Saké PDX… the Saké Bomb of Events

I sat at my table in awe, mouth hanging open, in surprise and appreciation for what I was witnessing at the table next to me. The server was pouring a glass (choko) of saké, and instead of stopping when the glass was full, he continued to pour and pour, and pour, until the wine had sufficiently overflowed into the box (masu) that the glass sat in, filling both containers. I found the presentation so impressive, I wanted to order my own glass, just so I could watch the process all over again. I couldn't help myself, I felt the words overflowing from my mouth like the saké from the bottle. I said "How cool is that!" and then proceeded to ask the couple at the table next to me if they knew why it was done like that. Their answer was a simple “No, to draw attention to it might make it stop, and we don't complain.” Next, I asked the waiter about the meaning, to which he answered "It’s the traditional way." Unsatisfied with the answers I was getting, I pulled out my trusty phone and turned to Google. Wiki told me that there is in fact a very specific meaning as to why saké is poured this way. It is simply intended to show the restaurant's generosity. I generously shared this information with the couple and the waiter.

I've dined in a lot of sushi restaurants, but I couldn't recall ever experiencing such hospitality before. Though I’d ordered saké numerous times I was never shown such generosity until I ordered a glass of my favorite saké (Yuki no Bosha – Cabin in the Snow) at my favorite sushi restaurant, Bamboo Sushi in Portland. And then it was just as I remembered. The saké was beautifully light and refreshing, with notes of melon and white peaches, and the presentation made it even better. They were so generous! :)

"Generosity is not me giving that which I need more than you do, but is giving me that which you need more than I do." Khalil Gibran

On June 27^th, Saké Fest returns to Portland at The Governer Hotel. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample more than 100 different kinds of saké, plum wine and beer from near and afar. With premium and rare saké available to taste, guests can learn about and experience something very unique and very special, this is not your typical wine tasting event. And though the vendors probably won’t be pouring your drink to overflowing, they will be generous with their knowledge and you’re sure to discover a new favorite beverage with incredible versatility and with such a variety of characteristics you never thought possible. You have been warned though, you will likely be converted and walk away from the event a saké snob, never be able to look at someone who orders warm saké the same way again.

Saké Fest PDX is an event like no other. Experience it for yourself on Thursday, June 27^th from 6:30-9:00 pm at the Governer Hotel. Expect a memorable evening overflowing with rare Japanese saké, an a little education and delicious food pairings from area restaurants to bring it all together. Get your tickets now, I’ll be there hoping to clink glasses with you, we can talk about saké or what it means to give without expecting anything in return. See you there! Kanpai.

No Person Hungry in Portland - A Food and Wine Mecca

A foodie's dream come true, Taste of the Nation was created to bring awareness and raise money to stop childhood hunger. 5,000,000 calories later, I'm still digesting this concept. This year the event changed venues from Luxe Autoworks to the sun-dappled Jeld-Wen Field, and since the weather was especially accommodating (it was practically summer), one could almost feel the energy coursing through the breezy air. Thrill and excitement could be seen and felt by all who attended, worn like clothing on the bodies of those waiting for their entry, their next bite and their next drink.

The event is a showcase for local culinary artistry. Top chefs come out in the name of a worthy cause and don't hold anything back. Some of them are risk takers—huge props to Aviary on their Fried Pig Snout with Pickled Fennel, Hard-Boiled Egg and Mustard Creme Fraiche and La Calaca Comelona for their Octopus Stew atop a Slice of Green Apple. Some stay in their comfort zone, like the esteemed Joel Palmer House with everything mushroom, who still managed to throw out a few surprises with their mushroom desserts, like the tasty Candy Cap Mushroom and Madeira Milkshake.

A feast for the eyes, not only the belly, there's food in cups, on spoons, square foods, round foods and everything in between. Do I need to even mention the sweets? Top visual honors go to Otto for their Egg Cake (which wasn't really an egg at all) and Andina on their Causitas Maki (though I didn't care much for the texture when it hit my mouth, much preferring the taste of their Empanaditas de Lomo Saltado instead).

If I were to give out awards for favorite bites of the night, it would be a tough call, as there was literally a concourse of comestibles. Foods so scrumptious, they'd tempt you to eat more (like the little devil on your shoulder), even while your belly was screaming that is was so full another mouthful might make it burst. My most esteemed entrees of the evening were Aviary's Deep Fried Pig Snout, Boke Bowl's Asian Steamed Buns, Ned Ludd's Rabbit Confit, Biwa's Karokke, Circa 33's Mushroom Forest, Departure's Honey Chicken Buns, Irving Street Kitchen's Potato Latke Salmon Gravlax with Apple Butter and Herb Creme Fraiche and Portobello Vegan Trattoria's Beef Tartare with Cashew Cheese. Wow.

Top wineries were on hand to enhance the tasting experience, of which I particularly enjoyed the Bergstrom 2010 Old Stones Chardonnay, Elk Cove 2011 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Argyle 2008 Brut (who could turn down a glass of their bubbles?), Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah, Cana's Feast 2009 Barbera and Seven Bridges 2008 Malbec. If wine didn't put a smile on your face, local breweries were pouring beer and cider, and distilleries were also sampling a multitude of spirits and cocktails which seemed to leave imbibers with ear to ear grins.

A huge suceess, kudos to the Share our Strength Taste of the Nation organizers, staff and volunteers on a job well done! I hope the event achieved its goal and was able to raise the funds they were hoping for to make a difference in the lives of hungry children everywhere.

Oregon Keg Wine is Alive in Portland's Slabtown!

