They went to 17 “vegan” restaurants, ordered takeout food, and took the samples to be tested. Great care was taken to insure against contamination. When the results were in, seven of the restaurants tested positive for “contamination”. It’s an interesting article, even if you aren’t into the vegan lifestyle. I wonder if anyone has ever done the same thing in Portland. You can read the post here.

Grated organic cheese, for example, contains wood starch to prevent clumping. Organic beer can be made from non-organic hops. Organic mock duck contains a synthetic ingredient that gives it an authentic, stringy texture.

In the end, the USDA has lax oversight into the entire organic certification program, to the point where the green label doesn’t really mean much anymore. Scary for those who like to think they are eating organic.

The USDA created the National Organic Program in 2002 to implement the law. By then, major food companies had bought up most small, independent organic companies. Kraft Foods, for example, owns Boca Foods. Kellogg owns Morningstar Farms, and Coca-Cola owns 40 percent of Honest Tea, maker of the organic beverage favored by President Obama.

That corporate firepower has added to pressure on the government to expand the definition of what is organic, in part because processed foods offered by big industry often require ingredients, additives or processing agents that either do not exist in organic form or are not available in large enough quantities for mass production.

Another choice quote:

“People are really hung up on regulations,” said Smillie, who is also vice president of the certifying firm Quality Assurance International, which is involved in certifying 65 percent of organic products found on supermarket shelves. “I say, ‘Let’s find a way to bend that one, because it’s not important.’ . . . What are we selling? Are we selling health food? No. Consumers, they expect organic food to be growing in a greenhouse on Pluto. Hello? We live in a polluted world. It isn’t pure. We are doing the best we can.”

It’s an interesting article; more than a little bit scary. You can read it here.

Morton’s was founded in 1978 by Arnie Morton and Klaus Fritsch. According to Wikipedia, Morton’s is the world’s largest owner and operator of company-owned upscale restaurants, with locations in six countries. The Portland branch is located downtown in the Koin Tower.

Ambiance: Dark green carpet, white linens, light walls with dark wood accents, and a liberal sprinkling of the Morton’s logo give it a rather corporate feel. Personal wine lockers for high-rollers surround the entrance. The lighting is muted, yet brighter than some of the other steakhouses. Where we were sitting, the noise level was higher than I expected. At times the waiter had trouble hearing us, and we found we frequently had to repeat ourselves. Overall though, the interior is perfectly acceptable. Grade B.

Service was unforgettable. I’ll go through a timeline to illustrate what I mean.

1. We were greeted at the door, ushered to our table, and given drink and wine menus.
2. The waiter was there within three minutes, asking for our water order. A long list of bottled choices was given, with no mention of tap being an option. We asked for it anyway. He then asked for drink orders, though I hadn’t even opened the cocktail menu.
3. A few short minutes later, the famous “meat cart” was rolled up to the table. If you’ve ever been to Morton’s, you’ll know exactly what I mean. There are several trays on the cart which hold plastic-wrapped cuts of meat. The server first holds out a large tomato and explains how it is sliced to make a salad. He then points out each cut of meat, running quickly through them. Finally, he holds up a potato, a single unpeeled potato, and tells us it’s used in all their potato dishes. The whole thing is so strange, by the time he got to the potato, I was having a difficult time not laughing. Someone in my party asked if they had a menu, because she couldn’t keep up with his automaton delivery. We did get paper menus when he finished the spiel – the quality of which didn’t match the other bound menus.
4. Less than ten minutes later, he took our orders. About five minutes after that the salads arrived.
5. The drinks didn’t arrive until we were half-way through the salads.
6. We barely finished our salads, and certainly had no time to catch our breath, when the steaks arrived.
7. As soon as we finished the steaks, the plates were whisked away. No mention was made of dessert options; we had to stop him and ask.
8. The dessert tray came out immediately, but no prices were given as there was no menu. They arrived moments after we ordered. The moment we finished, the check came. Change took all of three minutes.

Here’s my problem. First of all, the cart is incredibly stupid. I couldn’t help but wonder if Morton was short-changed during childhood show and tell. A freaking tomato? A potato? How dumb is that? Second, at no time did any personality emerge from a well-rehearsed robotic cadence. Our server seemed bored with his job. Finally, we felt rushed to the point where it ruined the dinner. From the moment we sat down, I could barely catch my breath. Later that night, I dug out all my steakhouse receipts, and added up the times. Morton’s was 62 minutes, start to finish. The next closest was an hour-thirty-five from Ruth’s Chris. We hadn’t told them we were in any hurry. The restaurant was only half full, so they weren’t going to turn the table, and it wasn’t late. Unfathomable. If I pay $300 for dinner, I want it to last a while. As one of my friends said, “Morton’s has managed to destroy the magic of dining”. I quite agree. Grade D.

Salads: We ordered Caesar salads as we did everywhere else. They were ample with good fresh greens, though slightly overdressed. Little bursts of anchovy flavor peeked through now and then, and even the croutons were decent. Overall, the salads here were better than anywhere else, though none of the steakhouse Caesars were anywhere near as good as say, Café Castagna ($10). Grade B

Steaks: For comparison purposes, we stuck to the same cuts as everywhere else, a Porterhouse and a New York. The fillet side of the Porterhouse seemed a bit small, but flavor was pretty good. The strip side was not nearly as flavorful as the other steakhouses, and was a bit tougher than usual. This surprised me, because that cut’s lack of collagen means the meat is usually pretty tender. It was cooked medium-rare as ordered, and had nice sear and seasoning ($49).

The New York was cooked just right, but had a weird mealy texture, like it had been over tenderized. The sear was nice. Based on flavor and texture, I liked this steak the least of every steakhouse we went to, even Ruth’s Chris, where it was overcooked. An interesting side note, which maybe someone can explain; it bled a huge amount. I must have had quarter-inch of red blood in the dish. I thought maybe it was just me that was bothered, but someone at my table leaned over and said, “Your steak looks disgusting” ($49). Grade C.

