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Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 Recap and Upcoming Blogger Bake Sale #NoKidHungry

May 1, 2014 by Pechluck 3 Comments

Disclosure: I attended the Portland Taste of the Nation as a media member, but I am not being compensated for this post. 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.

Earlier on April 29 (my birthday!), I was proud and happy to spend it at Taste of the Nation Portland, helping to raise awareness through social media for such an important cause, and continuing to do so today.

As I mentioned in my previous post and giveaway, Taste of the Nation is a series of culinary events throughout the US and throughout the year to raise money for Share Our Strength, a national organization working to end childhood hunger in the US. 100% of ticket sales support the efforts of the Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.

Taste of the Nation Portland, Team No Kid Hungry

This is a very meaningful cause for me. If you enjoy food and think of yourself as a food lover in any way, I consider it part of our duty to also give back in fighting against hunger. We should be thankful of what we are able to enjoy while also being aware not everyone is blessed with the access and plenty that we have and that we have the means, however large or small, in helping to ease that burden. I was fortunate in that I have never known true hunger, and it breaks my heart to think of children crushed when there is not a school day because it means missing a meal, or not being able to concentrate and learn because they are hungry. As little as $1 can connect a child to 10 meals – so feel free to sign up as I did to donate on a monthly basis and take the pledge.

Feel free to learn more at the No Kid Hungry campaign at their official website and also Twitter @NoKidHungry.

I have been watching the feeds as the events in DC, Philadelphia, and San Francisco kicked off, and the one in Portland here coincided also with the one in Boston, though a few hours later because of the time difference. The caliber of the events have been amazing, and so was the one here in Portland. I’ll get to my recap and photos in just a minute!

Gorgeous display by Portland Taste local sponsor Charlie's Produce

Gorgeous display by Portland Taste local sponsor Charlie’s Produce

This year the event was held at the McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom. The proceeds are going directly to No Kid Hungry Oregon non-profit allies of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, Oregon Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul Society and Klamath/Lake Counties Food Bank. The tickets to the VIP admission sold out a week before, and then the General Admission tickets sold out 2 days before the event… so remember that for next year to not wait for the last minute to buy your tickets!

There is still an upcoming opportunity to support No Kid Hungry though- and that’s with the National Blogger’s Bake Sale Portland Edition this upcoming Saturday May 3, 9am-1pm, at Powell’s Book Store, near Couch/11th Ave. I’ll be there after my workout to help support them even though I am planning on purchasing/consuming and not baking anything, or you can also visit the page and click the link to donate towards the Portland fundraising goal!

You CAN help make a difference!

Ok, now onto the Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 Recap. First, a huge round of applause to all the chefs, restaurants, wineries, breweries, spirits, other beverages, and other sponsors who participated. I was really impressed with how prepared everyone was- there was rarely a line to get food because of how prepared everyone was to handle the many excited and hungry supporters of this cause that evening. And there was definitely a serious number of people who are serious about fighting hunger at this event:

Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 at McMenamins Crystal Hotel & Ballroom

Some of my favorite samplings of the event included:

