woah had no clue about this street car. It does not seem to show up on google maps stuff. Thanks for that.
I was really hoping itād be raining in LA as it looks quite nice in Portland this weekend. Too bad itās sunny and 80F in LA -_-
Iāve been to most of these places. I like Smallwares if you are in the mood for small plates. All said and done, Pok Pok canāt and wonāt live up to the hype because all in all, it aint that good. You are likely to feel underwhelmed coming from LA. Truth be told, and this will piss off a lot of Portlanders, but Portlandās top restaurants are still in relative infancy/crudeness compared to Chicago, NYC, and San Fran. And LA. Iām in the minority from past threads, but I like Higgins too. Particularly for cocktails at the bar. Higgins is a bit pricey and a bit hit and miss. Smallwares. I would love to hear what you think.
yeah I looked at it. Looks like the bus is actually super convenient from Hotel Lucia. The streetcar is a few blocks away. Hopefully the Portland bus system is not like the LA bus system. Iāve seen my fair share of penises in DTLA
Having been to many restos in SF and Chi, Iād disagree. NYC is a different deal but the cost is significantly different. It probably depends on what you are looking for. But for sure we are more neighborhoody and less fine dining than any of those cities.
I would concur that āfine diningā in PDX is not the same as Chicago, NYC, SF, LA. Frankly, our service here is terrible compared with the aforementioned. That said, the food is excellent and the cost is much less. People here seem to like the laissez faire or casual indifference of the waitstaff that is nearly universal in PDX likely due to lack of experience elsewhere. I am not referring to those whom have traveled, but those that frequently dine out here. Starched white table cloths and proper service are a rarity in PDX. Dining at Mucca Osteria, for instance, in downtown recently was refreshing in that regard.
Yet, this is from the guy who had a fantastic time the other night sitting at the bar/chefās counter at Le Pigeon with a miso black cod/pesto appetizer served up by Gabe Rucker (he was cooking that Tuesday night) that was one of the best things Iāve eaten in a long time.
Make no mistake, there is great food to be had in PDX. Just overlook the lack of service that one would expect in other cities. Celebrate the minimal corkages! And the boar collar at Pok Pok is outf*&kingstanding.
I love Portland. I want to move there when I retire. That said, Iāve never been bothered by lack of table service. My point of view is that in those big cities I mentioned, restauranteurs and cook staff have come up through the ranks and sharpened skills over many years. Laissez faire is a good way to describe the commercial act of opening a restaurant in Portland. Anyone can do it and if the food and/or atmosphere is only so-so, thatās fine. I am probably being unfair for several reasons; Portland is not that big a city and Portland as a collective whole is not trying to be an international culinary center-Portlanders would rather keep doing what Portlanders do-chill out. In the many PDX restaurants Iāve been to, Iāve sat not far from a lot of open kitchens and what I see are a lot of very young chefs, sous chefs, line-cooks, right on down the line. In the big picture, I am trying to describe a different restaurant culture. And even though I said Pok-Pok aint all that good, I do love those wings.
Charlie: I can vouch for the Streetcar and the Max Light Rail is a great option from the Airport to Downtown, though it takes a while. Never had occasion to use the Bus system.
Regarding Portland Restaurants (full disclosure, I am an investor in one mentioned in this thread), the emphasis here tends to be very focused on what is on the plate. High quality ingredients and inventive preparations are core to most successful Portland restaurants. I also find the front of the house community here unusually food and wine knowledgeable versus many other cities, but the service style here is more casual in keeping with the cityās vibe.
Restaurant start-up costs here are lower than many cities, largely due to real estate, but I would take issue with any implication that it is ultimately easy to make it here with mediocre food. It is a very competitive market and the mediocre generally donāt last long.
I agree with Andy and will add the service fits the culture. Largely, Portland would rather know the chef by their first name than have our water constantly topped up and their table crumbed between courses. This probably seems odd to some visitors but by and large the culinary tourists āget it.ā
Iāll be interested to see what Charlie thinks of Castagna. Itās a favorite of mine and even of Steve Plotnicki too 
I agree with Paul and Andy. I understand what Mitch is saying, but I also think about what people like my father would say: if you think our restaurants are crude compared to NYC or SF, go eat in NYC or SF instead - we wonāt miss you. I donāt mean that disrespectfully, but if youāre born and raised here, or have lived here long enough, you realize a big part of the Portland āvibeā is that we donāt care what NYC and SF are doing. We like what we have here.
