Spring Beer & Wine Fest - April 6th & 7th

Just because it doesn't feel like spring in Portland, doesn't mean we still can't participate in spring events! Stay warm inside at the Convention Center for this year's Spring Beer & Wine Fest. Last year I attended this event and had a pretty good time. It felt a bit weird to be inside for a beer festival, but it certainly didn't change how everything tasted!

This year, I am not too crazy about the wineries (maybe I am spoiled because I work in wine country) but I am excited about the breweries. There seems to be a pretty good selection and a variety of brewers I haven't heard of.

Check out the pricing details for more information. Free admission for the first 1000 people each day!

April 6th & 7th 2012

12:00pm to 11:00pm 

Oregon Convention Center

777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd

Portland, Oregon 

See you there! 

Brown baggin' it at Brix Tavern

This weekend was my third visit to Brix Tavern in Portland's Pearl District and yes, I do recommend it! It is a great spot for happy hour and perfect for a casual date.  The atmosphere is fun and upbeat, with live music. It is usually a one man show, but sometimes small bands play too. There are dart boards, a pool table and a foosball table in the back half of the restaurant There are a few televisions, but nothing obnoxious and it is not the focal point of the restaurant.

brown bag brew

One thing that makes this spot unique is their bartender's brown bag beer choice. You can order a beer for three bucks and the bartender will bring over a beer in a brown bag and surprise, you get what you get! It is a pretty fun conversation piece at the table. The guys love it. 

Their dinner menu is extensive with a lot of selections. So far, I have played it safe with the margarita pizza and cheeseburger from the happy hour menu, but there are several other tasty selections. Next time, I will go for the Brix Chips or the Caramelized Butternut Squash & Pancetta pizza. Take a look at their menu online to find your favorite.

But, I need to be upfront and tell you the REAL reason I love Brix Taverm. Take a look at the menu and the house cocktails and you will find one ingredient I am very partial to. If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know right away that it is sweet basil. The lemon basil martini is made to perfection and I can't wait to eat my way through the rest of the basil-inspired menu.

Brix Tavern

1338 NW Hoyt Street

Portland, Oregon

503.943.5995

open seven days a week

hours

Brown Butter Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Chicken. That was my inspiration for tonight's meal. I had two chicken breasts that I needed to use but I was lazy and tired and definitely not into trying a new recipe. But, I was determined. Eventually, I discovered a new food blog called How Sweet It Is and this recipe was on her home page - brown butter parmesan chicken linguine. YUM.

I have never made brown butter before, so that was what first intrigued me (yes, I know...who hasn't made brown butter?). I jumped up off the couch and instantly started pulling out ingredients. The only thing I lacked was the mushrooms and dry wine, but I improvised and it turned out pretty darn good. 

Making brown butter was a success! I just loved how Jessica from How Sweet It Is wrote this post because she made me so excited about something as simple as brown butter. Reading her post made me want to find as many dishes as I can with brown butter! :) 

Here was the photo that inspired me to make this dish: 

brown butter via How Sweet It Is

A quick look at the ingredients:

1.5-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 pound whole wheat pasta (preferably noodles)

2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for topping

fresh chopped parsley for topping

Check out her blog for other delicious recipes! 

Black Beans & Rice with Apple Salsa

I found another delicious recipe that I had to try, and guess what? It was actually a healthy one! This recipe is from Our Best Bites blog and is sort of a latin dish, Black Beans & Rice with Apple Salsa. I was drawn to this recipe because I wanted to try the apple salsa and it was so easy. I will definitely be making this again.

This dish calls for chicken and you can prepare it anyway you would like. Grilling chicken on the barbecue would be tasty and I want to try this next time, but I was in a rush, so I went for the rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  

If you read Sara's original post, she recommended adding less broth and I couldn't agree more. I ended up probably adding about 10 ounces instead of the full 13.5 ounce can - you can decide though.

See below for the ingredients and check out the recipe from Our Best Bites:

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa
Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2012 

Feel free to play around with the quantities in this recipe, like I did.  You can add more onion to the salsa, or increase seasonings in the beans.  Taste as you go and make it your own!

1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided
2 limes
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoons coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown or white rice
1 rotisserie chicken, or 4 grilled chicken breasts
4-6 lime wedges

Bottle vs. Box - David Hill Winery

Generally, when I hear "boxed wine", I think of college parties, Franzia and my grandparents.  But, David Hill Winery is changing the way Willamette Valley wines are contained. This weekend my family and I tried their Farmhouse Red, both from the box and from the bottle. To my surprise, no one could really tell the difference. Some people argued the color was slightly different but no one could identify which was which.

bottle vs. box

Though I am not going to rush to replace all my wine bottles with boxes, this is still pretty neat. The box wine is tasty, sustainable, easy to travel with and holds four bottles of wine. In fact, it is cheaper too. 

If you decant this wine...I bet you can trick your family and friends. They might never know the difference. Give it a try!

David Hill Winery

46350 NW David Hill Rd

Forest Grove, OR 97116

503.992.8545

Oven & Shaker

I love pizza. I really do and I have fallen in love with a new pizza place - Oven & Shaker in Portland's Pearl District. They had me at "three-time James Beard nominated chef Cathy Whims (Nostrana), veteran Northwest bartender Ryan Magarian, and ChefStable visionary Kurt Huffman." I mean come on, read that line up.

fennel sausage pizza

Oven & Shaker is a fun restaurant with high energy, rustic ambiance and fantastic food. The menu is not over the top, the cocktails are spot on and the service was excellent. We sat up at the bar, which is most of the restaurants seating. There are bar seats facing the window, high seating with bar stools and only a few low banquette seats. The bartender was knowledgeable and offered several suggestions. There was four of us and we decided to dine family style by ordering four different pizzas to share.  

collards pizza

We ordered the Collards, Salami, Wild Fennel Sausage and Chicory pizzas. Yes, those are four different pizzas...check out the full menu. I would say my two favorites were the salami and chicory pizzas. What really made the pizzas was the salami pizza was flavored with honey and chicory pizza was made with aged balsamic. I was very impressed with the flavors and the combinations.    


Good news: Open seven days a week, local microbrew selection, local wines from the barrels, creative and unique pizza menu, attentive and friendly staff, comfortable ambiance   
Not so good news: No reservations accepted and not much seating for large parties.  
Tip: For ginger lovers, try the Pineapple Trainwreck cocktail...it is turning into their signature drink. 

Oven & Shaker

1134 NW Everett Street

Portland, Oregon 97209

503.241.1600

Open: 7 days a week, 4pm - midnight

Happy Hour: 10pm - midnight

Making Merry Moments

Hi everyone!

I have to apologize that I have been absent from my Endless Eats blog lately! I have been working on a holiday project and I would love your participation!

It is about spreading the holiday cheer by making merry moments. This is an opportunity to pay it forward and do something special for someone - either big or small. It all counts. Take a look at the blog for some ideas!

http://themerrymoments.blogspot.com/

I can't wait to hear what you think and any ideas you have!