My Food Worlds Collide

I know, I know, I was so ambitious and started 2015 with a blogging bang. And then...I took a four month hiatus but I promise, it was for good reason! At the end of February, I took a new kick ass job working with three great restaurants in SE Portland. The opportunity to work closer with food and beverage was a no brainer. The Portland food and beverage culture is amazing and I am lucky to work with such a welcoming and creative community of people.

With that said, I will try to share more of my eating adventures in the city but forgive me if I spam you with the food and drink happenings out on SE Division. Now I have even MORE access to the 411 on Portland events, so I will keep sharing the details! Check out the latest post on do503.com about my obsession with pizza...as if you didn't already know.

Here is a quick snapshot of all the goodness we have going on at The Woodsman Group.

The Woodsman Tavern

Ava Gene's




Roman Candle Baking Co.

I look forward to sharing more adventures with you!

Good Vibes at Cooper's Hall

This was my third trip to Cooper's Hall and it won't be my last. I like the ambiance and the "good feel" this place has. Every time we go, my girlfriend and I daydream about how stunning a wedding reception would be. It is just so lovely.

Cooper's Hall is a working winery and taproom, so it is very industrial, which I love. All their house wine is served from the tap and we all know how crazy I am for this. Remember when I discovered Vancouver Urban Winery in B.C.? It reminds me a lot of that place. Of course, they have beer on tap and craft cocktails to please the masses, but I always go for the wine.

The first two times I visited CH was just for wine at the bar but I couldn't help but notice all the great food coming from the kitchen. At first, I didn't think it was really a place to order food, but I was dead wrong. Since I have no self control, I decided this time I would try the house stew - green chili pork with white bean and hominy. Yeah...I will be emailing for the recipe. Oh, and let's add some crème fraîche and serve with bread too. So good.

I can always count on a great night with great company at CH. This visit, I decided on their white wine flight so I could try their Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay and Cascadia White. My favorite was the Cascadia White because it was crisp and refreshing. 

You can visit Cooper's Hall on a cold winter night for the warm and cozy vibe or check it out in the summer when they have all the rolling garage doors open. You won't be disappointed! 

Cooper's Hall 

404 SE 6th Ave

Portland, Oregon

503.719.7000

open mon-thu 4pm - 10pm | fri-sat 4pm - 12am 

Finally...P.R.E.A.M at Ned Ludd

I have to say...Ned Ludd has been on my list for a long time but I never found a huge desire to get to their restaurant, until....Pizza Monday. I heard about PREAM from a friend and figured I would check it out eventually, because yes, pizza rules everything around me. 

Ned Ludd has been bringing in red and white checkered table clothes and playing the awesome throwback R&B tunes for about a year now. PREAM makes Portland Mondays a little bit better. 

There was no wait and we got a table quickly. The menu is simple with a few salads, pizzas and recently added...pasta! We went for a spinach mushroom pasta and a sausage pizza with a béchamel sauce and chile oil. Not your traditional pizza, but definitely delicious. The popular pizza was the traditional Margherita and I WISH we would have gotten it. Gah...it looked so fabulous. Shocking...I wanted basil, tomatoes and mozzarella. 

If you have a larger group, don't worry because they also serve pizza in their private space, Elder Hall, right next door! 

It is a great spot and the perfect way to start your week. Ned Ludd is cozy with a visible wood fire oven and rustic ambiance. Their team brings out your order as it is ready so a fun place to go for sharing. You all know me...I LOVE sharing. 

               

               

Ned Ludd

3925 NE MLK Blvd 

Portland, Oregon 

503.288.6900

pizza monday | 5pm - close

open tues - sun 5pm - close | sun brunch 9am - 2pm

*Check out this article about PREAM - you might not have to wait until Mondays anymore. New space opening in SE Portland dedicated to pizza.

Astoria Day Trip for Beers & Baked Goods

One of the best things about living in Portland is the ability to take day trips at the drop of a hat. This includes day trips to the Oregon Coast, Mt. Hood, The Gorge or Wine Country. My brother recruited me to join him and his girlfriend on a drive up the coast to Astoria. Oh my gosh...what a day it turned out to be. It was an incredible November day. Look at those blue skies! 

Naturally, I center most my adventures around food but we needed to work up an appetite first! We decided to explore the Peter Iredale shipwreck and Fort Stevens State Park. I haven't been there since I was a kid so it was neat to read about the history this time. But of course, we still acted like kids and took turns climbing it like a jungle gym. 

