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

The FEASTING begins! #feastpdx

We have had such a beautiful summer this year and I can't think of a better way to end it than celebrating Oregon's incredible bounty. Feast Portland is three days of eating and drinking anything and everything you can imagine. This celebration takes over the city with chef speaker series, grand tasting, dinner series, a night market and my NEW favorite - Brunch Village. Stay tuned because I will be sharing my brunch experience with you with lots of photos after the event. Although this event is sold out, there are many still available over the weekend.

via feastportland.com

It is not to late to purchase tickets to the following events:

Friday, September 19th

MAIN EVENT: 

Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting at Pioneer Square - I mean...just go. For only $60, it is basically all the food and drink you can eat. GREAT food, awesome atmosphere and five hours long!

TASTING PANELS: 

Chardonnay is for Lovers - Does Oregon have Chardonnay? Why yes they do...this event features some wonderful whites from Evening Land, Bergstrom, Chehalem and four other wineries! 

A Walk on the Sour Side - sour beers are all the rage right now and if you haven't tried them, now is your time!

Negroni O'Clock - Exploring Negroni cocktails BEFORE noon? Yes, you can have a bitter cocktail in the morning, afternoon or night. There is a mention of pureed local peach cocktail...yum. 

Saturday, September 20th 

MAIN EVENT: 

Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting at Pioneer Square 

High Comfort at The Nines - this event sounds like a blast. High end comfort food and a chic hotel? Yes and yes... prepared by 20 Chefs with Oregon's top winemakers. 

TASTING PANELS: 

Beans & Booze  - Yes, beans...coffee beans! Mixing booze and your favorite coffee to create some incredible cocktails! 

Tastes Great. Less Filling - go taste the best new lagers! For the light craft brew drinker, come try some new ales from Worthy Brewing and Michigan Founders Brewing Co. 

You can download the full schedule PDF here. 

Cheers! 

Cider Cocktails for Cider Week!

I am a cider fan.

And now there is a WHOLE week in Portland dedicated to cider. This makes me happy. You know what else makes me happy? Cider cocktails at St. Honore Boulangerie with my girlfriends. With all the incredible ingredients being used in cocktails, the St. Honore team decided to use their creativity to mix up some fun cocktails but without the liquor. It is a great concept if you are an establishment that doesn't have a liquor license.

The Midnight Paradise was my choice and I could have had five of them...no joke. The delicious ingredients are Finnriver Farmstead Cider, Lillet Blanc, sweet orange vinegar, elderflower syrup and orange peel.

We tried these cocktails at the newest location on SE Division and I learned they have a happy hour menu served from 4:00pm - close. St. Honore is a bakery so naturally they have beautifully baked treats and fresh savory breads. Lots to choose from on the menu! Kelsey tried french macaroons for the first time and these little cookies were extra sweet since they are made with real apple cider.

                    

Check out one of their three locations in NW on Thurman Street, in Lake Oswego or on SE Division Street. 

open 7 days a week | 7am - 8pm (or later) 

*this was a hosted event, but all opinions are my own. 

It is almost here - Feast Portland!

I said it once and I will say it again...I am not missing this fabulous event.

Feast Portland is less than two weeks away and tickets are selling out quickly! This is Portland's premier event for food and beverage with participating Chefs and culinary experts from all around the city. Take a look at the event list for more details.

This year, you will find me at the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting on Friday, but don't be surprised if you see me bouncing around other parts of the city for other events.

via Feast 

The brunch series look incredible so I might have to pull the trigger and purchase a ticket. Like I said, I will go broke before I miss out on all this goodness. I mean a brunch bike ride? Can you get any more Portland than that? A few of the Portland restaurant participants are Ned Ludd and Clyde Common, but you can check out the whole line-up when you buy your tickets.

Stay tuned for more updates on Feast. Please share your experiences by leaving a comment below!

*sponsored post.

Yup...still, the best weekend ever.

The festivities continued.

First off, we pitched a tent in REI this weekend...so that was fun.

