Pink Rose Happy Hour

Update: Pink Rose has closed

There have been a couple times as I was walking down NW Lovejoy that I’ve heard lovely music instead of the rumble of cars and the streetcar. Then upon getting closer to NW 13th I am distracted from my errands by the live musicians I  hear playing outside The Pink Rose on their outdoor patio that also has a waterfall and a fireplace.
Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose

Although tempted to stop and have a drink, interrupting my errands, it was only when musician friend Brian McGinty was playing one late September afternoon last year that I finally I got to experience their happy hour (4-7 PM weekdays, and happy hour ALL DAY on Tuesdays).
Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose

Being able to sit outside with a cocktail and listen to live music without being boxed inside is a wonderful treat.
Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose with the cocktail Lady Lovejoy with Medoyeff vodka, fresh pressed strawberry and champagne float

It was great, and since then I have been back other times for the tail end of happy hour on Thursdays when they have had live music (check the Pink Rose Facebook page for such events to see who is playing).

They have one standout happy hour item that is worth visiting again and again. And that’s the happy hour $6 pork cheese fries I had that includes Carlton Farms smoked pork, Tillamook cheddar, scallions, Sriracha aioli.
Pink Rose Happy Hour item of happy hour $6 pork fries I had that included Carlton Farms smoked pork, Tillamook cheddar, scallions, Sriracha aioli on fries

Smaller bites might be the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese ($5) or the Bacon wrapped Dates with Medjool stuffed dates, toasted almonds, Rogue blue cheese ($4).
Pink Rose Restaurant happy hour option of the Bacon wrapped Dates wtih Medjool stuffed dates, toasted almonds, Rogue blue cheese plus the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese Pink Rose Restaurant happy hour option of the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese

They also have a few interesting cocktails to choose from on their cocktail menu, like here when I had the cocktail Lady Lovejoy with Medoyeff vodka, fresh pressed strawberry and champagne float.
Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose with the cocktail Lady Lovejoy with Medoyeff vodka, fresh pressed strawberry and champagne float Hearing the music of modern troubadour Brian McGinty from NW Lovejoy and 13th on the patio of the Pink Rose with the cocktail Lady Lovejoy with Medoyeff vodka, fresh pressed strawberry and champagne float

Another favorite is the Patio Punch Mason Jar– because it is a quart sized mason jar that you can call whether it is filled with Sangria or Blueberry Basil, Citrus Sage punches with your choice of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, bourbon well or call. I’m not sure if these photos effectively communicate the scale of a jar you have to hold with two hands.
Patio Punch Mason Jar at Pink Rose Restaurant - a quart of your choice of Sangria or Blueberry Basil, Citrus Sage punches with your choice of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, bourbon well or call. Pink Rose Restaurant happy hour option of the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese plus Bacon wrapped Dates wtih Medjool stuffed dates, toasted almonds, Rogue blue cheese to accompany a Patio Punch Mason Jar (quart size!) of sangria

Besides Happy Hour, Pink Rose’s other main claim to fame is the $14 bottomless mimosas at their brunch, which they do not hold back on at all and serve Saturday and Sunday 9 AM – 3 PM.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go to brunch to enjoy their Fried Chicken and Waffle with Draper Valley Chicken that is buttermilk battered and fried, served on a malted waffle with bourbon syrup. The chicken and waffle entree is both on their regular weekday menu as well as at brunch, so you don’t have to wait until the weekend.
Fried Chicken and Waffle at Pink Rose Restaurant with Draper Valley Chicken that is buttermilk battered and fried, served on a malted waffle with bourbon syrup Fried Chicken and Waffle at Pink Rose Restaurant with Draper Valley Chicken that is buttermilk battered and fried, served on a malted waffle with bourbon syrup

As an extra perk, they hold a Best Instagram contest weekly on Sunday! You have to post your photo on Instagram and tag them with #pinkrosepdx & follow @pinkrosepdx. They select a photo entrant weekly to win a $30 gift card… which you can clearly consider using towards a happy hour pork cheese fries or a mason jar or bottomless mimosa.
Pink Rose Restaurant happy hour option of the Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Painted Hills beef house chorizo and Manchego cheese, plus Bacon wrapped Dates with Medjool stuffed dates, toasted almonds, Rogue blue cheese to accompany a quart sized Mason Jar of sangria Pink Rose Happy Hour item of happy hour $6 pork fries I had that included Carlton Farms smoked pork, Tillamook cheddar, scallions, Sriracha aioli on fries

My favorite excuse though is still for those fries and a drink al fresco while supporting local musicians.

