Dining Month Portland: Six Days and Counting…

We're nearing the end of Dining Month, those thirty or so days in early summer where Portlanders have an excuse to check out a new spot or haunt an old favorite with abandon, and where restaurants can fill up otherwise empty seats during a slow season. It's also where not feeling like cooking is an acceptable reason to go out rather than trying to sell the old "breakfast for dinner" approach.

Why? Because more than 80 of the city's best…and I'm not exaggerating…restos are offering three courses of dining deliciousness for just $29. Now of course this doesn't include your beverages or a gratuity, but considering some of these places charge $29 for the entrée alone makes it quite the deal.

So when I was offered a chance to check out one of the listed restaurants, Clyde Common, one night last week, I said, "Heck, yeah!" After all, I'd been there a couple of times since they'd opened and loved it. And I was curious to see what was proffered for the three courses…after all, they weren't going to be handing out filet mignon for that price.

What they did have on offer was: a starter of a spring green soup with crème fraîche and olive oil (see recipe, below), a big helping of braised pork shoulder with farro, mushrooms and pearl onions as the entrée (right) and, to cap it all off, an insanely luscious layered little glass (just the right amount, imho) of chocolate pot de creme, panna cotta and fresh strawberry preserves with a cashew cookie (below left).

As you can tell from the menu (above left), though, it specifically says "no substitutions," a common restriction for these menus. This meant that Dave, with his lactose intolerance, could have none of them and had to order off the regular, and thus much more expensive, menu. So if you're planning on taking advantage of this monthlong dining bonanza, and it is indeed a rare chance to sample the best of PDX for a song, I would strongly encourage you to check out your menu choices and any restrictions before arriving at the door.

Our evening? It was lovely, of course, from the drinks in the bar—my Americano served in a little soda bottle and Dave's stunning barrel-aged Negroni—to his choice of the pasta with lamb ragu. A fun chance to head downtown and hobknob with the denizens while not spending an arm and a leg to do it.

Spring green soup with herb crème fraîche

From Clyde Common

2 yellow onions, sliced

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 green bell peppers, seeds removed and thinly sliced

2 green zucchini, washed with ends removed and thinly sliced
1 green tomato (when in season), cored and chopped

1 serrano pepper

1 bunch of scallions, chopped

1 head fennel, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. Champagne vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil


1/2 c. blanched peas

1/2 c. blanched asparagus tips

1/2 c. blanched broccoli florets
1 bunch of parsley, picked and coarsely chopped

1 c. crème fraîche

1 Tbsp. minced chives

1 Tbsp. minced chervil


Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste



A day ahead, combine the onion, garlic, pepper, squash, scallions and fennel in a non-reactive container. Add the salt, sugar, olive oil and vinegar. Mix well, cover and allow to sit overnight.



The next day, add in the cooked peas, asparagus, broccoli and chopped parsley. Mix well, and purée the vegetables in small batches in a blender until smooth. (The vegetables should have released quite a bit of liquid overnight. Add that liquid to the blender if the vegetables have trouble pureeing. If more liquid is needed, use vegetable stock or water.) After all the vegetables are pureed, re-season the mixture with salt, pepper, lemon juice and a 1/2 cup of the crème fraîche. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

 In a mixing bowl, take the remaining crème fraîche and combine with the minced chive and chervil. Set aside.



Divide the soup into four chilled bowls and serve with a heaping spoonful of the herb crème fraîche.

Photo at top courtesy Clyde Common.

Read my posts about previous visits to Clyde Common: Common Vocabulary, Our Night on the Town and Quick Hits: Clyde Common, Theory, Relish.

Quick Hits: Clyde Common, Theory, Relish

Whether you call it luncheon or lunchin', Clyde Common is a downtown gem where business guys in suits (Are there really still offices where suits and ties are de rigeur?) settle in at the large common tables next to hipsters with short-sleeved plaid shirts and flapped hunting caps. The menu offers something for everyone, from simple salads of seasonal greens to big meaty sandwiches with house-made condiments to hearty entrées and hand-made pastas.

I was there for a casual ladies' lunch with a good friend, the only downside to the whole experience coming as the place filled up and the volume increased with it. That began the ever-escalating upward slope of noise, where, to be heard, everyone starts talking louder, etc., etc. Not to get off on an cranky rant, I'll just note that it's best to go when it's not crowded if you need to catch up with an old friend. The upside, of course, was that the food was terrific, particularly my squash and ricotta agnolotti in a luscious cream sauce sprinkled with candied walnuts. Heaven! Also, we weren't in a particular hurry, so eventually the business guys had to get back to the office and the hipsters migrated to the Stumptown outlet next door for their afternoon caffeine fix, leaving us to comfortably finish our conversation.

Details: Clyde Common, 1014 SW Stark St. 503-228-3333.

* * *

If you have kids or you're meeting a friend for lunch who does, it's a natural. But even adults needing a quick, fairly inexpensive noontime meal are going to find it a desirable option, particularly since every seat in the house has a million-dollar view of the river and downtown through the soaring walls of windows. And as soon as the weather warms up a bit and the patio opens, you'll be able to dine riverside on the patio.