Mediterranean Exploration Company (coming soon from John Gorham, of Toro Bravo, Tasty n Sons/Alder) offered this delectable house canned Albacore Tuna board with Mediterranean accompaniments. I can’t wait for this to open in the former Riffle space (in the Pearl District) in July!
The Country Cat‘s offering of fried chicken lollipops & honey, and also of a vanilla hot fudge sundae! I was a little intimidated to pick up the big drumstick but it was well worth the sticky fingers.
Multnomah Whiskey Library with their Sazerac Punch with James Oliver Rye, Oleo Saccharum, Peychaud Bitters, and Anise spiked Sparkling Wine, a nice updated twist but still classic
Pok Pok‘s Khano Niaw Sangkhaya Bai Toei, a sweet sticky rice with duck egg pandan coconut custard wrapped and steamed in banana leaves was a little bit of sweetness that was a great followup after a sip of Moet, I definitely could have had more of these!
No photo from the event, but the Imperial potato latke topped with salmon pastrami, sour cream and dill cooked in duck fat that I first sampled at the Taste of the Taste preview (and my photo is from that). In addition, Imperial Bar Manager Brandon Wise made two sample cocktails utilizing Dogwood Distilling Union Gin and Franklin Vodka and since it’s from Brandon of course both were excellent.
Renata offered My Pharm Rabbit N’duja with pickled carrots and pea shoots, a medley of textures between the crispy crostini and the rich creamy rabbit
I really enjoyed the St Jack chilled Stinging Nettle Vichyssoise with crispy chicken skin and chili oil, it was definitely one of the top tastes of the evening for me
I know it’s simple, but I confess I had two samples of the Grassa Lumache Cacio e Pepe. I thought it made up for the fact that I resisted the Griddled Mortadella with Provolone, Mama Lil’s Peppers and Mustard Aioli mini sandwich across the way at the Lardo table since I had it during the Taste of the Taste event (with photo of it from then)
I also admit I went back twice for Laurelhurst Market‘s baked macaroni and cheese with house-smoked hot dog and potato chip crust. Of course Mac and Cheese was a perfect snapshot of the theme this year, What My Family Ate and comforting food memories
Bamboo Sushi, Jin Soo Yang, Kalbi Ssam House Kimchee Grilled Short Ribs with Lettuce and Rice was a bright bite of lots of flavors. I wish I could have grown up with this!
Many loved smallwares and their taste of Beef Tataki with Kimchi, Blue cheese, Thai basil, and Pickled pear- a very mature and complex medley of flavors that I wish everyone would demand was regularly on their menu
Aviary, soup dumplings that explain why they are planning a Soup Dumpling pop-up at $35/person on May 20th- check their website for more details!
Batch PDX Jeremy Karp impressed so many of us with his assorted chocolates that included so many interesting combinations of flavors like chocolate with Vietnamese coffee or Thai Ice tea or Earl Grey tea, flavors of Pina Colada and Margarita, this was definitely one of the surprise finds of the evening!
The bar up at the mezzanine included quite a few cocktails, including this Pegu Club with Aria Gin, Orange Liquor, Fresh Lime, and Angostura Bitters, as well as you call it cocktails made from Bull Run Distillery liquors and DRY soda

And here are a few other excellent tastings that evening to give you a feel for why you should go next year if you aren’t convinced already:

Gregory Gourdet of Departure was there, glowing and smiling as always, hands on as they gave samples of chicken stewed with peppers, pickled chilies, and ripe plaintain
Smokehouse 21 was calling my name with this Smoked Land and Sea tasting with pork and eggs. Also bonus points as I watched the man crack half a dozen soft boiled eggs perfectly and speedily. Minus points for what sea are you talking about, what kind of eggs were those…
Produce Row Cafe offered a vegetarian winner with their crispy chickpea fritter, harissa, and cultured cream
Black Rabbit offered “Ham and Eggs” with black truffle custard, Marsala braised duck “Ham” Fennel Jam on a parmesan crostini
Irving Street Kitchen refreshed the palate with a smoked Albacore Tuna crudo with charred padron pickle and creamy tonado
I always love the charcuterie of Olympic Provisions
It was nice to take a break from so much meat with Biwa‘s Ohitashi of asparagus steeped in a dashi base sauce
Boke Bowl brought the heat with their crawfish and pork in spicy black bean sauce over rice tots
Zeus Cafe had a big serving of pork belly and kimchi croquette with black vinegar aioli and herbs.
Gracie‘s taste was a stuffed Medjool date with spicy marcona almond and local goat cheese wrapped in pancetta
I stopped by for some Strawberry rhubarb pie from Pacific Pie, though they also offered their popular staple Chocolate Bourbon Hazelnut. I had to try the Strawberry Rhubarb though, especially after I saw their cute segment about making it on TV the week before
Xocolatl de David‘s Fluffernutter and Chocolate Milk! Great idea for the theme of memories from family time!
Raven & Rose offered a few desserts of delicious simplicity
Moet & Chandon flowing during VIP hour

There was more I missed- with more than 60 possible participating restaurants and beverage providers to visit, there were more tastes than I or anyone could have in one night. I took all my photos and ate and when that was done (because I was getting really full, not because I managed to visit everyone!), that’s when I put my camera away and went beverage tasting, so there are many distilleries and wineries that are not in this recap. Amazing vendors right??

I also was outbid on silent auction they were holding, but they had some really unique baskets and experiences- examples were

Summer School that included 4 tickets to an Around the World rum tasting with Blair Reynolds of Hale Pele, tiki mugs, mai tai glasses, and syrups/mixers, and four weekend passes to Tiki Kon;
French Mathematics that included champage tasting for 12 from David Speer of Ambonnay; Chemistry Tutor with cocktail tutoring for 10 with appetizers with Kasey Kasten of Saucebox;
various baskets of impeccable wines (donated by wonderful wineries, or one package in which 12 famous Portland chefs each picked a wine and included a pairing recipe suggestion for the wine!);
and my favorite, a Hall Pass that offers the opportunity to cut to the front of the line at hot spots like Toro Bravo, Salt & Straw, Mother’s Bistro, Pok Pok, Tasty N Sons, Besaws and Multnomah Whiskey Library – WOW!