As we located a prime parking spot near the address of where the restaurant was supposed to be, I remarked on the lack of signage to my friend Robert, saying, “I guess you have to just know where it is… it’s so New York”. To which he added, “Yeah, New York five minutes ago.” I felt like I'd heard that before recently. Having just come from the fabulous grand opening of the highly recommended Springbox Art Gallery in NW Portland, my friend and I, ready for our next round of entertainment, set out for the elusive The Bent Brick with one lofty goal, to sample absolutely everything on the menu.

How many times have you looked at a menu, unable to decide what to order because everything was so equally tempting? Imagine looking at that very same menu and then turning to your waiter and saying, “I’d like to order everything on the menu please.” Well, that’s what we did, because for just $48 per person, you can “Eat the Whole Menu.” Though we ordered it just for one, it was still way more food than even two hungry people really could or needed to eat in one sitting… and it sure was fun. A scene from the movie When Harry Met Sally came to mind, when Sally's friend Marie quotes Harry's friend Jess to him by saying "Restaurants are to people in the 80's what theater was to people in the 60's." Thirty years later and restaurants are still much like theater, providing an entire evening of worthwhile entertainment, or perhaps I'm just stuck in the 80's.

One part chic restaurant, one part casual tavern, two parts remarkable establishment, The Bent Brick opened about three months ago in Portland’s old industrial Slabtown district. There are several stories behind how this district got its name. One of the kinder, gentler ones, as told by The Bent Brick's General Manager Anna Josephson, is that long ago when the area was part of the city’s wood processing district, people would come out to pick up the discarded scraps of wood (or “slabs” as they were called) to use for firewood, etc. Another urban legend is that if one frequented that rough part of town, which went from Old Town up to the Pearl back in the day, you would end up like a slab or in a slab, or something like that. Paying homage to the Slabtown history, the Bent Brick has incorporated slabs of wood (not bodies) into their urban décor, particularly in the Jenga Lounge, which is perfect for a large group to take over, or for smaller groups to mingle at in a community fashion when the tables are full or for a more intimate setting. With roll-up garage-style doors, sleek metal seating and lots of old exposed brick and pipes, the restaurant has done an admirable job of incorporating the building’s history with contemporary touches ultimately achieving a striking balance of comfort and excitement.

Scott Dolich, chef and owner, has a clear vision for The Bent Brick, an offshoot of Park Kitchen: to focus on investigating stylistic choices while using only domestic ingredients… everything is sourced as locally as possible. Neither the kitchen nor the bar uses a single imported product, and not just their pepper and pigs, they don’t overlook where their dry goods come from either and make many of their own products like vinegars and syrups themselves. You won’t find olive oil in their kitchen as the domestic versions are too expensive, but Chef Dolich has found a way around that, roasting domestic canola oil to develop more complex flavors.

I’d met Chef Dolich initially at a Raptor Ridge Winery #ReTweet (more on that to come in the next post or so) and was impressed when I heard him eloquently say, “As you eat through a meal, sometimes you have to have periodic knocks in the head to wake you up”. This might actually sum up my relationship with food, wine and dining out: Perhaps I just really enjoy being knocked in the head, so to speak.

So, on the prowl for knocks and wake up calls, my friend and I devoured mussels on the half shell with smoky aioli and a Tabasco mignonette (though the photo is of a whole order, we only had one little tasty mussel to sample), fried cheese curds with fried applesauce (for the Gluten-free eaters who still love fried food), crab with Louie sauce, cucumbers, grapes and lucky four-leaf clovers and a fascinating dish of braised sunflowers seeds, peppers, cheddar cheese and hickory which tasted oddly but interestingly like a savory sunflower seed oatmeal.

 Dolich expressed that “Each dish should have a reference point, not just be a dish that tastes good”, so, we also enjoyed a beet and faro salad with seeded crisps inspired by a simple everything bagel, crispy pork rinds, an amazing tomatillo gazpacho serving elegantly as a bed for a tasty scoop of Padron pepper gelato, Virginia ham rillettes, a shrimp, corn, tomato and coriander salad and sweetbreads with cabbage, horseradish, dill, bacon. By the time the roast and braised dishes arrived at the table (a pork with root beer glaze and perfectly pink beef with smoke, onions and potatoes), I was beyond just loosening the button on my pants and felt like I might just possibly explode. Unable to let even one more morsel of food pass my supremely satisfied lips, I unbelievably passed on the main courses and then just stared at the dessert dishes too, taking pleasure in watching my friend Robert enjoy them… alone.

While the food the kitchen presents is impressive, healthy, a bit surprising and inspired, those qualities are conveyed in the bar as well. 100-percent domestic, between the list of attention-grabbing cocktails and out-of-the-ordinary local wines, knocks in the head are virtually around every corner. Their keg wine program is actually what first caught my attention. With 15 Oregon and Washington wines on tap at one time, The Bent Brick passes the savings on to their consumers allowing them to enjoy glasses of the best current release wines from regional vintners like Patricia Green, Grochau Cellars, J Daan, Viento and Andrew Rich, just to name a few, for an implausibly low $5-$9 a glass.

The bar also offers a selection of local and domestic beers and features cocktails like the Path to Victory: a warming blend of Cana’s Feast Chinato, bourbon, gingersnap, bitters and vinegar or the Lakeside: a lovely and refreshing mix of vodka, rhubarb, verjus and elderflower. With a generous Happy Hour and a Half from 5:00-6:30pm, Tuesday through Saturday, guests will enjoy fine wine (by the glass or carafe), beer (by the glass, bottle or pitcher), cocktails and food specials that will wake up the palate without breaking the bank.

Though I failed in my attempt to actually “Eat the Whole Menu”, now I do have a reason to go back… other than just because it might be one of my favorite new hangouts. Discover The Bent Brick for yourself at 1639 NW Marshall St., join them on Facebook and Twitter, contact them at info@thebentbrick.com or call (503) 688-1655 for reservations and more information.