
Bar at Laurelhurst Market opens up to a patio area. You can also see Bar Tender Kevin Ludwig to the right Laurelhurst Market specialty cocktail courtesy of Kevin Ludwig of the Pine Tar Incident with Pear Brandy, Genepy, Aperol. Sweet Vermouth

After the strong drink of the Pine Tar Incident, I really needed this additional order of this To Begin item of Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil. It is also useful for swabbing up any extra beef jus or aioli from the first two courses.
Laurelhurst Market To Begin item of Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil

Thanks G for being my date for this dinner.

What about you? What’s on your list from the Portland Dining Month website for the month of March, or where have you already dined and enjoyed?

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights, Restaurant Review Tagged With: #foodiefriday, 10 hour braised beef shoulder, honey panna cotta, Laurelhurst Market', Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil, Pine Tar Incident cocktail, roasted cauliflower arancini, Salt & Pepper cocktail, Smoke Signals cocktail

Portland Dining Month 2015

February 26, 2015 by Pechluck 16 Comments

Starting Sunday March 1 2015 Portland will be kicking off Portland Dining Month 2015. During this month, more than 100 participating restaurants all over Portland will be offering a special menu of 3 courses for $29 in order to entice you to visit and see what that restaurant is all about.

Almost all the restaurants will also have their regular menu available, so your dining party doesn’t all have to eat the Dining Month menu, though several of the Dining Month menus offer multiple choices for each of the courses as well so you can all dine at that price.

In terms of the Portland Dining Month menu items, make sure you do ask for it because sometimes the restaurant lists it on a separate menu from the regular menu. Other times, it is part of the regular menu because it’s an item usually on their list but in many cases is priced special only for that month, thus lets you have one of the signature dishes of that restaurant for cheaper than normal.

On the other hand, some restaurants create new items especially for Portland Dining Month and so the special is only for this month!

Furthermore, about 1/3 of those restaurants will additionally have curated a beer pairing or incorporated beer into their dish in some way to highlight a local brewer.

If you are an OpenTable user where you can make reservations for your dining party with just a few clicks of a button, about 60+ of the restaurants on the Portland Dining Month list are also available on OpenTable to make your online reservations.

I wanted to highlight my personal picks for some restaurants that are participating in Portland Dining Month and what their dining month menu offers. There are many, many, many wonderful picks on the list, I’m just pointing out a few based on value or what the menu choice item is to my taste.

Aviary

Aviary had me at their first course option… Their food is consistently good and surprising with their twists on Asian inspiration mixed with unusual flavor combinations. And, they take reservations on Opentable. Update! I went and posted a photo recap here

First course (choose one): Dungeness crab chawanmushi with bone marrow, sea urchin, Asian pear, snap peas and truffle vinaigrette -OR- Warm vegetable salad with romanesco, pumpkin, Brussels sprouts, lime-pickle vinaigrette and black garlic
Second course (choose one): Miso-braised beef short rib with taro root, Asian pear, yuzu kosho slaw -OR- Pan-seared salmon with cauliflower, saffron, green apple, trout roe and American caviar
Third course (choose one): Chocolate tart with banana ice cream and cocoa nibs -OR- Baked meringue with huckleberries and Meyer lemon sorbet

Laurelhurst Market

Usually that second course item alone at Laurelhurst Market is $26 on their regular menu. Update! I went and posted a photo recap here

First course: Roasted cauliflower arancini with radicchio caponata, roasted red pepper aioli and arugula
Second course: Ten-hour braised beef shoulder with potato pancake, warm oyster mushroom salad and beef jus
Third course: Honey panna cotta with candied fennel and fennel seed brittle

Nedd Ludd

Nedd Ludd not only is a fantastic restaurant in terms of food and charming atmosphere, but with participating in Portland Dining Month are offering you a huge value because their dinner plate mains are already usually already in the 20 dollar range, so you are getting a bonus that you’ll be getting 3 courses! And, you even get a choice with your first or second courses, and the option is vegetarian friendly so I can take my vegetarian F.