Pink Rose Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Signature

The Bruschetta of Shift Drinks

It goes without saying that the spirit forward drinks of Shift Drinks, located at SW 12th and Morrison and open late from mid afternoon around 4 -5 PM to 2:30 AM are tasty.
Shift Drinks exterior Shift Drinks interior Shift Drinks interior Shift Drinks interior

This is a place whose purpose is after all, all about after a hard’s day work liquid refreshment.
Shift Drinks Shift Drinks

They have light fare to snack on while enjoying your drink, but it’t not meant to be a full meal. The best thing I think to eat on the menus are their bruschettas – and I’ve had them all.

The garlicky vegetarian Paamb Tomaquet with garlic, fresh tomato, salt
Shift Bruschetta - Paamb Tomaquet with garlic, fresh tomato, salt

PLT with Prosciutto, arugula, tomato, aioli
Shift Bruschetta - PLT with Prosciutto, arugula, tomato, aioli

My favorite the classic Bruschetta with fresh ricotta, tomato, and basil
Shift Bruschetta - fresh ricotta, tomato, and basil

The rotating seasonal based on what’s fresh, which could vary from Grilled summer squash with cherry tomato and basil pesto to Mushroom and Pesto and more
Shift Bruschetta - Grilled summer squash with cherry tomato and basil pesto Shift Drinks Bruschetta - mushroom and pesto

With it’s airy feel of high ceilings, big windows letting in light, simple black and white furniture and photographs on the wall, the simplicity of Shift feels sophisticated.

Just like how they transformed basic bruschetta into something simple yet complex for your enjoyment, expect your drinks to be the same way. And, their late hours are perfect to end any evening.

Click to add a blog post for Shift Drinks on Zomato

Signature

Lunch at Lil Wares – Very Last Week

Lil’ Wares is a summer pop up that opened from June – August just across the street from Smallwares at Northeast 45th and Fremont. It was just filling in the time between the old Red Fig cafe and when the developer who purchased this small restaurant with its patio (seriously the patio is bigger than the inside of the little house/restaurant) is going to do something with this space. That means the last days of Lil’ Wares are approaching in less than a week as it closes on August 31.

Seriously a great patio, with plenty of shade.
Lil' Wares popped up for the summer just across the street from Smallwares and offered a huge patio - bigger than the restaurant space inside the little house Lil' Wares popped up for the summer just across the street from Smallwares and offered a huge patio - bigger than the restaurant space inside the little house

If you haven’t been on a weekday (on weekends they serve the Smallwares brunch), you may not have known they have a special fun Asian-influenced but definitely not Asian (I think it’s best described as a mash up of Asian and American comfort) menu. According to Eater some of the menu items may appear on the Smallwares menu eventually, but since you don’t know what that will be, maybe you should squeeze in a visit now!

Lunch at Lil Wares extended their Portland Burger Week burger, the Sleaze Burger, composed of a ground pork and chinese sausage patty with peanut sauce, cabbage slaw, fish sauce, tomato and pickles on a sesame bun… though it’s no longer at the special $5 price that was for that week (it was a secret that you could get the Portland Burger Week burger at Lil’ Wares from 11-3 to avoid the madness of everyone getting it in the evening at Smallwares!).
Lil' Ware extended their Portland Burger Week burger, the Sleaze Burger = a ground pork and chinese sausage patty with peanut sauce, cabbage slaw, fish sauce, tomato and pickles on a sesame bun Lil' Ware extended their Portland Burger Week burger, the Sleaze Burger = a ground pork and chinese sausage patty with peanut sauce, cabbage slaw, fish sauce, tomato and pickles on a sesame bun

