[PDX] Portland, Pearl District - 1st time, need recommendation for one dinner

Thanks to all of those who have provided their gracious help here on the PDX board and beyond!

We ended up doing a lunch at Ken's Artisan Bakery and dinner at Lucier.

Ken's Artisian Bakery
Well, let me start with the good, and say the food was really fantastic. I went completely off the reservation and had a pulled pork sandwich and the BF had the Portabello croques monsieur. The pork had just the right amount of spice in the bbq and had been pulled perfectly, so that the fat had all been removed, and you were left with a juicy, tasty delight. One of the unique aspects was the sauce - it wasn't super heavy... kind of more like a marinade. Drippy yumminess on a wonderful ciabatta roll. The textures and flavors were magnificent.

I managed to get a bite of the portabello croques monsieur. This tasty morsel was a baked delight. Served open faced on country bread, and with what I think was bechamel (maybe gruyre too) cheese, it was just awesome.

We washed our lunch down with Limonatas, and were FULL!

The down side to Ken's was, being from out of town, I guess I didn't know "where" to stand. I stood in front of the register for 10 minutes, and nobody helped me. They seemed very busy (with what, I don't know), and so I waited. Waited until a line formed at the pastry case, which was apparently where you were SUPPOSED to be if you wanted service. So, then I had to go to the back of the line (because like 5 people came in at the same time), and I waited another 10 minutes to get helped. ACK. So, I finally got to order, and she was very nice. But, because I ordered sandwiches, it took another 10 minutes for them to bake them to go. Normally, 10 minutes is no big deal, but add those waits together and you get 30 minutes!! Way to long to wait (before you even get your food) for two sandwiches. Moral of the story - don't be nice, be aggressive.

Lucier

7:00pm Reservation on a Saturday night

Ambience:

The restaurant itself, was a tad hard to find, but that is because it is tucked behind two condos. Thankfully, they have put a sign out on the sidewalk, and when you see it, you know your close! The interior space was fantastic, it was clean lined, but not modern and the windows display a spectacular view of the river. While we had dinner, there were many other diners, and while the place hummed with a comfortable buzz, I was pleased to find that it was not overly noisy, as is the trend.

Service:

As all the hype has eluded to, the service is done as a team effort. It seemed to really work out well, and we were never really in need of anything. There wasn't too much doting, but some of the “displays” were on the teeter totter edge of pretentious (Vinaigrette presentation on the salad – see below, and my BF thought the purse hanger on the table was a bit over the top). The sommelier really knew his wines, and made some great recommendations. The other stand out in service was Jeff, the maître fromager. We love cheese, and his service, knowledge and presentation was fantastic. The only complaint I have, was at the end of dinner, the team service “captian” brought the check without offering coffee (or dessert wines), which we wanted. When I mentioned it, the he said, no problem, they would bring it. Later, I apologized about giving him a hard time regarding the coffee, and instead of saying something like “oh, I should have offered it”, he said something to the effect of “oh, I have difficult tables all the time”. :o(

Price:

Tasting Menu $100/pp, but you could do a three course plus wine and still be at about $85 - $100/pp

FOOD:

WINE:

List: Phenomenal!! We found great wines from all over the world, but also a great selection of wines from local wineries, and a ton of very small producers. Things you’ll know, but lots you won’t! Would take you a week to go through it wine by wine… as it was, it took us a good 15 minutes.

Our wine for dinner was decided upon after conferring with the sommelier – he gave us many great choices, but again we went local with a small bottling from Dundee, OR, a 2005 Ayoub Pinot Noir. With only 220 cases in production, we figured it was a great way to try a smaller vintner. Fantastic wine with so many black fruit flavors!! It was rounded out perfectly by the delicate flavors picked up by the terroir - full of earth, and smokiness. YUM.

We dove right in and did the chef's tasting menu – which was supposed to be formed around the availability of fresh heirloom tomatoes.

