Extramsg: Portland Restaurant and Market Guide

Vegan Quest: A Carnivore in Vegan's Clothing

If you've been following me on Twitter or at PortlandFood.org, you probably already know that, yes, it's true, I really am going vegan for a month. Why? Because?!?

Portland Sandwiches: Michael's Italian Beef & Sausage

Michael's Beef & Sausage Combo -- Wet

Perhaps Clint Eastwood's sleeper Gran Torino was overlooked by the Oscars for non-PC exchanges like this:

Barber Martin: There. You finally look like a human being again. You shouldn't wait so long between hair cuts, you cheap son of a bitch.
Walt Kowalski: Yeah. I'm surprised you're still around. I was always hoping you'd die off and they got someone in here that knew what the hell they were doing. Instead, you're just hanging around like the duop dego you are.
Barber Martin: That'll be ten bucks, Walt.
Walt Kowalski: Ten bucks? Jesus Christ, Marty. What are you, half Jew or somethin'? You keep raising the damn prices all the time.
Barber Martin: It's been ten bucks for the last five years, you hard-nosed pollock son of a bitch.
Walt Kowalski: Yeah, well keep the change.
Barber Martin: See you in three weeks, prick.
Walt Kowalski: Not if I see you first, dipshit.

PC or not, though, it has a certain authenticity. And I've lived it at Michael's -- just substitute the racial slurs for political rants.

Last time I was in, Michael saw one of his regulars sit down and he emerged from the kitchen to announce to the entire room that Obama was taking our country down the road of Nazi Germany. In between bites, the regular responded that Michael must have heard that from his buddy Rush Limbaugh while he was selling him oxycotin. Another customer across from me got up in disgust, moving to the other end of the restaurant. A lady from behind the counter came out to tell Michael to, "Shut up and go home," while another customer started going off about how it was Bush who was the Nazi.

There was thumping of chests and busting of balls, but it was all for show. I'd heard about Michael's rants, but never really seen one. I always assumed that he was a bit of an asshole, but worth putting up with for the food. Now I think it's just a wonderful schtick from another place and another era -- a welcome anachronism in a blue collar neighborhood undergoing a lot of change with the addition of Le Pigeon, Biwa, Simpatica, and Noble Rot.

And if you can't handle the schtick, get the food to go, because they make some great sandwiches.

Valentine's Dinner 2009: Food for My Two Loves -- Wife and Work (cough...cough)

Seared Halibut with Crab and Butter Braised Leeks and Apple on Curried Green Lentils with Blood Orange

This was the meal I cooked for my wife (and the Kenny & Zuke's staff) for Valentine's Day this year. Step-by-step pictures can be found here and a more detailed description of the creation process can be found here. I love how the citrus balances the earthiness of the lentils. Keeping the lentils room temperature seems to maintain the vibrancy of the blood oranges better than if they were warm. It also adds contrast to the warm elements and allows the curry flavor to come through more. Fennel would be a good substitute for the apple, but the apple adds a complimentary fruity sweetness to the meaty sweetness of the crab and the oniony sweetness of the leeks. The butter braised leeks and the crab make the dish seem luxurious. Many fishes could work instead of halibut. Scallops would also work well. Oysters, bacon, or sausage might work as substitutes for the crab, though making it a more aggressive dish. The lemon wedge is necessary to add brightness to an otherwise ultra-rich dish.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 45 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Portland Sandwiches: Little T American Baker

Grinder

Ed Levine, perhaps the foremost authority on pizza in the United States, likes to point out that pizza is really just bread, so you can't have good pizza without good bread. The same certainly should be the case for sandwiches, which are just meat and cheese stuffed into bread. Thus, in looking for a good sandwich in Portland, the artisan bakeries deserve special focus.

In tasting sandwiches at all of Portland's best bakeries, none better shines a light on the importance of good bread and the way that bread can give character to a sandwich than Little T. The fillings are fine, but the breads are the star of each sandwich.

