Portland Dining Month- A Visit to Park Kitchen

March is Portland Dining Month! During this month, almost 100 restaurants in Portland will be offering a special menu of 3 courses for the low price of $29. In most cases, this prix fixed menu have multiple options for the three courses.

Portland Dining Month 2014 is in March- 3 Courses for $29

I covered some highlights from the list in my last post, and this time I wanted to recap one of my Portland Dining Month dinners, my first one- at Park Kitchen! Located in the North Park blocks, just a little walk from the Pearl but because of it’s location parking is very easy if you need to drive, though it is also only blocks away from the Portland Street Car or the Max Lines. Park Kitchen just recently celebrated it’s 10th anniversary. It is the older sibling restaurant to The Bent Brick (who is also participating in Portland Dining Month).
Park Kitchen in Portland, North Park Blocks

For Park Kitchen Portland Dining Month 3 courses for $29, it is a real value! Let me walk you through the options…

First Course

For the first course, you have the choice of two from their small plates section, either a hot small plate of Chickpea fries with squash ketchup, OR the cold small plate of Winter vegetable salad. I would recommend getting the Chickpea fries because they are famous here, and have been for years. I think there might be a riot if they took these off the menu.
Park Kitchen's Chickpea fries with pumpkin ketchup Park Kitchen's Chickpea fries with pumpkin ketchup

In my case the squash ketchup was pumpkin ketchup, and you will want to scrape that empty. When I asked if the chickpea fries could be wrapped up to save room for the other courses and what little pumpkin ketchup was left included in the box, I was lucky enough to even get a little extra in the container, yay! You can see the serving of this hot small plate is more like medium size that can probably feed 4 people. Also you may notice that by total coincidence that Chef Gabriel Rucker (of Le Pigeon) in the background of my shot as he was also enjoying dinner at PK.

Second Course

For the second course, you have the choice of two large plate options, either the Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey OR the Louisiana rice grits with trumpet royal mushrooms (vegetarian). Both these entrees alone you are already getting your money’s worth via Portland Dining Month, as that pork dish is normally at $29, and I think the grits at $27.

I picked the pork and it’s a beautiful, delicious plate. It made me wonder why it’s been so long since my last visit to Park Kitchen, as this plate was so excellently executed and full of flavors. Sorry, I’ll do better now PK, I will not take you for granted.
Park Kitchen Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey Park Kitchen Milk braised pork with Your Kitchen Gardens leeks, curds and whey

Third Course

Sticky date pudding with vanilla-rum ice cream and confit lemon. I love how the very tart confit lemon contrasts with the sticky richness of the date pudding.
Park Kitchen Sticky date pudding with vanilla-rum ice cream and confit lemon

Not part of the 3 courses, but because I needed a little something was this Park Kitchen cocktail of Burnsidecar with Whiskey, Cointreau, Lemon, Angostura Bitters, Spicy Chipotle Sugar Rim.
Park Kitchen cocktail of Burnsidecar with Whiskey, Cointreau, Lemon, Angostura Bitters, Spicy Chipotle Sugar Rim

If you can, make Opentable reservations because if you make you reservation through OpenTable,  Downtown Portland will also make a donation to the Oregon Food Bank as long as you use this link. A great majority- 68 last I looked- of the participating Portland Dining month restaurants accept reservations over OpenTable, and Park Kitchen does accept reservations over OpenTable. Last year, more than $1,800 was donated to the Oregon Food Bank to assist with their work of distributing emergency food to hungry families.

Check out the Downtown Portland Portland Dining Month website for a map of where the various participating restaurants are located to be convenient for you, as well as menu listings. If you are interested specifically in which ones have vegetarian or gluten-free options, Portland Monthly has put together a list.

I am also still in the midst of doing a free giveaway where I am giving away a dinner for two at a Portland Dining Month restaurant! You can still enter, but hurry up because it ends Thursday at midnight (when it turns into Friday)! Giveaway has ended
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Recap of my Final Wildwood Meals

I think I stated most of what I hoped to in my last Goodbye Wildwood post. So this is more of a food photo memories post of the last dinner and the last lunch at Wildwood Restaurant I had this week. They are closing on Tuesday February 25, so there are still a few days of service left if you want to try to catch a lunch or dinner with the Wildwood Restaurant Team. So without further ado, my simple recap of my final Wildwood meals, first dinner on Wednesday and then lunch on Friday.