(ROASTED LANGOUSTINE - foie gras cromesquis, tomato & pine needle eau de vie) – the langoustine (Norway lobsters – look like baby lobsters) were very tasty, and served tail in shell. The foie gras cromesquis was made just a tad too big for a one mouth tasty bite, as I think they are intended, so they needed to be cut on the plate. This was my first time trying a cromesquis in the states, and for those who don’t know… they are like little hors d’œuvre type creations with fois gras melted in the center of a breaded crust. Unfortunately, I found the middles to be a bit cool, and the foie gras a bit sweet. The pine needle eau de vie was, despite my reservations, rather tasty, crisp and light. I don’t remember any tomato on this plate, and I was looking, as the tasting menu was supposedly prepared around the heirloom tomato.

(RABBIT LOIN PAUPIETTE & ROASTED LOBSTER - Haricots Verts and Armagnac Jus) – this was by far my favorite dish of the night (with the pheasant coming a close second). The rabbit was juicy, delicious, complimented perfectly by the Armagnac jus, just melt in your mouth and a wish you had more kind of food. Outstanding. The Haricots Verts were the smallest I have ever seen. The snappy texture was a great addition to the dish. The lobster was a small piece added as an aside to the rabbit, and although it was prepared perfectly and was tasty, the rabbit just stole the show.

(WATERMELON CONSOMMÉ - basil & kumquat popsicle) – While this was tasty, the popsicle was a very hard to eat. The basil and kumquat were in layers with a metal “toothpick”. The problem was that the basil layer was frozen rock solid, while the kumquat base layer was melting onto the plate. The toothpick was not inserted all the way through the popsicle, and came right out when you tried to pick the thing up. Sticking it back through was impossible, because the basil ice was solid. So, after much juggling, poking, sliding, and playing we got the thing to slide off the plate and precariously balance on the toothpick just long enough for us to get it to our mouth. I could have done without the watermelon consommé – ah, it was ok. Nice thought on the intermezzo, but needs some tweaking.

(CONFIT OF PHEASANT - seared scallop, potato galette, black licorice jus) – This dish was delicious. The confit was light, almost like a shredded pheasant and when eaten with the accompaniments, the flavors blended into a mouth watering delight. The scallop was cooked to perfection (and I am not a huge scallop fan). The black licorice jus was actually on the bottom of the plate and had a delectable slightly sweet, sticky, caramelized texture. Overall, just a wonderful dish!

(HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD - green almonds, melon, brioche, ice wine vinaigrette) – So HERE are the tomatoes!! After 4 courses of no tomatoes on an heirloom tomato based tasting menu, it was nice to find them. The tomatoes themselves were delicious, and the ice wine vinaigrette was lovely… but served a bit pretentiously. It also felt a touch like chemistry class. The wait staff came out with the salads, and the dressing was in a test tube, corked and clasped in a set of reverse tongs (the kind that grip and you press to release). They shook it in front of us, making a big display and poured it on the salad. Well, it all just seemed a bit silly to me, but the dressing was good. The green almonds were “toasted”, but I found one with my teeth, and boy was it hard! I have bionic teeth (lots of reconstruction work), but still… these babies were like jaw breakers. Neither of us could eat them. The melon added a refreshing touch to the salad, but overall it was just a tomato salad. I would skip it if it were on the menu a la carte.

(“WALK IN THE GARDEN” - fruit gaufrette, bruléed ravioli, fresh lychee fruit, sorbet (celery & ??)) - the bruleed ravioli was filled with sun dried tomatoes and the wrapper was candied pastry. To me, it was pretty un-tasty. We both left those on the plate. Lychee nuts are not my favorite… I tried them, but still didn’t like them! I think I ate one of the gaufrettes, but was so distracted by the ravioli, I don’t remember much about it. The sorbets were just a strange addition to a strange dessert. The celery sorbet would have made a lovely intermezzo.

** We added the rest (not on the tasting menu)

CHEESE CART SERVICE - artisanal & farmstead cheese selection with accompaniments

Clear Lake Blue
Constant Bliss - Unpasturized Cow Milk
Chevre Noir - Goat Milk Cheddar

The cheese selection was unbelievable. All types and from many countries. Jeff, the maître fromager, was wonderful about informing us about cheeses we had never heard of. We picked three that were unknowns to us, one of them local. The Clear Lake Blue was the local cheese, and was my favorite. Tangy, creamy and wonderful. The Constant Bliss was the BF’s favorite, and was running a close second for me. Creamy wonderland for your palate. The Chevre Noir was nice, but next to the other selections, it was just lost. But you can believe we still ate it!! All cheese is yummy!! Each cheese was paired with an accompaniment, honey walnuts, champagne grapes and uh... somthing else (opps!! I forgot!). Too much wine.