Portland Sandwiches: Bunk Sandwiches

Bunk's Meatball Hero

"You can't judge a book by its cover."
~ 20th Century American Idiom

"Beauty ... is but skin deep."
~ Sir Thomas Overbury, 1613

"Food all looks the same coming out."
~ Some Smart-Ass

Often suffused with smoke with a dinky storefront, there's not much to draw you to or in Bunk Sandwiches except the line of people out front. Their sandwiches don't often photograph well for whatever reason. Neither does my wife. But I don't eat a photograph of a sandwich from Bunk anymore than I kiss a picture of my wife. The sandwiches may not be pretty, but they sure taste damned good. Thus, the line.

On the continuum of sandwiches from traditional to gourmet, Bunk's give the impression of something traditional and comforting, yet the menu indicates, and the patient palate discovers, something creative and distinctive. But somehow, the flavors are never unexpected.

Taste of Jakarta, Memories of Java

Yogyakarta street art

The weather got progressively cooler as I moved south from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur and finally to Yogyakarta, the medium-sized city of artists and students near many of Java's most famous archeological sites. Each night along the main drag, the three-wheeled bicycle taxis of Indonesia lumbered in figure-eights while their drivers yelled out to potential customers by the name of their transport: "Becak, becak, becak." Young kids and their friends on scooters zipped between the pedal-powered people movers, as if to thumb their nose at the 3rd world. Warungs -- street stalls, most with open-sided canopies and blankets to sit on -- would slowly emerge and illuminate, signs advertising nasi goreng, rendang, gulai nangka, and, of course, the favorite, ayam goreng. A mile of bubbling cauldrons and fragrant spices, each vendor imploring you to give them a try, insisting their makanan (food) is the best. Finally, Portland has a restaurant, Taste of Jakarta, that perfectly captures the flavors and style of these warungs.

Seattle-Based Dinerware Opens Portland Office

Dinerware, Inc., a leading developer of intuitive touchscreen POS (point of sale) systems for independent restaurants and chains, today announced the opening of an office in Portland, Oregon. Customers in the greater Portland area will now have more immediate access to local resources that can provide on-site sales consultations, system installation, user training and follow-up support. Dinerware, in turn, will be better positioned to serve the needs of the region's growing, vital restaurant economy.

"There is tremendous demand for Dinerware within Portland's restaurant community," said regional manager, Adam Pinyoun. "Many local area restaurants already rely on our system including Lauro Kitchen, Toro Bravo and Vindalho. These restaurants have chosen Dinerware based on its affordability, ease-of-use and reliability."

"Expanding to Portland signals their continued superior support and service to their customers," said David Machado, chef and owner of both Vindalho and Lauro Kitchen. "I exclusively use Dinerware POS at my restaurants, Vindalho and Lauro Kitchen. It is simply the most user friendly, intuitive and stable restaurant computer system in any price range."

"The enthusiasm of our longtime Portland clientele has been sending an ever-increasing stream of customers our way," Pinyoun said. "The demand generated by our customers' satisfaction is the primary reason we are here."

Pinyoun, who relocated from Dinerware's Seattle headquarters, brings more than four years of experience with the company. "Adam Pinyoun's earlier tenure as Dinerware's Support and Services Manager makes him a skilled, knowledgeable resource for prospective and existing customers," said Dinerware CEO Jeff Riley. "Adam has overseen all new installations in the Seattle area for the past two years. His ability to assist restaurateurs as they assess their POS needs and help them deploy Dinerware makes him a valuable asset to the Portland-area restaurant community and continues to establish Dinerware as the leader in restaurant POS technology."

About Dinerware Incorporated

Dinerware is an intuitive restaurant touch screen system designed for independent restaurants. End users easily automate with the latest technology helping to lower the Total Cost of Ownership. To contact Dinerware's Portland office, call (503) 442-1398. Visit www.dinerware.com for additional details, or their headquarters at 4511 Shilshole Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107. Call (206) 297-0561 or toll free (866) 346-3792.

