EAT BEAT

A Sweet Cart Kick-Off

The creative ice cream scoopers at Salt & Straw debuted their new cart on NE Alberta – and we’ve got the photos.

Posted by: Allison Jones on May 27, 2011 at 10:00AM 8 Comments

While watching a grown woman in a tutu eat a cone of locally-made beer and bacon ice cream in the rain, I couldn’t help but marvel: it doesn’t get more Portland than this. The Last Thursday Alberta Arts district street fair was dampened by wet skies, but the line at Kimberly Malek’s new ice cream cart Salt & Straw proved that a great idea can weather a storm.

The eight opening-night flavors were chosen via Ice Cream Democracy (aka a public Facebook poll), and included Honey Balsamic Strawberry with cracked black pepper, Laurelwood Brown Ale with Olympic Provisions bacon, Almond Brittle with salted ganache, Cold brewed Stumptown Coffee with cocoa nibs, Pear with Rogue Blue Cheese, Lemon Basil sorbet, Chocolate with brownies, and the night’s best seller, Sea Salt with caramel ribbons.

Construction on the brick and mortar scoop shop down the street is coming along smoothly, and if last night’s crowd is any indication, they’ll have a loyal following by the time it opens in August. Until then, you can find the Salt & Straw cart on the patio in front of Aviary and Barista at 1733 NE Alberta seven days a week, 1 pm to 10 pm, rain or shine.

Umbrellas and raindrops couldn’t stop Portlanders from getting their hands on their first scoop of farm-to-cone ice cream. Head ice cream maker Tyler Malek was on hand to chat about his difficult, difficult job of tasting ice cream all day.

The new cart was stationed in the middle of the stretch of Alberta closed to cars on Last Thursday, perfect for walk-up and bike-up scoop orders.

With this many flavors to choose from, most customers sampled every variety before settling on a single scoop. When the scoop shop opens, customers will be able to order flights of ice cream if they can’t pick a favorite.

The Honey Balsamic Strawberry with cracked black pepper is a sophisticated take on a summer staple. Salt & Straw flavors are available by the cone or cup in one scoop, two scoop, and kid-friendly sizes.

Even the dogs of the neighborhood crave a cone. This spoiled little guy got a taste of sea salt ice cream – off a spoon, no less.

Just another satisfied customer. When asked if she liked it, this cutie responded, “It’s bacon! Bacon ice cream! My favorite.” Ours too, kid. Ours too.

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Tags: Northeast, Northeast Dining, Dessert, Opening Night

The Quest for the Quintessential Doughnut

Forget frou-frou—we scoured the city in search of the simple circles, logs, and mounds of sugar-injected pastry that make us feel like a kid again.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Mar 09, 2011 at 09:15AM 24 Comments

Vanilla-frosted cake donut from Tonalli’s Donuts & Cream

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Vanilla-frosted cake donut from Tonalli’s Donuts & Cream

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Buttermilk bars at Tonalli’s Donuts & Cream

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Maple bar at Coco Donut

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Sesame cake donut at Sesame Donuts

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From top left, the Fairy Princess cake donut, French cruller & cardamom cake donut at Staccato Gelato

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The glazed blueberry old-fashioned at Donuts Plus

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The Butterfly at Annie’s Donut Shop

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The bacon-maple bar at VooDoo Doughnut

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The glazed regular at Krispy Kreme

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The coconut-maple cake donut at Delicious Donuts

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The chocolate-frosted devil’s food donut at Heavenly Donuts

From buttermilk to maple bars, cakes to cream-filled, and fritters to old-fashioneds, we wanted to know who is doing—and who is not doing—classic “donuts” right. Sure, there are plenty of restaurants doing delightful gourmet donut holes with salted caramel sauce or crème anglaise, but we wanted the nostalgic versions that Homer Price would approve of.

So, without further adieu, here’s our take on 10 local hotspots, in decreasing order of sugar-injected supremacy.

