EAT BEAT Blog

HAPPY HOUR OF THE WEEK

Ringside’s Late Night Deals

The newly-reopened Ringside Steakhouse brings Happy Hour back to the classics with steak tips and strong drinks.

Posted by: Allison Jones on May 09, 2011 at 01:00PM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Late night weekday Happy Hours usually fall into the not-for-me category, but I’ll bend my rules for a $2.25 burger. Ringside Steakhouse has been a throw-back Portland institution for decades, but the remodel of their West Burnside location has a new generation of Portlanders waiting for a table. What’s the draw? A long list of classic bites, priced between $2.25 and $4.75, to wash down with well-made martinis and strong Old Fashioneds.

The Happy Hour menu is only available at the windowless, wooden-beamed Ringside Bar, so be prepared to fight for a seat. You may have to stand up and take in the framed boxing memorabilia for a few minutes, but the cheap eats are worth the wait. Tender bites of Ringside’s signature steak, a “fork and knife” Caesar salad, twice-baked potato skins with cheddar and bacon, or a classic hamburger are only $2.25 each. The steak bites come with a creamy horseradish sauce for dipping, and the hamburger’s toasted bun and creamy sauce will give In-N-Out fans a familiar punch in the mouth.

For an extra buck and a quarter you can get a plate of fried calamari, a braised beef quesadilla, steamed mussels with angel hair pasta, or a spicy prawn satay ($3.50 each).

For the big spenders, the Prime Rib Dip Sandwich, Fried Oysters, Dungeness Crab Cake, and Old Bay Poached Prawns will each set you back a whole $4.75. The dip sandwich was our favorite, with fresh sourdough baguette providing a satisfying crunch that holds up to the savory au jus.

Yes, the portions are smaller than your typical dinner fare, but the quality and prices make the old-school Ringside a solid addition to the westside’s late-night dining scene.

Ringside Steakhouse – 2165 West Burnside. Happy Hours:
Monday to Saturday, 9:30 pm to close
Sunday, 4pm – 5:30pm and 9:30pm to close

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Tags: Happy Hour, Northwest Dining, Cheap Date, Cheap Eats

OPENING NIGHT

Charcuterie Chic

Olympic Provisions NW opens, bringing rotisserie chicken and handcrafted charcuterie to the far reaches of Northwest Portland.

Posted by: Allison Jones on Apr 27, 2011 at 11:05AM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Leave it to Nate Tilden and Elias Cairo to figure out the secret ingredient for truly phenomenal charcuterie. In order to make the best sausages, rillettes, pates, cured hams, frankfurters, and bratwurst around, you need to set up shop in the shadow of a bridge. The Olympic Provisions team launched their newest spot near the Fremont overpasses on NW 16th and Thurman, staking their meaty claim in yet another industrial area of our fair city. The new space is both neighborhood cafe and USDA-certified meat-curing headquarters, and reflects the same DIY design ethos as the charcuterie empire’s flagship space in the Central Eastside Industrial District, but with a brighter, more intimate feel. Check out our photos of the new space, and pop in for lunch or dinner before the new location is overshadowed by the next inevitable expansion of Tilden’s empire.

Olympic Provisions NW – 1632 NW Thurman St. 503-894-8136. Open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

While Cairo works his magic in the 4000-square-foot production facility connected to the restaurant, the open kitchen will be headed by former Clyde Common sous Erin Williams.

The menu will feature the classic sandwiches and charcuterie that made OP a household name, along with rustic Italian dishes like polenta with spring veggies, fried egg, and “cheese broth” ($12), ribeye steak with grilled romaine, salsa verde, and grana padano ($19) and rotisserie chicken from the adorable red eBay-scrounged roaster (complete with schmaltz potatoes, $15).

Left: Pull up a chair at the well-lit counter, grab a charcuterie plate ($12) and a specialty cocktail like the Whiskey Ginger, with Buffalo Trace, ginger beer, and lime ($8). Right: You gotta love a restaurant that stocks sausages in the mise en place.