Wine Country Thanksgiving Marks 25th Anniversary of Wine Touring in Oregon's Wil

Winter wine tasting season in Oregon�s Willamette Valley kicks off with the 25th annual Wine Country Thanksgiving from November 23-25, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. This annual event traditionally held the weekend after Thanksgiving brings families together to explore the pastoral beauty of the Willamette Valley and taste a wide range of Oregon wine -- from Pinot Noir to Riesling, Syrah and Pinot Gris. Many small, family-owned wineries only open to the public during Thanksgiving and Memorial Day weekends allowing for opportunities to meet the winemaker and sample new releases. Each winery organizes their own events ranging from artisan food tastes of local cheeses and hand-dipped truffles to art displays and live music. For a complete listing of wineries open during Thanksgiving weekend, along with details about special events and individual tasting fees, visit www.willamettewines.com to request a touring map and guide.

Wine Country Thanksgiving Grows from Nine Wineries to 120
The Willamette Valley recently celebrated 40 years as a wine producing region, dating back to 1965 when David Lett, and his wife, Diana, planted 3,000 pinot noir vines in the Dundee Hills. But it wasn�t until the early 1980s when a small group of vintners banded together to hold open houses at all the wineries in the Yamhill Valley. The original nine wineries were Adelsheim, Amity, Arterberry, Chateau Benoit, Elk Cove, Erath, Eyrie, Hidden Springs, and Sokol Blosser. �Wine Country Thanksgiving became our biggest retail weekend of the year,� said Susan Sokol-Blosser in her recent book, At Home in the Vineyard. �As the number of participating wineries grew, so did the number of visitors and the popularity of wine touring.� Wine Country Thanksgiving is now celebrating 25 years of annual open houses with more than 120 member wineries welcoming visitors to the Willamette Valley.

About Willamette Valley Wineries Association
The WVWA is a non-profit industry association dedicated to achieving recognition for the Willamette Valley as a premier Pinot Noir producing region. Currently, the WVWA has 165 members representing wineries and tasting rooms throughout the Willamette Valley region � from Portland to Eugene. Memorial Weekend in Wine Country (May 24-26, 2008) and Wine Country Thanksgiving (November 23-25, 2007) are the two oldest wine touring events in Oregon. The WVWA Board of Directors includes: David Adelsheim, Adelsheim Vineyard; Josh Bergstrom, Bergstrom Winery; Harry Peterson-Nedry, Chehalem; Pat Dudley, Bethel Heights; Annie Shull, Raptor Ridge and Steve Vuylsteke. For more information or to request a wine touring map, please visit www.willamettewines.com or call 503-646-2985.

Holiday Celebrations at the Heathman Restaurant and Bar Begin with Bountiful Tha

�Family, Food, Celebration� � The Heathman Restaurant and Bar�s longstanding Thanksgiving tradition of a grand buffet as well as a prix fixe menu brings generations together to celebrate the day and the bounty of Northwest ingredients prepared by award-winning Chef Philippe Boulot. The Heathman offers the prix fixe menu in the dining room, and the holiday buffet on the second floor mezzanine and private dining rooms. Both the prix fixe dinners and the grand buffet are $46.50 per adult and $18 per child under 12. For reservations, please call 503-790-7752.

Holiday Menu Selections � from Anderson Valley Ranch Lamb to Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake
Thanksgiving menus at the Heathman always highlight such traditional winter items as curried butternut squash soup, roasted turkey with sage stuffing, and, of course, pumpkin pie. Chef Boulot, using the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, also brings Dungeness, mango & avocado salad to the appetizer menu, and papillotte of salmon & shrimp mousse and gigot of Anderson Valley Ranch lamb sept heures as entr�es. The grand buffet selection abounds with seasonal appetizer and vegetable displays, as well as a wide assortment of seafood delicacies and entrees. Pastry Chef John Gayer has created an array of holiday desserts � chocolate chestnut mousse cake with a burnt orange sauce and his famous pecan pie with ice cream and toffee sauce. Chef Gayer�s pastry display for the grand buffet includes bread pudding, pear frangipane tart, pumpkin cheesecake, along with a variety of holiday cakes and cookies.