Taste of the Nation Portland Silent Auction

Remember to support No Kid Hungry at the National Blogger’s Bake Sale Portland Edition this upcoming Saturday May 3, 9am-1pm, at Powell’s Book Store, near Couch/11th Ave. Say hi to me as I drop by around 11:30 Saturday after my workout and squee at the beautiful blogger baked goodies with me, or you can also visit the page and click the link to donate towards the Portland fundraising goal!

Filed Under: Cocktails, Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights, Sponsored Post Tagged With: #nokidhungry, #pdxevents, #portlandtaste, Albacore Tuna crudo, Aria Gin, aviary, Bamboo Sushi, Batch PDX, Beef Tataki, Biwa, Black Rabbit, Boke Bowl, Bull Run Distillery, charcuterie, Chocolate Bourbon Hazelnut, crawfish and pork in spicy black bean sauce rice tots, crispy chickpea fritter, Departure, DRY soda, Fluffernutter and Chocolate Milk, fried chicken lollipops & honey, Gracie's, grassa, Gregory Gourdet, Imperial, Irving Street Kitchen, Jeremy Karp, Jin Soo Yang, Khano Niaw Sangkhaya Bai Toei, Kimchee Grilled Short Ribs, Laurelhurst Market', Lumache Cacio e Pepe, macaroni and cheese with house hot dog and potato chip, Mediterranean Exploration Company, Moet & Chandon, Multnomah Whiskey Library, National Blogger's Bake Sale, Ohitashi of asparagus, olympic provisions, Pacific Pie, Pegu Club, pok pok, pork belly and kimchi croquette, portland, Produce Row Cafe, raven & rose, Renata, Sazerac Punch, Smallwares, Smoked Land and Sea, smokehouse 21, soup dumplings, St Jack's Aaron Barnett, Stinging Nettle Vichyssoise, Strawberry rhubarb pie, stuffed Medjool date, Taste of the Nation, Taste of the Nation Portland 2014 Recap, The Country Cat, Xocolatl de David, Zeus Cafe

Pépé Le Moko Portland – First Looks

February 24, 2014 by Pechluck 7 Comments

A little glimpse at some of the offerings at Pépé Le Moko Portland… which finally opened on Valentine’s Day, so at the time of this visit was just 1 week old.

S and I got there around 4:30 or so on Friday (after our lunch at Wildwood I just covered). It is a small, little unassuming front, with only the door and curtained window and simple window sign to hint at its location. When you first glance in, you see a tiny little counter where oysters on ice glistened, and where sandwich and chip snacks are put together. When you open the door, you are greeted by a little podium, where the hostess inquires about your party size.

Doors of Pépé Le Moko in Portland

We were told the table would not be ready for another 5-10 minutes. Since there really is no room to stand and wait inside for more than 2 people, and it is pretty tight quarters between the hostess and the sandwich man, we opted for a 2 block walkaround, and gave her my phone number for her to text us when our table would be ready.

As we walked away, I got my first text from Pépé Le Moko letting me know they had my correct number and they would text me again when they were ready for us. It also provided a neat link to a No Wait app which shows you where you are in line. I like their thoughtfulness already.

Ok, so even though we were full from lunch, despite trying to burn some calories by walking from NW 21st to Nordstrom for some shoe shopping and then back here, my eyes are always hungry. So maybe we went and peered at the menus at Lardo and Grassa and walked back, and exactly 10 minutes from when we started our walk, I got the text telling me it was time. If it had been a little longer I might have been tempted by Dirty Fries. As we walked by the Clyde Common bar, we saw it was already bustling with Friday happy hour patrons.

The menu at Pépé Le Moko is small, giving the impression that it is carefully curated, though they do have a full bar so can make your requests as well. The curators, if you didn’t know, are the well known Nate Tilden of Olympic Provisions/Clyde Common/Richmond Bar and Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Clyde Common. The Pépé Le Moko Food Menu include some small bar snacks, oysters, and Bocadillos, which are little sandwiches- I did not order any this visit, but they looked to be about 4 inches long.
Pépé Le Moko cocktail menu Pépé Le Moko Food Menu- snacks

The feel once you come down the stairs is not surprisingly subterranean given its basement/bunker location. It is dark, mysterious, moody- even a bit dirty and foreign in a sexy way, reminiscent of Casablanca.