Dinner at the Chef’s Counter at Wildwood Restaurant started with the cocktail No Ordinary Rabbit made with temperance trader bourbon, renig dag aquavit, carrot juice, ginger, lemon
Dinner at the Chef's Counter at Wildwood Restaurant with the cocktail no ordinary rabbit made with temperance trader bourbon, renig dag aquavit, carrot juice, ginger, lemon Dinner at the Chef's Counter at Wildwood Restaurant with the cocktail no ordinary rabbit made with temperance trader bourbon, renig dag aquavit, carrot juice, ginger, lemon Dinner at the Chef's Counter at Wildwood Restaurant with the cocktail no ordinary rabbit made with temperance trader bourbon, renig dag aquavit, carrot juice, ginger, lemon

It was an honor to watch the kitchen running on this busy night, as everyone was coming out to say goodbye by dining at Wildwood one last time.
Wildwood Restaurant open kitchen Wildwood Restaurant open kitchen

After an amuse bouche of of coconut mint gelatin, I was on to my next cocktail, the Nice Looking Shrubbery that looked like I was in a vampire movie but actually I was drinking aria portland dry‎ gin, combier orange, vida mescal, beet juice, regan’s orange bitters, lemon.
Wildwood Restaurant amuse bouche of of coconut mint gelatin Wildwood Restaurant amuse bouche of of coconut mint gelatin Wildwood Restaurant cocktail, the Nice Looking Shrubbery of aria portland dry‎ gin, combier orange, vida mescal, beet juice, regan’s orange bitters, lemon.

I took my time with my first course of brick oven roasted mussels with bacon, leeks, cider,‎ fried sage, crème fraîche, toasted baguette. I was not ashamed to use a spoon once I had freed the mussels from their shells to eat this like a soup, including using the toasted baguette to sop up sauce. The bowl was completely empty and dry when I returned it.
Wildwood Restaurant starter of brick oven roasted mussels with bacon, leeks, cider,‎ fried sage, crème fraîche, toasted baguette Wildwood Restaurant starter of brick oven roasted mussels with bacon, leeks, cider,‎ fried sage, crème fraîche, toasted baguette

For my main dish, I enjoyed every last bite of the clay oven roasted pork chop with grilled leek pudding, clams, foie gras butter.
Wildwood Restaurant dinner entree of clay oven roasted pork chop with grilled leek pudding, clams, foie gras butter Wildwood Restaurant dinner entree of clay oven roasted pork chop with grilled leek pudding, clams, foie gras butter

I ended the night with the warmest of hugs from Wildwood, the cocktail of Unladen Swallow with green chartreuse, julianne’s spiced hot cocoa powder, house made combier orange marshmallow.

I took a half day on Friday so I could come to lunch. It seemed fitting that since my first meal was at Wildwood, so would my last. Since I didn’t need to worry about returning to work, I started with a cocktail, the Ni! I was lucky enough to get the very last one. It’s made with big bottom bourbon, campari, pierre ferand dry curaçao, hammer and tongs l’afrique, barrel aged fee bitters. And my final cocktail, the Blood and Sand with dewars, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, orange juice.
Wildwood Cocktail of Ni! It's made with big bottom bourbon, campari, pierre ferand dry curaçao, hammer and tongs l’afrique, barrel aged fee bitters. Wildwood Restaurant, my final cocktail, the Blood and Sand with dewars, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, orange juice.

We had very grumbly rumbly stomachs by the time we got there for our late lunch after our office escape, so dived hungrily into an order of ken’s bakery bread with trapini sea salt and bamboo leaf salt on pats of butter and house made country pâté with pickles, lentil cracker, grain mustard. My dining friend S had a lunch of tandoori roasted chicken romaine salad with creamy garlic dressing, pickled chiles, grilled onions, naan.
Wildwood Restaurant lunch starters of ken’s bakery bread with trapini sea salt and bamboo leaf salt on pats of butter Wildwood Restaurant lunch starter of house made country pâté with pickles, lentil cracker, grain mustard Wildwood Restaurant Lunch entree of tandoori roasted chicken romaine salad with creamy garlic dressing, pickled chiles, grilled onions, naan

I was super pleased with the final Wildwood sandwich I would have, dustin’s salame sandwich with rosemary focaccia, pickled chile cream cheese, butter lettuce, tapenade, shaved onion, and mixed greens in a miso vinaigrette with spicy‎ cashews. Why isn’t pickled chili cream cheese more common, it satisfies 3 great tastes in one!

