Recap of my Final Wildwood Meals

I think I stated most of what I hoped to in my last Goodbye Wildwood post. So this is more of a food photo memories post of the last dinner and the last lunch at Wildwood Restaurant I had this week. They are closing on Tuesday February 25, so there are still a few days of service left if you want to try to catch a lunch or dinner with the Wildwood Restaurant Team. So without further ado, my simple recap of my final Wildwood meals, first dinner on Wednesday and then lunch on Friday.

Dinner at the Chef’s Counter at Wildwood Restaurant started with the cocktail No Ordinary Rabbit made with temperance trader bourbon, renig dag aquavit, carrot juice, ginger, lemon
Dinner at the Chef's Counter at Wildwood Restaurant with the cocktail no ordinary rabbit made with temperance trader bourbon, renig dag aquavit, carrot juice, ginger, lemon Dinner at the Chef's Counter at Wildwood Restaurant with the cocktail no ordinary rabbit made with temperance trader bourbon, renig dag aquavit, carrot juice, ginger, lemon Dinner at the Chef's Counter at Wildwood Restaurant with the cocktail no ordinary rabbit made with temperance trader bourbon, renig dag aquavit, carrot juice, ginger, lemon

It was an honor to watch the kitchen running on this busy night, as everyone was coming out to say goodbye by dining at Wildwood one last time.
Wildwood Restaurant open kitchen Wildwood Restaurant open kitchen

After an amuse bouche of of coconut mint gelatin, I was on to my next cocktail, the Nice Looking Shrubbery that looked like I was in a vampire movie but actually I was drinking aria portland dry‎ gin, combier orange, vida mescal, beet juice, regan’s orange bitters, lemon.
Wildwood Restaurant amuse bouche of of coconut mint gelatin Wildwood Restaurant amuse bouche of of coconut mint gelatin Wildwood Restaurant cocktail, the Nice Looking Shrubbery of aria portland dry‎ gin, combier orange, vida mescal, beet juice, regan’s orange bitters, lemon.

I took my time with my first course of brick oven roasted mussels with bacon, leeks, cider,‎ fried sage, crème fraîche, toasted baguette. I was not ashamed to use a spoon once I had freed the mussels from their shells to eat this like a soup, including using the toasted baguette to sop up sauce. The bowl was completely empty and dry when I returned it.
Wildwood Restaurant starter of brick oven roasted mussels with bacon, leeks, cider,‎ fried sage, crème fraîche, toasted baguette Wildwood Restaurant starter of brick oven roasted mussels with bacon, leeks, cider,‎ fried sage, crème fraîche, toasted baguette

For my main dish, I enjoyed every last bite of the clay oven roasted pork chop with grilled leek pudding, clams, foie gras butter.
Wildwood Restaurant dinner entree of clay oven roasted pork chop with grilled leek pudding, clams, foie gras butter Wildwood Restaurant dinner entree of clay oven roasted pork chop with grilled leek pudding, clams, foie gras butter

I ended the night with the warmest of hugs from Wildwood, the cocktail of Unladen Swallow with green chartreuse, julianne’s spiced hot cocoa powder, house made combier orange marshmallow.

I took a half day on Friday so I could come to lunch. It seemed fitting that since my first meal was at Wildwood, so would my last. Since I didn’t need to worry about returning to work, I started with a cocktail, the Ni! I was lucky enough to get the very last one. It’s made with big bottom bourbon, campari, pierre ferand dry curaçao, hammer and tongs l’afrique, barrel aged fee bitters. And my final cocktail, the Blood and Sand with dewars, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, orange juice.
Wildwood Cocktail of Ni! It's made with big bottom bourbon, campari, pierre ferand dry curaçao, hammer and tongs l’afrique, barrel aged fee bitters. Wildwood Restaurant, my final cocktail, the Blood and Sand with dewars, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, orange juice.

We had very grumbly rumbly stomachs by the time we got there for our late lunch after our office escape, so dived hungrily into an order of ken’s bakery bread with trapini sea salt and bamboo leaf salt on pats of butter and house made country pâté with pickles, lentil cracker, grain mustard. My dining friend S had a lunch of tandoori roasted chicken romaine salad with creamy garlic dressing, pickled chiles, grilled onions, naan.
Wildwood Restaurant lunch starters of ken’s bakery bread with trapini sea salt and bamboo leaf salt on pats of butter Wildwood Restaurant lunch starter of house made country pâté with pickles, lentil cracker, grain mustard Wildwood Restaurant Lunch entree of tandoori roasted chicken romaine salad with creamy garlic dressing, pickled chiles, grilled onions, naan

I was super pleased with the final Wildwood sandwich I would have, dustin’s salame sandwich with rosemary focaccia, pickled chile cream cheese, butter lettuce, tapenade, shaved onion, and mixed greens in a miso vinaigrette with spicy‎ cashews. Why isn’t pickled chili cream cheese more common, it satisfies 3 great tastes in one!

Thanks for all the memories and deliciousness Wildwood!

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Travel Food… part 1. Starting in Portland to the OR Coast

Since my last post, I went to the Coast for a weekend, and then spent a week in Austin for work, a weekend in the Umpqua Valley on a wine barrel tour, and then a week in the DC/Baltimore area.

Let's start with the start of my travels… which wasn't me traveling but greeting travellers, the in-laws.

A initial dinner when the in-laws arrived at Mama Mia Trattoria because Portabello was closed and they specifically wanted Italian pasta (not pizza). Here is where your first basket of bread includes garlic bread. I actually didn't get to try any though, and the pasta was ok, with the only impressive thing being the size of the fried ravioli appetizers (monster ravioli size!). I feel privileged that I can think back to some incredible pasta meals like at Trattoria No. 10 and Spiaggia in Chicago, but I haven't found an equivalent favorite Italian place in Portland yet.

I had to work, so did not go with them to Edgefield for brunch or to explore the gorge, but after they came back I took them to a dinner at Wildwood, still one of my favorite Northwest cuisine restaurants (and they have their own parking lot). We enjoyed dinner so much we didn't take photos until dessert

 

Then we were off to the coast, which meant a stop at Camp 18. We sat by the windows which faced all the birdfeeders, and enjoyed watching various types of birds also come get their breakfast as we enjoyed our enormous portions surrounded by examples of the beautiful wood you can find in the Northwest. There, ordering 2 pancakes yields pancakes that are each bigger then your face, a side of potatoes is an entire plate-ful, one biscuit with gravy comes on a plate swimming with sausage-y gravy and each half of the biscuit seems the size of a normal biscuit. Yes, I will always stop here on the way to the coast.

A stop at the Seaside Aquarium and Cannon Beach lead to a stop at Tillamook Cheese Factory and a grilled cheese sandwich and some Tillamook ice cream/sorbet. and a very sexy marionberry pie.

We finished off at Devil's Punchbowl… where we fed a cracker to a new friend we met.

More coming next post…

 

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