When Everyone Else Goes Right…

No, this isn't about Hill vs. Don or Bernie. It's about perspective, and, from what I've seen so far, mine is pretty different from the pack. As background, Mattie John Bamman, the new editor for the Portland outpost of the restaurant-industry website Eater, sent the following request: "Would you be interested in sharing your dining opinions as part of Eater Portland's end-of-year coverage?"

Now, I met Mattie—yes, it is his real name and isn't short for Matthew (the reason he gives is that he had "hippie parents")—at a media lunch given by the wonderful Bette Sinclair. For whatever reason he decided to include me in this year's survey. Here are the questions and my answers. I'll include links so you can read what others felt was noteworthy.

What were your top restaurant standbys of 2015?
My husband and I don’t go out much because, frankly, dining out is way too expensive for us to do on any kind of regular basis, so I’m hopelessly out of date on the “hot list.” As a matter of fact, several of them will close before we ever get a chance to go to them. (Cases in point: June, Levant, Noisette.)


Nostrana's Cathy Whims (r) and one of her—and my—favorite farmers.

So our standbys are places that make the kind of food we love and source ingredients from local farms and farmers: Bar Avignon, Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty, Old Salt Marketplace, Nostrana, Lucca and Davenport. Tastebud has to be included even though it’s just opened (we’ve been twice) because Mark Doxtader and Sarah (of Lovely’s) are the god and goddess of woodfired pizza made with local ingredients. Burrasca has become a favorite on our hit parade, as well.  Read more.

What were the top restaurant newcomers of 2015?

Tastebud because of the reasons listed above (Mark Doxtader, right). Burrasca (top photo). Love their take on Florentine classics like ribollita, peasant food that uses the simplest ingredients like old bread, leftover beans and greens to make a bowl of comfort; pappa al pomodoro; the deeply intriguing combination of squid and kale that is inzimino.

I’m hoping they’ll find a source for the fourth stomach of a cow, the abomasum, so I can have the famous street food favorite of Florence called lampredotto. Read more.

Describe the 2015 Portland restaurant scene in one word.
Free-for-all. Read more.

What was the best dining neighborhood in 2015?

No place like NE: We live within walking distance of Alberta, Killingsworth, Cully, Williams and Mississippi. (Sarah Minnick of Lovely's Fifty-Fifty, left)

Cully has to be the up-and-comer. Read more.

What was the biggest dining surprise of 2015?
No idea.

What was your single best meal in 2015?
Overall, very few meals can match what we have at home on a regular basis, from roast chicken to braised beef neck to pig trotters in a pot of Ayers Creek Farm beans to steaks on the fire when we’re camping.

Ben Meyer (l) and Bill Hoyt.

Meals out, wonderful as they can be from any of the places listed above, become more special because I don’t have to cook them. Current crave is the beef tartare at Old Salt using beef from Bill Hoyt of Hawley Ranch in Cottage Grove. Read more.

What was the biggest restaurant grievance of 2015?
The focus on chefs and technique versus good food made simply using the best ingredients (preferably local). Read more.

What are your headline predictions for 2016?
No idea.

Unlisted But Not Unloved

I get it, of course. A limited list, a plethora of possible picks. Endless opportunities for debate, nitpicking and what-ifs.

But really, I'm a bit bewildered by the some of the restaurants left off the list of "100 Favorites" in the Oregonian's Diner 2011 section published yesterday. So rather than quibble or fuss, I'm doing an addendum (listed in no particular order) you can carry on your smart phone, with links to the full posts. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments below!

Toast

Donald Kotler's jewel box on Southeast Steele would win a blue ribbon at the state fair if such a prize existed for a whole café. Housemade everything, from the cured pork belly to the jams to the English muffins, with much of its produce sourced from urban farms within a mile of its location. Renowned for a way with brunch and breakfast, dinner is a too-well-kept secret. Should have been in the "Real Deals," "Breakfasts of Champions" or "Farm to Table" sections. Links here and here.
Details: Toast, 5222 SE 52nd Ave. 503-774-1020.

Spints Alehouse

Just written up last week in a rave where I admit to a schoolgirl crush. With great beers, intriguing spirits and spectacular food, Alyssa Gregg (top photo) has opened the tavern of my dreams. I only wish I'd discovered it earlier. Should have been in the "Pour It On" section. Link to post here.
Details: Spints Alehouse, 401 NE 28th Ave. 503-847-2534.