Inside, it's set up like a modernist cafeteria, with stations for kid-centric comfort food like meatloaf and mac'n'cheese, another for ethnic street food, a full deli and even a gorgeous wood oven where you can build your own hand-thrown pizza. And did I mention a full pastry case and coffee bar? All of it is dedicated to serving fresh, local and sustainable food, with most dishes made to order.

So where is this paragon of modern dining, you ask? Shockingly, it's a new restaurant called Theory inside…wait for it…OMSI, the city's science museum-cum-kid heaven. Run by the forward-looking, award-winning Bon Appétit food service that's been revolutionizing so-called institutional food for years and overseen by executive chef Ryan Morgan, they've even got a full bar and tap list and are set to start regular happy hour service soon. Count me in for a cocktail on the patio when the sun comes out again.

Details: Theory, 1945 SE Water Ave. 503-797-4000.

* * *

The McMenamin brothers proved that Portlanders will go just about anyplace for a burger and a beer, opening pubs in somewhat unconventional locations like, say, an elementary school, the county poor house, even a funeral home.

Now the Moreland neighborhood has its own version of Portlandia-style quirk in the form of the recently opened Relish Gastropub, located in the former Wilhelm's funeral home building. It had been converted into a now-closed music club before being bought by Marla and Akhil Kapoor, who wanted to open a neighborhood-friendly, reasonably-priced place to serve fresh, local and seasonal cuisine (like their sturgeon-mussel stew, above*). A recent stop at their bar featured a surprisingly extensive and well-curated tap list, a wide selection of wines by the glass and a tempting range of cocktails. Dining rooms are intimate, and happy hour had several small plates that were promising. Be sure to ask to see the elevator they're using to haul the kegs up from storage, which used to be the casket elevator.

Details: Relish Gastropub, 6637 SE Milwaukie Ave. 503-208-3442.

* Photo of Relish sturgeon-mussel stew from their blog.

Our Night on the Town

My poor husband. I mention that I've made reservations for a night at the Hotel DeLuxe downtown and his head fills with visions of a romantic evening with the sound of clinking glasses and the swelling strings of an orchestra playing in the background.

Happy hour at the Clyde.

What he gets is…surprise surprise…a list of happy hours as long as his arm, carrying batteries for my camera (the better to blog, my dear) and a walking tour of downtown and the Pearl. Though that's a slight exaggeration. We only hit one happy hour, one restaurant and one after-dinner event. But he did carry my batteries, bless him.

The Dissident.

Our happy hour choice was Clyde Common, where I was hoping to snag some of the whole fried anchovies that I'd had on our first visit. Alas, anchovy season had just concluded, but our bartender was happy to suggest the (happy hour) charcuterie board and the sherry vinegar with sea salt chips. Dave ordered his favorite cocktail and his measure of a good bartender, a dry martini served up with olives, and I had one of the $5 happy hour cocktails called The Dissident comprised of Becherovka, an herbal liqueur made in the Czech Republic, house-made tonic and lime.

Fratelli at dusk…romantic, no?

My drink was icy and refreshing, but with enough Czech bitters to give it a nice alcohol bite, its golden hue looking lovely backlit from the fading light outside. And, in a note to Mr. Bond, from the last two martinis Dave has ordered, bartenders are trending toward stirred, not shaken.

Fennel bruschetta.

We hadn't decided on where to go for dinner and hadn't made reservations, so with somewhat tremulous steps we headed a few blocks north to the Pearl. Fratelli was a place I'd heard about and referred people to based on recommendations, but hadn't yet tried myself. Since Dave is game for Italian (and there are usually Dave-safe options), he agreed and we walked in to the oblong, high-ceilinged space.

Gnocchi with favas.

After picking a wine, we ordered appies of a fennel bruschetta and gnocchi with favas, the sweetly caramelized fennel practically melting into the warm bruschetta slathered in aioli. The gnocchi was seared but still nicely soft, and the late-season favas were a nice mix of beany and buttery. To accentuate the emphasis on the market-fresh, seasonal ingredients that dominate the menu, the young green bean salad was mixed with mizuna, a green that is rapidly shooting to the top of my list and one I'll be planting in next year's garden.

A heavenly chop.

Our entrées, which at other establishments have sometimes not lived up to the punch of the appetizers on the menu, were astonishing. I ordered the double pork chop served with chickpeas, braised apricots and dressed with pesto, and have rarely had a chop this good and cooked this perfectly. Slightly pink inside and crusted outside, I was sorely tempted to pick it up by the bone and gnaw away at it till shreds were left but, since there were other people to consider, I used the appropriate utensils and enjoyed it immensely with its condiments, all excellently done.