COFFEE – comes any way you like it (Americano, French press, drip, and all the espresso drinks). We got French press, and it was strong and dark.

What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday night. The dinner, by and large, was relaxed, well timed and scrumptious. I would recommend Lucier in a heartbeat to anyone going to the Portland area.

-----
Ken's Artisan Bakery
338 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209

Lucier Restaurant
1910 SW River Dr, Portland, OR 97201

soapgirl in Pacific Northwest

[PDX] Portland, Pearl District - 1st time, need recommendation for one dinner

Thanks to all of those who have provided their gracious help here on the PDX board and beyond!

soapgirl in Pacific Northwest

[PDX] Portland, Pearl District - 1st time, need recommendation for one dinner

Thanks!! I think I'll stay away from Salty's...

So, I think we are going to do Ken's Bakery for lunch (and take some tasty desserts and breads with us!!), and then Lucier for dinner. I almost did Le Pigeon... but maybe next time. I really wanted to do both, but dang, only time for one dinner!!

soapgirl in Pacific Northwest

[DFW] Colleyville - 62 Main (Contemporary Cuisine)

Update - 62 Main is out of business

soapgirl in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] San Franciscan turned Texite in Need of EXTREME help

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I have actually been there before for lunch, and found everything ok. But I wouldn't recommend it to others as anything special. I always find it so disapointing when service is so poor. Your right, a tad more chicken could have made for a different dining experience.

soapgirl in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[DFW] San Franciscan turned Texite in Need of EXTREME help

Thanks for the great recommendation!! We don't get up to Lewisville that often, but when we have occasion, it is nice to have good options! We have been back to Gloria's - mostly for the Friday/Saturday night live salsa music and plantains. Most of the other food is ok... but the music and margaritas are good!!

soapgirl in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[PDX] Portland, Pearl District - 1st time, need recommendation for one dinner

What about Salty's on the Columbia - is this a total touristy trap, or is the seafood great like they say???

soapgirl in Pacific Northwest

[PDX] Portland, Pearl District - 1st time, need recommendation for one dinner

Leonardo, my original report on Wildwood is posted above. I just forgot to post about the other impromtu lunch spot we dined at.

Ken's is on my list

soapgirl in Pacific Northwest

Help! Lunch tomorrow in Austin...

We ended up at Hula Hut. She loved it... the food was ok, but it was nice to be on the lake. Thanks for everyone's help on such short notice!

soapgirl in Austin

Help! Lunch tomorrow in Austin...

You guys are great!! Thanks for the quick response. We are heading out for the day! Yippe...

soapgirl in Austin

Help! Lunch tomorrow in Austin...

Anywhere in Austin is good... we are just poking around the city, so not really tied to one neighborhood. Looking for somthing that we will like, but also something that a 14 year old can do (not TOO ethnic - she'll freak). Casual, but nice. 3 of us for lunch... any budget ok. If there is a cool vibe to the place, that is great!! HELP!!

Thanks all!!

soapgirl in Austin

[DFW] San Franciscan turned Texite in Need of EXTREME help

Well, we tried Gloria's! Wow, I loved the fried plantains! Those were fantastic. The environment is very up beat and they have live music at night. The food is pretty good, and it was fun to try new things.

soapgirl in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[PDX] Portland, Pearl District - 1st time, need recommendation for one dinner

I am such a dork. I don't know why I thought we were having a Sunday lunch... we're not! Duh.

So, I think for dinner I have it narrowed to:
Lucier
Paley's Place
Alberta Street OB&G
Le Pigeon

For lunch, somehow I got stalled... so far I have Higgins and Fenouli, but now I know it is not Sunday, that makes a huge difference.