Lucca

Anyone who lives in the vicinity of Northeast Fremont knows about this quiet resident of the Irvington neighborhood. Solid is the descriptor of choice, whether it's their wood oven-prepared food, cocktail list or pasta choices. Our go-to for those "I don't feel like cooking" nights or "How about pizza?" occasions, they're open for lunch and dinner both. Should have been in the "Everyday Excellence" section. Links here and here.
Details: Lucca, 3449 NE 24th Ave. Phone 503-287-7372.

Yuzu

If only my son had built that transporter (à la Star Trek) that he was obsessed with in his youth, I would spend a lot more time in this hidden gem at the far end of Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. Looking as if it was a holodeck recreation of a Ginza district yakuza, this place has wowed me every time. Should have been in the "Outer Eats" or "Hideaways" section. Links here and here.
Details: Yuzu, 4130 SW 117th Ave., Beaverton. Phone 503-350-1801.

Quick Hits: Olympic Provisions & Lucca

I'm sure you know the feeling. We'd had a couple of beers at a pub, talked with a few folks we knew, then left with the sense that the evening wasn't quite over, particularly in the food department. I mean, beer is a meal in itself, but doesn't quite hit the same spot as a nice nosh.

The beers were consumed at the drastically revamped Produce Row Café, founded in 1974 and the very first pub owned by the McMenamin brothers. We were there for an event put on by Megan Flynn (left) to celebrate the summer issue of her magazine, BeerNW. It prominently features an article on the Row, but more importantly it also has an article that includes my recipe for paella with chorizo and mussels. Cool, huh?

So finding ourselves in the eastside industrial district, we opted for a bite at Olympic Provisions, Nate Tilden and Jason Barwikowski's emporium of cured meat products. I hadn't yet been there in the evening, and on this weeknight we found it about half-full, with tables available and plenty of room at the bar.

We ordered the meat board, which came tout de suite and contained a sampling of three of their salumi, a wedge of chicken liver mousse and a pistachio rillette with pickled onions and rhubarb, cornichons and mustard. They're definitely finding their way with the salumi, which is getting more flavorful and distinct each time I try it. The mousse and terrine were fantastic, though the three thin slices of toasted bread were only about half of what was needed.

Shining like crossed swords, the seared fresh sardines came with a salad of baby potatoes and asparagus dressed in a mustard vinaigrette and topped with half of a soft-centered boiled egg. Perfect for sharing, it was a great pairing I'm going to have to copy here at home when sardines are next in season. The best dish, though, was the pork belly with clams that had been cooked in a spicy tomato sauce with greens and carrots. Rich and brilliant, this blew us away.

I'd tell you about the drinks we had, but we'd abstained due to the beers consumed beforehand. And, amazingly, we didn't really miss them, an observation I wouldn't have expected. (Note to self: sometimes the food is enough!)

Details: Olympic Provisions, 107 SE Washington St. Phone 503-954-3663.

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My idea of the perfect neighborhood has, it goes without saying, friendly folks who like to hang out and chat with neighbors passing by with their dogs and kids. It should also be walkable, bikeable and close to public transportation. There has to be at least one good grocery store and a farmers' market nearby, and great cafés for coffee and a really good low-key restaurant for those nights when you don't feel like cooking, a place where the food and conviviality is more important than the decor or the toniness of the crowd.

We're lucky to live in exactly that kind of neighborhood, and to have a restaurant like Lucca only a ten-minute walk away. On the way home with friends Ivy and Gregor the other night, we stopped in for a bite and a glass of wine and had a spectacular meal that started with a wonderful antipasto platter, probably the best I've had recently and by far the most reasonably priced.

Several slices of excellent charcuterie were accompanied by stuffed dates, a pile of assorted olives, a pickled vegetable salad, a liver mousse with a small pile of salty crisp chips for dipping and a pile of crunchy deep-fried vegetables. More than enough for three, this plate would be well worth ordering on its own with a drink at the bar or, as we did, the starter for the terrific meal to follow.

Details: Lucca, 3449 NE 24th Ave. Phone 503-287-7372.

Fresh Outta Piedmont

Everything we'd heard had been good. And the time had finally come.