Sides: We had two sides. Asparagus, which was advertised as “Jumbo”, came grilled with a balsamic reduction, which was, in a word, horrible. The vinegar was incredibly sweet, which muted any asparagus taste. I managed to choke down a few spears, but that was the best I could do ($10.50). The potato was just fine, no complaints, except that they come dressed with nothing. The waiter stands at the table with a selection of butter, sour cream, and bacon, spooning on your choice until you say stop. It felt stupid to me; just give me a few little ramekins like everyone else does, and at least put butter on it! ($8.50)  Creamed spinach tasted like some sort of dessert dish. It was sweet, with a predominate taste of nutmeg. The ratio of cream to spinach was way off, leaving us with a gloppy bechamel with some sad chopped greens.Grade C-.

Desserts: The oh so chic dessert tray is also paraded to your table. Honestly, none of them looked particularly good. Among the choices was a piece of key lime pie that had so much whipped cream it wasn’t appetizing, a plate with about 24 raspberries laid out in rows with a small amount of whipped cream, and a crème brûlée, which is what I chose. The filling was slightly undercooked, and the sugar coating was a bit too thick, which left it chewy ($9.50). Strangely, we were never told the dessert prices, nor did we receive a menu for them. I should mention that the server warned us there were several desserts, soufflés as I recall, that we had to order at the beginning of the meal because of the cooking time. I wish I had, as they might have been better, but I forgot in the rush. Grade C

Miscellaneous factors:

Drinks from the bar were less than stellar. Several basic cocktails were way out of balance, and took forever to come to the table. Not only that, but they were expensive – $14.50. The wine list is decent, but nothing that really raised my eyebrows. The selection focuses very heavily on California wineries, though they have some European choices. I didn’t notice any Oregon wines on the list. Markup was the highest of any of the four restaurants in my comparison. One of the house wines we were served had been opened too long, and wasn’t any good. Though we didn’t drink more than a few sips, no one asked why. I was so disgusted with the whole experience, I didn’t try to send it back.

Even the bread annoyed me. A whole round loaf of onion bread is brought out when you order. It comes with a huge knife to both cut the loaf and butter the bread, an awkward proposition. On top of that, I didn’t like the flavor and texture.

I walked into Morton’s expecting it to be about equal to El Gaucho, but couldn’t have been more wrong. The entire meal experience was disappointing, from the service to the steaks, sides and desserts. All in all, the hype was much ado about nothing.

The total cost of an average meal for two, consisting of two cocktails, two Caesars, two steaks, two sides and two glasses of house wine, priced in the center of the wine list, was $196.00.

This is part four of a roundup of Portland Steakhouses. You can see the introduction here, El Gaucho, Ringside Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris.

• Address:213 SW Clay St, Portland OR. 97201 (in the Koin Tower) (Google Map)
• Phone: (503) 248-2100
• Hours: Mon-Sat 5:30pm-11pm; Sun 5pm-10pm
• Website: Mortons.com

This is a big event, held in Bend Oregon every year by Deschutes Brewery.

Think golf, music and feasting:

The feast consists of 18 chefs preparing small plates to compliment a particular beer. Of course there will be wine too. Here is a list of the pairings this year.

Think some amazing chefs:

José Andrés (I would go just to see him), Michael Smith of Extra Virgin, Mark Kiffin – The Compound,  Cathy Whims from Portland’s Nostrana, Jackie Lau – Roy’s in Honolulu, Ken Frank from La Toque in Napa, and many more. You can see the complete list here.

The prize for the best beer haiku is two tickets to the Sagebrush Classic Feast at Broken Top, a value of $400.

“From 5 pm until dark, the plates kept coming and the Deschutes beer kept flowing. Everyone was happy. No one left hungry. There was no one there to say “no”…. There aren’t many parties like Sagebrush in the entire country, so the opportunity to sample the fare of some of the world’s top chefs in one place is rare—especially at a place three hours from Portland.” – Willamette Week

The rules are pretty simple. It must be in haiku format. The ancient art of haiku requires precision: a five syllable first line; seven syllable second line; and five syllable third line. The best haiku features a final line that works like a friendly elbow in the ribs. We only ask that the haiku be at least loosely about beer.

We’ll collect entries July 10th, and will judge them quickly so you have time to make your plans. Everyone have fun with it! Please leave your entries in the comments or Twitter @pdxfooddude. Entries on Twitter will be copied to PFD.

I’ve never forgotten that night, and looking back, it reminds me how much an evening can be influenced by factors other than the food in leaving a lasting impression. Ever since, I’ve thought Ringside was a good restaurant, and going back for my steakhouse reviews, I was looking forward to the experience.

Ambiance: Fifteen years later, the place looks exactly the same, albeit a bit worse for wear. Same pictures, same kitschy lampshades at each table, same tuxedoed waiters. However, something wasn’t quite right. I noticed it before we even sat down, and my companion remarked on it immediately. “Do you smell something?”

I am told at times that I am over sensitive to odors, but this one was unmistakable. The entire place smelled like mildew. Most noticeable when we first walked in, less noticeable when the restaurant filled, but still a bit off-putting.  Nothing else seemed to have changed over my 15 year absence. Grade C.

Service: We arrived at the restaurant not long after it opened. Though only a few tables were occupied, I was surprised that the service wasn’t better. It felt very dismissive, like they didn’t really want to serve us, even though we were dressed nicely and were polite. After we ordered, everything changed. Suddenly our server took on personality, cracking jokes, and going out of his way to make sure we were happy. It took me a few days to figure out what I think was the reason behind the change in attitude. We had arrived just after they opened, and I have a feeling they thought we were there for the $25.00 “supper menu”. Once they realized we were ordering a large dinner, service greatly improved. It’s just a theory, but the only one that makes sense to me.