Friday was a great day for food, friends and a rooftop. Two of my friends hosted a potluck barbecue on their apartment's rooftop and it was a lovely evening for it. Kelsey featured a yummy barbecue chicken with homemade sauce and I loved the flavors! Check out the recipe on her blog.

a candid gem of the ladies on the rooftop

Saturday, we made our way over to the Oregon Brewers Festival. Yes...Saturday...at 4pm. This is quite possibly the worst time to go to a beer festival if you are actually trying to TASTE beers. It is hot, loud and busy with long lines. If you want to taste beers (1 token = taster, 4 tokens = a full beer), then I suggest visiting the festival on Wednesday, Thursday or early on Friday. Saturday and Sunday are crazy...good crazy, but a lot of people. Needless to say, I wasn't doing much tasting. If I am going to stand in line for 15 minutes, this girl is getting a full beer. This is what I was able to try:

Mt. Shasta Brewery's Skip And Go Naked - Strawberry Ginger Hefeweizen.
Burnside Brewing Co.'s Marionberry Berliner Weisse
Coalition Brewing Co.'s Wheat the People - American Wheat

I give a thumb's up to the Ginger Hefe (I love ginger) and the American Wheat. Burnside disappointed me with the Marionberry...you could hardly taste the berries!

Sunday was filled with more IPNC fun at the Passport to Pinot event. It was a beautiful summer day filled with food sampling and wine drinking. We had a blast! So many Pinots, so little time.

We were able to sample bites from Salt & Straw, PBJs, Crown Paella, Red Hills Market, Portland Penny Diner and so many more! Too many wineries to name, but you can check out the IPNC Web site for a full list.

Coquine Supper Club bites

love the concept - tapas catering by Crown Paella

a fantastic PDX band 

Needless to say, it was a fantastic weekend of eating and drinking. Now it is time to gear up for the next festival, Feast Portland! I said it before and I will say it again...I am not missing it this year. 

The best weekend ever.

Have I said that before about another weekend? Probably. But seriously, this is one of the best weekends ever.

If you love beer and wine, then you know what I am talking about.

The last weekend of July many Oregonians will be spending their time in the Willamette Valley enjoying the International Pinot Noir Celebration or relaxing on the Tom McCall Waterfront Park for the Oregon Brewer's Festival. Actually, both events are nationally recognized so many people come from all over to attend one of these two events.

Tonight I found myself enjoying a lovely setting and a spectacular sunset at Stoller Vineyards for the Pre-IPNC Summertime ¡Salud! Dinner. Fortunately for me, there was an extra ticket and I was the lucky one. I cannot even begin to describe the stunning views, delightful company and wonderfully executed family-style meal. Yes, you read that correctly, family-style....my favorite type of dining.

I couldn't wait to share some of the photos I took of the beautiful views. For once, I actually wasn't snapping photos of my food. What a bad night to forget my camera.

Also, take a look at the menu prepared by our very own, Chef Sunny Jin. Yes yes, I am biased because I work with the guy but seriously it was delicious.

garden beet & blueberry salad with briar rose madrona, candied walnuts, banyuls vinaigrette

juniper-scented heritage pork loin with sprouted wheat berries, scallions, radishes, fig-saba marmalade

grilled new york strip loin with yukon gold potatoes, chicory slaw, charred garden onions, dijonnaise 

blackberry cobbler with greek yogurt, jory granola, brown sugar caramel 

birch syrup panna cotta with tequila-pickled cherries, mexican chocolate sauce 

Next up...celebrating Oregon Craft Beer Month.

How are you celebrating this weekend?

Andina - 10 years and counting...

I am long overdue for this post but I wanted to quickly mention that this month (I know, I know...it is almost over) is Andina's 10 year anniversary! This is quite an accomplishment and owner, Mama Doris, has a lot to be proud of! She was kind enough to treat some PDX bloggers to a wonderful evening where we learned about the history of her restaurant, her love for Peru and the inspiration behind the delicious food and drink.

Fortunately for me, this wasn't my first time dining at Andina, but it was one of my more memorable dining experiences. I wish I could sit with a restaurant owner at every meal. It is unbelievable to hear the inspiration behind the cuisine and the story behind the family and the employees.