Other meaty options include a Mu Shu Burrito with pork sausage, woodear mushrooms, egg, cabbage, charred scallion ginger salsa, black bean hoisin sauce and rice, or a General Tso Sandwich with fried chicken, broccoli slaw, charred thai chilies and fried shallots. I hope to have a chance to try a few other menu items I have missed before the end- like a Grilled Stuffed Avocado with chili sesame dressing, fried egg, red onion, toast, nori jam, and optional add on of bay shrimp, or the Chop Chae Noodles with shiso pesto, pine nuts, pickled shitakes, sweet potato noodles, salted black beans, and optional add in of dungeness crab.
Lil Wares, a summer 2015 popup from Smallwares PDX, Mu Shu Burrito with pork sausage, woodear mushrooms, egg, cabbage, charred scallion ginger salsa, black bean hoisin sauce and rice Lil Wares, a summer 2015 popup from Smallwares PDX, and their General Tso Sandwich with fried chicken, broccoli slaw, charred thai chilies and fried shallots

My favorite item on the menu is the Poware Bowl with lentils, cilantro mint cashew sauce, black tea peach chutney, beets and paneer. One of the best vegetarian bowls I’ve ever had! The burger paled compared to flavors this bowl- isn’t that saying something?
Lil' Wares Poware Bowl with lentils, cilantro mint cashew sauce, black tea peach chutney, beets and paneer Lil' Wares Poware Bowl with lentils, cilantro mint cashew sauce, black tea peach chutney, beets and paneer

Drinks available include a Kimchi Bloody Mary with vodka, spicy kimchi base, veggie skewer of brussel sprout, shitake and beet plus an oyster add on

Or try the Sake Citrus Soda with sake, lemon, ginger, and soda muddled with herbs, or the Vodka Slush with vodka, strawberry, lime, salt and pink peppercorn. Both are perfect for outdoor patio sipping and relaxing.
Sake Citrus Soda with sake, lemon, ginger, and soda muddled with herbs from Lil Wares, a summer 2015 popup from Smallwares PDX "Lil

August 31 is quickly approaching, so hurry on over and visit now while they are still there!

Lil' Wares popped up for the summer just across the street from Smallwares Lil' Wares popped up for the summer just across the street from Smallwares Lil' Wares popped up for the summer just across the street from Smallwares

Signature

A Supra Dinner by Kargi Gogo

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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A Power Lunch at Clyde Common

Generally, when people ask me about a power lunch spot in Portland, and they want something besides the traditional steakhouse like a Ringside establishment or Urban Farmer, my mind goes to Higgins to especially showcasing Northwest and local. This is followed further on the list with maybe Davis Tavern, Gruner, and Clark Lewis. Recently though, a new fantastic lunch option has been highlighted onto my radar that I would say immediately after Higgins now on my short list- and that’s lunch at Clyde Common.
Clyde Common menu Clyde Common interior, by the kitchen special board

Clyde Common offers a well rounded menu of options showcasing the season and region, without the questionable people hanging on the sidewalks like Davis Tavern and with a more modern, hip vibe like Gruner and Clark Lewis but more approachable food that is sophisticated but not fancy.
Clyde Common bar Clyde Common interior, taken from the 2nd floor Clyde Common interior main floor Clyde Common interior, open kitchen section

As you are waiting for your lunch party to assemble and read the menu, go ahead and order a snack – everyone will thank you. The roasted garlic cashews and house marinated olives and popcorn with tōgarashi, honey, and butter sound like very low key bar snacks, but are worth it as you will find yourself continually reaching into the bowl for more as you can’t help wanting to keep that tastiness lasting that balances salty and sweet and bit of savory. These snacks are available on the dinner and happy hour menu as well.
Clyde Common snack, house marinated olives Clyde Common snack, roasted garlic cashews Clyde Common snack, popcorn with tōgarashi, honey, and butter

