Saturday, July 29, 2006

Rosé Dinners at Castagna

Our favorite restaurant in Portland, Castagna, is doing a series of rosé dinners on Wednesday nights this summer, each with a different regional focus. We attended the first dinner on July 19, which featured a white and two rosés from Spain and a three-course family-style dinner. It got off to a promising start with four, count 'em four, tapas-style appetizers (crostini with fresh anchovies, Senor Kevin's amazing devilled eggs, fried shrimp croquettes and mussels in a saffron broth).

These were followed by amazingly luscious lamb chops with a stunningly good romesco for dipping (one of our dinner-mates referred to these as "lamb lollipops"), roasted fingerlings fresh from the farmers' market and haricots verts with Spanish prosciutto. Followed by fresh raspberries and blackberries topped with a cloud of whipped cream. Talk about heaven!

They're saying the ridiculously inexpensive price of $40 includes three courses and two glasses of wine, but I'm here to tell you the servers were sure not keeping track at our table. The three remaining dinners in the series are:
  • Aug. 2: Rosés from the Cotes du Rhone featuring roast strip loin of beef with black olives with wine from Segries Tavel and Campagnol Costieres de Nimes.
  • Aug. 16: Rosés from Provencal featuring a Grand Aioli dinner and wines from Commanderie de la Bargemone and Chateau Miraval.
  • Aug. 30: Rosés from Bandol with bouillabaise in two courses with wines from Pradeaux and Mas de la Rouviere.
Details: Castagna, 752 SE Hawthorne Blvd. (corner of 18th); Phone 503-231-7373 for reservations.

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