Would you agree?

1) Tonalli’s Donuts & Cream 2805 NE Alberta St

Upon moving to the Alberta Arts district, I tried Tonalli’s and thought “These are the best damn donuts in the world.” Upon trying a ton of other places, I feel the same way—as do the families and drunks that belly up to the counter of this modest shop, year-round. Not too dense, not too fluffy, not too greasy, and never tasting of old fryer oil, these dunkers manage a delicate touch without losing the hearty donut appeal that you can really bite into. A cinnamon & sugar old-fashioned is coated in a wonderful, crunchy, spicy-sweet crust that melts in your mouth once your teeth hit the soft inside, but you must try the buttermilk bar. The outside is crispy, the glaze is in perfect balance, and the inside, with its crave-worthy sour zing, is moist and sponge-y, like freshly baked bread. Pro tip: Go early in the morning or after 9:30pm for fresh, hot donuts of all kinds. ($.75-$1.35)

2) Coco Donut 709 SW 17th Ave

They are housed in a hard-to-find, exceedingly hip pink-brown-and-gray space just below PG&E Park, they serve Stumptown, and their selections are limited. But, man o’ man, do they know how to do good by classic donuts. Skip their signature pink-frosted chocolate cake donut (it’s both crisp and moist but kind of boring) in favor of the out-of-sight maple bar. Soft and succulent, you can see the not-sweet-at-all bready base snap back after you take a bite, and the perfect amount of frosting tastes like real maple. The apple fritter is also a winner—crunchy and caramel-y on the outside, with tender bits of apple, the pastry is reminiscent of an exquisite croissant. ($.90-$1.25)

3) Sesame Donuts 6990 Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy

Now here’s a real reason to brave the death-defying four-way intersection where the 10 meets the 210 in Raleigh Hills. The unbelievably friendly and talkative Lebanese family that owns it, works the counter, and likes to listen to opera may be reason enough, but the donuts are mighty fine too. There are a billion options, but real stand-outs include the crackly, caramel-y, and heavy-on-the-cinnamon apple fritter, the glazed raised ring with the perfect combo of softness and chew, and the flavorful sweet-and-spice pumpkin cake donut served year-round. The savory coating on the sesame cake donut is strange at first bite, but quickly blends into a tasty and unique treat. ($.95-$1.75)

4) Staccato Gelato 232 NE 28th Ave

Available Friday through Sunday only, this chic ice cream shop’s dunkers conjure images of drinking coffee and reading the paper at the corner diner before heading off to your construction job. All the cake donuts boast a sink-your-teeth-into crust yielding to a soft, barely-there sweetness and the essence of truly quality ingredients. On my recent foray, the popular cardamom cake donut could have used a bit more spice, but was delicious nonetheless, and the just plain fun Fairy Princess (pink inside, pink frosting, rainbow sprinkles) seemed to have a lovely, subtle strawberry flavor after multiple munches. Then there’s the French cruller—airy, egg-y, and exceedingly moist, it was pure mouth magic. Get there early for the freshest options, or pair an older donut with a scoop of gelato. ($1.25-$1.50)

5) Donuts Plus 13500 NW Cornell Rd

Located in a less than glamorous strip mall in what feels like the middle of nowhere (although clearly memorable to stoner high school students), this classic donut shop is worth the trip. The blueberry old-fashioned is a real delight, with a crunchy, ripple-y exterior, moist interior, and real blueberry flavor. The maple bar is a poofy pillow that still provides chew, while the custard in a filled donut tastes like real vanilla pudding and is surrounded by a thin powdered sugar-dusted cloud of taut pastry. The friendly owner works the counter and slipped me two free donuts and a handful of holes—I felt like family on my first visit! ($.90-$1.09)