For light pastry/coffee type breakfast what do you think about:
Ken's Bakery & Cafe - and how about his pizza at the pizzaria??
St. Honore

soapgirl in Pacific Northwest

[PDX] Portland, Pearl District - 1st time, need recommendation for one dinner

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Now, I am finding it difficult to find a lunch place open on Sunday.... anybody have ideas?

Le Pigeon or Lucier might be winners for the dinner... well see!!

soapgirl in Pacific Northwest

[PDX] Portland, Pearl District - 1st time, need recommendation for one dinner

Ok, going to Portland again! Yippe! Another chance to try a few restaurants! I think this time we are going to try to do lunch on the way in, and then lunch and dinner on the way out. So, plausably, I could make it to three restaurants! Anyone have good lunch recs?

P.S. I forgot to post about my other Portland experience, which was at Ten 01. We did lunch here, and I don't remember what we had, just that we liked it. I believe we also had a split of champagne and a glass of red with lunch. Sorry I can't be more specific! Thats what happens when you wait 6 months to post. Grrr..

soapgirl in Pacific Northwest

[DFW] San Franciscan turned Texite in Need of EXTREME help

Thanks for the great suggestions... been away for a while.
We go to Thai Chili alot, especially since we went Vegan for a short while... now we are more flexitarian... but they do great veg dishes...
Have company coming to town... so maybe take them to Oishi.

Thanks again!

soapgirl in Dallas - Ft. Worth

[UWS-Hell's Kitchen]Lincoln Center - Pre/Post Theater Dinner Recs

Well, we ended up going to Picoline AND Telepan. We meant to only have the cheese and wine course pre-theater at Picoline, but mmm... it was prix-fixe only on Saturday. So, we ended up with two dinners. Both tasty, but Telepan was so much more casual.

Thank you to all who made recs!

soapgirl in Manhattan

[DFW] Dallas - Nana, Hilton Anatole Hotel

Thanks for the follow up reveiw... still on the list, but so many other places to try first!!!

soapgirl in Texas

Fearing's Review w/ Pics

I went a while back for a margarita tasting (which was fab) and one of the apps they sent out along with the drinks were their version of nachos.... outstanding. We have since been back, but only to the bar, hence only bar menu food. Everything so far has been very nice. Good to read a review and NICE pics!

soapgirl in Texas

Fusion Masala in Southlake

By Kroger Market shopping center on 1709, over in the corner by WAMU - I went when it first opened... food was not that fresh (ie seemed like it had been sitting around a while)... for what it is worth...

soapgirl in Texas

Vegan? (Dallas)

Thai Papaya Garden, Euless though... Most Thai restaurants will do a good job of accomodating veganism.

soapgirl in Texas

Central 214--Dallas

Thanks for the great post!!

soapgirl in Texas

New restaurant in Colleyville

Meant to post earlier...
Two new digs...
Costa Vida - Fresh Mex Grill, it was open when I drove by a few days ago.
Red Brick Pizza - not open yet

soapgirl in Texas

[DFW] Dallas – N9NE (Steakhouse)

Thanks for the link to the review!! He describes the atmosphere to a T. Darn! I almost ordered the burger!

soapgirl in Texas

[DFW] Dallas – N9NE (Steakhouse)

Visited: 3/19/07, 8 women ~ 6:00pm

Ambience: Contemporary and modern. The seating was well arranged, but due to solid floors, high ceilings and almost zero fabric, the room was very noisy which caused us to have to shout at each other across the table. Beautiful lighting. Definitely a see and be seen kind of place. I would not say it was romantic in any fashion, nor would you want to go if you really want to talk to the people next to you.

Service: They accommodated us even though we were late for our reservation (we did call and let them know). The wait staff was very competent. Food was timed appropriately and delivered hot, even though I ordered an unusual arrangement of foods. The only complaint I have is that at the end of the meal, they invited us back for after concert drinks in the lounge. We made a reservation to come back, but when the concert ended ~ 11:00pm, they were closed. The guy with the silly little CIA earpiece did contact his manager after a barrage of complaints from all of us, and the manager was nice enough to walk us to the Ghost Bar across the street at the W (which N9NE also owns). Strange, I thought… The American Airlines Center is PACKED with people, and you close your bar after the concert. Bizarre marketing to me… Not to mention the confusion of their staff, inviting and making reservations for guests wanting to return and then turning them away.