Apparently the name Pépé Le Moko is inspired by a movie in that time period (1937)- Pépé Le Moko is the name of a gangster from Paris who hides out in Casbah, Algeria. And that’s all I know about the movie from IMBD and Wikipedia. So the fact the atmosphere evoked that feeling even before I was able to google Pépé Le Moko should be considered a success.

The decorations are sparse, and the seating small- the whole place probably only can fit only 40-50 max, with very dim lighting. I did notice the light fixture on the wall in our lil booth had an outlet… Very convenient if my phone needed a charge and I had my charger.

The spotlights are on the bartenders, which seems about right.
Bartender at Pépé Le Moko preparing a cocktail

We started with the cocktails Hotel Nacional Special with aged rum, lime, apricot brandy, pineapple gomme and bitters. I went with the Amaretto Sour with classic amaretto, overproof bourbon, lemon and egg white. These were both surprisingly delicate, and we found ourselves sipping them gently to savor them.
Cocktails at Pépé Le Moko, Hotel Nacional Special with aged rum, lime, apricot brandy, pineapple gomme and bitters and Amaretto Sour with classic amaretto, overproof bourbon, lemon and egg white

We went for another round. I ordered the Grasshopper, knowing this was my dessert before it was time to go home. Crafted from Cremes de menthe et cacao, vanilla ice cream, Fernet Branca and sea salt. This made me feeling pretty fancy and pampered, as happy as a kid getting a sundae, when it was served up literally on a silver platter with a charming paper straw.
Cocktails at Pépé Le Moko, Grasshopper crafted from Cremes de menthe et cacao, vanilla ice cream, Fernet Branca and sea salt

The biggest hit though was the Espresso Martini, described simply as Stumptown Coffee extract, Kahlua, overproof vodka and lemon oil. Sounds straightforward and familiar, like any other espresso martini you encountered in your past. But Damn. It is the best Expresso Martini Ever. S even ordered a second one. Do Not Miss This. It’s seriously jaw dropping how this is leagues above any other espresso martini in history.
Cocktails at Pépé Le Moko: Espresso Martini, described simply as Stumptown Coffee extract, Kahlua, overproof vodka and lemon oil

I regretfully had to raincheck on trying any of the food here and more cocktails, but I hope to visit again soon and see how it is shaping up. They are open everyday 4pm-2am.

My first looks and impression were very positive though. The cocktails are high quality, so I didn’t blink at the price- they seem par for the course with what I would expect at an urban bar. It seems a perfect way to start or end a night, but I am unsure whether you should plan a meal or a group more than 4 here, because it just seems so small. Well, more to come!

Filed Under: Cocktails, Food and Drink Tagged With: Amaretto Sour, Best Espresso Martini, craft cocktails, Grasshopper, Hotel Nacional Special, PDX Cocktails, Pépé Le Moko, portland, portland cocktails, Stumptown Coffee cocktail

Little Bird Lunch 2014: the Little Bird Burger

February 4, 2014 by Pechluck 1 Comment

It was a good thing I had that chicken fried trout back in December– Little 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

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?

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review Tagged With: burger, cheeseburger, downtown portland, french, Le Pigeon burger, little bird bistro, Little Bird burger, portland, steak tartare

Ruchikala Winter Pop-up

January 24, 2014 by Pechluck 4 Comments

I was very excited to take part in my second time experience a Ruchikala popup! I blogged about my last experience where I was blown away by the complexity of flavors and spectacularly attractive dishes that looked like art last year. Kumi, who works as a personal chef/caterer, takes these opportunities to creatively show off her fusion food bringing together homey Southern Indian culture and US Southwest upbringing (she also divides some of her time working in Tucson).

This time, I took F with me to the Ruchikala Winter Pop-up because I wanted him to experience the fearless flavor combinations she imbues onto her dishes that you may never think to try, but thanks to Kumi, you are about to learn how spirited they are. She also is very conscious about making sure we feast not only on her masterful combination of flavors, but with our eyes, with our sense of smell, and even with touch in terms of the textures in every spoonful.

Another plus is that because it is a small group, you are able to hear the tale of each dish- like a food fairytale come true. You hear the background food memory that Kumi is drawing inspiration from, the voice of her mom, you might pass around a mason jar to smell the intoxicating aroma of Pasilla de Oaxaca chile. It’s an experience that is a foreign adventure to your normal palate, yet so warm and intimate as well.