First course (choose one): Escarole salad with lemon, egg, olives and crouton -OR- Charred broccoli raab with sumac, za’atar, pomegranate and yogurt
Second course (choose one): Chicken breast with leek and mushroom ragout, preserved lemon and green olive -OR- Vegetable gratin with walnut-parsley sauce and spring greens
Third course: Bourbon-buttermilk panna cotta with cocoa nib crumb

Park Kitchen

Based on last year when I went to a Portland Dining Month dinner at Park Kitchen, I would recommend Park Kitchen as an option for you. Besides just casually dining near the table of Gabe Rucker, the dinner was one of my favorite of all the Portland Dining Month dinners I went to last year. Make sure you get those chickpea fries! And, they take reservations on Opentable.

First course (choose one): Chickpea fries with squash ketchup -OR- Salad of escarole, radishes, red onion and buttermilk dressing
Second course (choose one): Ayer’s Creek corn grits, mushroom gravy and Hoppin’ John -OR- Payne Family Farms pork roast with collards, red-eye gravy and cornbread dressing. Last year they offered the grits as a vegetarian option as well, but I went with the pork, which last year was this Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey so I think this year’s Pork Roast will be just as good.
Third course: Double-chocolate tart with salted caramel and hazelnuts

Lincoln or Sunshine Tavern

While Dumpling Week was going on, I had an amazing dumpling dinner (in which the dumpling was Malloreddus tossed in sea urchin butter with mint and preserved lemon) at Lincoln Restaurant. That it was phenomenal shouldn’t be a surprise, especially given that chef Jenn Louis has just released her book Pasta by Hand: A Collection of Italy’s Regional Hand-Shaped Pasta. Based on the fantastic experience I had at that small dinner, I would highly recommend Lincoln for Portland Dining Month, especially since she is showcasing another pasta, and this pasta by itself is usually $18 on their menu. And, they take reservations on Opentable. For a more casual option, consider Sunshine Tavern with it’s list of 8 different sandwiches as your second course.

Lincoln

First course: Baked hen eggs with cream, Castelvetrano olives and herbed breadcrumbs
Second course: Spaccatelli pasta with smoked tallow, speck and sherry
Third course: Brutti ma buoni cookies

Sunshine Tavern

First course (choose one): Salad of romaine with fried capers, Parmesan, croutons and garlic vinaigrette -OR- Iceberg wedge salad with buttermilk blue cheese, roasted tesa pork and sieved egg -OR- Chopped salad of lettuces, pepperoncini, provolone, French fries and salami
Second course (choose one): Chicken burger with provolone, radicchio and arugula -OR- Crispy oyster sandwich with fennel, cabbage and tartar sauce -OR- Monte Cristo sandwich with fried egg and Marionberry preserves -OR- Fried chicken sandwich with blue cheese dressing, celery, red onion and chili mayonnaise with spicy chicken lacquer -OR- Duck-egg sandwich with pimento cheese, spicy pickles and arugula -OR- Pork burger with Swiss cheese, preserved cabbage and brown mustard -OR- Jambon beurre royale with butter, fleur de sel, radishes and fennel -OR -Pork belly medianoche with ham and spicy pickle
Third course:Soft-serve ice cream

Little Bird

Little Bird is giving you a deal as well for Portland Dining Month, since their entrees are usually in the $20s and the appetizers in the $15s so you are making out for a mere $29. That choice of chicken fried trout is enough for two people. And, they take reservations on Opentable.

First course (choose one): Soup du jour -OR- Salad of frisée, citrus, pistachios, olives and sheep’s cheese vinaigrette -OR- Goat cheese gnocchi, celeriac, mushrooms and Le Chevrot
Second course (choose one):Chicken-fried trout, pickled carrots, fine herbs, radish, Dijon and gribiche -OR- Cider-braised pork shoulder with cabbage, carrot and apple slaw, toasted walnuts and bacon vinaigrette
Third course: Chocolate mousse cake with pistachio, Meyer lemon and nougat -OR- Ice cream -OR- Sorbet

Fogo de Chao

Another example of a huge value, the dinners at Fogo de Chao are usually $49 for the salad bar, sides, and meats. The Portland Dining Month menu gives you a more limited selection of the meats, but it’s 8 of them and most importantly includes what I think is their best meat cut, the Picanha. The Portland Dining Month menu excludes the Costela (beef ribs), Beef Ancho (ribeye), Filet Mignons and Lamb Chops. The price you are paying with Portland Dining Month is usually the cost of the salad bar alone during dinner! And, they take reservations on Opentable.

