EAT BEAT

Happy Hour of the Week: Gilt Club

The HH menu at this relaxed-glam Old Town cocktail den needs a little shaking, or maybe just a stir.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Feb 21, 2011 at 10:30AM 0 Comments

The Happy Hour “angry deviled eggs” ($2).

Basing my judgment of the book solely upon its cover, I was a fan of the Gilt Club (306 NW Broadway) from the first time I entered its Grenache-and-gold-hued throwback-swank innards. I liked that there was lots of high-backed, crimson-cushioned seating, I liked the crowd (no body shots, here!), and I liked the eclectic music, played at a respectable level that didn’t require shrieking at one’s companions. In fact, it had me at plentiful parking.

That said, it’s been quite a while since I paid this Old Town lounge a visit—not since chef Chris Carriker came on board. In recent months, the Gilt Club has guest starred on Meat & Potatoes and Portlandia, and Carriker will be cooking at the James Beard House in March. I’d also heard word that the Happy Hour (M-F, 5-6:30pm) has proven popular with the Pearl District crowd, so I decided it was time to quell my GC dry spell.

My verdict: A+ for the space, style, service, and prices (everything is $5 or less, including 12 items on the regular menu); B- for execution.

For starters, the online HH menu that had gotten me all hot-and-bothered didn’t match the actual menu. This is no big deal in-and-of itself, but the actual menu simply wasn’t as good—less options and no house-made “Cracker Jacks”—foie popcorn and glazed peanuts drizzled with caramel. The gist of the actual menu appeared to be gourmet takes on HH classics ($4 turkey wings, $3 breaded and fried pig tails, $2 warmed hazelnuts), which, again, isn’t a bad thing at all; however, with a few exceptions, the finger fare itself was ho-hum.

The popcorn shrimp ($4) with warm butter, for example, had a great presentation piled on actual popcorn, but it was overly-breaded and the popcorn seemed stale. The radicchio salad ($3) was doused in a tasty, rich, garlicky dressing, but it came with a cured meat that wasn’t on the menu and the croutons were reminiscent of Marie Callender’s. And the burger ($5)—the hockey-puck quarter-pound patty was dwarfed by a giant bun, and the bland meat was further lost among the intense flavors of blue cheese and Dijon.

On the positive side, the French fries ($3) are pretty much perfect, and this is no faint praise, as I am not typically a fry fan. Thin, crispy, and salty, you can actually taste the potato itself—I never even considered sullying them with aioli or ketchup, and I couldn’t stop shoving them in my mouth. Another highlight was the angry deviled eggs ($2). The yolks are mixed with crème fraiche and chilis, which yields a fabulously creamy, subtly tangy, gently spicy bite of delight. The HH wine, a Côtes du Rhône ($5; they give you whatever they happen to have a lot of), was also lovely, and the extensive regular cocktail menu, broken up into signature, vintage, savory/herbal, winter, and sweeter options, reads like booze porn.

The place was packed with dinner diners by the time we were done, so I wonder if, perhaps, the HH menu simply hasn’t been a priority, or maybe I just ventured in on an unsteady day. I hope so. I’d really like the Gilt Club to be the kind of book I want to read, not simply look at the pictures.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cocktails, Pearl District Dining, Northwest Portland Dining

Big-Hearted Bites

Three local events that pair filling up with philanthropy.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Feb 04, 2011 at 12:00PM 0 Comments

A REALLY SUPER SUNDAY

What: As noted in our Wednesday post, a 9-course, off-the-menu “Winter Celebration” to benefit White Bird

Where: Grüner, 527 SW 12th Ave

When: Sunday, Feb 6, 6-10pm

Why: Grüner’s Chris Israel is joined by Cathy Whims (Nostrana), Kristen Murray (Paley’s Place), Marius Pop (Nuvrei Pastries), and others, to present a lavish Alpine feast, including three hors d’oeuvres (escargot canapé, gruyere cheese puff, fried oysters with remoulade), an antipasti plate (foie gras torchon, speck, venison terrine, pickles), grilled golden trout, braised short rib goulash, a marcona almond tart, and more. By paying to eat like a linebacker, you’ll be supporting the non-profit White Bird’s endeavors to both bring the world’s best dance troupes to Portland, and nurture top local choreographers and aspiring dancers. The meal is paired with wines and specialty cocktails, and will feature performances by members of Vagabond Opera and Three Leg Torso.

Price: $250/person ($150 tax deductible); make reservations online or call 503-241-7163

MAGNANIMOUS MONDAY & TUESDAY

What: “A Taste of Peru” to benefit Green Empowerment

Where: Andina, 1314 NW Glisan

When: Monday, Feb 7 & Tuesday, Feb 8, 6pm

Why: Green Empowerment helps provide clean water, electricity, and long-term economic and environmental sustainability to villages in the developing world by providing efficient, cost-effective, and renewable solutions. These communities include Cajamarca, Peru, the native town of Andina owner Doris Rodriguez de Platt. She and her husband John are once again fundraising for the Light A Fire award-winning non-profit by offering two five-course dinners paired with wines. An overwhelming array of appetizers are followed by prawn cebiche, Codorniz a la Brasa (whole bird with duck fat roasted potatoes, a traditional street food), an ox tail relleno, grilled lamb ribs, and three sweet treats.