Other than the rocky start, the rest of the service was just fine throughout the entire evening. It was almost equal to all the other steakhouses in this series of reviews. Grade B+

Salads: Once again, we each had a Caesar. It was, to put it simply, not very good. The salad was underdressed to the point where many leaves had no dressing at all. The anchovies were a sad dried out afterthought across the top. Even worse was the Parmesan cheese. We both likened it to plastic, as it was in shards, and had absolutely no taste. I take back the “not very good”; this salad was terrible ($8.50). Grade D

Steaks: Once again I was disappointed. My 14 ounce New York was cooked to the proper medium rare, but had a crust on the top that was just to the wrong side of charred, giving it a burnt taste ($37.95). The 24oz. Porterhouse was cooked properly ($46), but both steaks also had more gristle than at the other steakhouses in this survey. Out of all the restaurants I tried, the meat here was the least flavorful. Grade C-

Sides were also weak. Entrees come with “Choice of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Baked Potato, French Fries, Jasmine Rice Pilaf or Cottage Cheese”, which brings down the overall price of a dinner. An order of their “famous” onion rings were perfectly cooked, but an accompanying blue cheese/Heinz ketchup sauce was so bad I recoiled and wondered if I would be feeling any after-effects of those few tastes. I went back and had them again in the bar a week later, and this time the sauce was ok, but the first version should never have been served ($6.50).

An accompanying baked potato seemed to have been cooked the night before. I can honestly say I’ve never seen one so dry; no amount of butter or sour cream was going to help it. An order of asparagus was the best of the sides I tried, though even it seemed a bit past its prime. Accompanying hollandaise was average ($8.95). Sides grade C-

Desserts: After having tried the El Gaucho bananas Foster, I was interested in trying the Ringside version. No tableside show here, just a sad little plate from the kitchen, some melted ice cream over the  bananas. It was a grade lower than the one at El Gaucho ($7.50). The apple crisp wasn’t much better – overly sweet and not very crisp, the apples too soft ($7.50). Grade C

Miscellaneous factors: Drinks from the bar were fine;  a Tanqueray tonic was $8.50. The list of wines by the glass was good, with a mostly west coast focus; lots of California wineries with a few Oregon and Washington wines thrown in. Prices ranged from $7 to $17 dollars a glass. Three white wine flights are also available for $15.

The bottle list is impressive, with a large selection from around the world. It has some very good choices. The list is kept up to date, and designates the proper vineyard and year. A random sampling of markup versus retail found it to be slightly higher than other steakhouses I have reviewed, depending on the bottle. Domestic wines seem to be a better deal.

Overall, I walked out disappointed. If this steakhouse is to survive, it will need a makeover in almost every facet of its operation. Air it out, scrub it down, take a good look at the meat supplier, and focus on the cooking. Otherwise I’m afraid it will fade gently into that dark night.

The total cost of an average meal for two, consisting of two cocktails, two Caesars, two steaks, two sides and two glasses of wine, priced in the center of the wine list, was $142.00. Note that many of the prices in the restaurant are higher than is reflected on their own website.

This  is part III of a roundup of Portland Steakhouses. You can see the introduction here, El Gaucho here, and Ruth’s Chris here.

• Address: 2165 West Burnside, Portland OR. 97210 (Google Map) Note their is a second location in NE Portland which I didn’t try.
• Phone: (503) 223-1513
• Hours: Mon-Sat 5pm-Midnight, Sun 4pm-11:30pm
• Website: RingsideSteakhouse.com

But the fruit next to those tags were plums and peaches – each had a sticker on them saying they came from California.

Two days later those “I’m local” tags were gone, replaced with larger labels sitting a bit lower, still boasting, “locally grown.” Still not true. Same fruit. Same California tags. Only the cherries at the top of the display were locally grown.

A friend of mine carried a plum and a peach to the customer service desk and waited 5 minutes to talk to a “Supervisor.” She didn’t know anything, and just said something about “corporate came in and changed the signs last night.”

After he complained to the store and to the corporation via the web, the “I’m Local” cards disappeared. But the big “Locally Grown” stickers remained. A quick check of the new Safeway in the Pearl District showed the same issue.

It’s great if another major chain starts supporting local farms, but it’d be nice if they’d be honest in their own store advertising.

23Hoyt, such as it was, is also gone. For those that missed it, I posted the new menu back on the 10th. It is now “A New American Tavern”, sports a new chef, and is open for lunch. From what I’m told, this is a last desperate act to save the place. Can brunch be far behind? Actually, in that location a good burnch might do quite well.

Vitaly Paley is featured in the latest issue of “O Magazine” talking about the wonders of cherries. It includes six of his cherry dessert recipes. You can read it here.

New Seasons Market has posted an excellent U-pick farm guide. Imagine, a store that supports going somewhere else to pick your own fruit? I wish they had a store downtown. You can see the link on the bottom of their website.

That’s it for news. There just isn’t much going on right now. Go hug your dad.

Ambiance: I’ve pretty much painted a picture. The bar fits right into the theme, also with white linens, though there are some good happy hour specials to be found here. The restaurant feels large. Though there are some two tops, many of the seats are booths, including the half ovals that allow a larger party to talk comfortably. Several rooms are available for private dining, and this is the only Portland restaurant I know of that still has a cigar room. One caveat, the tables closest to the kitchen can get a bit warm at times. Grade A.

Service was interesting. In every steakhouse I have been to, I asked a specific question about a cut of meat. The waiter here apologized for not knowing the answer, but unlike many restaurants, didn’t offer to try to find out. Most of the servers at places like this have been there for years. They have heard and seen everything, but I got the feeling that if they stepped out of their script, they had no clue what to do. When I asked if a wine by the glass was available by the bottle, the waiter said yes, just multiply the cost of a glass by four, as he walked away. His reply just didn’t seem to fit the service one would expect from an ambiance such as this, and also added quite a bit to their normal markup. No thanks.

Other than these admittedly minor hiccups, service was top notch throughout the evening. The waiters were quite affable, giving helpful advice, such as how we could split side dishes among the three in our party to save a few dollars. The only “up-sell” I encountered was when I was going to order the smallest size steaks, and the server said we would be “much happier with the larger, slightly thicker steak that has a better flavor”. Maybe he was right; I didn’t go back to try the small one. Grade A-.