Thanks for all the memories and deliciousness Wildwood!

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Goodbye Wildwood Restaurant

It was with a sad sigh that I read on social media on  on Tuesday that Wildwood Restaurant would be closing in 1 week (on February 25).

When I was thinking of moving to Portland in 2007, I was not sure I would like it. I was born and raised in Chicago and lived there all my life- the bustling metropolis with its diversity and food scene were something I was very attached to. When I thought of Portland from my previous visits (usually for a long weekend to visit F, as we were only friends then and not romantically linked), I remember it being the opposite- not very diverse, and the food couldn’t compare to the level at Chicago. At the time, a visit to Rogue Brewing and a meal at Edgefield or Kennedy School McMenamins were the highlights.

By 2007, F and I had been dating for a while, and he had tried living in Chicago but still longed to return to Portland. Instead of a weekend, we planned a one week trip for me to see what Portland had to offer.

We were shocked at the changes we saw when we came- the Pearl District had come out of nowhere, and Pioneer Square was no longer hippie/transit central (at at least there was a lot less). I picked out the restaurants to try out, and Wildwood was one of them. It opened my eyes and tastebuds to what Northwest cuisine meant, and I loved it. Portland had promise after all. I moved here a year later.

  
Photos above by Sunpech Photography

Since moving here, I’ve dined at Wildwood many times for lunch and dinner. It is one of the first places that comes to mind to recommend to anyone, particularly out of town visitors who are new to Portland. When my in-laws, including my mother-in-law who is afraid of flying, came to visit, this was at the top of my list of where I wanted to take them. I tried to take my parents too but the available reservation time was too late in the evening, so I shrugged it off, thinking “next visit”. I’m sad I won’t be able to take them now.

Wildwood is of course not the only restaurant that uses local seasonal ingredients, but they do so in a perfect blend of classic and new by including some less utilized local ingredients or in new combinations. The atmosphere is both refined and casual, classy but not pretentious. The booths offer cushy private spaces, while the chef’s counter gives you a front row seat to the rhythm and magic of their open kitchen. They changed up their menu frequently so it was also an adventure of discovery to see what they had now with any visit. 

Here are a few food memories (I had a lot to choose from, but didn’t want to go overboard with this post!) that I wanted to highlight of memorable food moments at Wildwood for me. This is where it pays off that I’ve been photographing food for so long to help me remember, since visuals help spark memories for me of that week of discovery.

From that decisive, impressive Lunch at Wildwood that gave me faith in Portland’s food scene in 2007:
Crispy duck confit with microgreens and oranges and a sprinkle of almonds.
From a Lunch at Wildwood PDX: Crispy duck confit with microgreens and oranges and a sprinkle of almonds
Chestnut ravioli with roasted d’anjou pears, cider brown butter and almonds. We both really liked this concept of a fruity sauce on the pasta rather then a tomato-based or cream sauce.
From a Lunch at Wildwood PDX: Chestnut ravioli with roasted d’anjou pears, cider brown butter and almonds
House cured ham (it was juicy!) and gruyere and grilled onion sandwich with house made potato chips. It sound simple, but there was something about how this still tasted different and unique from Chicago, something so very Portland- I would say it’s the taste of the locality here.
From a Lunch at Wildwood PDX: House cured ham (it was juicy!) and gruyere and grilled onion sandwich with house made potato chips