6) Annie’s Donut Shop 3449 NE 72nd Ave

People in the Yelp-o-sphere often argue that Annie’s is the best in town. In my experience, this old-school joint out east is good, but not great. A glazed applesauce cake donut, for example, had amazing apple and spice flavor, but no crispness on the outside and the glaze made it too sweet. Similarly, a buttermilk bar hit the right tangy notes, but was more of a thick, biscuit-y hunk than a soft, crumbly cake. However, the popular bouncy-soft, cinnamon-infused Butterfly is a chocolate and peanut butter-topped treat that melts in your mouth. ($.69-$.99)

7) VooDoo Doughnut 22 SW Third Ave

Wanna wait in line for an hour in a dirty hole with tweakers and tourists, just so a surly punk rocker will hand you a mess of Technicolor hockey pucks that are all style over substance? VD (and VD Too) is for you. Folks flock here for the creativity (buns bearing breakfast cereal or meat) and titillation (the popular Old Dirty Bastard or enormous and pricey Cock and Balls), and, I’d argue, other than the pleasing salty-sweet explosion of the bacon-maple bar, not because the actual donuts taste good. Dense and bland, with zero crunch, the buttermilk bar is like a log of flat cake batter covered in congealed sugar water. Even the more elaborate Old Dirty Bastard (crumbled Oreos embedded in peanut butter and chocolate frosting) may have a somewhat pleasing flavor, but it’s psychotically sweet and sticks to the roof of your mouth, threatening to block your airways. ($.95-$5.25)

8) Krispy Kreme 16415 NW Cornell Rd

There’s something transcendent about a KK glazed original hot off the conveyor belt—light as air, it melts in your mouth with a delicate sweetness and lack of grease that doesn’t immediately make you feel bloated and disgusting. But when they’re not seconds fresh, these Stepford Wife pastries (they’re all photo-ready and exactly the same!) lose a bit of their appeal. Truly awesome donuts have a grittiness, an imperfection in look and texture that attests to their made-from-scratch-by-hand nature. After sitting, the too-uniform KK original ring turns cloying and chemically, as does a sour cream old-fashioned. But I do give points to the raspberry jelly-filled for a goo that actually tastes like real fruit. ($.99-$1.29)

9) Delicious Donuts 12 SE Grand Ave

I wasn’t able to try the blueberry cake donut that Kelly Clarke raved about in our Dining 2010: Picks and Pans, and the reviews I found online were all glowing—which is the only reason why DD is one rung above the bottom. I highly recommend visiting this dark, dreary cave by sunrise because the donuts—all classics—are baked fresh in the morning, run out quickly, and aren’t fine wine. My 11am maple bar was dry and barely maple-y, and the sweetened coconut on my almost stale maple cake donut made the whole thing too sugary. But high marks for clean-tasting ingredients and fryer oil. ($.95-$1.45)

10) Heavenly Donuts 1915 N Lombard St

The NoPo outpost of this Northwest chain used to be a Winchell’s, which seems fitting—it serves up generic fare in a tidy but rough-and-tumble joint that’s at a least a tad more authentic than Safeway. Sure, the gelatinous custard in a chocolate-topped filled donut tastes like Jell-O pudding powder, but the pastry is moist and puffy, with a bit of chew when you bite down, and the components are all in balance. That said, the buttermilk bar was like a day-old biscuit, sogged by too much glaze dumped on top, and chocolate-frosted devil’s food donut was downright terrible—no crispness, too dense, and the flavor of cheap cocoa powder. ($.89-$1.39)

Check out our search for the quintessential cookie here.

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Tags: Dessert, The Best, doughnuts

The Search for Portland’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

What says perfection…and where you can find it? We pounded the pavement in search of the chewy, the crisp, and the hand-crafted so you wouldn’t have to.