To get a little idea of how warm the pop-up atmosphere is like, here’s a little video of one of the pop-ups she did in Tucson, created by Hank Knaack. Her pop-up dinners are a fun way to meet new people, and her perspective on flavors are so original. For some gorgeous photos of her food, you should also check out these mouthwatering photographs taken (again, at one of the events in Tucson) by Liora K Photography.

Ruchikala Supper Club from Hank Knaack on Vimeo.

Because both F and I were there, as you can see we had a “camera-faceoff” with me using my Samsung Galaxy II and he with his Nokia Lumia (can you tell which camera took which photo?). Thankfully, fellow food blogger Je Mange la Ville was also there so I felt a little less guilty about pulling out my phone to photograph and social media share the beauties before me.

So without further ado, the exquisite courses of the Ruchikala Winter Pop-up Dinner Menu of 2014!

Course I
Rava Dosa – buttermilk coconut crepe, chickpeas, fresh paneer, pasilla de Oaxaca, chutney pudi, pico de gallo

Kumi explained how there are the crepes that are thin that you usually see in Dosa, and there are the more homey, thicker pancake ones she grew up with. The kind she presented us was something in the middle. Kumi served some ghee on the side that we could spoon on the chutney pudi (the powder you see to the right) to make a little paste to enjoy with the crepe, or you can just eat the powder as is, like she said her parents do!

Course II
Dahi Vada – A fermented lentil and habanero fritter in Kashmiri chili yoghurt, lemon, mustard seed, avocado, curry leaf

This was my favorite course of the five. Kumi talked about how she used to hate this dish as a child, as her mother would describe it as ice cream and she knew it wasn’t. Now as an adult she appreciates the creamy desserty texture, and I did too…

I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to have this again unless Kumi makes it for me, as I had never heard of this dish before and would never know how to get it anywhere. I also liked that there was a bit of an interactive part to this dish in breaking up the leave and the chili pepper seeds inside so that I would be able to get lots of little crispy bits with spoonfuls (you discard the chili pepper casing). Every bite was a mix of the soft melty luxuriousness along with lots of crunchy pops.

Course III
Bisi Bele – Karnataka-style lentils, lemon and barley cream risotto, ghee poached prawns, tamarind jaggery and poppy gastrique, curry leaf crostini

This dish gave everyone a chance to try one of Kumi’s spectacular breads, she has been cultivating various bread yeasts for years now, and is how I got to know Kumi- because I was drooling and stalking her homemade breads (let me link you directly to her bread food porn photos…). As you can guess, the prawn-less one is the vegetarian version for F.

Course IV
Beet Gnocchi – Red beet gnocchi, tandoori roquefort bechamel, mustard curry leaf thadka

It sounds strange at first… beet gnocchi? A Tandoori Roquefort Bechamel? Let me assure you, no one left anything on their plates, though at this point we were getting quite full as everything does add up! I loved the gorgeous plating. If you think you don’t like blue cheese, let me assure you here that the roquefort here is hidden and your plate will be clean too (as two people at my table who said they didn’t like blue demonstrated!).

Course V
Pumpkin Mousse – Garam masala and rum, ginger ganache, cardamom cream, pumpkin seed and sichuan peppercorn meringue

I love here how there is a mix of savory along with the sweet, and the different kinds of textures with the cake, the soft creamy pumpkin mousse, and the yielding edges of the meringue.

Be sure to like the Ruchikala Facebook to be informed of upcoming yummies from Kumi, be it pop-up dinner or her amazing breads or if she’s participating in a CSA! I am shaking my finger at all of you to get on her list to find out about her projects and so she can have MORE pop-ups, like every quarter. I get jealous that she does them more often in her previous city of Tucson than her current home city of Portland because she has an established audience there. We need to step it up and support her!

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights Tagged With: Beet Gnocchi, Bisi Bele, chutney pudi, Curry Leaf Crostini, Dahi Vada, fermented lentil fritter, ghee poached prawns, Indian and Southwest US fusion, Indian Fusion, Indian pop-up, Kashmiri chili yogurt, Kumi, Kusuma Rao, pasilla de Oaxaca, portland, Pumpkin Mousse, Rava Dosa, Ruchikala, Sichuan Peppercorn Meringue, Southwest flavors, Tandoori Roquefort Bechamel, vegetarian

Remedy Wine Bar Review

January 22, 2014 by Pechluck 3 Comments

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Restaurant Review, Wine Tagged With: champagne flight, Cheezy Bits, homemade cheese its, portland, Remedy Wine Bar, sparkling wine flight, White Bean Dip, wine bar, wine flight

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