Next stop, Fort George Brewery & Public House. This is probably one of the most well-known places in Astoria, except for the my recent discovery of Bowpicker Fish & Chips. Do you like food trucks? Well, this place is a food boat. Simple menu with fish and chips served on land from the bow of a boat. Anyway...back to Fort George. We did the tasting flight which offered over a dozen samples! Good thing we shared. I really liked their Oatmeal Pale Ale and their seasonal, Java the Hop. It is like this coffee, chocolate, smooth IPA. It is not dark like a stout and easy to drink. Oh and if you are feeling crazy but don't want beer, they have a Wasabi Ginger Ale. Yes, woah.

Next stop, Blue Scorcher Bakery & Cafe. Why? Because we needed a cookie after all those savory beers. It also helped that it was in the same building as Fort George. We sampled a Swedish Limpa bread...who has tried this? It was a first for me and such a nice treat with flavors of orange and fall spices. I tasted the anise seed instantly but was told their was fennel in it too. Delish! This is not their recipe, but I imagine this is similar to what I ate. We walked out with a large chocolate ginger molasses cookie and that poor cookie didn't make it a block. We devoured it on our walk to Buoy Beer Company.

Buoy Beer Company was neat, I wished I took more photos. Their taproom is right on the water so there are great views of the ocean and all the ships coming in and out. We went for clam chowder and sweet potato fries. The best kind of comfort food on a crisp, fall day at the coast. There was an incredible rainbow over the ocean that captured most of the patrons attention. We will have to visit again when we can spend more time sampling all the beers. The rain was coming, so we wanted to get on the road quickly.

We hit the jackpot in Astoria and I was pleasantly surprised with how far this little coastal town has come. Next visit will call for an overnight stay because I want to try the pre-Prohibition cocktails at Albatross.

Fort George Brewery & Public House | Blue Scorcher Bakery & Cafe | Buoy Beer & Co. 

all open seven days a week

Nuvrei's MAC BAR in the Pearl

                   

Nuvrei Pâtisserie & Cafe has decided to step up their game and provide Portland with it's very own MAC bar. I had the privilege of attending a launch party where I was able to sample croissants, macarons and bagels...all house made. I have only visited Nuvrei one other time and clearly, I have been missing out. The almond croissant I took with me barely made it out of the car. I mean really, a fresh croissant needs to be eaten on the spot. 

When I arrived, my mouth was welcomed with a buttery, warm croissant (yup...I had two) before I even had a chance to walk in the door. Oh yeah, why am I here again? The macarons...let me get back on track. Nuvrei has always had a great reputation for their perfect macarons and now they have a special  MAC BAR to feature all their incredible flavors. My favorite of the night was chai but I also sampled chestnut, hazelnut and white chocolate. Next time I visit, I want to try earl grey and espresso. Nothing like having dessert for dinner! My kind of night. 

This is great place to stop and cozy upThe Pearl District or if you are looking to give the gift of dessert, stop in for a dozen macarons. Oh and their coffee is from Heart Coffee Roasters, which is a bonus!

Nuvrei

404 NW 10th Avenue

Portland, Oregon

503.972.1700

open mon - sat 7am - 5pm | sun 8am - 5pm

Muselet Restaurant & Wine Bar - October Wine Dinners

It is time to get fancy! South Waterfront will be the home of a new restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Muselet Restaurant & Wine Bar will open their doors in December but until then, you can attend one of their champagne wine dinners at Jacobson Salt Co. in just a couple weeks. Guess who has EXCLUSIVE details? This girl!

Muselet will feature French-influenced cooking from Chef William Harper, a veteran of several of Portland's finest restaurants, with a food-pairing focus on Champagne and regional sparkling wines. This new restaurant and wine bar is a perfect match for me because I love bubbles and I don't need a special occasion to drink them.

Once this 80 seat restaurant (+ seasonal patio seating!) is open, then I will share my experience but for now, check out one of these three opportunities for a sneak preview!

October 24th - Celebrate International Champagne Day!

• Hors d’oeuvres and six courses, each paired with Champagne.
• Four producers of Récemment Dégorgé (prestige) ‘grower’ Champagnes from France will be in attendance and seated among guests:
• Rodolphe Péters, Champagne Pierre Peters
• Arnaud Margaine, Champagne A. Margaine
• Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy, Champagne Rene Geoffroy
• Laetitia Billiot, Champagne H. Billiot Fils. 

Location: Jacobsen Salt Co. 602 SE Salmon St, Portland
$150 per person, including wine pairings, excluding gratuity. Limited seating.

