Desserts Reborn by Morgan St Theater

March 8, 2014 by 3 Comments

Disclosure: This tasting of desserts was complimentary (the beverages were paid for by donation), but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

This past Thursday I was very flattered to be asked to join a few other awesome bloggers in checking out a new pop-up dessert club. Morgan St Theater was a literal dessert club, extremely exclusive, you could only get in by personal invitation from the chef himself, so you had to be introduced!

Fortunately, Chef Jared is now looking at expanding the reach of his dessert experience – you still need to join in the mailing list in order to be in the know, but now you too, join in on the explorations that Morgan St Theater is embarking on monthly.

The menu below is from the tasting flight I experienced, and is the current theme for March/spring into Easter. However, Chef Jared is a big fan of dramatic themes, so expect these to change out soon, and often!
"Morgan Morgan St Theater March 6 2014 dessert flight menu focusing on reinventing the sundae and paired with cocktails

Morgan St Theater’s focus is specifically on crafting themed dessert flight experiences that are delivered via the concept of an artisan sundae that rather than going nostalgic and retro, are deconstructed and reconstructed. Each plating was full of textures and flavors, and at this tasting paired with a cocktail courtesy of Marc of Tannery Bar. In this tasting flight, the three desserts being reinvented included the Brownie, Root Beer Float, and Banana Split.
Morgan St Theater- Chef Jared Morgan St Theater- Chef Jared and partner in crime tonight, Marc of the Tannery Bar Morgan St Theater had pairings of the desserts with a cocktail courtesy of Marc of Tannery Bar

March Tasting Menu March 6, 2014

Sundae Bloody Sundae

Tarragon olive oil ice cream, chocolate orange wafer crumble, blood orange gastrique
Morgan St Theater: Sundae Bloody Sundae, Tarragon olive oil ice cream, chocolate orange wafer crumble, blood orange gastrique Morgan St Theater: Sundae Bloody Sundae, Tarragon olive oil ice cream, chocolate orange wafer crumble, blood orange gastrique

Paired with “The Pool of Bethesda”

Cognac, Aquavit, Combier, Lemon, Bay Leaf Syrup, Bitters
Morgan St Theater dessert flight and cocktail pairing, Marc's cocktail The Pool of Bethesda with Cognac, Aquavit, Combier, Lemon, Bay Leaf Syrup, Bitters Morgan St Theater dessert flight and cocktail pairing, Marc's cocktail The Pool of Bethesda with Cognac, Aquavit, Combier, Lemon, Bay Leaf Syrup, Bitters Morgan St Theater dessert flight and cocktail pairing, Marc's cocktail The Pool of Bethesda with Cognac, Aquavit, Combier, Lemon, Bay Leaf Syrup, Bitters

So this is the rebirth of the brownie. It’s a pretty bloody rebirth, as you can see from the color of the gastrique, and as it rises from the earth it has taken on a the flavors of the earth with the natural roasty earthy chocolate now being combined with the herbaceous tarragon (which is further reinforced via the herbaceous qualities of the cocktail), and the orange brings out some of the winey characteristics of chocolate with its bright fruit.

I am awaiting to see my other fellow bloggers who attended to see what they thought of the presentation, but to me it was reminiscent of what I’ve seen from  the Moto roadkill dish (if you are curious, you can google it yourself and I have my old old photo from then here). I felt a little mixed here- on one hand, I did enjoy the crispy crumbly texture here. However, part of what makes a brownie so wonderful, at least for me, is also some of its gooeyness, which was missing here. I wish there could have been both, but I did enjoy it.

Kah-pow!

Black pepper ice cream, plum soda, salted honey rim
Morgan St Theater Pairing: Kah-pow! Black pepper ice cream, plum soda, salted honey rim

Paired with “Tiberius Quelled”

Hendrick’s Gin, Cucumber, Lemon
Morgan St Theater: Tiberius Quelled cocktail with Hendrick's Gin, Cucumber, Lemon Morgan St Theater: Tiberius Quelled cocktail with Hendrick's Gin, Cucumber, Lemon

This reinterpretation of the root beer float was my favorite of the three, although I do think it was a lot of liquid to be having- I think it would have been cute to actually have poured the plum soda in a martini glass for a better ratio of liquid to ice cream, and which also would have matched well with the salted honey rim, which I kept turning my jar to keep getting it all. I do understand it gets a bit fizzy though. I love the juxtaposition of savory and sweet and salty that this dessert offered.