Another Lunch – for a while, I was part of a Lunch Club with a few coworkers, until our group got broken up by too many reorganizations and cubicle moves and changes of managers and layoffs. They were among the first friends I made when I moved here, and the first where I revealed I had a food blog and wasn’t embarrassed to pull out my camera to take photos of food.
An appetizer of puree of butternut squash soup’s depth of flavor was elevated by the guajillo creme fraiche and toasted pumpkin seeds
Wildwood PDX Lunch: an appetizer of puree of butternut squash soup's depth of flavor was elevated by the guajillo creme fraiche and toasted pumpkin seeds
Braised cattail creek lamb stuffed crepes with carrot puree, sauteed lacinato kale, frisee, almonds, goat cheese and minted meyer lemon yogurt. The picture pretty much sums it up, with all those textures and all those tastes on the human tongue of salt, sweet, sour, hints of bitter and comforting savory were blending together here
Wildwood PDX Lunch: Braised cattail creek lamb stuffed crepes with carrot puree, sauteed lacinato kale, frisee, almonds, goat cheese and minted meyer lemon yogurt

I have a blog entry about the Wildwood and Breakside Brewery Beer Dinner I enjoyed in 2012, but I wanted to highlight this particular food and beer pairing: Pastrami pork belly éclair spring onion, pickled chile cream cheese icing paired with Newport Summer Ale. I think I could have had 3 or 4 of these. Wildwood for a while was doing a sublime series of food and beer pairing dinners.
Wildwood and Breakside Beer Pairing Dinner: pastrami pork belly éclair spring onion, pickled chile cream cheese icing paired with newport summer ale

Oh, and the fabulous cocktails at the bar. Wildwood has/had 🙁 an amazing bar and craft cocktails using seasonal ingredients and local distilleries. I don’t have as many photos of these, but I did have a couple:
Wildwood cocktail of Oh Snap! Tanqueray, cointreau, mint tincture, lemon, and sugar snap peas puree
Wildwood cocktail of Oh Snap! Tanqueray, cointreau, mint tincture, lemon, and sugar snap peas puree
Wildwood Cocktail of The Naughty Kitty with pimm’s, india lemongrass, lime and strawberry puree
Wildwood Cocktail of The Naughty Kitty with pimm's, india lemongrass, lime and strawberry puree

The cocktail “An Apple a Day” was made with calvados, tuaca, fresh lemon, egg white, rosemary, and apple gastrique.
Wildwood PDX Cocktail of An Apple a Day was made with calvados, tuaca, fresh lemon, egg white, rosemary, and apple gastrique

Below is not my photos, but that of my brother of Sunpech Photography when I took him on a Forktown Food Tour of the Alphabet District while he was visiting me.
Spicy martini using crème de pêche and New Deal Hot Monkey chili vodka (the name eludes me, sorry!)
Wildwood PDX Cocktail of a Spicy martini using crème de pêche and New Deal Hot Monkey chili vodka

I will miss you Wildwood, and I shake my fist at how the lease negotiations did not work out. But best of luck to everyone there as they go forth on their new endeavors. If you could pick a new location for your place closer to my home, that would be cool too. 🙂

There will be one more post- I was able to eat there for dinner last night, but I would like to squeeze in one more, a lunch so that my first and last meals at Wildwood Restaurant will be a lunch.

Is there a restaurant in Portland that holds a lot of memories and meaning for you?

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Little Bird Lunch 2014: the Little Bird Burger

It was a good thing I had that chicken fried trout back in DecemberLittle Bird Bistro has revamped their menu to be more French for 2014, so I had a huge reason to go back and use that $14 gift certificate to try some of their new items. Of course, I was definitely coming back anyway- after all, I saw they have a steak tartare with gribiche, poached egg, fries that they ground fresh to order at lunch.
Little Bird Bistro's steak tartare with gribiche, poached egg, fries and that they ground fresh to order at lunch

I’ll have to wait until dinnertime to try their new appetizers of “Escargot, egg noodles, chili marrow butter, gremolata”, “Comté Soufflé, green peppercorns, dijon cream”, or “Roasted Pork Belly, apples, sour cream, smoked apple purée” – both sound so classic in French flavors or their new entree for two people of “Crispy Tails and Trotters Pork Shank, roasted root vegetables, pork jus, caper berries”. Yum.