We have great ingredients. Chefs move here because we have great ingredients and a local population thatās interested in and open to what you do with them. The appeal of Portland is that weāre not NYC or SF and donāt want to be.
Woman Sues Restaurant For $100,000 Because the Staff Wasnāt Nice to Her ![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
I hope neither of you is too full from lunch to go to dinnerā¦
tomorrowās special at St. Jack is Octopus Choucroute! Happy Hour starts at 4 pm.
Light rail was nice and quick from the airport, looked like a lot of traffic so glad we took it. Our hotel had a bus stop one block away that dropped us off right in front of le pigeon.
We arrived as another couple was walking in and they got the last two counter spots. Luckily another group left a few minutes after so we only waited about five to ten minutes, sat right in front of Chef Rucker. Found out heās a huge trailblazers fan so he took some glee over the devastating loss the clippers suffered against the Blazers last night.
My wife and I ordered three starters ,
the mushroom al pastor (tortilla creme and salsa over smoked black cod and mushrooms) - which was an interesting take on Mexican. Piece by piece it might have been too salty (the fish) but when you meld it all together itās a fine dish filled with subtle flavors everywhere
Squid, pan tossed with grapefruit, mint and walnut with some tomato sauce. Might be one of the best preparations of squid Iāve had. Super tender pieces, a nice kick of spice and this mint infusion that runs through it all. My wife devoured it, leaving me with one sliver of squid
Chicken and escargot pie: when it got placed in front of me I thought it was an entree. Scoop of savory black garlic ice cream, parsnips tossed with parsley and fried chicken skin and dollops of creme sauce. The center piece was this incredibly powerful and flavor bursting pie. I didnāt k ow it was a pie looking at it, thought it was just a vessel for the snails with the chicken being the skin around the board, but under the snail and along the crust was this rich shredded chicken. Might be one of the coolest dishes Iāve had in awhile and one of the tastiest.
Mains
Pork hock: roasted then fried pork hock centered on a bed of heirloom beans and a ton of clams. The clams and beans could have been their own dish. I donāt think the pork added anything to it. But they were great separately, just didnāt add anything together but omg what a huge portion.
Beef cheek: ultra tender beef cheek and perfect creamy, I didnāt care for the sauce (too much balsamic) but there were these pickled onions and forest mushrooms that were so good.
All in $128 with tip. Very well priced for what it was. Wife loved it, so glad that worked out.
Tmrw morning going to blue star donuts, an urban hike to pok Pok, meeting Doug Ackerman at whiskey soda longue around 615 (if anyone wants to join!) then 7pm dinner res for the chefs tasting at roe.
Action packed day!
Okay bad news. Really wanted to go to castagna But my wife just vetoed two tasting menus in a row.
So Iām thinking imperial (in my hotel and makes the lobby smell so damn good) or smallwares. Thinking of doing a late dinner at imperial and doing happy hour eats at st jacks. Should I pick elsewhere for a non tasting menu restaurant? Is there something uniquely Portland I canāt get in Los Angeles?
Sounds like youāre doing it right! Please keep posting your adventures.
The great thing about Le Pigeon is the menu changes at least 50% each week. That means sometimes you have a dish that doesnāt balance perfectly but it does mean you get an original work of art.
If youāre doing happy hour at St. Jack, you might consider doing Atuala as itās a couple blocks away and is truly, actually tapas and not just a small plates concept. Chef is from Barcelonaālegit. Cocktails at both are amazing. St. Jack has boardmember Rick Allenās beer on tap!!
If you do wind up at Imperial, I like to sit at the bar or in front of the grill. Itās frigid inside so make sure the wife brings a coat.
Glad you enjoyed Le Pigeon!
Sounds like youāve got a great plan.
+1 on the Atuala recommendation.
Imperial is very good but not as unique or adventurous as Atuala or the other dining spots on your itinerary. Very good wine program.
A few others not previously mentioned to consider (vs. Imperial):
Paleyās - Imperial Chef/Owners original spot and walking distance from St. Jack
Park Kitchen - Interesting, frequently changing menu - near Hotel - I am more of a fan than many
Gruner - German/Alsatian - near Hotel
Higgins - previously mentioned by others but a good downtown candidate versus Imperial
Little Bird - shameless self promotion!
Would join you and Doug but I will be on the Coast for my wifeās Birthday.
Have a great time!
So, youāre meeting Doug for drinks tomorrow night? Before he comes to dinner with us? More Burgundy & '47 Huet for me!
Burgundy & 47 Huet? Wrong weekend not to be in Portland!