If your party is a little hungrier, you can’t go wrong sharing a Clyde Common + Olympia Provisions charcuterie plate that includes meat goodies that vary depending on what is on hand, which could include (based on what I’ve seen on visits) sopressata, chicken liver or pork liver mousse, country pork pate, saucisson d’alsace or saucisson sec, chorizo navarre, lamb summer sausage, beef tongue pastrami, or various Ancient Heritage Dairy cheeses, as well as pickles, mustard & bread of course. Be sure to ask to see what your board will be boasting. It would be a great choice to accompany cocktails at dinner or happy hour too.
Clyde Common + Olympia Provisions charcuterie plate, here the board also happened to include some Ancient Heritage Dairy cheeses Clyde Common + Olympia Provisions charcuterie plate, here the board also happened to include some Ancient Heritage Dairy cheeses Clyde Common + Olympia Provisions charcuterie plate, here the board also happened to include some Ancient Heritage Dairy cheeses

One thing I appreciated is that there are plenty of vegetarian options to choose from – look in the Clyde Common small plate sections for options like a daily soup that I’ve seen vary from cauliflower soup to a summer vegetable gazpacho with basil; there’s also grilled sweet corn with espelette & lime aioli, cotija, and cilantro (warning a little messy to eat as you see it comes on the cob), seared cauliflower with salbitxada and parsley and or a simple green salad with fennel and grana (you can add grilled chicken or seared trout to any salad if you wish). One of my favorites is the simple small plate of fried shishito peppers with citrus vinaigrette,
Clyde Common daily soup, this is a cauliflower soup The Clyde Common grilled sweet corn, espelette & lime aioli, cotija, cilantro Clyde Common small plate of seared cauliflower, salbitxada & parsley and in the back a simple green salad with fennel and grana (you can add grilled chicken or seared trout to any salad as well) "Clyde Clyde Common small plate of fried shishito peppers with citrus vinaigrette

A large plate of house tagliatelle with arugula pesto, egg yolk, and fried spring onion satisfied hunger without going overboard to take you into naptime. And look how eggscellent it is (sorry couldn’t resist).
A large plate of house tagliatelle with arugula pesto, egg yolk, and fried spring onion satisifed hunger without going overboard to take you into naptime. A large plate of house tagliatelle with arugula pesto, egg yolk, and fried spring onion satisifed hunger without going overboard to take you into naptime.

If you are a meat eater though, I would definitely point out the lunch only special of smoked pork belly sandwich, slaw, Caroline style BBQ sauce served with salad or fries. Unlike most BBQ pork sandwiches, it’s a chopped version of the pork and not drenched with sauce so you can taste the meat and whisper of smoke. I’m also a fan of Carolina style sauce which is much lighter instead of the sweeter or spicier BBQ sauces (real Carolina sauce is more vinegary than this – the Clyde Common version is thin but not as acidic).
Clyde Common lunch only special of smoked pork belly sandwich, slaw, Caroline style BBQ sauce

The meat is juicy and moist, as you can see. I would have given up the fries and bun and slaw even just to eat a small pile of the smoked pork belly by itself.
Clyde Common lunch only special of smoked pork belly sandwich, slaw, Caroline style BBQ sauce Clyde Common lunch only special of smoked pork belly sandwich, slaw, Caroline style BBQ sauce

If you happen to come for happy hour or diner instead of lunch (or perhaps in addition to…), definitely don’t miss a special touch by Chef Carlo  Lamagna from his heritage and family of the Phillippines, the pork and shitake lumpia. It’s similar to an egg roll, but a Filipinio version that is crispier and meatier than what you would normally get from a Chinese style egg roll. This is such excellent drinking food that is just too underrepresented in Portland and the US in general. The dish shown below is a normal than average portion for my dining party and doesn’t represent a normal serving. But isn’t it the fanciest presentation of lumpia you’ve ever seen?
Clyde Common dinner and happy hour dish pork and shitake lumpia Clyde Common dinner and happy hour dish pork and shitake lumpia Clyde Common dinner and happy hour dish pork and shitake lumpia