Dave's albacore (top photo), meaty slices seared on the outside and rare inside, came with an incredible eggplant caponata, a combination that was so outstanding we'll be doing it here at home in the near future. At this point the restaurant was only about half full on a Thursday night, which left us wondering about all those folks who whine about not being able to find decent Italian downtown. Great food, great prices, great wine list, seasonal ingredients…what up?

Movies al fresco (though not au naturel).

We finished our wine and walked back to the hotel just in time to catch Jacques Tati's "Trafic," the rooftop movie in the NW Film Study Center's "Top Down" series. With beer and wine for sale to the appreciative crowd, we bundled up against the slight chill in the air and were thankful for the quick toddle across the street to our little home-away-from-home. It's the kind of stay-cation I could take on a regular basis!

Details: Hotel DeLuxe, 729 SW 15th Ave.; phone 866-895-2094. Clyde Common, 1014 SW Stark St.; phone 503-228-3333. Fratelli, 1230 NW Hoyt St.; phone 503-241-8800.

The Buzz: Beaker & Flask

A revealing personal detail: I like lab equipment. Actually, I love it. The clear glass, the odd shapes, the tubes, the beakers (just the word "beaker" sets me off), the flasks. I'd use them for everything if I could only find a good (and cheap) supplier. So when I heard that there was a new bar in town called Beaker & Flask, I was in.

The "Walk, Don't Run"…refreshing and light.

I can't remember when there was that much anticipation around an opening. But then, the opening had been delayed for more than a year from first estimates by the various vagaries of remodeling an older space for a new purpose and the vicissitudes of dealing with the OLCC (all of which are exhaustively detailed in their blog). Owner Kevin Ludwig even did a stint as bar manager for Clyde Common for a bit, as he said, "because a boy and his dog cannot survive on intermittent staff meal(s) and smiles from strangers."

Ah, Blanche, we feel your pain.

But open he did, and the place is an airy yet fairly compact space with a minimalist, monochromatic, mid-century look. A long open bar stretches down one end and curvy round booths curl against the curved west-facing wall (how long has it been since you've seen round tuck-and-roll booths?) and there's a definitely low-key but efficient vibe on the part of the staff.

Squash blossoms with ricotta, peas and tasso ham.

The cocktails are as good, if not better, than many of the city's better bars, with a knowledgeable hands at the shaker. Housemade tonics appear, as do an array of bitters and unusual (though not just for the sake of being different) liqueurs. But the food here was the surprise, at least to me, since Ludwig's cocktails had been all I'd heard about.

On a couple of recent visits, the plates that chef Ben Bettinger, from Paley's Place and the James John Cafe, was throwing down were pretty much outstanding, the Mac & Cheese with blood sausage (top) being a must-have dish.

The smoked trout deviled eggs could have had more punch, but the grilled corn with roasted poblano aioli and grated cheese was to die for. Prices are extremely reasonable for food this good, and from all reports the scene here is already rocking.

Details: Beaker & Flask, 727 SE Washington St. Phone 503-235-8180.

Common Vocabulary

OK, I admit it. I'm impressed.

When you read that Eric Asimov came to town and found a restaurant worthy of mention in the NYT, it's like, "Yeah, that's nice." But when you start hearing from people whose opinions you know and respect say that it rocks, that's when you prick up your ears.

On Saturday night, my brother invited us to join him for the Vino staff party at Clyde Common. I'd had drinks there shortly after it had opened and thought it was fine, but with its shared tables and groovy, low-key vibe I thought, "Pass." That's when word started filtering in that it was worth checking out.

The Haut Medoc.

And with six of us at dinner that night, we were able to work through most of the menu, starting with appetizers like terrific crunchy whole fried anchovies with aioli, pork belly with oysters, and a "scallop board" of raw bay scallops with jalapeno jelly and a shot of cava. We also had the chicken wings and spiced chickpeas, but they weren't nearly as impressive.

Fried whole fish.

Things got really good when we got to the entrées, in no small part because my brother had pulled a magnum of 1995 Chateau Hanteillan Haut Medoc out of his cellar to share. (Have I mentioned lately that I'm a lucky, lucky person?) Plus a bottle of a 1995 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino that we'd brought in case we needed back-up. And then the food started coming, including a fried whole fish with salt-roasted potatoes, hanger steak with a poached egg and potato cakes, tagliarini pasta with a sauce of stinging nettles and walnuts, and grilled rabbit with wild mushrooms in a sherry sauce. Crazy!

Grilled rabbit.

You might have though we'd have had the sense to stop there, but with three bloggers at the table there was a reportorial imperative to satisfy, so we also had four out of five desserts on the menu, of which the carrot cake with goat cheese cream and the grapefruit sorbet with green apple-fennel granita almost put us over the top.

Then just as we were gathering what was left of our dignity, what should appear but an angel-winged, parasol-wielding flock of white-clad figures. At first we thought perhaps we were suffering a food-induced hallucination. But they turned out to be performers from Cirque du Soleil dancing through the place, providing an appropriately theatrical end to the evening.

Details: Clyde Common, 1014 SW Stark St. Phone 503-228-3333.