I was amazed by the thought behind every creation - even their cocktails. We met Head Bartender, Greg Hoitsma, and learned about his travels through Peru and his history at Andina. All of his cocktails have a story. I recommend you visit Greg so he can tell you all about one of their signature cocktails, Sacsayhuamán, better known as the "sexy woman." It has nothing to do with the translation but everything to do with the pronunciation.

Below are a couple some iPhone snaps from the evening. You can find more photos from the PDX bloggers here!

Andina Restaurant

1314 NW Glisan

Portland, Oregon 97209

503.228.9535

disclaimer: this was a hosted event, but all opinions are my own. 

Don't forget! June is Portland's Dining Month

June is the best time of the year. Why, you ask?

Well...it is the kick-off to summer in Portland. The sun starts to show itself, beer festivals begin, outdoor patios open, running season is in full swing and it is DINING MONTH! Yes...three course meals for $29 at your favorite restaurants in PDX.

This is a great time to check out some of those special restaurants that have been on you list for months.   Take advantage of the great deal and see what the 80+ restaurants have to offer.

via

Some places that I plan to visit: 
Riffle NW
Wildwood Restaurant
Imperial
Genoa

Check out more of the restaurants and details here. Where do you plan to go?

Can't wait until next year...Feast Portland.

Dear Feast Portland,

I wish I could have met you and all of your friends.

Can't wait until next year...I will go broke before I miss out on such a great event.

Mark it on your calendars for next year...Portland's ultimate "foodie" event.

http://www.eatmagazine.ca/feast-portland-portland-puts-on-the-show-of-the-year/

@feastpdx

September 20, 21 & 22nd 2013.

via

Allison Wonderland - food, wine & art event

So, I have to make a plug for a fabulous event at The Allison Inn & Spa, next Saturday August 6th. This is the first annual Allison Wonderland, an upscale farmer's market featuring local food, wineries and artists.

The Allison Inn & Spa has partnered with Lexus Luxury Cars to showcase a series of new events. This first event, Allison Wonderland, will kick off the series with some fine food, great wine, live music and a variety of different artistic media. It is going to take place throughout the gardens and on the walking paths around The Allison. 

Event Info

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

5:30 - 11pm

$100 per person

Take a look here to see a complete list of all the wineries, purveyors, artists and a sample menu!

R.S.V.P to the event

Forkfly Event at Henry's Tavern

So tonight is a quick post - I had so much fun at dinner tonight sitting on the patio at Henry's Tavern on 12th in NW. It was nice weather again so we had to take advantage of it because Autumn is approaching quickly!

We went for happy hour, but sadly found out happy hour prices are not offered on the patio! Such a bummer. But, we also found out that Forkfly was putting on an event right next to Henry's patio for First Thursday. They were playing great music, giving away prizes and conducting this awesome scavenger hunt. We were just spectating, but we should have done it - people were winning ipads and hotel staysat The Benson!

Forkfly is this awesome app and social media tool that offers great discounts at Portland merchants. We used one for Henry's tonight - buy one appetizer, get one free! Follow them on Twitter for great deals.

I love my Thursday dinner club with my girlfriends and Henry's is always a staple place to go.

PROS: Fantastic beers on tap (good fruity ones too), extensive menu with lots of variety, great happy hour prices, large patio

CONS: No happy hour on the patio :(

Henry's Tavern

10 NW 12th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209

Sun-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-1am

Happy Hour: 4 - 6pm

503.227.5320

Drink up! - Portland International Beerfest

I love summer for two reasons - the beautiful weather and the plethora of beer festivals in Oregon! So, two weekends ago, my friends and I made it out to the PIB (Portland International Beerfest) in the Pearl District. I especially like this beerfest because there are usually a decent amount of dunkel beers (my favorite). AND...it just so happened to be my friend's birthday, so there was a large group of us attending.

It was out on the lawn in the North Park Blocks on NW Davis and NW Park Ave. This festival is smaller than the Oregon Brewer's Festival on the waterfront, but still just as fun and has shorter lines.