First course (choose one): Fresh seasonal salads, rare and exotic vegetables, imported cheeses and cured meats
Second course (choose one): Brazilian cheese bread (pão de queijo), caramelized bananas, garlic mashed potatoes and crispy polenta
Third course: Fire-roasted meats carved and served tableside, including Picanha, Alcatra, Fraldinha, Cordeiro, Linguica, Costela de Porco, Lombo and Frango. Check out what these meat cuts really are here, and I covered the restaurant opening so have some photos and descriptions also here at “Grand Opening: Fogo de Chão Portland Churrascaria”

Paley’s Place

An excuse to visit classy Paley’s Place for an intimate, romantic dinner!

First course: Salad of kale and roasted acorn squash with chèvre and balsamic vinegar
Second course: Red wine-braised elk, soft polenta and orange gremolata
Third course: Warm gingerbread with roasted rhubarb and crème fraîche
Rogue Ales beer pairings for an additional $15 or house wine pairings for an additional $20

Acadia

Take a mini-vacation to New Orleans by visiting Acadia and enjoying Creole cuisine.

First course: Deviled egg with blue crab meat
Second course: Louisiana barbeque shrimp with lemon, black pepper, white wine and butter. I’ve had this dish before and you will want to spoon the sauce onto your bread
Third course: Bronzed wild-caught Louisiana sheepshead with buttermilk cornbread purée, green tomato relish and brown butter. If you haven’t head sheepshead before, it has a texture that is almost creamy but not fatty, and some describe it as “crab-like” which is interesting because the fish’s diet is comprised heavily of shellfish and bivalves. When I had it came with different sides but was still bronzed

Accanto

I love the Northwest freshness at Accanto, which I had blogged about previously for a Portland Dining Month visit in a previous year and also when I went for an amazing brunch (they take reservations for brunch! No waiting in line!). And, they take reservations on Opentable.

Antipasto:House marinated olives and fried almonds with rosemary
First course (choose one): Soup of the day -OR- Escarole salad, goat’s-milk feta and oven-dried olives with burnt orange vinaigrette
Second course: Rigatoncini, water buffalo ragù, broccoli raab and ricotta salata
Third course: Tiramisu

Besaw’s

Above photo taken by my brother and his Canon EOS 60D camera

Everyone thinks of Besaw’s for brunch, but they still utilize the bounty of their garden and local fresh Northwest ingredients at dinner as well. For their Portland Dining Month 2015 menu, they are offering an entree that also celebrates local Oregon brewer Deschutes Brewery.

First course: Grilled prawns with cornbread croutons, arugula and chili aioli
Second course: Fontina- and chard-stuffed pork roulade with soft polenta and Deschutes Cinder Cone Red jalapeño chutney (YUM)
Third course: Rhubarb crisp with vanilla whipped cream

Meriwether’s

Meriwether’s suffers from a similar fate as Besaw in that people think of them too often for brunch and not for all the other goodness they get from their own Skyline Farm. As a plus, I love pointing out Meriwethers has their own parking lot, so is great not only to meet with others (including out of towners) but also if you have a family. Their menu offering includes an amazing entree (note that it utilizes local Reverend Nat’s hard cider) and dessert. And, they take reservations on Opentable.

First course: Salad of arugula with shaved fennel, olive oil-fried almonds, feta and preserved huckleberry vinaigrette
Second course: Braised pork cheeks glazed with Reverend Nat’s Hallelujah Hopricot hard cider, Roy’s Calais flint corn polenta and braised early spring greens
Third course: Butterscotch pot de crème

Which of the Portland Dining Month 2015 restaurants is calling to you? Check out the list at Portland Monthly or the Eater PDX PDM List for their picks, as well as picks from fellow blogger friend Erin at Bakery Bingo and from Annie of Serious Crust and Kristi from Kristi Does PDX (who overall has lots of fun guides of things to do in PDX – not just eating). Blogger friend Meredith at Martha Chartreuse also had put together a great way to break down as you’re reading the list, how to make your own picks!

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights Tagged With: #foodiefriday, #pdxdiningmonth, Foodie Friday, March 2015 dining month, opentable, PDX Dining Month, portland dining month, Portland Dining Month 2015, portland restaurants