Chef Jared made this plum soda- in fact almost everything here is made from scratch, although he did admit they were not his bees/honey, and the mole was also sourced rather than made. Still, that’s pretty impressive! Meanwhile, this citrus refreshing drink was delicious, and I could have had a second if I wasn’t already drinking another dessert. I wasn’t quite sure how these were supposed to compliment or contrast the dessert here, though conceptually I can understand wanting to cleanse the palate and add an acidic citrus flavor profile. Still, delicious.

Planet of the Apes

Peanut butter ice cream, fried and salted plantain, chocolate mole sauce and lime
Morgan St Theater Pairing: Planet of the Apes Peanut butter ice cream, fried and salted plantain, chocolate mole sauce and lime and cocktail Powders of the Merchant with Foreign and Domestic Rums, Sherry, Becherovka, Combier, Orgeat, Citrus, Bitters

Paired with “Powders of the Merchant”

Foreign and Domestic Rums, Sherry, Becherovka, Combier, Orgeat, Citrus, Bitters
Morgan St Theater cocktail pairing of Powders of the Merchant with Foreign and Domestic Rums, Sherry, Becherovka, Combier, Orgeat, Citrus, Bitters

Finally, the banana split reborn is a rich peanut butter ice cream with a little hint surprising you now and then as the chocolate flavors open on your tongue. The cocktail Powders of the Merchant here was my favorite of the evening, just bursting with complex flavors that with each sip, I had to just let myself wait 15 seconds or so as I enjoyed the experience.

The next upcoming performances of Morgan St Theater are for the next two weeks on Thursday. The one on March 13 may already be sold out, but there is probably still room for the pop-up at Pairings Portland Wine Shop with Dessert from 7-9pm on March 20. In that pop-up, the pairings will be with wine courtesy of Pairings Portland Wine Shop, and I believe this particular pop-up partnership is going to be monthly. RSVP Here for the March 20 Morgan St Theater.

You can also continue to follow Morgan St Theater at their Facebook Page, Twitter @MorganStTheater, or Instagram MorganStTheater. As I mentioned, it seems there are so many more ideas of experiences that are being brainstormed, so more performances will be coming soon! I really enjoyed my experience, and it’s exciting watching this still young but brilliant concept of challenging the traditional sundae begin to expand its reach and be able to examine the modern sundae through the lens of more themes!

As my fellow food blogger companions post, I’ll link to the specific post from Bakery Bingo; Hummingbird High; In the Pink and Green; and Love, Rachel, but you should visit these lovely blogs anyway. Their photos will be so much better than mine.

Disclosure: This tasting of desserts was complimentary (the beverages were paid for by donation), but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

Signature

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Sponsored Post Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Kenny and Zuke’s Pastrami Brunch – Perfect for St Patrick’s

March 7, 2014 by 2 Comments

It started with a craving for pastrami. So what else could I do but head towards the Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen in order to have a Kenny and Zuke’s Pastrami Brunch? I think a pastrami brunch sounds pretty good any time of year, but particularly in March, with St Patrick’s day looming, perhaps you will be even more persuaded. I’m not Irish at all, or into green beer, but with luck literally part of my name I thought this year it would be fun to do a few posts for the lucky holiday.

I don’t know if I have to really provide more than pictures here- the pastrami speaks for itself. I’ve sometime wished it could be a just a bit fattier, but it seems that is already underway per this Oregonian article. The pastrami is cured for 7 days, smoked 10 hours, steamed for 3 hours & hand-sliced to order.

Here’s a bit more on the pastrami by America’s Best Bites (and showcasing some of the wry humor of Ken, who also has taken a healthy turn and still loves food and writes about it in the Oregonian under >Diary of a Formerly Diabetic Chef).

By the way, this bagel sandwich, with or without the pastrami, is excellent. They also have a version of this in classic Reuben form of course, and also a breakfast version  that is on rye and with Swiss cheese  that even made the Portland Monthly list of best breakfast sandwiches in Portland. I bet looking at that article- and it’s multiple lists of breakfast sandwiches and photos- will make you crave a breakfast sandwich immediately. I still stand by ordering it in breakfast form with their really good bagels.

Kenny and Zuke Deli's delicious pastrami brunch with an Everything Bagel and Egg and Cheese (cheddar) with addition of Pastrami Kenny and Zuke Deli's delicious pastrami brunch with an Everything Bagel and Egg and Cheese (cheddar) with addition of Pastrami

I happened to have possibly over-ordered since that Bagel and Egg and Cheese with Pastrami bagel (I picked an Everything bagel) is more than filling, but I was more than happy to be eating some more Pastrami Cheese fries reheated the next day. So go ahead and order it anyway no matter what else you are ordering!