Lucca had been open since January on the corner of 24th and Fremont, just blocks from our house, and from all reports it had been slammed since the day it opened. We were scheduled to meet a friend that evening and, since none of us had tried it yet, we went for an early dinner.

Arriving a little before 6 o'clock, we got the last table for four. It was a Saturday night and there were a couple of larger groups celebrating various events, as well as several families with small children. Our waitress had a charming Italian accent and brought drinks and wine quickly, and the mussels and crostini we ordered for appetizers came within minutes.

The mussels were simmered in a broth of garlic, artichoke hearts and butter and were superb. The crostini, two crusts each of paté, a white bean spread and a bolognese sauce were good, though I could have eaten six crusts of the pate alone, it was that exceptional.

For entrées, we had a sausage pizza from their wood oven and though it was not as bubbly as Nostrana's, it was nicely browned and lightly sauced. If they can keep up the quality or even do better, this place is going to hit it big. Dave had their grilled chicken cooked under a brick, big pieces of chicken that were moist and tender and came with a side of a chard gratin.

I went with the short ribs braised in chianti with a side of creamy polenta and roasted root veggies that was fall-apart tender and luscious, not to mention quite filling. With a bottle of Barbera d'Alba from their very reasonably priced wine list, this was a great meal for a very moderate price.

The room was a little noisy for my tastes, but it looked like they were working on a few fixes to bring the decibel level down. And if you have a group, they do take reservations but try to keep most of the room open for walk-ins. A nice shared dinner with wine at the bar would be a great way to go and even cheaper. We'll be walking up there this summer for sure!

Details: Lucca, 3449 NE 24th Ave. Phone 503-287-7372.

Lucky Us!

The corner of NE 24th and Fremont has had a checkered history since its run as the second of the Nature's natural grocery stores in Portland (the first was on SW Corbett). It was redeveloped as the eastside branch of Multnomah's landmark Marco's Cafe but never really caught on with the neighborhood. Then the unpronounceable Aja Pacific Kitchen moved in with its fusion menu, confusing the heck out of everyone and closed within a short time.

But now a strong contender, Lucca, might just win the day and take the hex off this corner. With a wood-burning oven and rotisserie grill, it's described as "a neighborhood friendly, Italian influenced restaurant and bar" with a high comfort factor, all good things when you live within walking distance and don't feel like cooking.

If anyone gets in there before we do, leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Details: Lucca, 3449 NE 24th Ave. on the corner of NE 24th & Fremont. Phone 503-287-7372.

Livin' in the Blurbs: Local Motion

House concerts, informal music events that are held in private homes, are all the rage among music cognoscenti these days. One venue called Hollywood House Concerts is featuring Portland's Tim Ellis on Mar. 2, singer-songwriter and NYC transplant Michael Sheridan joined by Dirty Martini guitarist and vocalist Lara Michell on Apr. 6, and the piano-vocal duo of Benny Green and Belinda Underwood on May 25. For reservations or to get on the e-mail list, contact Matt Miner. If you'd like to find out how to put on a house concert of your own, check out ConcertsInYourHome.com.

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It's time for holiday dinner events at GoodStuffNW's favorite restaurant, Castagna. On Dec. 23 is the Réveillon de Noel, a French-inspired three-course meal featuring gougeres, a Dungeness crab and mache salad and Christmas goose prepared two ways, as well as Buche de Noel and two glasses of wine, for only $55 per person. Then on New Year's Eve will be a five-course meal that sounds out of this world with a choice of three entrees and three desserts for $80 per person or $125 with wine pairings. For information and reservations, call 503-231-7373.

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In a previous post about storing your cheese to keep it at its peak, I mentioned local cheese guy Mark Goldman's packet of cheese papers. At that point it was only available from limited retailers, but now Formaticum has its new website up and running so you can order it anywhere from Poughkeepsie to Death Valley (and beyond).

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The restaurant space on NE 24th and Fremont that's been a revolving door for the past several years is now slated to be the new home of Lucca, "a neighborhood-friendly, Italian-influenced restaurant and bar. Lucca will have a wood-fired pizza bar and rotisserie-cooked items highlighting the rustic trattortia menu," according to a post on PortlandFoodandDrink.com. It "will focus on a value-driven wine list as well as a retro-cocktail menu. The owners, Nancy Salta and Sue Davidson, are passionate about quality food and wine, and desire to recreate the sense of community they experienced while visiting the city of Lucca." We wish them good luck!