Portland: Night on the town - August 21
Highlights:
Bluehour
750 ml
We arrived in Portland, Oregon this afternoon after 3 nights of camping in Crater Lake and Hood River. Portland has much to offer and we tried to see (and eat) as much as possible with the time we had and given the weather; it started raining Saturday evening and rained much of Sunday. We toured the Japanese gardens, Chinese gardens, Halprin Fountains, walked through downtown, the Pearl District and the Northwest District. Also managed to spend hours between Powell's Main Store, Technical Store and Store for Cooks and Gardeners. We did do a little bit of shopping; we couldn't pass up the fact that Oregon has no sales tax!!
Our first stop on the way to dinner was a chic, but very laid back wine bar in the Pearl. 750 ml had leather lounging chairs, booths with red velvet and an industrial feel to it. We sat at the bar and conversed with the bartender and some other Portlanders while sipping a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. The food looked tempting, including the truffle-scented pomme frites but we decided to move on and see more instead of eating there.
We had heard that Bluehour was a great restaurant and ended up there mostly because we could run from 750ml. We were also looking for some local Oregon fare and this was recommended. By this time the rain was really coming down and we didn't have an umbrella. As it turns out, our meal was incredible!
We didn't have a reservation but were seated in the bar/lounge at a 2 person table where both the bar and full menu are served. The bar area was quite large able to handle people there for happy hour drinks or full dinners. The restaurant and bar were seperated by long black curtains in a high ceiling industrial setting.
Nino ordered a Ginger Caipirinha, a very tart cocktail made with Brazilian cachaça, soda, ginger syrup and sugar and I had a glass of Pinot Blanc. For starters we shared the Heirloom Tomato salad heaped with homemade fresh mozzarella that melts in your mouth. Nino ordered the Sturgeon which was a little tough but neither of us really knew what sturgeon's texture should be. It was very tasty however and we assumed it was cooked correctly. I ordered the Grilled Free Range Chicken which topped Slow Club and Zuni. First the presentation was gorgeous - the chicken was cut in beautiful slices, with the legs bones neatly arranged, and spread out like a fan atop the potatoes. The chicken was served on sauteed radicchio - bitter salad "greens" sauteed to perfection. Here's why the chicken kicked butt: the meat was perfectly juicy and moist with amazing grilled flavor but was not salty at all! This means no brining, yet packed full of moisture and taste! I was impressed.
For dessert we couldn't pass up the panna cotta, a full heavy cream version but 3 things made it outstanding: 1) served with figs 2) served with blackberries 3) served atop a crisp ginger snap which paired excellently with the sweetness.
We had a wonderful leisurely and tasty dinner and as luck would have it, the rain had stopped when we were done.
Bluehour
750 ml
We arrived in Portland, Oregon this afternoon after 3 nights of camping in Crater Lake and Hood River. Portland has much to offer and we tried to see (and eat) as much as possible with the time we had and given the weather; it started raining Saturday evening and rained much of Sunday. We toured the Japanese gardens, Chinese gardens, Halprin Fountains, walked through downtown, the Pearl District and the Northwest District. Also managed to spend hours between Powell's Main Store, Technical Store and Store for Cooks and Gardeners. We did do a little bit of shopping; we couldn't pass up the fact that Oregon has no sales tax!!
Our first stop on the way to dinner was a chic, but very laid back wine bar in the Pearl. 750 ml had leather lounging chairs, booths with red velvet and an industrial feel to it. We sat at the bar and conversed with the bartender and some other Portlanders while sipping a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. The food looked tempting, including the truffle-scented pomme frites but we decided to move on and see more instead of eating there.
We had heard that Bluehour was a great restaurant and ended up there mostly because we could run from 750ml. We were also looking for some local Oregon fare and this was recommended. By this time the rain was really coming down and we didn't have an umbrella. As it turns out, our meal was incredible!
We didn't have a reservation but were seated in the bar/lounge at a 2 person table where both the bar and full menu are served. The bar area was quite large able to handle people there for happy hour drinks or full dinners. The restaurant and bar were seperated by long black curtains in a high ceiling industrial setting.
Nino ordered a Ginger Caipirinha, a very tart cocktail made with Brazilian cachaça, soda, ginger syrup and sugar and I had a glass of Pinot Blanc. For starters we shared the Heirloom Tomato salad heaped with homemade fresh mozzarella that melts in your mouth. Nino ordered the Sturgeon which was a little tough but neither of us really knew what sturgeon's texture should be. It was very tasty however and we assumed it was cooked correctly. I ordered the Grilled Free Range Chicken which topped Slow Club and Zuni. First the presentation was gorgeous - the chicken was cut in beautiful slices, with the legs bones neatly arranged, and spread out like a fan atop the potatoes. The chicken was served on sauteed radicchio - bitter salad "greens" sauteed to perfection. Here's why the chicken kicked butt: the meat was perfectly juicy and moist with amazing grilled flavor but was not salty at all! This means no brining, yet packed full of moisture and taste! I was impressed.
For dessert we couldn't pass up the panna cotta, a full heavy cream version but 3 things made it outstanding: 1) served with figs 2) served with blackberries 3) served atop a crisp ginger snap which paired excellently with the sweetness.
We had a wonderful leisurely and tasty dinner and as luck would have it, the rain had stopped when we were done.
posted by Karen at 2:52 PM
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