H50 for Portland Dining Month

June 7, 2013 by 5 Comments

H50 Bistro Bar, located the waterfront hotel of Hotel 50, was the first restaurant I’ve taken advantage of for the Portland Dining Month special of a 3 course dinner for $29. I haven’t been back for a couple years, and since then the executive chef (Nicholas Yanes) left and now a new executive chef Ron Baker is at the helms. I do like the location and hip modern atmosphere, so I gave it a try as my first Portland Dining month dinner.

If you happen to drive here, H50 and Hotel 50 generously offer FREE valet covered parking in the Hotel Fifty lot for up to two hours for H50 diners.

H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant

Here, the options for the meals for Dining Month included

First course

  • chilled strawberry soup served with champagne ice, pistachios and mint OR
  • green salad served with basil, mint, shallots, balsamic vinaigrette and a ricotta crostini

Second course

  • braised brisket crepenette served with seasonal smoked vegetables, tellagio cheese and pickled breakfast radishes OR
  • fire brick-roasted half chicken served with moroccan spices, saffron hummus, grilled rapini and olive tapenade

Third course

  • frozen whiskey mousse served with caramelized banana mousse, banana chip and orange syrup

So I picked this out especially for the first and third course. And, here’s what I got…

I started out with the Cinnamon Blood  Orange Margarita, with H5O cinnamon anise tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, orange juice, blood orange puree

cocktail, Cinnamon Blood Orange Margarita, with H5O cinnamon anise tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, orange juice, blood orange pureeH50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant

And then, the Portland Dining Month menu dinner. This was quite a meal, including the amuse bouche of Salt Cod Fritters with pickled pepper aioli, and even a sweet goodbye bite with the check.

H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant amuse bouche of Salt Cod Fritters with pickled pepper aioli, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant amuse bouche of Salt Cod Fritters with pickled pepper aioli, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant

The first course was even better than I had hoped, with the chilled strawberry soup served with champagne ice, pistachios and mint being such intense strawberry puree.
chilled strawberry soup served with champagne ice, pistachios and mint, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant chilled strawberry soup served with champagne ice, pistachios and mint, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant

I was blown away by the second course of the braised brisket crepenette, all that richness of the beef topped with pork belly and roasted cauliflower and tellagio cheese balanced by the slight bitterness of the greens and pickled radishes. It was much more than the menu description had promised. Usually you might expect a crepenette to be the size of a burger patty, or come as multiple meatballs, but this was serious – steak sized!
braised brisket crepenette served with seasonal smoked vegetables, tellagio cheese and pickled breakfast radishes, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant braised brisket crepenette served with seasonal smoked vegetables, tellagio cheese and pickled breakfast radishes, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant braised brisket crepenette served with seasonal smoked vegetables, tellagio cheese and pickled breakfast radishes, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant

Meanwhile that frozen whiskey mousse served with caramelized banana mousse, banana chip and orange syrup, and bonus! also chocolate wafer, pistachio crumbles definitely had a strong current of whiskey flavor, but I appreciated all the various textures on the plate to play along with.
frozen whiskey mousse served with caramelized banana mousse, banana chip and orange syrup, chocolate tulle, pistachio crumbles, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant frozen whiskey mousse served with caramelized banana mousse, banana chip and orange syrup, chocolate tulle, pistachio crumbles, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant frozen whiskey mousse served with caramelized banana mousse, banana chip and orange syrup, chocolate tulle, pistachio crumbles, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant extra sweet bite with the check, H50 Bistro Bar, Hotel 50 restaurant, Portland, waterfront restaurant

Make your Portland Dining Month reservations via OpenTable so that Downtown Portland will also make a donation to the Oregon Food Bank!

Check out my other Portland Dining Month escapades: I ate at Quartet, Accanto, Urban Fondue, Fratelli, H50 out of my initial list!

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Another try at H5O, and another burger for Burger Month of May

June 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In the mail I've been receiving sometimes an advertising packet that includes a 50% off a meal at H5O Bistro and Bar. I have been recycling most of them, but I had a group of coworkers who I had been at H50 before (their free valet parking for two hours for diners is great for bringing people together for a meal here), and there is something nice about being able to look out the restaurant windows and gaze upon the river and the people there. Although my last visit I thought they were confused and trying too hard, I thought since it's been a year, I had one of these flyers, maybe they have sorted themselves out. Let's give them a chance.