Drinks were excellent, perfectly made standards, though I can’t speak for the house specials which we didn’t try. The stemware is good, whether you are buying a bottle of wine or a glass. Sixteen different selections are available by the glass, with Oregon and Washington vineyards well represented. There is something for everyone on the bottle list, with choices from France, South America, Spain, Italy and Australia, along with a good number of domestics. I was surprised to find many choices in the $50-$70 dollar range, with some lower. Of course if you really want to seal a business deal, you can find wines up in the $2,400 range. Overall markup is normal for a restaurant at about 100% over retail. Corkage is $20.

Caesar salads are made tableside in the old school way. The waiter looked like he’d been doing this his whole life, and had the practiced rhythm of a machine. It took quite a while, but was fun to watch. However, the end result was unimpressive; I’d say Ruth’s Chris was better.  There was way too much grated cheese which muddled the flavors, with no brightness, nothing standing out. I would imagine it is difficult to get the balance right when  you are making the dressing in the dark and are unable to taste it. About the only good thing I could say (besides it being terrific fun to watch him make it), was the quantity was large ($12 each, 2 minimum). In the future I’m more likely to add the El Gaucho salad which is just greens and blue cheese dressing. Grade C-

Steaks are dry aged and perfectly cooked; all were served exactly medium-rare all the way through. The char was perfect, giving it a slight wonderful crust when we bit down. These are excellent steaks, loaded with flavor. The next day I went to cut the leftover and grabbed a chef’s knife. It cut as thin as sashimi, delicate little translucent strips.  16oz New York $59, 24 oz Porterhouse $62. Grade A.

Sides are fairly large, easily enough to share between 2-3 people. We tried roasted sweet corn with chipotle honey butter which was amazing for this time of year. It was loaded with midsummer corn flavor ($11 – ouch). Asparagus tasted like spring, fresh and properly trimmed/cooked, a line of flawless béarnaise was drizzled over the top ($12 – double ouch). Finally, southwest scalloped potatoes were spicy and decadent, loaded with cheese and cream -  a terrible idea with a heavy meal like this, but I wouldn’t have thrown myself on the grenade if I hadn’t ordered them – I do it all for you ($7). Grade A

After the mains have been cleared away and you are pondering the dessert menus, a tray with a bowl of fresh fruit, Roquefort cheese, nuts and a nutcracker is brought to the table gratis. It’s a pleasant way to end the meal right there; however I had to move on to –

Dessert: bananas Foster is a steakhouse classic, though it was originally invented at Brennan’s in New Orleans. This dish is made tableside too, rolled out on a cart by a wonderful server named Sherwood, who  offers to “teach you how to make this at home”.  The El Gaucho version does not follow the classic Brennan recipe, but is close enough. Rum is flamed in a pan, a large pile of butter is added, a pile of brown sugar, then bananas, banana rum. Add more flame. Carefully lay bananas on plate, add two scoops of vanilla ice cream, pour sauce gently over entire thing. Sounds great, but though it was fun to watch the preparation, and the waiter was fantastic, the dish itself was just… ok. I believe the problem with this dish is that it really doesn’t get hot enough when prepared tableside. The brown sugar didn’t quite melt, leaving a grainy mouth feel. However, it’s fun, romantic, and I’d order it again ($9 per person, minimum order of 2). Grade A+ for the server, but the dessert was just a B+.

For some, El Gaucho is over the top expensive, and just not worth it. For others, it is the ultimate dinner out. When I look at my spreadsheet of costs between various steakhouses, El Gaucho is definitely at the upper end, but when compared to Ruth’s Chris, which I reviewed last week, the winner is clear, and between the two, The Cowboy takes the prize.

The total cost of an average meal for two, consisting of two cocktails, two Caesars, two steaks, two sides and two glasses of wine, priced in the center of the wine list, was $212.00

• Address: 319 SW Broadway, Portland OR. 97205
• Phone: (503) 227-8794
• Hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-12am, Fri-Sat 5pm-1am, Sun 5pm-11pm
• Website: ElGaucho.com

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1- If you are in a restaurant and there isn’t one bottle under $35…assuming you don’t get up and leave…then know you are getting hosed for your wine. With the boatloads of great, inexpensive Euro wines out there, there is absolutely zero reason that a wine list doesn’t offer at least 2 or 3 reasonably priced bottles under $35. Also, when you see a wine list that doesn’t have any deals, chances are the markup on the rest of the list is exorbitant, and those $45+ bottles should actually be priced at $35….or less.

2- In one of the worst bits of buying advice I’ve ever read, the WSJ says: “Skip wine by the glass. Restaurateurs like to make enough on a single glass to pay for a whole bottle.” Maybe where they eat out on their newspaper expense accounts (is it any wonder the newspaper biz in this country is circling the drain?), but a lot, if not most, new restaurants are offering real value in their by-the-glass programs. Plus it is a great way to expand your palate and try different wines with different dishes. Especially if you don’t mind sharing tastes. The one caveat: if there isn’t any wine under $10 a glass, then assume you aren’t getting much value.

3- When it comes to European wines, head south. Invariably, wines from the south of France (think the Rhone Valley, Languedocs, and in Burgundy the Macon and Beaujolais region) and southern Italy (Puglia, Campania, Sicily, etc.) are much better values than the wines from the northern areas of these countries, i.e. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany, and the Piedmont. Plus, European wines, virtually without exception, are more food-friendly with their generally higher acidity levels than their domestic counterparts. If you don’t know by looking at the list, ask. Part of you saving money means that you have to take some of the control back, okay?

4- When it comes to Italian wines specifically, I’d love to drink nothing but Barolos and Barbarescos, the noble nebbiolo based reds from Italy’s Piedmont. Sadly, except for very special occasions, they are a bit out of my price league. But I will happily slurp down bottles of Barbera, also from Piedmont, which in my opinion is perhaps the greatest, most versatile food wine in the world, and a generally good value on most lists.