So, how it works - you get an official PIB glass, a beer guide and tickets that can be used for 4oz pours or pints of beer. Personally, I like to use all my tickets for 4oz tasters because I love trying new kinds of beer. Plus, if you don't like it, it is only 4oz!



Next you have to tackle the guide - I like to look through it to find the beers I want to taste. The guide tells you a little bit about the beer (type, brewery, alcohol content etc...), number of tickets for a taste and its location at the beer fest. It is all a little overwhelming at first, but once you get going, it is awesome! I always track down the fruit beers first because I am a chick and I like chick beers. But, of course, I tried others too! See below.

Fruit Beers

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat from 21st Amendment Brewery - I have tried this before - pretty good for a watermelon beer, but not my favorite fruit beer.

Raspberry Wheat from Cascade Brewery - this was the female favorite and it was not even on the guide! It was a replacement beer because they ran out of another one. Boy were we lucky!

*Anthem Cherry Cider from Wandering Aengus Ciderworks - there is an asterisk by this one because technically it is not a beer, but we did try it anyway! Very cherry flavored and had mixed reviews from everyone. Go figure the guys did not like it but some of the ladies thought it was refreshing and like a melted otter pop popsicle!

Other beers

Spaten Munich Dunkel from Spaten West - always delicious! A dark wheat beer with flavors of raisins - it is like a dark hefe.

Ayinger Brau Weisse from Merchant du Vin - a tasty unfiltered Hef Weizen, always good for summer days.

De la Senne Equinox from Shelton Brothers - a nice belgium beer but with very strong flavors, I was disappointed I did not try more from this brewery because there were quite a few.

Beers I missed...but have to try!

John John Juniper Ale from Rogue Brewery

Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weisse from Spaten West

Of course we tried a lot more beers, but I lost track. I tried to be official and circle them on my guide, but I only got about half way through before I got too distracted. Overall, a success and I wish I could say I went to the Oregon Brewer's Fest, but unfortunately I did not make it. You better believe I will be next year though!

Check out http://www.beernw.com/events for more beer events in the Northwest!

Fresh Ingredients from Beaverton Farmer's Market

We are approaching the middle of July and I FINALLY made it the Beaverton Farmer's Market . For a food lover, I was long overdue, especially since I live ten minutes away from one of the best farmer's markets in the NW. I decided to go in the morning with my mom and sister before I had to head to work - bad idea. I say this because I spent so long sampling and buying fresh ingredients that I hardly left enough time to do anything with them!

Beaverton Farmer's Market - located on SW Hall Blvd between 3rd and 5th Streets

SATURDAYS 5/8/10 - 10/30/10 8am - 1:30pm WEDNESDAYS 6/16/10 - 8/25/10 3pm - 6pm

We ended up walking around for a couple hours, saw the entertainment and ate plenty of samples. We tried some many tasty things - like homemade jams, breads and juices. There were also a few stands with incredible bouquets of flowers (next time I am taking my camera). After all the walking around, we left with the following: fresh tomatoes on the vine, red onions, cilantro, basil, garlic, a macadamia butter spread and a loaf of Dave's Killer Bread.

By favorite purchase was our basil - it was only $1 for a bunch from a vendor from the Yakima Valley. Such a deal! You cannot get that price anywhere, unless you grow it yourself!

So the plan was to make fresh pico de gallo but I also wanted to make caprese with my basil. So, I had to stop at the store for a couple of items (jalapeno, lemon and lime).

SO delicious and I cannot wait to go back this Saturday! Go check it out - the weather is going to be beautiful this weekend. It is a great place for families too!

This must be meant for me - Downtown Portland Dining Month!

Oh my! Take a look at this great deal. For the month of June, several restaurants are taking part in Downtown Portland Dining Month. 3 courses for $25. You can't beat that. I think this deal was meant for me!

Click on the this link and check out some of the restaurants participating in Downtown Portland Dining Month -http://www.downtownportland.org/diningmonth/

Some listed are - Saucebox, Kell's Irish Pub, Red Star Tavern, Mother's Bistro, Bluehour, Rogue Brewery and so many more!

Check them out and leave a comment letting me know what you think!