Price: ~$75/person for salads/apps and drinks – no entrees ordered

FOOD:

(Cream of Garlic Soup) – Garlic cream soup, with chive oil and lump crab meat. This was one of the specials of the night. The soup came out in a creamer and the bowl arrived separately with the lump crab and chive oil. Unfortunately, the lump crab meat was chilled, so when the garlic soup was poured on top, it made the whole dish luke-warm, but the centers of the lump crab stayed cold. The mix of luke-warm soup and cold crab didn’t sit well with my pallet and the fact that the soup was a tad too sweet made for a disappointing dish. I never did taste the chive oil.

(Mixed Green Salad) – This consisted of mixed greens, wasabi peas, sweet Thai chili sauce as the dressing and Asian pears. “Not Great” sums up this salad. The greens were a little out of date, wilting around the edges and the spinach a bit slimy. The dressing was sweet Thai chili sauce right out of the bottle… I guess I was expecting some kind of dressing make with a concoction of the chili sauce with other ingredients. The wasabi peas were great, but hey, those come from Central Market like that. The Asian pears were grated on top of the salad, which really added no flavor at all. Chunks or slices of the fruit might have negated the extra sweet dressing, but the shreds were just too flimsy to hold up to the sauce. I wouldn’t eat it again.

(Sashimi Sampler) – I was remiss in my duties to record the types of sashimi, but from what I can remember there was Maguro, Shiro Maguro, Sake, and Hamachi. It was served swimming in ponzu sauce, topped with jalapeños and served with sides of wasabi and soy. The fish was cold and fresh. Not the best sashimi I have ever had, but enjoyable. I ended up picking a lot of the jalapeños off so I could enjoy the fish and not the burn. I would order this again.

In the bread basket there were soft pretzel sticks mixed in with a variety of other breads. I mention these because they were stellar. Served with a side of whole mustard that complimented the taste – I should have eaten these all night!!

I also had two cosmopolitans, seeing as I was out with the ladies and not driving. They were made properly, cold and strong. Kudos to the bar tender.

I guess overall I felt like this was an interesting place for cocktails and I was disappointed with the sides. To judge it fairly, I would need to go back and order an entrée or two, including a steak, seeing as they say that all their beef is prime. I look forward to a yummy filet!!

3090 Olive Street #110
Dallas, TX 75219
www.n9ne.com

Happy eating!!

soapgirl in Texas

[DFW] Dallas - Craft, W Hotel (Contemporary Cuisine)

Still have not gotten to Lola's - but don't you worry... it is on the spreadsheet!! From all the great reviews, I am really looking forward to it. Thank you for your thoughts and recs!!

soapgirl in Texas

DFW Farmer's Markets/CSA?

Downtown Grapevine has a farmers market - never know which vendors are going to show up, but we try every week when they are there. The website says the dates this year will be: April 7, 2007 to October 27, 2007. This is on Main St. and it also includes an open air market for all kinds of other stuff.

soapgirl in Texas

Vosges?

Not had opportunity to try the ice creams, but they sound interesting... Have not physically looked at Northpark... but the Vosges rep said we should be able to find truffles there. Geesh, you guys, I am going to have to go to the gym every day of the week if I keep this up!!! :o)

soapgirl in Texas

Vosges?

OK, so I scouted the chocolate isle (as I always do..hhehehe) at Central Market tonight and found Voges bars, so I bought two. I managed to get the milk and cheese put away before I ripped them open!! I was secretly hoping that you were wrong about the black pearl bar, because I really did like the truffle so much, but... alas, you were right. I don't get any wasabi and only a tinie, weenie bit of ginger at the end after you have swallowed and sit there for a bit. Bummer. The good news is, the other one I tried, the Naga Bar (curry and coconut) was a better representation of the truffle. Not exactly the same intensity and preportions, but close enough and flavorfull enough. I could only eat one square because was very rich. There was one more, Red Fire, that I wanted, but it was hard for me to justify THREE chocolate bars all at once... so next shopping trip. Hope you're enjoying your goodies!!!

soapgirl in Texas