5- Agreeing with the WSJ, when it comes to white wines, skip the chardonnay. One of my favorite current go-to whites are the über-food friendly gruner-veltliners from Austria, which are dry, have racy acidity, and bright, spice infused fruit. Also be on the look out for muscadet from France’s Loire Valley, one of the world’s greatest white wine values, and perhaps the ultimate wine to have with fresh shucked oysters. For my palate Euro whites seemingly always deliver more pleasure with food than American whites, which tend to be more one dimensional.

6- When it comes to American reds, get away from the cabernet and merlot hegemony. Look to the Rhone varietals from California…syrah, grenache, and blends. Also zinfandel or petite sirah. Being from Oregon, I’d like to say Oregon pinot noir can be a great alternative, but I have seen so many lists with mostly large local producers at exorbitant pricing that it is definitely a buyer beware area. Unfortunately most of the delicious, and more reasonably priced local juice from our smaller producers doesn’t get exported far out of state. If the Oregon list contains names such as Beaux Freres, Archery Summit, Domaine Drouhin, or Willakenzie (among others…want names? Just ask), you’re going to regret your buying decision.

7- The one country that is just killing it in the bang-for-the-buck category right now is Spain. Forget the more well known regions of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, or Priorat. Other areas, like Bierzo, Campo de Borja, Jumilla, Navarra, Toro, and others deliver tons of drinking pleasure for extremely reasonable prices.

8- Communicate. If you feel a reasonable rapport with your server, ask them what they are liking on the list within whatever price range you are comfortable with. Don’t ever feel forced into buying outside your comfort zone.

9- Bring your own bottle. Otherwise known as paying the corkage fee. If you have a special bottle at home that you’ve been saving, what better time to pop that cork. Feel free to call the restaurant and see if they have a corkage policy. Most do. I am happy to pay up to $20 a bottle to have them open up that treasure from my cellar. Having said that, there are a couple of rules to follow: a) don’t look at the corkage as a way to “beat the system”. Don’t grab some ten dollar red from your local store just to save a few dollars (a $20+ bottle is fine). As much as I want you to save money, that, not to be impolite, is being a cheap-ass in the worst way; b) Check with the restaurant to see if the wine you’re planning on bringing is already on their wine list. If it is (except say if you have a ‘98 Barolo and they sell the same producer in an ‘03) leave yours at home. When it comes to corkage, use common sense and courtesy.

10- In your town, or if you find yourself in a strange town, ask at the local independent wine shop which restaurants they feel have good wine lists for value. Hopefully, we all know a thing or two about what’s happening food and wine wise in our cities.

11 (I know I said 10, but more information is a good thing)- I love real Champagne from France. LOVE IT! But it is almost never anywhere near a good deal on restaurant wine lists. When a local restaurant that shall go unnamed…cough…Ten-01…cough…hit me with an egregious $25 a glass charge for a flute of Bollinger NV, I felt, well, violated in the worst way. So in general I find myself more than satisfied with fizzy prosecco from Italy or a chilled cava from Spain, and save my Champagne indulgence for the home front.

One other amusing point the WSJ made that bears repeating: don’t ever order Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, perhaps the biggest rip-off in the wine business. They are a huge producer with unconscionably high prices for mediocre grigio.

I’m sure there are more items I’ll be adding to my wine buying tip sheet. If you have other thoughts or questions, I’d love to hear your comments. Remember, we’re all in this together!

[Bruce Bauer writes of the popular Wine Guy World blog. Every so often we are lucky enough to cross-post his articles.]

Ambiance: The first thing I noticed about Ruth’s Chris hit me before I had even opened the door. The entry seemed a bit worse for wear. Inside, it was more of the same. This is a restaurant that is clearly in need of a bit of fixing up; it is not nearly as impressive as it was 10 years ago. Neither is the crowd. As I walked to my table, I couldn’t help but notice the large number of people in sandals and casual wear. We felt like we were in the suburbs, rather than in a downtown steakhouse.

As we sat down, I took in the surroundings. The inside is a bit dated and in need of a refresh. It is more brightly lit than it used to be, and with the rays of the long summer day streaming through the windows, it all felt a bit cheap. The long tacky mural painted across the back wall doesn’t help. The clubby feel found in many steakhouses is gone. This place has seen better days. Grade C-

Service: Overall, the service was excellent. The waiter was clear and concise, though it was a bit annoying to hear the table next to us being told about specials that were never mentioned to us. Another gripe, the water up-sell was worse than most: “Would you like sparkling, bottle flat, or JUST TAP WATER”, the last delivered with scorn that made us spontaneously roll our eyes as he walked away. A floor manager frequently scanned the room, always ready to step in to make sure guests were happy. I have some stock questions I ask the server at every location; this one answered every one correctly.  Overall, the service was excellent and attentive. A- (marked-down for the obnoxious water up-sell)

Salads: As per all these steakhouse reviews, we all had Caesar salads. This is of a fairly traditional middle-America nature, though somewhat small compared to other steakhouses. It is not made at the table as some are, but is brought out on a plate, fairly small leaves, surrounded by four tiny  tomatoes. The romaine was dressed properly, a decent shaved Parmesan cheese over the top. The dressing was better than I expected, with a nice burst of anchovy. Grade C+

The steaks were less impressive. We ordered them medium rare, but a New York (16 ounces) came medium well. The meat was not as high quality as some other steakhouses in town, and, combined with a steak knife that looked right out of a dollar store, was tough to cut. Unfortunately, the characteristics of a Porterhouse (28 oz) were similar, cooked medium instead of medium-rare, and a bit tough. The flavor of both steaks was pretty good, but they were both over-seasoned to the point where we kept the staff busy refilling our water glasses. For a restaurant that specializes in steak, if they do one thing right, this should be it. Grade C-

Sides: Every steakhouse has different side dishes, but you can generally find similar offerings between restaurants. At this time of year asparagus is at its peak, but here it was thick and a bit woody. An accompanying hollandaise was broken and didn’t have much flavor. A second dish, potatoes au gratin in cream sauce was topped with melted cheddar. The potatoes were not under or over cooked, and the cheese was a bit sharp. No complaints if you are into that sort of thing. Bread and butter are served with every meal, and is of better quality than most steakhouses.  Grade C

Other factors: Wines by the glass ranged from $9.50 to $34 for a Camus cab. They also have a better than average selection of splits, which is nice if you are dining alone. The entire wine list is of moderate size, and leans heavily towards California wineries. Only a few Oregon selections were available. The server seemed to have a good grasp of all the glass pours, and steered us to cheaper priced offerings rather than the most expensive – points in my book. Overall, the selection by bottle and glass was pretty good, with average restaurant markup. Stemware was of good quality. Corkage is $15.00.