October 25th - Hommage to the Greatest Champagne Houses in the World

• Hors d’oeuvres and six courses, each paired with Champagnes from the prestige cuvée of Moët Hennessy, including Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, 
• House of Ruinart, House of Krug and Dom Pérignon. Representatives from Moët Hennessy will be present

Location: Jacobsen Salt Co. 602 SE Salmon St, Portland
$150 per person, including wine pairings, excluding gratuity. Limited seating.

October 31st, 4-6:30pm - Bubbles & Treats Halloween Sparkling Wine Hour

• Start your Halloween celebration with us! Guests will taste a selection of the Veuve Cliquot and sparkling wines from around the world. Enjoy generous hors d’oeuvre ‘treats’.
• Special selection of bubbles will be available for purchase.
• Most creative costume will receive dinner for two to Muselet.

Location: Umpqua Bank, South Waterfront, 3606 SW Bond Ave, Portland
$35 per person. Limited tickets available.

Reservations: ron@museletpdx.com or 503-706-4671

Tillamook's BRUNCH VILLAGE at Feast Portland

It has officially been one week since Feast Portland's Tillamook Brunch Village and I think I am finally coming off the food high. This is the first year for Brunch Village and it was similar to the Grand Bounty Tasting...but better...because it was all centered around pastries, biscuits and morning cocktails. Portland puts a priority on their "brunching" so it is only fitting that there is a Feast event dedicated to this meal.

We started with Country Cat's bacon birch syrup cinnamon roll and what a way to start off the morning! I could have eaten two of these little pieces of heaven but knew it would be wise to save my stomach for another sweet treat. We wondered over to one of Stumptown's three stations and found cold brew on Nitro. Then, it was time for a Bloody Mary from Whole Foods and a grapefruit mimosa from the Bon Appétit Magazine tent. The Bloody Mar bar was insane...so many hot sauces and garnishes. Typically this is not my cocktail of choice, but with that spread, I had to make one!

Cream puffs on cream puffs at the Travel Oregon booth. Oh and the Eclairs were pretty tasty too.

Last, I finished with Pine State Biscuit's fried chicken sandwich was bacon and sweet apple butter. I have been craving a full size biscuit sandwich since I tried this sweet and savory sample.

The only item I feel I really missed out on was Los Angeles' Egg Slut's bacon kimchi rice with a poached egg and other goodness. They were poaching eggs on site...so impressive and the presentation looked incredible. Check out Union Wine Company's Instagram post and you will know what I am talking about.

I hope Feast Portland brings back Brunch Village next year because I am definitely attending again. In fact, I have already recruited a handful of foodies to join me!

For details on next year's Four Day Party for your Mouth, follow Feast Portland - @feastpdx and #feastpdx. 

See you next September 17th - 20th! 

BBQ again? Smokehouse 21 in NW Portland

Yes yes...we went for BBQ...again. We can't seem to get enough of it this summer and when I saw this article on Portland's best ribs, it naturally prompted us to take a stroll to the Alphabet District and try Smokehouse 21. We have probably walked by this place a dozen times and have never noticed it. It is a small restaurant with a sign up high, so be sure to look for it. I believe they have a sandwich board and outdoor seating now so you can keep an eye out for that too. 

Although the restaurant is small, the menu definitely isn't. There are a variety of sandwiches, entrees, sides and menu items that can be ordered a la carte. We both ordered entrees with two sides each and of course, I made sure we did not duplicate on side dishes. :)

                     

                    

I have learned that ordering a starter or appetizer at a BBQ joint is never necessary because of the amount of food you get, but when am I EVER practical when it comes to food? So, I started with the bacon molasses cornbread with honey butter syrup. I blame Dylan because he ordered a deviled egg with a big ol' piece of sausage on top and I definitely couldn't let him eat alone. 

Our combined order was pulled pork, brisket, cole slaw, mac n' cheese, potato salad and baked beans. I have the hardest time ordering anything but pulled pork and wasn't disappointed. Dylan said the brisket was some of the best he has had - even better than Podnah's Pit in NE Portland! It was tender and smoky with a lot of flavor. All their meat is served dry so you can add sauce to your liking. I went for the classic Texan-style sauce but they have many others to choose from. 

cornbread

pulled pork, baked beans, slaw

mouth full, in his happy place for sure

Next time we visit, we will definitely try the spare ribs and their house Bloody Mary. 

Smokehouse 21

413 NW 21st. 

Portland, Oregon 

971.373.8990

open 7 days a week | 11:30am - close | happy hour daily 3pm - 6pm