Posted by: Benjamin Tepler on Feb 23, 2011 at 09:05AM 43 Comments

Photo: Gideon Bosker

A pile of dreamy chocolate chippers from Two Tarts

A transcendent chocolate chip cookie is a rarity. When asked to name their favorite version, most local bakers and loyal tasters retorted “my own!” or cited a recipe from the family graveyard. Few agree on what defines chocolate chip perfection, but in the end, depth of flavor, quality of ingredients (from butter to chocolate), and texture (crispy on the outside and chewy-soft at the epicenter) reign supreme. Size and eatability also count, big time, as do personal touches like toasted almonds or a sprinkle of fine sea salt.

To rank Portland’s best chocolate chip cookies, we pounded the streets, checking in at the places that take their cookies seriously. Here are the results:

1. Alma Chocolate
This altar to cocoa heaven, known for dark chocolate icons painted in edible 23K gold and aphrodisiacal bonbons, doesn’t mess around when it comes to chocolate. And that includes the little-known cookies hiding in a corner case, packed with super dark, 74-percent Dominican chocolate and sporting a buttery, burnished exterior. Toll House die-hards may ask, “Where’s the dough in this chocolate delivery service!?” Good question, but we’ll still take them over grandma’s fresh-baked any day. ($1.25)

2. Pearl Bakery
For guilty gluttons, those who can’t help but squeeze out the last dollop of raw dough from the Pillsbury tube, this neighborhood fixture has you covered. The house Chocolate Chunk Cookie is a lofty mound of slightly under-baked dough studded with pecans and a hint of orange zest to cut through the buttery behemoth. ($1.50)

3. Café Velo
While the cookies may not quite fit its Mediterranean menu, this teeny take-out café wedged on the downtown Portland bus mall turns out some of the most delicious versions we’ve tasted. The recipe, from famed chocolatier Jacques Torres, appeared in the New York Times in a dissertation on the best techniques and flavors. With melting wafers of dark German chocolate and a dainty pinch of fleur-de-sel from Portland salt-slinger Real Good Food, this cookie fires on all cylinders—and it’s perfect with Café Velo’s famed dripped-to-order coffee. ($1.50)

4. Two Tarts Bakery
For the true salt freak, this little cookie has the sweet-savory department on lock-down. Two Tarts packs a dulcified punch into their mini chocolate chip fleur-de-sel cookies, with the combination of dark toffee undertones and big concentrated sprinkles of crunchy Sel de Guerande adding depth to the classic combination. (80 cents each; $8 for a baker’s dozen)

5. Ken’s Artisan Bakery
Even the most ravenous cookie monster would be challenged at Northwest Portland’s go-to spot for rustic French breads and pastries. The Valrhona Chocolate Chunk Cookies are frisbees of chewy dough with superlative hunks of extra bitter chocolate full of fruity notes. Despite the sugar haze that comes with eating a cookie sized for four, Ken’s has the critical crunchy/chewy ratio down to a science. ($2.25)

6. Oui Presse
Toll House traditionalists stick to the back-of-the-bag formula, and no place serves them better than this relative coffee shop newcomer on SE Hawthorne Boulevard. The kitchen specializes in small, homemade batches of perfectly bronzed, buttery-to-the-finish archetypes, and the “afterschool special” of milk and cookies ($2.50) takes the edge off after a hard day. ($1.25)

7. Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery
At NE Alberta Street’s popular coffee spot, celebrated pie bakers roll out a cookie worth mentioning. While not quite the religious experience that the vanilla-salted caramel apple pie is, the kitchen’s nutty, multidimensional cookies boast a satisfying almond crunch while oozing two types of super dark cocoa buttons. ($2)

8. Meat Cheese Bread
We thought we’d hit the jackpot when spotting jars of fresh cookies at this killer Buckman sandwich shop. Turned out to be a small payout, instead—a good follow-up to one of the great house sandwiches, but not strong enough for lasting impressions, with a heavy hand of Maldon sea salt inside and out and a scattershot of pecan in every bite. ($1.95)

9. Little T American Baker
The baguettes are to the heavens and the focaccias can make Nonna weep. But the chocolate chip cookies at one of Portland’s iconic bakeries simply miss the boat. These chocolate-heavy rounds are missing that essential soft-chew, throwing out an overly resounding crunch to the finish, with a sugar-hangover aftertaste that recalls an unsupervised Halloween. ($1.50)

10. Dovetail Bakery
Operated by Portland’s rockstar mastermind of veganism, Morgan Grundstein-Helvey, this little pastry shop on NE Alberta Street usually comes out on top with baked goods. But Dovetail’s chocolate chip cookies flopped recently, with wet, oily dough and sugar-forward chocolate chips of no distinction. We’ll be back, but for the eyes-to-the-back-of-the-head sticky buns and pitch perfect pies. ($2.75)

Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know!

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Tags: Dessert, The Best

New pastry Chef Lauren Fortgang Sweetens Le Pigeon

Get ready for the Choco Taco

Posted by: Karen Brooks on Oct 06, 2010 at 04:58PM 0 Comments

Following our news that Lauren Fortgang was taking her veteran rolling pin to the highly anticipated Little Bird later this year, comes more sweet news: a new dessert role at Le Pigeon.

Double dessert duty makes sense, since:

1. Little Bird is Le Pigeon’s spin-off casual bistro project
2. Le Pigeon’s dessert list is ready for some new juice to match Gabriel’s Rucker’s high-flying creativity  
3. ahem, Fortgang’s husband, Andy, is the floor general, savvy wine guy and a key player in both ventures.  

About that taco which has newly debuted on Le Pigeon’s menu.  Think: convenience store Drumstick ice cream cone, but with a high IQ. The homemade waffle cone is shaped like a taco and filled with fresh vanilla bean ice cream, good chocolate and peanuts. But wait, there’s more! All this is served over dulce de leche and a shot of homemade horchata in a sugar-rimmed glass.  

The 31-year-old dessert wiz is just winding up with new ideas. But fear not: Le Pigeon’s classics, foie gras profiteroles and cornbread with ice cream and bacon, aren’t flying the coup any time soon.

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Tags: Portland Chefs, Food News, Dessert

Sweet & Savory Trivia on N Williams

Flaunt your snacking smarts with Pix Pâtisserie’s palate-challenging Gastronomical Trivia, this Tuesday.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Sep 10, 2010 at 10:20AM 0 Comments

Pix Pâtisserie’s tantalizing tea service. Now imagine all of these items being subjected to a blender and try to figure out which is which.

If there’s two things Portland peeps love, it’s food and trivia. Well, and beards, tattoos, bikes, Blazers, and fleece coats. But Pix Pâtisserie can only guarantee the first two when they present their Gastronomical Trivia Night! Can you taste the difference between an IPA and a Porter or between a Pop Rock and a Sweet Tart? Come prove it at Pix’s North Williams outpost this Tuesday, 7-9 p.m.

Play by yourself or gather up to three more of your foodie friends to participate in six 10-minute rounds of “name the mystery munchies.” Each round is a different category, including anything from charcuterie to cold cereal, and includes 12 flavors for you to identify. There are no blindfolds involved, but the Pix pros will do their darndest to “mask” the snacks so that you are forced to figure them out by taste alone. For example, they might serve all fruits as purees, or all 12 macarons will be blue. Everyone on a team can chime in on the answers, but you have to share the same samples. The winning team for each round receives a $25 Pix gift certificate.

SUPER SECRET BLOG READERS ONLY HINT: One of the categories will be herbs.

This is a trivia game that challenges your taste buds as well as your brain cells. “You may know that Comté is a cheese from France, but can you pick it out in a blind tasting?” asks Pix founder/mad pastry chef Cheryl Wakerhauser.

Um, I didn’t even know what Comté was. Apparently I won’t be much competition.

The price to play is $5 per person, including tasty treats, and the DEADLINE for reservations is Monday, September 13th.

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Tags: Events, North Portland Dining, Dessert