I’m also so in love with the happy hour only saganaki and olive bread but not the way you think. Of course you can’t go wrong with seared cheese… but that bread is an unbelievable revlation, I actually savored and took smaller bites of the bread to make it last as long as possible because it is so delicious, more than the cheese. Usually I ignore the bread in meat and cheese boards to focus on the main event, but in this case the olive bread is the star with it’s buttery briochie with specks of olive embedded as surprises. Wow.
Clyde Common happy hour item saganaki and olive bread

To further confuse you on whether you should come here for lunch, happy hour, and/or dinner, I’ll just leave this survey of many of the Clyde Common House Cocktail (available all day) here. I am a fan of the happy hour at Clyde Common, as you can see, and that saganaki (and now I know I was missing out by not having the lumpia too).

  • Barrel Aged El Presidente with rum, blanc vermouth, Grand Marnier, grenadine aged for three months in a  bourbon whiskey barrel
    Clyde Common house cocktail of the Barrel Aged El Presidente with rum, blanc vermouth, Grand Marnier, grenadine aged for three months in a  bourbon whiskey barrel
  • Coffee Daiquiri with Appleton V/X rum, lime, Tia Maria and brown sugar
    Clyde Common cocktail of a Coffee Daiquiri with Appleton V/X rum, lime, Tia Maria and brown sugar
  • Barrel Aged Negroni with gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, aged for two months in a bourbon whiskey barrel
    Clyde Common house cocktail of a Barrel Aged Negroni with gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, aged for two months in a bourbon whiskey barrel
  • Daily Punch, this one happened to be Gin, Lemon, Pineapple and White Wine
    Clyde Common cocktail at happy hour, the Daily Punch this day included Gin, Lemon, Pineapple and White Wine Clyde Common cocktail at happy hour, the Daily Punch this day included Gin, Lemon, Pineapple and White Wine
  • Pacific Standard with vodka, lemon, ginger, honey, soda is also a happy hour special price cocktail
    lyde Common cocktail Pacific Standard with vodka, lemon, ginger, honey, soda is at special happy hour price
  • The Bourbon Renewal with bourbon, lemon, cassis, bitters is discounted at happy hour and my personal favorite cocktail
    Bourbon Renewal cocktail at Clyde Common with bourbon, lemon, cassis, bitters Bourbon Renewal cocktail at Clyde Common with bourbon, lemon, cassis, bitters

The happy hour burger is a good deal, but don’t overlook the Clyde Common Happy Hour dish of the Mussels that comes with lots of frites and is great with the Daily Punch or Pacific Standard
Clyde Common Happy Hour dish of the Mussels comes with lots of frites Clyde Common Happy Hour dish of the Mussels comes with lots of frites

And these desserts of a parfait and ice cream cake
Clyde Common dessert parfait, coconut tapioca, coffee caramel, cream Clyde Common dessert parfait, coconut tapioca, coffee caramel, cream
Clyde Common dessert of ice cream cake Clyde Common dessert of ice cream cake

So, which meal at Clyde Common do you want to come to?
An Uncommon Lunch at Clyde Common, courtesy of Little Green Pickle An Uncommon Lunch at Clyde Common, courtesy of Little Green Pickle An Uncommon Lunch at Clyde Common, courtesy of Little Green Pickle
Disclosure: I was treated to a lunch with other Portland bloggers by Little Green Pickle, but paid for my own meals at happy hour and another lunch at other times. 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.

Clyde Common snack, roasted garlic cashews and popcorn with tōgarashi, honey, and butter Clyde Common + Olympia Provisions charcuterie plate, here the board also happened to include some Ancient Heritage Dairy cheeses Clyde Common + Olympia Provisions charcuterie plate, here the board also happened to include some Ancient Heritage Dairy cheeses, here with Barrel Aged El Presidente with rum, blanc vermouth, Grand Marnier, grenadine aged for three months ina  bourbon whiskey barrel

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