How Much: $175/person; purchase tickets online or call 503-284-5774

THIRSTY THURSDAY RELIEF

What: The third annual Iron Bartender event to benefit the Children’s Relief Nursery

Where: The Portland Center Stage Gerding Theater at the Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave

When: Thursday, Feb 10, 6-pm

Why: Mixologists Douglas Derrick (Nostrana), Chino Lee (Fratelli), Brandon Wise (Irving Street Kitchen), and Adam Robinson (Park Kitchen) battle for the title of Portland’s 2011 Iron Bartender by competing in a secret ingredient-infused mix-off. They will also create a signature drink to compete for the audience-determined “People’s Choice” award. In addition to eight cocktail tasters, guests get hors d’oeuvres from Bon Appétit Management Company, a Deschutes Brewery beer, and a chance to win prizes. All proceeds from this boozy benefit support the Children’s Relief Nursery’s critical child abuse and neglect prevention services for at-risk families.

How Much: $50/person; purchase tickets online or call 503-283-4776

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Tags: Good Ideas, Downtown Dining, Pearl District Dining, local,

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 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

Drinking Beer To Benefit Others

Sunset Magazine’s Margo True, a judge in the upcoming Deschutes Brewery Chef’s Challenge, talks about brew, food, and winning strategies.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Dec 01, 2010 at 08:30AM 0 Comments

With a huge variety of recipes that span everything from fast weeknight dinners to full-on cooking adventures, this cookbook will help you win the what-the-hell-do-we-eat-tonight? challenge.

Altruism never tasted this good: The Deschutes Brewery’s 2nd Annual Chef’s Challenge —an Iron Chef-style beer-and-food pairing competition featuring six Portland culinary wizards— will be held Monday, December 13, at 6:30pm at the Portland Pub. The $75 per person ticket price includes suds, grub, and gratuity, with all profits going to the terrific local nonprofit, Morrison Child and Family Services.

The participating chefs include Ben Dyer (Laurelhurst Market and Ate-Oh-Ate), Kurt Spak (Alba Osteria), Adam Higgs (Acadia), Scott Shampine (Davis Street Tavern), Dave Anderson (Genoa), and Jeff Usinowicz (Deschutes Brewery Portland Pub). Their mission is to prepare a tasty and artful dish that brings out the best of a particular Deschutes beer. Five celebrity judges will then have the tough task of sampling what amounts to a seven-course dinner (the dessert is a pairing from Deschutes’ own pastry chef) and picking a winner.

But that quintet of cookery connoisseurs won’t be the only judges. The entire audience gets to indulge in every pairing as well, and can cast their vote for the People’s Choice Award.

Want to know what you should be looking for? We asked one of the official judges— Margo True, food editor at Sunset Magazine —to give us an inside line:

“You can create a great pairing all kinds of ways,” says True. “Putting beer in the food to form a bridge to the brew is one; keeping the food simple but beer-flattering is another. If the beer and the food ‘speak’ to each other—say, both are light in texture and flavor—that to me says something about the expertise of the chef. But the two don’t always have to match. Sometimes a skillful pairing of opposites can bring out wonderful qualities in both.”

In light of the fact that Sunset recently released their first big cookbook in 17 years, The Sunset Cookbook: Over 1000 Fresh, Flavorful Recipes for the Way You Cook Today ($35, and a delicious holiday gift), we also asked True to suggest her own beer-and-food combo. She selected a simple recipe for a Northwest classic: planked grilled salmon.

“It’s ideal with any toasty malted ale,” says True. “The crisp, caramelized salmon and the sweet cedary perfume go really well with a beer like Deschutes Brewery’s Green Lakes Organic Ale, which is light in body but still rich in flavor. Plus, Deschutes grows hops in a Salmon-Safe way, with little if no impact on salmon streams, so I think it’s pretty cool to drink it with salmon.”

Here’s the recipe for that flavorful fish dish, just in case attending the Chef’s Challenge inspires you to host your own competition and you want a sure-thing.

The Sunset Cookbook Cedar-Planked Salmon

A technique developed by Northwest Native Americans, planking salmon gives the fish a deep, woodsy taste and keeps it moist by protecting it from the flames. You will need an untreated cedar board, ½ to ¾ inches thick and big enough to accommodate your fish. Find planks at a well-stocked fish shop, barbecue store, or online.