One of the things that worked in the past for H50 were their interesting specialty drinks that I had enjoyed last year. The list has become more tame now- much to the disappointment of everyone at the table, and even when asking about the previous drinks it became clear they were dead history- not able to be remade by request. This time, it was hard to find something I wanted from their list of 7 specialty cocktails.. I ended up selecting a jalsico horchada, composed of el relingo tequila, rice milk, chai spice simply syrup, cinnamon. When everyone else at the table had their drinks arrive, the waitress explained mine was still in progress because they had to search around for the recipe to make it. Honest to tell me that's why my drink wasn't there yet but I'm not sure as a waitress I would tell your guest that you don't know how to make it… When I did receive it, it was only so so. I think even a normal horchata would have had more flavor.

As we waited for all the guests of the table to arrive, we asked for a side of fries for us to nibble on. The best part of the meal at H50 Bistro and Bar were their "fancy fries", which offer "Parmesan, chive, truffle, hint of spice". I don't know what they were talking about spicewise… I didn't detect any. Also, these are not as good as the fabulous truffle fries at Violetta in terms of flavor, although these are obviously shoestring fries instead of the thicker cut fries at Violetta. I wish they had been a bit more generous with sprinkling the parmesan, as it was more truffle oil with chives.

For my starter, I went with the Wild Mushroom Fondue sauteed mushrooms, bleu cheese and provolone mornay with crispy bread. In terms of an appetizer offering, this is a great idea and the fondue itself had great depth in flavor. But that little pot was really really hot and couldn't really be eaten until after the entrees already arrived. Although the serving pot is cute, it wasn't conducive to cooling it off to actually eat and enjoy this offering – the presentation idea is overtaking the dish concept.

This was the third burger of Burger Month (May), and the most mediocre. The previous H50 burger had been a blue cheese burger  with mushrooms, smoky bleu cheese, and caramelized onion… now tuned down to a definition of Painted Hills beef, brioche bun, tillamook cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion, aioli, along with more truffle parmesan chive fries. The melted cheese looks sexy, but why so skimpy on the lettuce? The meat is medium and as you can see, ok in terms of juicyness but nothing special either, and the bun could have been fresher or toasted. I didn't taste anything of the aioli. Although the meat was decent, with so many burger offerings in Portland, it's not enough to have good beef cooked well- the accompaniments all have to contribute and not just be there as window dressing. Here, it seems only the fries were as thoughtfully conceived as the burger patty.

The excellent soups of last year are still on the menu… as well as their continued weird insistence of sushi as well somehow fitting in with their "Bistro and Bar" menu. The atmosphere of the restaurant itself is still fantastic, although also mostly empty…. and in that same vein, I can't argue that each dish was plated to be very pleasing to the eye…. but tastewise not bad but also coming up a bit empty too. I expect both at the same level- even and especially with these dishes that don't go past the $20 mark, you aren't going to earn my trust to go for those more expensive entrees or the chef multicourse menu if I'm not feasting at the basic mouthfeel level of these simple staples. It seems like H50 is still figuring itself out in its teen years of putting on the makeup and wearing the designer labels, hoping to only have to use its smarts only when it has to for those in the right group, not everybody at school.

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H50- confused but trying so hard…

January 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Seeing H50 is like seeing a young man with so much potential who still hasn't quite come to self-realization of his potential and ability. He's going through a kind of growing pains as he strikes out to try a little bit of this and that, with mediocre results. You want to tell him exactly what he should do- but you shouldn't, because even if he did what you said, it wouldn't turn out right- it has to come from his own independent discovery and success. So you patiently watch him flounder, hoping he won't give up and satisfice- that he'll keep pushing and find that sweet spot that you can see the big bud just waiting to blossom. Boy, what a bunch of mixed metaphors huh.

H50 Bistro opened in 2008, and it happened to be when I came in to visit Portland. I met the ambitious chef with a dream at Bite of Portland. He had an example of his menu, and boy he was sooo hopeful. I remember perusing it and blinking quite a few times at mentions of some molecular gastronomy techniques in fancy dishes. Honestly, I would have felt right at home if that menu had been a trendy new place in LA or New  York or Vegas… but Portland? As part of a renovated Sheraton? Would the market support someplace that was trying to bring in the world's latest avant-garde to food in a city that seemed to care more about classic and local?

When I finally made my way there, I had to admit the atmosphere was just right- trendy but not hipster- it has more of a refined, modern contemporary art lounge quality, but not pretentiousness. The first cocktail I ordered was one that caught my eye out of a really interesting cocktail menu: "Desperate Housewives", with white sangria, triple sec, blood orange, and cava. It seemed to perfectly personify what H50 was trying to do- be beautiful and post-modern and tasty.

However, the food wasn't holding up. When my seafood salad sandwich showed up and was this mess, I realized that H50 was still trying to grow up. That mayo and carrot slop just destroyed what should have been fresh Pacific Northwest seafood.