Kenny and Zuke Deli, Delicious pastrami brunch with pastrami cheese fries Kenny and Zuke Deli, Delicious pastrami brunch with pastrami cheese fries

Besides the Kenny and Zuke Deli downtown, there are two other locations, the Deli Bar in North Portland and Bagelworks in Northwest Portland. You can get the bagels and pastrami at all 3 locations, but I don’t believe Bagelworks offers the fries.

Have you had the signature Kenny and Zuke pastrami before? Do you like pastrami? Have you had other deli items at Kenny and Zuke’s- such as their bagels?

Signature

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Portland Dining Month- A Visit to Park Kitchen

March 5, 2014 by 9 Comments

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
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Signature

Filed Under: Cocktails, Festival Event, Food and Drink, Restaurant Review Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

March 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I know this is shocking- I’m actually sharing a meat recipe, a Honey Mustard Chicken recipe. In theory you can also use Quorn Chick’n – their meatfree “Chicken” cutlets or fillets for instance, you don’t have to necessarily use real chicken. Honey Mustard chicken is one of those flavors that is very classic and natural, and I think the spicy sharp flavors are a great counter when eating something rich and creamy also on your plate, which was the case here.

Honey Mustard Chicken with 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Casserole with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese Honey Mustard Chicken with 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Casserole with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese

In this case I had 2 guests over that I could actually share this with, so I pulled out the chicken breasts from the freezer and made these to go with the recipe I recently shared, 3 cheese Macaroni and Cheese casserole w broccoli and sweet pugliese topping from the cookbook Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese. I met one of the authors, Stephanie Stiavetti, when she was at Cheese Bar promoting the book release- you can see my blog post from that book release event here. None of these are sponsored posts- I just like cheese, I like Mac and Cheese, so no surprise I love the Melt cookbook.

Honey Mustard Chicken with 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Casserole with Broccoli and Sweet Pugliese

The original recipe for the 3 cheese Macaroni and Cheese you see alongside this dish (which I covered in this blog entry last week) called for using pancetta. However, since F was going to eat this too, I had to omit it, as there really is not a good substitute for pancetta for a vegetarian. For my guests though, I decided to add having some roughly cut/shredded honey mustard chicken on the side as a mustardy, cleansing counter to the melty creamy rich mac and cheese and make it more of a meal.

Simple Recipe for Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you can use 4 small ones- my chicken breasts that I had were huge, and easily fed 3 of us with leftovers so was probably 4 breasts worth!)
  • 1/2 cup mustard – many recipes call for Dijon Mustard, but I used spicy brown mustard to make it even more mustardy
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar – you can also use other kind of vinegar such as rice vinegar
  • Salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, syrup, and vinegar.
  2. Place cleaned chicken breasts into 9×13 greased baking dish. Season with salt & lots of pepper (I probably used about 1/2 tablespoon of each- make sure you season both sides!). Pour mustard mixture over chicken. Make sure each breast is coated. I then let it marinate for an hour or so.
    Recipe for Homemade Honey Mustard Chicken breasts
  3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake your chicken breasts, with the mustard sauce, for about 30-40 minutes.
  4. Let rest for 5 minutes or so, and then roughly cut/shred before serving.

And there you go, so easy!
"Easy

 

What’s your favorite way to have chicken? Do you like honey mustard? And did you also know that in Germany they have mustard soup???

Signature

Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink Tagged With: , , , , ,

Portland Penny Diner Russian Pop Up – celebrate Russian Sun Festival

March 2, 2014 by 2 Comments

Disclosure: I was invited to the Blini and Vodka Pop-up event on Friday so the blinis and my vodka infusion were complimentary, but I paid for the piroshkis earlier in the week and the other cocktails at the Russian Pop Up on my own. 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.

I was really excited when I saw a press release sharing that Chef Vitaly Paley was getting into the spirit of the Russian Sun Festival, also known as Maslenitsa, as well as the end of the winter Olympics in Sochi. When I lived in Chicago, one of my favorite restaurants was Russian Tea Time– it was one of the first restaurants I enjoyed with my new found freedom as a college student now able to make my own dining adventures in Chicago. I fell in love with pelmeni, vareniky, beet caviar, tashkent carrot, salmon crepes (my first try at caviar), Russian herring and drank bottom glasses of russian tea. I realize that since moving to Portland, I haven’t had any russian food at all. Thankfully, chef Paley was about to end the drought.

This pop up is becoming part of a series it turns out: check out this story at Portland Monthly on the new Russian pop-up series DaNet!

Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa). This included homemade Steelhead Caviar

The celebration was being held via special menu items at both Portland Penny Diner and Imperial.