Afternoon Tea: A Cherished Tradition
Indulge in one of The Heathman�s most cherished traditions � Afternoon Tea � in the hotel�s historic tea court and mezzanine. For more than a decade, the Heathman has hosted this popular ritual every weekend throughout the year. With the Tea Court decked in holiday splendor, tea service will be available on weekends until Thanksgiving and then �daily� the day after Thanksgiving through New Year�s Day with multiple seatings at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Executive Chef Philippe Boulot and Pastry Chef John Gayer�s tea menu emphasizes local ingredients and draws inspiration from France and Hawaii, with new items including smoked salmon salad profiteroles, John�s famous lanai banana bread. Other items include pat� maison, classic cucumber sandwich and a Parisian opera cake. The Afternoon Tea Menu at The Heathman also includes �The Peter Rabbit Tea for Little Sippers� (12 and under) featuring cheddar and swiss blocks, goldfish crackers, bologna sandwich, chocolate cupcake, �Ants on a Log� and hot cocoa. Afternoon Tea is $28.50 per person and The Peter Rabbit Tea $12.95. Reservations are required and should be made 48 hours in advance at 503-790-7752.

About the Heathman Restaurant and Bar
The Heathman Restaurant exemplifies the best of the Pacific Northwest using local ingredients and ingredients inspired by the flavors and cuisine of France. Gourmet Magazine recognized the Heathman as one of Portland�s best restaurants in the 2005 Restaurant Guide. Recipient of the James Beard Best Chef: Pacific NW award in 2001, Philippe Boulot partners with the region�s select growers, producers and vintners to find the highest quality ingredients. Chef Boulot was honored by the Academie Culinaire de France as the Academie�s Chef of the Year. The Heathman Restaurant also offers casual dining in the adjacent Marble Bar and outside at the sidewalk caf�. Cocktails and live jazz are available in the intimate Tea Court. For more information, please call 503-790-7752 or visit www.heathmanrestaurantandbar.com. The Heathman Restaurant is located at 1001 SW Broadway in downtown Portland�s cultural district.

November 2007 Wine Wednesday Flights at Paley's Place

Vitaly and Kimberly Paley let loose every week for their informal Wine Wednesday tradition when they pair flights of wine with food not typically served at the restaurant. �We try to demystify wine with a playful approach,� says Kimberly Paley. �We want our customers to come in each Wednesday and be surprised � from the wines we select to the food pairings.�

Wine Wednesday is offered each week with three flights of individually priced wines and a complimentary �mystery� wine. If guests can guess the varietal and producer of the mystery wine they receive their flight �on the house.� Chef Vitaly Paley enjoys being creative with the food pairings and chooses ingredients and dishes that compliment the wines or reflect the food of the region. Wine Wednesday is available every Wednesday in the bar or dining room from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

NOVEMBER 2007 Wine Wednesday Flights

Wednesday, November 7
South of the Border: Reds & Whites

Wednesday, November 14
Zesty Zinfandels

Wednesday, November 21
Wines for the Bird

Wednesday, November 28
Hooray for Cru Beaujolais

About Paley�s Place:
Paley�s Place offers Pacific Northwest regional cuisine, served in the warm and inviting setting of a Victorian home. Chef and owner Vitaly Paley creates seasonal menus from the bounty of the Northwest � fresh organic ingredients supplied by local farmers, growers and purveyors � with Southern French and Northern Italian influences. Chef Vitaly Paley received the 2005 James Beard Foundation Best Chef Pacific Northwest award and Paley�s Place was featured on the Food Network Awards show and selected as one of the Top 50 Restaurants in the United States by Gourmet Magazine. Weekly Wine Wednesday highlights an extensive wine list which focuses on varietals from Oregon, Washington and France, with additional selections from around the world. Seating is intimate � both in the dining room and the bistro and bar area where diners can grab a light meal, cocktail, or glass of wine. Chef Paley has also created the PaleyBar, an organic energy bar available in four flavors and available at Whole Foods and other gourmet grocers and outdoor stores, as well as online at www.paleybar.com. For reservations and information, please call 503-243-2403 or visit www.paleysplace.net. Paley�s Place is located at 1204 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, Oregon.