The walls of windows and skylights illuminate the white subway-tiled walls, polished-metal meat slicer, handcrafted wine displays, and piles of salami wrapped in butcher paper topping the glass deli case.

The custom-built wine wall (filled with choice selections from wine director Star Black) and the kitchen counter’s frame were hand-fused by Tilden and his father – talk about a labor of love.

Expect Olympic Provisions NW to keep the laid-back, comfortable vibe of the original, with lunch offerings like hot ham-and-brie sandwiches, porchetta sandwich on ciabatta, and OP’s signature frankfurters.

“If it gets any brighter,” Tilden exclaimed, squinting into the sunlight streaming through the restaurant’s windows, “we might need blinds.” When they show up, you can bet they’ll be handcrafted as well.

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Tags: Portland Chefs, Restaurant Openings, Northwest Dining, Northwest Portland Dining, Openings, charcuterie, Opening Night

FOOD NEWS

Paley Dream Team Defeats Garces

Vitaly Paley and team take home top honor against Iron Chef Jose Garces with innovative use of Northwest ingredients.

Posted by: Allison Jones on Apr 18, 2011 at 02:00PM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

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It was over as soon as it started. When the Iron Chef America secret ingredient was revealed to be a Paley’s Place favorite -the humble radish – the crowd gathered for the screening party at the Ecotrust building in the Pearl District burst into cheers for the inevitable victory of a hometown hero. Dream Team Vitaly Paley, Benjamin Bettinger (of Beaker and Flask), and Paley’s chef de cuisine Patrick McKee left the Iron Chef crying into his radish congee, earning top marks in both taste and originality by using every bit of the farmers’ market favorite. A pioneer of farm-to-fork cuisine in Portland, Paley made the Iron Chef challenge look easy, whipping up radish green and ricotta gnocchi with Dungeness crab, radish sorbet, sous vide daikon radish and turnips with bacon and chanterelle mushrooms, and a watermelon radish tarte tatin with Granny Smith apples, a watermelon radish caramel sauce, and radish green and mint syrup. The judges – Cooking Channel host Bal Arnisen, author Michael Ruhlman, and PR guru Karine Bakhoum – couldn’t help but fall for Paley’s comforting and creative menu that read like a love letter to spring in the Pacific Northwest.

Check out the photos of last night’s screening, complete with Kimberly Paley’s gong banging, the presentation of the “Fork to the City” from the mayor’s office, plate after plate of radishes on toast, and radish temporary tattoos. When asked if he’d be sporting the fake ink with the rest of the Paley’s Place staff, Paley smiled and said, “No, I’ll be getting the real thing.” An Iron Chef tattoo? We’ll hold you to that, Vitaly.

Want a taste of the winning dishes? Live out your Iron Chef judge fantasies at Paley’s Place – the Northwest PDX institution will be serving the radish plates a la carte and as a comprehensive tasting menu all week long, with selections available throughout April.

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Tags: Portland Chefs, Northwest Dining, television

Happy Hour

Happy Hour of the Week: 23Hoyt

New-ish chef Amber Webster is contributing winners to the truly cheap happy hour at Northwest Portland’s trendy dinner den.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Feb 09, 2011 at 08:55AM Speech Bubble 1 Comments

House-made fettucine with smoked butternut

One, two, three, four, come on, baby, say you love me, five six seven (eight, nine, and ten) times.

That’s how the extensive and user-friendly daily Happy Hour Snacks menu at 23Hoyt (located at 529 NW 23rd) is broken up. It ranges from simple $1 nibbles like fresh potato chips and tangy, subtly-seasoned house pickles, to the towering $10 version of their burger—the ground round deluxe with applewood smoked bacon, emmentaler cheese, an organic fried egg, avocado, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and a secret sauce, served on a soft ciabatta bun. (They also provide respectively less decadent $9 and $8 versions.) Gourmet flatbreads come in $7, $8, and $9 versions, and the rest of the fare is filled out with light bites like battered fried greens beans & spicy aïoli ($3) and actual meals, such as duck confit agnolotti (a stuffed pasta; $7) with celery root cream and tart cherries.

Lavish happy hour offerings at 23Hoyt are nothing new; however, the chef is. A transplant from Orange County, California, Amber Webster joined restaurateur Bruce Carey’s chichi, antler and candle-bedecked gastro-pub in late 2010. Instead of white-washing the entire menu and painting a new scene, she’s slowly adding dabs of color here and there. For example, the happy hour small plates now include a fantastic house-made fettucine in a smoked butternut squash cream ($5)—the pasta has the perfect bite and chew and the sauce is nuanced, rich, and savory, completely side-stepping the cloying sweetness that typically accompanies dishes made with butternut squash.

Other fare on the happy hour menu is satisfying and certainly affordable, but doesn’t always rise to exceptional. I appreciate that the cup of roasted beets ($3), served with a heaping scoop of mild, creamy goat cheese, aren’t overly marinated as they so often are in this city, and the straightforward B.L.T. slider ($4) manages to get a bit of pleasing crispness on the thick-cut bacon; but the deviled eggs ($2) are lackluster at best. I’d like to see what else Webster would do if she simply went with her bad self. She got the job with the recommendation of her mentor and former boss, chef Jason Neroni, who, it so happens, just (amicably) left Saucebox after three short months. Hopefully she’ll stick around a little longer.

Happy Hours: Sun-Thurs, 4-7pm; Fri & Sat, 4-6:30pm

Drinks: $3 beer, $5 house red and white, and $6 specialty cocktails.

Vibe: Mostly the NW Portland crowd, who would never wear nubby fleece. But the happy hour prices (and insanely tasty desserts, like fresh donut holes with salted caramel sauce for $6) would make even a dyed-in-the-wool NE’er like me be willing to search for parking every once in a while.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Northwest Dining, American Cuisine

Gluten-Free Find

Dessert Labs Concocts Freakishly Tasty Cupcakes

Whether you’re gluten-intolerant or not, this new Northwest Portland bakery inspires gluttony.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Jan 17, 2011 at 09:30AM Speech Bubble 1 Comments

Around the corner from the throng of “casual” cafés, bakeries, and specialty shops on NW Thurman, look for a parking lot with a prominent address sign—1902 NW 24th Ave—and then head for the side door below a navy blue awning. A tiny sign taped to the door will inform you that, yes, you have found Portland’s latest gluten-free bakery, Dessert Labs, so don’t be timid about stepping inside and heading downstairs into the sweet smells and boisterous hellos.

Run by husband-and-wife team Joe Kalal and Karen Goetsch (he’s a pastry chef with celiac disease and she’s the website designer and stylish face of the business), this allergy-friendly venture opened for business in September, hawking a handful of treats from that tiny basement kitchen on Saturdays only (from noon to 4pm), filling special orders, and peddling exceedingly popular holiday pies at Food Front Northwest. Food Front continues to carry a rotating selection of their products, such as cream puffs, red velvet cupcakes, and chocolate chip cookies, and Besaw’s currently has their cake bombs.

Local fans can sign up for Dessert Labs’ boxes of gluten-free staples, which include bread, muffins, and cookies for $25/week. Or, if you live anywhere else in the U.S., you can now visit their etsy shop order a range of goodies with a reasonable shelf life, such as muffins, bread, cookies, bagels, and dry mixes.

Regardless, the couple’s eventual goal is to have a proper storefront. And judging from my first samples of their wares, I’d say their chances are quite good.

Although an oatmeal raisin cookie ($1) I tried had a slightly-off powdery texture, it also had great brown sugar and caramelized golden raisin flavor. Plus, I am a gluten-loving pastry fiend and the chocolate spice cupcake ($2) knocked my socks off. Light and surprisingly moist, with a not-too-sweet flavor that immediately made me think of gingerbread houses, it’s topped with a generous swirl of rich, buttery, chocolate-y buttercream frosting. I literally licked my plate.

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Tags: Northwest Dining, Bakery, Openings, gluten-free

Happy Hour

Happy Hour of the Week: Fenouil

Happy hour food that will actually make you forget about your wine, even when it’s a brilliantly matched glass of full, crisp, spicy Daedalus Gruner Veltliner.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Jan 12, 2011 at 08:00AM Speech Bubble 1 Comments

Fenouil’s melt-in-your-mouth confit chicken wings with candied garlic, scallion, and Sriracha aioli for $6!

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri, 4-6pm

Address: 900 NW 11th Ave

In its previous cuisine incarnation, Fenouil —a glamorous two-tier dining room resplendent in cream-colored stone, polished wood, soft chocolate fabrics, and a crackling fireplace, with a wall of gleaming glass offering views of the Pearl District’s Jamison Square—fancied itself an “urban French brasserie.” I could argue that title simply based on the fact that the place is enormous and there is space between the tables; however, the menu itself began to shift toward contemporary Pacific Northwest fare anyway, when chef Jake Martin (formerly of the Carlyle) came on board in early 2010.

If, in recent months, you have been reluctant to check out what Mr. Martin is up to due to the prices or the posh décor, your time has come. Fenouil is now offering a new recession-friendly Small Plates menu, available in the cozy lounge, and you can get those dishes for a whopping 50-percent off during Happy Hour from 4-6pm, seven nights a week.

Yesterday I popped into try it and the one thing I keep wanting to say is “Well, I’ll be!” This is one killer happy hour. Not only is a glass of white, red, or sparkling wine du jour only $5, the small plates menu has great range (e.g. ahi tuna crudo with antique apples, shoyu, and white miso, or pate “en brioche” with dijon vinaigrette, chicory salad, and radish), and the happy hour prices are stellar—I mean, how often can you fill your belly in fine dining for only $5.50???

That’s the price of the house-ground burger. Paired with a mass of shoestring hand-cut fries, you get a hefty patty cooked to succulent perfection, topped with white cheddar, pickled onion, and bacon, and served on an exquisite Ken’s Artisan Bakery bun—genuinely soft in the middle and just a touch crispy on the outside thanks to a wash of butter. I think this burger deserves a shot at this year’s “best of” list.

Another personal favorite: The ever-so-tender, sticky, spicy, and not-too-sweet confit chicken wings ($6). Falling-off-the-bone, you could eat them with a fork or simply get your hands messy if you think pretension should take a backseat to pleasure.

Vegetarians can snack on an insanely decadent, creamy caramelized onion tart ($5.50) with whipped brie and a bitter herb salad, or the farmstead and artisan cheeses ($6, selected by Steve Jones of the Cheese Bar on SE Belmont) plated with a tart, vinegary winter fruit jam, brown bread, and marcona almonds drizzled with honey.

This was the kind of Happy Hour that made me want to go back and pay full price just to try the dinner menu—a very, very, very pleasant surprise.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Northwest Dining, French, Pearl District Dining

Cheap Eats

NW Breakfast/Lunch, for <$10

Breken serves affordable cereal, soup, salad, sammies, and more in the Pearl District

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Sep 20, 2010 at 05:00PM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

Tuna, cheese, kick-ass bread, and a salad — nothing more to say, and nothing more to want.

This past Saturday I made my way over to the still-industrial portion of the upper Pearl District to check out what I had heard was a sweet, cheap, and semi-secret little place called Breken. There was absolutely no one in the huge parking lot associated with the address, which at first I blamed on the infernal rain that has returned to make me think fondly of the freeways and smog in Los Angeles; but it turns out the tumbleweeds had more to do with the fact that all the businesses in the historic Triangle Building at 1800 NW 16th Avenue are closed on Saturdays at 1 p.m. — including Breken. Stupid Yelp.

Anyhow, I returned today for lunch and joined the pleasant crowd of office workers, stay-at-home-moms, retirees, and students for a perfectly pleasant meal at a perfectly reasonable price. The lunch menu consists of: two rotating soups-of-the-day, available in “petite” for $3 and “entrée” for $5; three simple salads, all $8 or under — the heavy hitter is the Salad Niçoise with Ortiz Tuna, Marinated Green Beans & Caper Potato Salad on Greens; and four sandwiches, all $8.95 or less, and paired with a heaping portion of vinaigrette-dressed Singing Pig Farm Organic Greens. I had the ALT — Grape Tomatoes tossed with Buttermilk Dressing, Butterleaf Lettuce, and Avocado on Como — for $7.95, and my man had the Ortiz Tuna Melt — good old-fashioned tuna salad with no frills, covered in Tillamook Cheddar, on Big Country — for $8.95.

Although the portions were big, both of our sandwiches were simple, relatively healthy, and felt light. It’s not like Breken is reinventing the wheel, but you’ll leave full and you won’t be angry that you just wasted your calories and coins on a crappy meal.

I’d like to return for breakfast, however, and try the Grilled Peanut Butter and Nutella Sandwich on Sourdough, for a ridiculously cheap sounding $3.95. They had me at “grilled peanut butter” but then closed the deal with the Nutella. You can also get your grilled PB with J or with honey and sliced banana a.k.a. The Fat Elvis. An even cheaper two-egg sandwich, Kettleman’s Bagels, and housemade granola and pastries round out the breakfast menu. (I tried the gluten-free Red Velvet cupcake, which gets an A for effort but makes me real glad I don’t have an anti-wheat neurosis.)

Other highlights: wine, beer, and bubbly; Stephen Smith teas; Coca-Cola in a bottle; a Wed.-Fri. Happy Hour, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with Roasted Chicken Lasagna for $5 and Crostini featuring three fancy spreads for $4; and a really great space — clean, open, and airy, with lots of tables, big and small, as well as couches arranged for cozy group chatting. Plus, it has an awesome view of the Fremont Bridge.

According to Breken’s own website, they are open Mon.-Fri.,7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. But speaking from experience, I suggest you call ahead to confirm: 503.841.6359.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Northwest Dining, Cheap Eats

new restaurants

Toast and Pho

Pho restaurant opens in soup-starved NW Portland

Posted by: Eat Beat Team on Nov 19, 2009 at 04:00PM Speech Bubble 7 Comments

For car-less souls like me, downtown living is the only option in PDX. Yet food-wise, Eastside options are much greater—especially on rainy days when I’m craving pho, that beefy Vietnamese noodle soup number. Other than Silk in the Pearl District (which I enjoy immensely, but for which one must dress up a bit), there have been no decent non-food cart options for pho in Downtown, Northwest, or the Pearl District. On the Eastside, there are dozens.

This fall, all changed when Toast and Pho opened in the space formerly home to the short-lived Biscuits Cafe at 103 NW 21st Avenue. Based on my first two visits, I’m already counting all the Zipcar cash I’ll save each month as a result of having this restaurant located within stumbling distance from my downtown box in the sky.

Like Japanese ramen, what characterizes good pho from great pho is the quality of broth, and Toast and Pho’s is as outstanding as Pho Hung or Pho Oregon. My friend Michael Zusman describes it best: “deeply beefy and ever-so-fragrant with star anise, cinnamon and goodness knows what else.”

The meat accompaniments (On one visit meatballs and another tendon, flank steak, brisket, and tripe) were well portioned and of good quality while the vegetable accoutrements (basil, lime, mung bean sprouts, and jalapeno) were of the utmost freshness. My only complaint was a case of soggy noodles on the first visit, but thankfully, they had been remedied by the second.

A large bowl is $7.95, which is a bit more expensive than what you’d find on the Eastside, where rent is half as cheap. There are other menu options as well, including Bun, various noodle dishes, and traditional Vietnamese dishes. Once I tire of the excellent broth (I’m gearing up for my third visit this afternoon), I’m sure I’ll try them. I’ll post a photo later this weekend.