Piroshkis for Lunch at Portland Penny Diner

First, all this week from Feb 24-28, Portland Penny diner has been offering different piroshkis for lunch. They were $4, and were announced to feature flavors such as potato, onion and rosemary, cabbage and smoked ham hock, chicken liver and mushrooms, and beef short ribs and caramelized onions. After a long dentist appointment on Tuesday, I was able to drop by, which I usually can’t given my work is in Beaverton and PP usually is closed when I get downtown. I ordered both piroshkis of the day, and though the cabbage and potato one was fine, really enjoyed the mushroom and duck liver piroshky. Next door for dessert, Imperial served stuffed blintzes but I wasn’t able to make it.

Portland Penny Diner Portland Penny Diner Portland Penny Diner and Piroshkis

Russian Pop up – Blini Bar and Vodka Bar at Portland Penny Diner

Then, this past Friday night from 5:30 – 8:30 pm.was a pop-up blini bar with live Russian folk music, courtesy accordion player Leonid Nosov and singer Anna Kazakova (get a little taste of the music thanks to BroussardComm’s little Instagram video here).

Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Portland Penny Diner pop-up blini bar with live Russian folk music, courtesy accordion player Leonid Nosov and singer Anna Kazakova Portland Penny Diner pop-up blini bar with live Russian folk music, courtesy accordion player Leonid Nosov and singer Anna Kazakova

For only $15, Portland Penny Diner and Imperial crafted a blini bar buffet with traditional and non-traditional toppings. Offerings included blinis and potato pancakes that you could then top with jams and sour cream, homemade Steelhead caviar (check out Chef Paley’s Instagram proof right here!), Steelhead pastrami, sour pickles, fire roasted and marinated mushrooms, pickled herring, smoked mackerel salad, Chef Paley’s grandma’s fish under carrot marinade and beet pkhali, and other zakuskis (Russian drinking snacks).

Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa) Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa)

I was slightly embarrassed when Chef Paley caught how full my plate was- but I really did get a little bit of everything, and I loved it all! My plate was completely bare at the end! Fortunately, he complimented me on how colorful my plate is, and even took a photo, so phew.
Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa)

Now it was time for a couple more drinks. While I had been eating, I had sipped on some of Bar Manager’s Brandon Wise’s Infused vodkas. These included like this one with Cucumber, Melon and Spicy Pepper, as well as Apple & Ginger Vodka, Beet & Caraway Vodka, and Radish Thyme Pink Peppercorn Vodka.
Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner, thanks to Chef Paley, for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa), with Vodka Infusions courtesy Barman Brandon Wise like this one with Cucumber, Melon and Spicy Pepper

It was time to get serious though. I tried out his new Russian cocktails. This first one is the Russian 5 with vodka, lillet blanc, framboise, apricot liqueur, prosecco. Other concoctions he created included the Iron Curtain, with vodka, carpano antica, green chartreuse, bitters and spicy pepper tincture, and also the Red Gazette with brandy, cherry herring, Amaro St. Maria, lemon juice, mulled Pinot Noir syrup and bergamot black tea.

My favorite of the evening I tried was the Ivan Dragos’ Punch with vodka, orange rum, apricot liqueur, allspice dram, tea, prosecco.

Courtesy Barman Brandon Wise, this cocktail is a special Vodka Drink called Russian 5 with vodka, lillet blanc, framboise, apricot liqueur, prosecco, at Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa). Courtesy Barman Brandon Wise, this cocktail is a special Vodka Drink called Ivan Dragos' Punch with vodka, orange rum, apricot liqueur, allspice dram, tea, prosecco, at Russian pop-up blini bar at Portland Penny Diner for Russian Sun Festival (Maslenitsa).

It’s not too late though to squeeze in one more celebration tonight of the Russian Sun Festival!

4-Course Russian Dinner at Imperial 
Tonight, Sunday, March 2nd, Imperial’s Russian pop-up week will culminate with a 4-course dinner at Imperial. At $65 per person plus an optional $25 wine pairing, gratuity not included, reservations for the dinner will be available starting at 5pm. Infused vodkas and specialty cocktails will also be available from Bar Manager Brandon Wise. The 4-course menu includes:

  • Minute Cured Steelhead Belly, Salad Russe, caviar crème fraiche and dill
  • Anya’s Borscht, black bread and garlic
  • Goose Confit Stuffed Cabbage, smoked stuffed goose neck and chopped goose liver
  • House Ricotta Blintz, huckleberries and almonds

Disclosure: I was invited to the Blini and Vodka Pop-up event on Friday so the blinis and my vodka infusion were complimentary, but I paid for the piroshkis earlier in the week and the other cocktails at the Russian Pop Up on my own. 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.

This pop up is becoming part of a series it turns out: check out this story at Portland Monthly on the new Russian pop-up series DaNet!

Signature

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Sponsored Post Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »