Here’s a look at some of the $29 for 3 courses Portland Dining Month 2016 meals I’ve enjoyed so far. All of these restaurants in this Portland Dining Month 2016 Review are from the list I shared last week of my top picks from the Portland Dining Month list. This is the order I happened to dine at them…

Clyde Common

What I really like about Clyde Common‘s options is how it’s a mashup of Northwest goodness with a little bit of a hint of Filipino influence, which is a unique perspective. And those lumpia, which I’ve had before, keep bringing me back, along with the cocktails. Seriously, the lumpia are such an awesome match to alcohol, and every time I see my fellow bar patrons going for the fries (though they are perfectly crispy!) instead of lumpia, I see it as such a missed opportunity. I’ve been visiting the Clyde Common bar for years, but since Chef Carlos Lamagna took over the kitchen I’ve been going more often for lunch and dinner because the food options are now just as compelling as their award winning cocktail program at the bar (OpenTable rez avail). Dinner service starts at 6 PM.

1. First course: Pork and shiitake lumpia with house sweet and sour sauce and spicy greens. I think I’ve already told you what I think of the lumpia earlier… <3
   
2. Second course: Preserved ramp butter risotto with grana padano, chili oil and chicken chicharrónes. I liked the dish but wished for a little bit more chili oil to help brighten up the richness of the risotto.
   
3. Third course: Local bee honey panna cotta with chèvre whipped cream, mixed berry jam and candied pine nuts. So good, a great play of textures with the creamy and the jammy and crunchy and sticky in a perfect proportion in every spoonful.
   

 

Ataula

Ataula for Catalan (Spanish) cuisine by James Beard 2016 nominee for Best Chef Northwest Jose Chesa is a must visit with this deal. The first two tapas together are usually worth $19 and a full version by itself of the third course dish is usually $34 and for two people, so I was happy that now there is a smaller portion option so you can try this paella (ha ha and then you can justify ordering another full size one if you wish to try two paellas, or a lot more tapas… muahaha). And, you get dessert with a warm fresh doughnut! Ataula opens for dinner (no reservations except for parties larger than 6 people) at 4:30 PM Tues-Sat.

1. First course: Pulpo octopus carpaccio with sun-dried tomato, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts and pickled cipollini onions
   
2. Second course: Tortilla de patatas con bellota with farm eggs, confit potatoes, onions and 4-year cured ibérico ham
   
3. Third course: Mini rossejat negre with toasted noodles, calamari, squid ink, sofrito and harissa aioli. Instead of a pan that can feed 2-6 like their normal size, this one is individually sized (or two if you order more tapas!) I’m a cute mini pan.
   
4. Fourth course: Doughnut, brioche, spiced sugar as a perfect ending
   

 

Willow

Willow is just opening in March right now, but they are participating in Portland Dining Month! They don’t have a regular menu available – this is their only menu for the month before shifting to their 6 course tasting menu in April, so here’s your chance to try them out on a smaller scale. Though when I say that, their 3 courses for $29 also included an amuse bouche, intermezzo palate cleanser, and a little coffee with tiny snack, so is that really 3 courses?

They are working using the Tock reservation system that automatically has you pay for the meal and tip in advance, and you have a choice of whether to also order ahead a beverage pairing whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic. They are open Tues-Sat with seatings at 6 PM, 8 PM, or 10 PM. You need to get there pretty much on time because of these seatings because they serve all the dishes at once to all the guests when proceeding through the courses. When you arrive, it’s almost like you are at a supper club at someone’s sophisticated apartment – they have a lounge area for you to wait in until they are ready to seat you.

There is also a living room of sorts that later after dinner you can be served coffee. Their small chef’s counter for the meal almost feels like you are setting at a friend’s bar – it is intimate, seating only 10 people, and easy to converse with fellow dining friends.

Their Portland Dining Month food menu for the month (since you get no choice – though they can accomodate some special diets within reason – for instance the person next to me had a vegetarian meal – the Short Rib steak was switched out for Kabocha Squash steak instead) are

1. Amuse-Bouche: Itty Bitty McMuffin with squash glaze, egg yolk, dehydrated kale, their own mini muffin
   
2. First course: Cream of celery root soup with charred roots and thyme. It was first placed before the broth was added so we could admire the wonderful textures of the celery root prepared 4 ways including hay roasted and pickled, and they took advantage of as much of the whole product as they can by including the celery leaf as an ingredient here as well as in the broth. The hay used to roast the celery root also was combined with grapeseed and hazelnut oil to make the hay oil, and there were little bits of hazelnut. I loved the various layers of flavor so that every spoonful was a little different depending on what preparation of celery you may have in your scoop, and really great variety of texture.
   
3. Second course (choose one): Short rib steak with glazed vegetables, potato and sauce bordelaise or Cauliflower steak with glazed vegetables, potato and sauce bordelaise. Wow, that steak was rich and melt in your mouth, I was cutting very small pieces just savoring it.
   
4. Intermezzo: Cilantro ice cream and yogurt. I loved how rich that yogurt was! I need Chef Doug Weiler to tell me where he sourced this from again it was so creamy and thick.
   
5. Third course: Chocolate cake s’more with meringue and graham cracker – this translates into a very dense chocolate cake with with praline, just toasted meringue with a huge flame by Chef John Pickett, graham, and with the best wine pairing of the night a Burmester 10 year Tawny Port from Portugal.
   
6. After Dinner Coffee and Snack
   

I had the wine pairing which included 2014 Franchere Gruner Veltliner, 2013 Santa Cristo Grenache, and Burmester 10 Year Tawny Port, but the non alcoholic pairing was very intriguing as well, as it included Apple and Celery Kvass, Mirepoix Sun Tea, and Sweetened Oat Milk. There were also a la carte beverages available including Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade or Dandelion & Burdock, Lurisia, Burnside Brewing Couch St Lager, pFriem Pilsner, and Breakside Brewing Wanderlust IPA.

I can’t wait to go back to try the 6 course format in the future at Willow!

 

You can see the full list of participating restaurants at the Portland Dining Month website.

Where have you eaten, or where are you planning to eat? What’s your Portland Dining Month 2016 Review so far of the participating restaurants you’ve been?