I realize the steak plates are small to keep you from burning your fingers as they come to the table sizzling, but then you have to deal with a second plate for the side dishes. This would normally not be much of a problem, but those plates are tiny! Trying to fit a couple of items was more of a chore than it should be. Asparagus was so long it flopped over the edges. It was annoying.

This is the only steakhouse in my survey where I didn’t have dessert. From looking at the menu, and then watching them pass by all evening, there was nothing that made me the slightest bit interested. They all had that shipped frozen look to them, and I just couldn’t make myself taken in additional calories. That being said, desserts at many of the other steakhouses werent’ exactly winners.

My whole experience at Ruth’s Chris bothered me, because nothing about it was as good as I remembered from years ago. Since then, I have come up with a theory. When they first opened, Ruth’s was the classiest steakhouse in town. Then Morton’s and El Gaucho arrived. Their business must have been diluted by the arrival of these competitors. I believe Ruth’s has purposely positioned themselves a little lower than the two other chains to differentiate themselves. Judging from the crowded dining room, they have done a good job drawing a less upscale crowd. Their only real competition is Ringside, though one of my companions suggested we add Stanford’s to the list, because she felt it was comparable and somewhat less expensive. I may do that.

The total cost of my average meal for two, consisting of two cocktails, two Caesars, two steaks, two sides, and two glasses of wine, priced in the center of the wine list, was $157.00. I’ll be posting a spreadsheet on a separate page that will allow you to compare prices from steakhouse to steakhouse, and give a final score to compare each restaurant against the other. You can see the accompanying El Gaucho review here.

• Address: 309 SW 3rd, Portland OR. 97204
• Phone 503) 221-4518
• Website: RuthsChris.com
• Hours: Mon-Sat: 5pm-10pm, Sun 4pm-9pm. Bar opens daily at 4pm

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Twitter and Facebook have been busy, but I don’t think I’ve mentioned it here. David Anderson has left Vindalho. Not exactly good timing for Dave Machado as he is in the middle of the Nel Centro opening. David will be taking the helm at a new restaurant in the old Genoa location, which will be an Italian enoteca/bar. You can read more over at Good Stuff NW.

Finally, I’ve started a new site, completely unrelated to food. Feel free to check it out at WhereInPortland.com. I’ve been beta testing it for the last few days, and it seems to be going over well.

Hello all~
It is with a very heavy heart that I have to share this sad news…
After this evening, CAVA will be no more. Tonight will be our last
night of being open for business. This has been an incredibly
difficult and painful decision to come to.

Blame it on the “economic crisis”, or the location, or what have
you…. the business is just not pulling in what it needs/used to, and
the costs heavily outweigh the intake. We’ve stayed open as long as we
could, digging deep into our own pockets to try to keep it all
running, but to no avail. It’s sad, for last night we actually had a
good amount of folks come in. And they loved it. And we know people
love it, and they (and us) will be very upset about this closure. It
makes me ill to think about all the work and love we put into that
place, only to have it fade away and become another statistic…

I wish I had a million dollars, or an investor in these crazy times,
to keep it all afloat and keep everyone happily fed, and the staff
employed. But in the end, we need to save CAVA from delving deeper
into debt.

So, if you’re free tonight, please come on by and raise a last glass
at the bar, and a last bite of that amazing mushroom bruschetta. I
will so miss that dish… will miss it all.

Some links don’t need a long explanation. Three words: truffle ice cream. The blog is called Killer Clothes + Fine Cuisine. Interesting concept.

This brings up one of the hardest parts of food writing – coming up with new ways of saying something is “perfect”, or “terrific”. It’s easy the first 20 reviews, but then you run out of things to say. I actually have a list of words tacked to the wall. In spite of this, I still overuse the word “perfect”.

Now if we could just come up with a better word than “Foodie”. I like “habitual masticator” (real term by the way), but it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

After a long absence, ZAP, the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers group is returning to Portland. I used to LOVE a good zin, but that was in the early 80’s before so many became over-ripe sugar bombs. Recently, I’ve found a few which have actually gone back the other direction. Maybe people are finally coming to their senses. The ZAP zinfandel tasting will be here July 29th at the World Trade Center Plaza. More information here.

Northwest Resource Federal Credit Union is sponsoring free desserts at two local downtown restaurants. Buy a lunch and have a chance for a free dessert. The catch? Only ten will given out each day, and the server decides who gets them. Deliciously evil; I love it. More here.

On another subject, buckets of rumors revolving around Teardrop Lounge. I have confirmed that one of their servers/bartenders is leaving for (rumor) Lincoln, and chef Alyssa Gregg is leaving for parts unknown – we did an interview with her a year ago. Too bad, as she was doing a good job matching food and cocktails. Of course bartender Evan Zimmerman left a few weeks ago for the new Laurelhurst Market restaurant. Hmm. The final rumor is a doozy, but I haven’t been able to confirm it yet.

I’m just about ready to start posting The Steakhouse Project results. I will put up one a week until they are finished. I’ll try to have one out on Friday.

Best thing I’ve read all week, this from an online restaurant review: “The creme brulee had a hard crust I had to break through, like it was stale”. Another reader sent me a Yelp review, where the reviewer gave a place 2 stars because they got a parking ticket while eating dinner.

I’m sure I’ll remember a dozen other things as soon as I publish this post. Have a good week!