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Tags: Northwest Dining

Winter Warmup

Hot Toddy Time

Cafe Nell has six ways to warm up

Posted by: Kaitlyn Evans on Oct 15, 2009 at 04:00PM Speech Bubble 3 Comments

Cafe Nell’s hot toddy menu includes the classic toddy, Hot Mojito, Ginger Tea, Black Tea, Bourbon Citrus Punch and Hot Buttered Rum.

The hot toddy is a good excuse to be buzzing at any hour of a very cold day. Some say the toddy originated as a tolerable way for 19th century womenfolk to drink scotch, others claim it was invented as a cure for the common cold, yet all we really need to know about this wondrous warming beverage is its four main components:

alcohol
hot liquid
sweetener
hint of citrus

It’s like a soothing cup of tea—with a bonus kick.

Darren Creely of Cafe Nell has caught the toddy bug, incorporating six strikingly different toddy blends into his fall cocktail menu. Creely believes that with the damp, at times dreary, weather that plagues Portland all fall and winter, toddies are just as fit for a nightcap as they are an afternoon pick-me-up. From the unexpectedly refreshing Hot Mojito to the rich finish of the Hot Buttered Rum, there’s a blend suited to every palate—not to mention every symptom—this chilly season.

Can’t make it further than the corner liquor store? Cafe Nell has given us a few toddy recipes to try at home:

Cafe Nell’s classic hot toddy, made with brandy, honey and lemon

Classic Hot Toddy

1.75 ounces brandy
1 heaping teaspoon honey
Hot water
Slice lemon (1 quarter)

Place spoon filled with honey into pre-heated specialty coffee glass/mug/cup
Add brandy
Top with hot water to within 1/4" of rim
Squeeze lemon wedge into hot water. Drop squeezed lemon wedge into cup
Stir to incorporate honey into the toddy

Cup warm mug with two hands, breathe, and gulp.

Classic Buttered Rum & batter recipe

Hot Buttered Rum, made with Nell’s homemade batter, is a sweet endnote to a chilly evening

1 stick unsalted butter (room temp.)
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch salt (optional)

All Spice can be substituted for the the nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove just keep in mind the that Clove can be very strong and easily take over all of the other spices
Hot water
1 3/4 oz. dark rum (I prefer Mt. Gay dark rum)

In a mixing bowl cream together the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and vanilla. Once completely mixed together, chill for 20 minutes until firm. Put 2 rounded tablespoons in a pre-heated specialty coffee glass, add the dark rum and top off with hot water. Mix thoroughly until all of the batter has dissolved. Serve with the mixing spoon still in the glass. Cradle the cup in your hands and sip. The Hot Butter Rum batter will keep until completely used. Skip the rum for a kid-friendly drink.

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Tags: Recipes, Northwest Dining

MDLT

The McDLT Is Back

Get your hot side hot, and your cold side cold without a time machine.

Posted by: Eat Beat Team on Apr 21, 2009 at 05:00PM Speech Bubble 1 Comments

Ping’s Spring Rolls (Some Assembly Required)

View Slideshow »

Remember 1985? I do, and it was a good year. William “The Fridge” Perry and his Chicago Bears were Superbowl champions, Amy Winehouse (lucky for us) couldn’t talk yet, and the McDonald’s corporation debuted the McDLT, a heavily marketed hamburger sandwich that arrived housed in a compartmentalized Styrofoam container whose two chambers kept separate the hot ingredients (meat and processed cheese) and the cold (the lettuce and tomato). Here’s one of the commercials.

Some 24 years later, the Bears suck, William Perry has traded in his cleats and now paints houses for a living, Styrofoam is practically illegal, and the McDLT has gone the way of parachute pants and pet rocks.

Don’t cry.

The sandwich may be gonzo, but the concept lives on in spring roll form at Ping, Pok Pok fish-sauce wingman Andy Ricker’s new Chinatown eatery.

Ping’s $8 spring rolls come with lettuce leaves, served separately from the deep-fried pork-spiked part of the equation, and the results are delicious. See slide show for assembly instructions.

Instructions below