Portland Drink and a Bite Highlight: Laurelhurst Market

For Foodie Friday today, I continue my new series highlighting a Portland Drink and a Bite of food that I think not only is best in class within Portland, but is a classic representation of the character of Portland. Of course, that Portland Drink and a Bite Highlight is also delicious, and unique.

My pick this week is the Smoke Signals cocktail at Laurelhurst Market. This is a famous cocktail highlighted by Portland Monthly back in 2013 but that has been on the menu since 2008. It is comprised of Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, and (super cool!), smoked ice. That’s right, smoked ice, they smoke ice! The smoky nutty whiskey drink is unique and one of my top 5 favorite cocktails in Portland. I can’t go to Laurelhurst without having one.
The famous Laurelhurst Market cocktail of Smoke Signals with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, Smoked Ice The famous Laurelhurst Market cocktail of Smoke Signals with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, Smoked Ice

With the illustrious Kevin Ludwig behind the bar though, definitely feel free to expand to other offerings. And then, for the bite at this steakhouse and full service butcher shop helmed by Chef Benjamin Bettinger and Sous Chef Patrick McKee, of course we turn to meat. You can’t go wrong with anything involving beef in this joint, but my favorite is the ribeye (the one pictured below is from a visit where it was served with avocado and pickled jalapenos – the accompaniment varies) which I’ve been having for years and is big enough to share for 2 or is one very manly meaty dinner for one.
Laurelhurst Market Ribeye with Avocado and Pickled Jalapenos Laurelhurst Market Ribeye with Avocado and Pickled Jalapenos

Don’t forget to order that famous side of Mac and Cheese with a Potato Chip Crust! That oozy melty gooeyness…
Laurelhurst Market's side of mac and cheese with a potato chip crust! That oozy melty gooeyness... Laurelhurst Market's side of mac and cheese with a potato chip crust! That oozy melty gooeyness... Laurelhurst Market's side of mac and cheese with a potato chip crust! That oozy melty gooeyness...

Although I realize it’s chilly January, my favorite thing at Laurelhurst Market besides the food and drink is their outside bar that you can enjoy the breeze and setting sunshine along with your steak – something you won’t find at most steakhouses.

Bar at Laurelhurst Market opens up to a patio area. You can also see Bar Tender Kevin Ludwig to the right

And, I love how Laurelhurst Market operates as a neighborhood joint with obvious regulars alongside the bar with me rather than going for the usual fancy feel that appeals to corporate expense accounts. Laurelhurst Market is also open for lunch and dinner everyday, so you don’t have to wait for dinner to get your local meat enjoyment on.

Have you been to Laurelhurst Market, what are your thoughts? What is your favorite Portland steakhouse?

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A Dinner and Desserts at Urban Farmer

Did you know that Urban Farmer has spectacular desserts?

I went to dinner specifically because I wanted more desserts. But, let met get to that in a second.

We started dinner with salad, beer, and bourbon aged cocktails. That’s right, did you also know Urban Farmer has a barrel aged cocktail program? Their mixologists are continually creating new recipes using cocktails from their barrel aging program to enhance the flavor and character of the spirits they use for limited edition signature cocktails.

I tried two of the cocktails: the first was the Red Ryder, aged 30 days Belevedere Red, Aperol, Pink Peppercorn, Pomegranate and the other was the Traveled Monkey, aged 30 days Leblon, Chartreuse, Hot Monkey Lime, Peychaud’s. I can’t guarantee these cocktails are still there, but looking at their cocktail options I’m sure there are new up and comers that are rotated into there menu now.
Urban Farmer has a barrel aged cocktail program, where their mixologists are continually barrel aging and creating new limited edition signature cocktails. Urban Farmer restaurant Barrel Aged cocktail in March of Red Ryder, aged 30 days Belevedere Red, Aperol, Pink Peppercorn, Pomegranate Urban Farmer restaurant Barrel Aged cocktail in March of Traveled Monkey, aged 30 days Leblon, Chartreuse, Hot Monkey Lime, Peychaud's