I don’t care how big a foodie you are. Every now and then, someone either asks for your opinion, or you find yourself in a situation where you need to go to a steakhouse – a anniversary, family in town, your father in law… whatever. It happens. Which steakhouse should you recommend?

I’ve set out to answer that question. I will go to four steakhouses in four weeks. I will compare Morton’s, Ringside, Ruth’s Chris, and El Gaucho. If the money holds out, I’ll add a few more, but my budget is only $1,500, which may not go far.

At each steakhouse,

• I will try two different steaks – always the same cuts, always medium-rare.
• I will try the same salad – a Caesar.
• I will try the same two sides at each restaurant, or as close to the same as they come.
• I will try one cocktail
• I will try a wine by the glass, but will also take careful note of their bottle menu.
• I will try a dessert, and give a general impression.

During the process, I will write a short review of each steakhouse covering ambiance, service, quality of each dish, whether the meat is cooked properly and finally the overall price. I will only make one visit, because more should not be necessary – this is all these restaurants do, and they should be able to get it right every time.

After I have finished my reviews, I will also post a spreadsheet covering all the factors. You will be able to check exactly what characteristics are important to you.

There will be people who say I shouldn’t rate any chain restaurants. I disagree. Any restaurant, even a McDonald’s provides a large amount of jobs to the local economy. Sure, the corporate money may not stay in the state, but the fact is, all of these places are in Oregon, and all of them have an impact in Portland.

I finished El Gaucho this week. Reservations are made for the next on the list. Lipitor in hand, I am ready. God help me. I do it all for you. Stay tuned for the results.

1. Hurley is a firefighter. In 1993, he hurts his back, and gets full disability from the city.
2. Hurley’s gets an education at French Culinary Institute in New York, which is paid for by the city, to start him on a new career.
3. Hurley opens his own eponymous restaurant in Portland, all while continuing to claim disability payments of almost $4,000 a month.
4. Voters approve reform measure to eliminate disability payments for people who are successfully working. Hurley looses his, but he’s making good money anyway.
5. in 2007, Hurley closes his restaurant and heads to Coupage in Seattle, while making snarky comments about how unsophisticated Portland is, and how much more he will be appreciated in Seattle.
6. Things don’t go well at Coupage; most of the staff leaves when he arrives. It closes in August 2007. I guess Seattle wasn’t sophisticated enough for him.
7. Mr. Hurley moves to Triangle Lounge, also in Seattle. In October of 2008, they “parted ways”. Reports around the blogosphere say that he was impossible to work with.
8. According to the O, Hurley has moved to the bay area, but is now suing the city to restart his disability claim because he can’t hold a job since no one will work with him of his pain and suffering.

Read the Oregon Live article for lots more details, and then come back here and comment. The whole thing will make your blood boil. I’d love to hear your comments.

Naomi Pomeroy of Beast

Just about everyone who reads local magazines has seen this photo of Naomi Pomeroy of Beast. One of the creators of Gotham Tavern, Ripe Family Supper and clarklewis, only to lose it all, she is the stuff of local legend. Now Naomi has risen from the ashes and started Beast, modeled somewhat on her experience with Ripe. Through her travails, she has developed a quiet strength which shows in her food and in the way she moves through her kitchen.

Beast is a difficult restaurant to review, because people tend to be seduced with the experience as a whole, and as with many things in life, seem to feel personally attacked if you don’t like it as much as they do. Beast, in particular, has a passionate group of followers. However, I think, when doing a review, one has to isolate himself from the experience, and concentrate on the food. Things like ambiance should be noted and made part of any review. But for me it all comes down to, if I am sitting by myself in an empty room, do I like the food, and would I come back. This is the question I asked myself about Beast.

Beast Interior

The dining room itself is simple, a chalkboard painted wall across the back, and two large tables, flanked by the uncomfortable chairs that were banished from clarklewis when it was sold. The carefully composed graffiti in the restroom makes an interesting diversion. Music is present, but not so loud it interferes with conversation, though when the room is full you will find yourself competing to be heard. Overall, lighting is perfectly adequate, candles on the table help, though you don’t really have to worry since the menu is just a simple list of what you are having.

Seating is communal, so understand you will be sharing one of the two tables with groups of strangers. You will also be in the same space as the cooks. I enjoy sitting with my back to the wall so I can watch as they calmly go about their duties. This must be the least dramatic kitchen in Portland. The dual space also means you will be exposed to the heat from the equipment. This is nice on cold days, but can be a bit overwhelming in the summer, even with the screen door open.

Smaller, second table

The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, or as intimate as it can possibly be sharing a table with 20 plus other people. This can be great when you end up sitting next to folks who are outgoing and interesting.  At Beast, this is usually the case. I’ve had terrific conversations here with complete strangers. A note to a recent patron: If he hit you, you’re better off without him! (Somebody just sat up and went “that was Food Dude?!”)

Beast has a fixed menu, with the selections changing once a week. You can check their website before you make reservations to make sure you like what is being served. You’ll know what you’re getting before you walk in the door, and what the cost will be. On the other hand, you get what they are serving that night – no substitutions. If you don’t like something, you’ll be sitting on your hands until the next course arrives. Be warned, this is not a vegetarian friendly restaurant. One note: when they say “tasting menu”, they mean it. Sometimes the size of the dishes is so small I am left wanting more. However, by the time I’ve eaten all the courses, I always walk out comfortably sated.

Two seatings are available each night – one at 6pm and one at 8:45pm. On Sundays there is a brunch at either 10am or 12pm. Reservations are a must. Pricing is $52 for six courses, $45 for five. Wine pairings are $35 and $30 respectively. All of the wines in the pairing are available by the glass, as well as a few sparkling wines. Beast also has a small selection of whole bottles. If you bring your own, corkage is $30.

I enjoy having the wine pairings with the food. It is interesting to taste so many different wines. Most of the time the matching is just fine, though occasionally one will fall flat. This, however, is a rather subjective thing – your results may vary.