They had a veggie sushi which presented much better- but didn't offer much in terms of favor. A blue cheese tart with balsamic vinegar hit the sweet spot of offering both visual appeal and good flavors, but seemed muted- I'd had tarts just as good from the Tart Lady Monia Halici (of the Market Gourmet) at the Portland Farmers Market, though I did appreciate the attempt to bring it to a restaurant setting. If there had been more on the menu similar in class to the tart- well, that was what I was expecting. Instead, it was as if the restaurant wussed out.

    

A year later, I went with some friends to lunch. They are trying to redo their menu, and I noticed he's since dropped a lot of those original concepts from that first menu I saw. Fortunately, his eye for presentations are still there- gorgeous platings so you can eat with the eyes before you taste. But, still the same in that it stumbles. The lunch menu had a few appetizers which I could tell were his refuge for his more creative ideas, such as smoked salmon fritters and pork belly in a beggars purse.

H50's dubiously arranged Smoked Salmon Fritters hickory smoked salmon, lemon, capers spicy parsley cream were mostly batter and fritter, and not sure where the salmon was. I guess there were some flecks- disappointing. After all, it was supposed to be hickory smoked salmon, lemon, capers, spicy parsley cream- and all I tasted was batter, much less any trace of smoked salmon, much less the hickory smoked taste of that salmon.

 

Meanwhile, the Nueskes Pork Belly dish of crispy beggars purse, pineapple and jalapeno relish, orange puree… the dish just looked spectacular, and the relish and puree were a great foil for the richness of the pork belly. But the crispy beggars purse? Can you say… wonton? Overwhelming taste of dough and oil that seemed to fight tooth and nail to not let me enjoy the fat and acid of the meat and fruit. This dish could have been so great. Instead, it wasn't bad. It was the difference between an A and a B.

At least the soups didn't stumble. Besides the appetizers, there was a section for… sushi? And five different kind of burgers? And… that's it? Really? There are so many great paninis that could have played well with the soups and salads (which from looking at all the other diner's food, really were the stars here)- and you could get pretty creative with those. In fact, the way the soups were plated (a Manila Clam Chowder with yukon gold potato, crispy nueskes bacon, and green onion, or a Tomato Basil Soup with san marzano tomato, organic basil, and cream) it was perfect for having a great grilled cheese sandwich (perhaps make your own a la Savor Soup House's cart).

Also, seriously how can sushi and burgers appear on the same menu. Who are you trying to be here? I can understand one really incredible sushi creation, or one really incredible burger- but that's half your all day menu? Even though that blue cheese burger was good (how can you go wrong if you cook the meat right and have good ingredients, in this case mushrooms, smoky bleu cheese, and caramelized onion), but there are lots of good burgers in this town- hope that's not what you counting on to bring in an audience for a place that looks as lovely as this. Brunchbox has more buzz for that and they are cart. You can have one outstanding amazing burger that let's say makes it on Portland Monthly's list… but having five on the menu seems to be counter-intuitive when you say you want to represent all the latest innovation and whimsy in food.

But the drinks are still gorgeous.

Caramel Corn Martini: buttered popcorn-infused vodka, tuaca and caramel. Would have liked to see it topped with a caramel drizzle since most of that stuck on the glass and didn't mix.

Cinnamon blood orange margarita: cinnamon-infused tequila, fresh orange, blood orange puree. Tasty, but this needs to be served by the pitcher to get you going…

Figgie port, a concoction of  vanilla vodka and fig-infused vodka, white port was surprisingly light and delicate

Lemon candy "oybe" with grappa, yazi ginger vodka, orange, lemon and creamWould have been perfect in summer.

Orange Chocolate: yes, I licked this glass clean

I would not be surprised if I saw the executive chef on Top Chef: he would be one of those young chefs you see mixed results from, who has great ideas but you can see still needs to be mentored and learn from those who are able to both conceptualize and execute consistently, or better get a better wingman aka combination of both sous chef and business manager to help round him out. Or, to use another show's analogy, if you are going to be on Project Runway and produce really couture looking designs you better have impeccable execution on your sewing and tailoring and go all out and have a full complete vision- don't only go halfway, commit to it. Actually, I think that's perfectly how I am interpreting what is going on here, IMHO. Man, I hope he never reads this blog entry. Really, cuz I'm pulling for him. Yeah, it's a restaurant in a hotel. But Grant Achatz also did the same thing at Trio, which was the restaurant of a boutique Homestead Hotel- just like H50 anchors Hotel 50. I think that's where he is trying to go- and keeps stumbling. The ideas are there in his dishes- just not fully formed, definitely not always well executed- and it's about successfully marketing this kind of food to the audience that does exist here- we don't necessarily mind whimsical innovation, this is a town of so many artists after all- but we also want real as the foundation underneath that.

Hope H50 finds that self-awareness.

 

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