For our entrees, since F is vegetarian he ordered a vegetarian dish they were offering a Roasted Vegetable Fettuccine. Before our dishes arrived, we enjoyed their bread service which includes cornbread and butttery soft Parker Rolls. So, it is safe to bring a vegetarian here to this steak restaurant, don’t worry! We also ordered two vegetable sides, roasted foraged mushrooms with crispy shallot and creamed spinach gratin.
Urban Farmer- bread service includes cornbread and Parker Rolls Urban Farmer - vegetarian pasta side Urban Farmer - sides of roasted foraged mushrooms with crispy shallot and creamed spinach gratin

Meanwhile, I decided to try something besides the usual steaks (which I have covered before in a previous post on a steak dinner with my visiting brother) and tried out the and bone in Tails & Trotters pork loin with kumquats, bourbon glaze, spiced pecans. Urban Farmer may be known as a steakhouse, but steaks are definitely not the only meat they excel at creating for your dinner table.
Urban Farmer - sides of roasted foraged mushrooms with crispy shallot and creamed spinach gratin and bone in Tails & Trotters pork loin with kumquats, bourbon glaze, spiced pecan Urban Farmer bone in Tails & Trotters pork loin with kumquats, bourbon glaze, spiced pecan

As excellent as the drinks and entrees were though, I was still pretty stoked about dessert. I had no idea about the exquisite desserts here until I had visited during a Food Crawl (recapped previously – and where I had a few of the desserts already on the menu), and I really wanted to return in order to try more on the menu.

The Urban Farmer Dessert menu (if you can hold off on loading up on all proteins and veggie sides, which is what has always happened to me until I went in specifically with the goal of having dessert) offers 11 options of small desserts, as well as almost a half dozen regular size desserts, to select from. you can choose 1 or up to 3 of the desserts at 1 for $6 or 3 for $15.

For the dessert sampler, we picked out 3 since it really means you get a third for just a few dollars more (and was my rationale for making F, a vegetarian, come to a steak restaurant- and is also why I decided against steak since I thought it was too cruel to be cutting into medium rare meat that might bleed before him). I had tried a few of the desserts at the Food Crawl, so here we opted for new things I hadn’t had a chance to try, such as the Condensed Coconut Ice Cream as a palate cleanser, Chunky Chester Sundae with malted banana ice cream, brownie, almond which was both our favorite of the 3 samplers with its great malted banana flavor (he thought the almond distracted from the malted banana, I liked it a lot because of the texture it added) and Truffle Hunter (chocolates truffles ready to be “harvested” from the soil of cookie crumbs, a super cool plating)
3 for $15 desserts at Urban Farmer - from a choice of 11 options- here we selected Condensed Coconut Ice Cream, Chunky Chester Sundae with malted banana ice cream, brownie, almond  and Truffle Hunter (chocolates truffles ready to be Urban Farmer dessert of Truffle Hunter (chocolates truffles ready to be

And then I got one of the whole desserts not from the sampler section all to myself- something I had been forced to share during the Food Crawl but wanted all to myself this time, the dessert from Carrie’s Cupboard of Butterscotch Sundae with warm brown butter blondie, cherries, praline and toffee chip ice cream
Urban Farmer - a dessert from Carrie's Cupboard of Butterscotch Sundae with warm brown butter blondie, cherries, praline and toffee chip ice cream Urban Farmer - a dessert from Carrie's Cupboard of Butterscotch Sundae with warm brown butter blondie, cherries, praline and toffee chip ice cream

I would definitely recommend Urban Farmer after a movie or show downtown, or as your second stop for whatever reason, for a little dessert sampler! Have you had the desserts or barrel aged cocktails at Urban Farmer before. what did you like and what do you think you would order from the Urban Farmer Dessert Menu?

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