Meals begin with a small cup of soup, which is usually terrific. A recent cream of asparagus was an anthem to spring – lush, smooth and brimming with flavor. A bit of herbed crème fraîche & trout roe dressed it up just enough to put the whole thing over the top. Another successful version consisted of cream of cauliflower soup with house curry oil & trout roe, the latter giving a bit of salty crunch. On the other hand, a carrot soup with Washington mussels & saffron cream left me cold. The overpowering mélange of flavors all fought with each other. I simply didn’t like the way the sweetness of the carrots contrasted with the mussels, and while the addition of shallots gave it an interesting contrast, this isn’t something I’d order again.

Charcuterie Plate

Next, the charcuterie plate. It’s always made up of four or five items in a ring around a bit of palate-freshening salad. Selections change regularly. Some I’ve had in the past include a foie gras bon-bon, Beast deviled egg with house pancetta, steak tartare with quail egg, chicken liver mousse cracker, fig and green olive pork pâté, pork rillettes, Seville orange marmalade, cherry and pistachio pork pâté, duck liver & olive pâté, artisinal salami and more.

When it comes to charcuterie, I compare everything to my two favorite plates in town: Castagna and Ten 01. A selection of single bite charcuterie is an interesting idea – almost Thomas Keller in approach. However, despite the wide selection, only two items have lived up to my benchmarks. These are the perfect, freshly chopped steak tartar on a crispy little toast accompanied by a lovely raw quail egg, and the dessert-like foie gras bon-bon which has a tiny trembling golden square of Sauternes gelée perched on top which gives a hint of taste and cuts the fat. I could eat half a dozen of either one. The other items have been pleasant, but not necessarily something you’ll be talking about the next day.

A palate cleanser comes next, as I recall; it has always been a sorbet. Unfortunately, on my last visit, the sorbet was anything but light. Instead it was an overpowering grapefruit version that ran amuck on my palate. When subtle this is a very nice idea, but care should be taken to leave the palate refreshed, and not overwhelmed with a lasting flavor.

Pork Dish

The next course is a main, which tends to be interesting, though not always entirely successful. That being said, over my visits since they opened, quality has steadily increased. At my last meal they served pot pie with braised short rib, wild onion and morels. This was accompanied with glazed turnips and sautéed turnip greens. The combination was fantastic, easily the best of the genre I’ve ever had. The crust was light, the meat tender and moist. The morels and sauce gave a wonderful earthy depth that made me reach for the bread to make sure I had sopped up every bit.

Other mains I’ve had in the past include baby lamb chops which were so small and had so little meat on the bone they needed the patience and precision of a surgeon. My whole table ended up discussing the hassle rather than the dish itself. Difficulty aside, the meat was just… fine. On another fall night, a serving of regular-sized lamb chops was much better; perfectly cooked on a bed of mashed potatoes studded with wild mushrooms.  For one meal, we had “braised local beef short ribs, rouge d’etamps pumpkin, golden raisin aigre-coux mustard greens with chili & garlic”. The beef was tender and flavorful, and the pumpkin provided a slightly sweet foil to the beef. The sauce was excellent, as were the accompanying mustard greens. Overall, it was a consummate winter dish. The same could be said of a slow-roasted pork shoulder with peppers and rainbow chard, a combination that spoke of earth and fall – another fine example of comfort food wrapping its arms around you. If I have any universal complaint, it is that they need to pull back a little on the salt.

Next up is a salad course. On the surface they may seem simple, but there are frequently lots of subtle tastes and textures. Each of these had an ingredient that pushed them over the edge into the really good category. One night a simple dish of frisée, local apples, house pancetta and candied hazelnuts stood out for the perfectly composed combination of ingredients. Another evening it was lettuces, anchovy, and lemon vinaigrette with shaved radish and raisin-walnut croutons. The croutons were simple, yet imparted a wonderful flavor, which raised it far above average. Last spring I was served a perfectly composed spring asparagus & poached pheasant egg frisée. Sauced with fried prosciutto and brown-butter vinaigrette, the prosciutto added a slight crunch and burst of flavor that contrasted perfectly to the early asparagus.

Depending on whether you order the five or six-course meal, you’ll either be served a cheese course here, or go straight to the dessert without a wait. Since the portions are small, I recommend going all the way. Cheeses are provided by Steve’s, arguably the best cheese monger in the Portland area. The selection is always stellar, and the combination each night is impeccable. They are usually accompanied by a bit of house-made shortbread or fruit. My only complaint is sometimes they are a bit heavy handed with the accompanying syrup – I don’t want my cheese sitting in a pool of honey, wildflower or not. One night we were served a delicate Piemontese tomini cow and sheep’s milk cheese from Italy, a gabicton raw cow and sheep cheese from France, and a surprisingly mild blue del monviso raw cow milk variety from Italy. This was accompanied with cracked black pepper shortbread, mars-venus grapes and wonderful champagne-poached apricots.

Dessert

As with many things in life, desserts at Beast tend to be best when they are kept simple. Chocolate pots de crème with spot on coconut sorbet was a match made in heaven, though an additional almond Florentine was slightly oily. Another winner were blackberry, peach and brown butter tarts that spoke of late summer, while a brown butter crepe with local rhubarb, vanilla bean ice cream and pistachio praline whipped cream all folded together had too many flavors fighting for attention.

While it may sound like I am being hard on Beast, it is easy to find fault with a six course meal. I have been seven times, and regretted my decision only once – and that was shortly after they opened. Overall, I think the experience of eating with a convivial group of strangers, all being served the same dishes at the same time is quite entertaining and enlightening. There is nothing like a love of food and wine to bring people together. For the most part, my quibbles with the food are minor. Though the prices are a bit high, you are paying for more than dinner – your ticket includes meeting new people and watching the kitchen.  Service is always professional and gracious, without a flaw over all of my visits. I like Beast, and will continue to dine there.

• Address: 5425 NE 30th Ave, Portland OR. 97211
• Phone: 503-841-6968
• Hours: Wed-Sun, 2 seatings 6pm or 8:45pm. Brunch on Sunday 10am or 12pm
• Website: BeastPDX.com

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