But, available on their lunch was one new item which caught my eye- they have replaced the Le Pigeon burger that they have had for a while with their own (I had it back in 2011 ), custom Little Bird burger. It still comes with a knife triumphantly stabbed through the middle to celebrate the bounty and success of the hunt, and still with the same tasty ground chuck.But, the bun has been switched to a seeded brioche bun, which I welcome- I thought although the ciabatta was tasty it made for a formidable amount of bread ratio and makes you full faster. A seeded brioche bun just is more traditional.
Little Bird Burger- Seeded brioche bun,grilled onions, butter lettuce, Cypress Grove Chevre goat cheese, and a pickle relish. Of course, with fries

Grilled onions, butter lettuce, Cypress Grove Chevre goat cheese, and a pickle relish top the burger, with an option to also add cured seared foie gras if you wish (you can see a table comparing the two burgers at the Oregonian article here). Of course, you can still get the Le Pigeon burger at, where else, Le Pigeon, if for some reason you aren’t ordering the Chef’s Tasting Menu!
Little Bird Burger- Seeded brioche bun,grilled onions, butter lettuce, Cypress Grove Chevre goat cheese, and a pickle relish. Of course, with fries

Well, the burger at Le Pigeon is listed as a starter… so that means I can get the steak tartare AND the Little Bird burger right? And with that $14 gift certificate, it basically pays for the steak tartare… rationally justified, it is a go.
Little Bird Burger- Seeded brioche bun,grilled onions, butter lettuce, Cypress Grove Chevre goat cheese, and a pickle relish. Of course, with fries

So my thoughts on the burger? As I anticipated, I really liked the seeded brioche bun better. I also really loved the taste of the meat patty, and the cleaning flavors of the butter lettuce with the tart and bit of spicy in the pickle relish. I even took a deliberate picture of that lovely pickle relish that includes Mama Lil’s pickles.
Little Bird Burger- Seeded brioche bun,grilled onions, butter lettuce, Cypress Grove Chevre goat cheese, and a pickle relish. The pickle relish is a star with that meat Little Bird Burger- Seeded brioche bun,grilled onions, butter lettuce, Cypress Grove Chevre goat cheese, and a pickle relish. The pickle relish is a star with that meat

I liked the taste of the grilled onions, but wished they had been diced so there were not a couple awkward moments where I pulled away with a bite and an onion strand followed me. And, the part that was a surprise to me was that after a while, the goat cheese got a bit overwhelming. I love cheese- and I have eaten goat cheese by the spoonful myself, and I was pleased to see how generously it was smeared in the burger at first.
Little Bird Burger- Seeded brioche bun,grilled onions, butter lettuce, Cypress Grove Chevre goat cheese, and a pickle relish. Of course, with fries

But, on a burger, I found myself craving a cheese that could have melted and melded with the burger patty. Towards the second half of the burger, I found myself dividing the burger in half- the bottom part of the bun with the cheese and grilled onions that I was eating with the butter lettuce I moved over, and then the other half so that my tongue could get direct access to the meat and relish without the big creamy fog of the goat cheese. I understand the intent of a French bistro perspective so stepping away from the Tillamook cheddar. And, I still ate everything, even if I deconstructed the second half.

What are you thoughts on the change to the new burger- have you had it yet? What do you think about goat cheese with a burger instead of a cheese that melts?

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Remedy Wine Bar Review

The Remedy Wine Bar in the North Park Blocks is just what the doctor ordered. Or, at least the one in my head. Maybe I am self-prescribing here.

The doctor said I need to start drinking more wine. Also, I'm calling myself the doctor now. Image from SomeeCards

Located in the North Park blocks on NW Everett, Remedy is swanky inside, including chandeliers made with bottles and with its plush leather seating and huge windows overlooking the park that makes you want to linger over many glasses of wine. Ah hah. I see what you did there.

Remedy Wine Bar, Portland Oregon Remedy Wine Bar, Portland Oregon

Inside, the atmosphere is very modern and stylish, yet relaxing and welcoming thanks to the personable warm service. It’s a delicate balance in making the atmosphere swanky yet approachable and comfortable, but Remedy does it. I think it would be a fabulous date night stop before or after a movie at the Living Room Theater or show at the Armory, or after browsing boutiques and/or art galleries in the Pearl District- on Fridays and Saturdays they open starting at 3pm to get your prescription on.

Remedy Wine Bar, Portland Oregon Wine bottle chandeliers hanging inside Remedy Wine Bar, Portland Oregon

The name Remedy comes from the history of the location, which used to be a pharmacy and apothecary dating back to 1909. On the buildings’ six floors Blumauer Frank Whole Drug Co. had chemists concocting all sorts of lotions, potions, tonics and tinctures, varying from Laird’s Bloom of Youth, Davidson’s Headache Powder, Hanford’s Balsam of Myrrh, Cel-So celery soda, and more. Remedy now takes up the former lobby of the historical pharmaceutical space.

Now, there are different kinds of potions being offered- but I believe with the same intention of attempting to heal any ills you may have. The wine list is solid, with lots of small family owned wineries on the menu both local and imported that they are happy to chat and introduce you to.

Remedy Wine Bar, Portland Oregon

Besides the 20 wines by the glass, as well as bottles – and you can also get 375 ml pours of any bottle for half price plus $5- they also offer a few flights. I had a champagne flight, and was tempted to also get a sherry flight but resisted for a future date. In addition, every week there is a new theme to offer wine flights which are debuted on their Wine Flight Night Tuesdays.

My champagne flight I had during my December visit was delightful:

  • Denois Brut Tradition Reserve NV France
  • Breze Cremant de Loire Rose NV France
  • Chauvet Brut NV France

Champagne Flight and homemade Cheez Its at Remedy Wine Bar

They also have several snacks, including spiced almonds, warm olives, cheezy bits, white bean puree, warm brie with honey and baguette, and a cheese or charcuterie plate, with an impressive selection of possible cheeses and meats options (you choose how much).

Perhaps one of the reasons I went was for those Cheezy Bits. After reading about them on Urban Bliss Life‘s Remedy Wine Bar Review, she described them as

grown-up version of homemade Cheez-Its… Made with pie dough, cheddar cheese, butter, and dusted with Rogue Creamery blue cheese powder… These beauties are gloriously, insanely addictive.”

Sold! So I totally agree, I couldn’t stop eating them. Addictive little buttery cheese bites that go with any wine (I tried them with each champagne, and then a glass of red I also tried, a Clos de Gamot 2005 Cahors Malbec). By the time F arrived to meet me (we were “pre-gaming” before our dinner date), I had already finished them. Oops.

Cheezy Bits- a grown-up version of homemade Cheez-Its... Made with pie dough, cheddar cheese, butter, and dusted with Rogue Creamery blue cheese powder... These beauties are gloriously, insanely addictive. Cheezy Bits- a grown-up version of homemade Cheez-Its... Made with pie dough, cheddar cheese, butter, and dusted with Rogue Creamery blue cheese powder... These beauties are gloriously, insanely addictive.

Well, at least he got the white bean dip. And then he wanted to continue our pre-game at a location of his choice (Bailey’s Taproom), so we moved on, even though I wanted to linger much much longer.
White Bean Dip with crostini, Remedy Wine Bar

I’ll be back to Remedy. There was more I wanted to try- both in terms of food and wine.

For a bit more for your appetite, they also have Bocadillo de Jamon and Tarte Flambe,  as well as a ever changing special 3 course dinner option. Every Monday Chef Ingrid reveals a new plat du jour just for the week that can be ordered as part of the 3 course dinner option or À la carte, your call. This week the plat du jour was Boeuf Bourguigon- and next week features Coq Au Vin, and the week after that Tortilla Espanola. You can always check the lineup here at the Remedy website, Events page.

Remedy also hosts winery dinners- in fact there is one next week on January 28th with  Maddalena di Pasqua, winemaker at Musella, a winery in the Veneto region of Italy near Lake Garda. Chef Ingrid is cooking up quite a menu to go with the special wine flight that evening that includes a dish of Broccoli rabe, prosciutto, anchovy aioli, and pecorino sardo, or a Smoked pork coppa with radicchio, fennel puree, and grape mostarda- contact Remedy for reservations if you are interested.

If you fall in love with a wine, Remedy is just around the corner and affiliated with CorksCru, a wine bottle shop (as pointed out by bloggers Talk. Eat. Drink. Portland who also reviewed Remedy favorably), so you can try several and then visit CorksCru to buy a  bottle home for future home remedies, as needed.

What do you think of those Cheezy Bits- have you had them?

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