SERVES 6 / TIME 45 minutes, plus 2 hours to soak plank

2 tbsp. table salt
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 skin-on, boned salmon fillet (2 to 2 ½ lbs; see Quick Tip below)
½ tsp. kosher or sea salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. butter

1. Put 8 cups hot water and table salt in a pan big enough to hold the plank; stir to dissolve salt. Soak plank at least 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect medium-high heat (450°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above the cooking grate only 5 seconds). If using charcoal, ignite 60 briquets in a chimney starter (or mounded directly on the firegrate). Push equal amounts to opposite sides of grate and set a drip pan on grate between mounds. Set cooking grate in place and let coals burn down to medium-high. If using gas, turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat for 10 minutes. Then turn center burner(s) off so heat is at edges of grill, not under cooking area; turn outside burners to medium-high.

3. Wipe water off plank and rub it with 1 tsp. oil. Set it over direct heat and toast it, covered, until it starts to smoke and char, 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, season salmon fillet with kosher or sea salt and pepper. Turn plank over, set over indirect heat, and set fillet, skin side down, on charred side. Dot with butter.

5. Close lid on grill and cook salmon until center of fillet flakes, 30 to 40 minutes.

6. Quick Tip: Look for (or ask for) a long, narrow fillet that fits your board. If all you can find is a short, wide fillet, just divide it down the center and lay the pieces end to end on the board to fit.

And 7. Grab a fork and a six-pack of friends, and enjoy.

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Tags: Beer, Portland Chefs, Pearl District Dining,

Chef Q & A: Chris Carriker

The Gilt Club’s executive chef waxes dietetic about the Food Network’s visit to the glitzy edge-of-the-Pearl District lounge.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Oct 27, 2010 at 08:30AM 0 Comments

Chef Chris Carriker’s carnivorous cuisine reigns supreme on cable this Friday

Be sure to get your TGIF drinking done early this week so that you can slip on your sweat pants, settle in on the couch, and watch the Gilt Club’s executive chef Chris Carriker put Portland on the meaty map in a new Food Network series, Meat & Potatoes. Hosted by chef and self-proclaimed meat nerd Rahm Fama (apparently he grew up cattle ranching), the show stampedes around the country looking for the choicest cuts and the top eateries to find fleshy fare. The upcoming episode is titled “Midnight Meat” and makes stops in Los Angeles and New York, as well as P(ork) Town, to satisfy hearty late-night cravings.

Located at 306 Northwest Broadway, the Gilt Club serves up fancy cocktails featuring house-infused liquors and their full dinner menu from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Saturday. That’s right—instead of Taco Bell, you could be closing out the night with a Le Gilt Royale—10 oz of Painted Hills ground beef with peppered bacon, Vella jack cheese, and foie gras aioli, served with pork rinds.

Here, Carriker is kind enough to chat with us about meat, TV, and his experience with both.

1) Can you give us an amuse-bouche about what we can expect to see in your Meat & Potatoes appearance?

First we show Rahm Fama our house-made pork rinds. Then we move on to a dish we call Quail in a Jar, which is quail slow-cooked in a jar with vegetables and a meat glaze, and served on bacon-liver toast. Finally, we share our bresaola-rubbed beef shoulder tender served with grilled asparagus, bordelaise, and bone marrow.

2) What was it like filming with the meat MC himself—do you feel like you learned anything from him?

Did I learn anything… Well, to be blunt—No. But he was a very lovely host who knew how intrusive the filming process can be, especially in a small kitchen like the one we have at The Gilt Club. He kept trying to speed up the process and had a good sense of humor while doing it. For me, however, filming was stressful. Sure, it was fun and games for the first couple of hours, but then I had to get ready for a Friday night and the filming process kept dragging on. Of course, after all was said and done, I had fun and I would do it again.

3) What are the key carnivore-friendly items on your menu that we should be eating right now?

Sooooooo much to choose from…hmmm…. I would say start with the roasted bone marrow with parsley salad. Then, the bison carpaccio with pickled chanterelles. Next have the braised rabbit with chestnut crêpes, house-made ricotta, and coastal huckleberries. And to finish, either have the foie gras with honeycomb, or the bone marrow doughnuts with house preserves. I mean, I just gave you a menu starting in bone marrow and ending in bone marrow—how could that go wrong?

4) Since joining The Gilt Club in June, 2009, what do you think you’ve brought to the table?

I’ve been trying to bring a different approach to the food than the one that had been there previously. My goal is to make the food match the quality of the drinks and also the name—I always felt that The Gilt Club should have food that is “Gilt-y” i.e. “guilty.” The menu should have some dishes that are over the top… rich and decadent… You know—something that would make the Romans proud. But at the same time keep things accessible.

5) What’s your favorite food porn program right now?

I guess it would be No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. Why? Because of his attitude and the show’s straightforward approach. Plus, he does it without all the fake lip-smacking noises and orgasmic moans with every bite that are common in other food programs. Other than that, when I get off work I have a hard time watching other people cook.

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Tags: Portland Chefs, five questions, Hometown Pride, Pearl District Dining, Northwest Portland Dining