The Skinny on Getting Fat in Portland

I just spent three rocking days in Portland visiting a high school buddy; her nickname of youth was Starvin' Marvin and we ate down P-town as if we had to make up for lost time.

First stop right off the airplane was The Farm Cafe (10 SE 7th Ave.) which bills itself as Pacific NW cuisine, seafood, organic, farmer-direct produce, wine list, cocktails. The exterior is unassuming, an old farmhouse converted into a cozy, candlelit, and delightfully unpretentious get-up. They don't take reservations so we loitered, quite underfoot, for a few minutes. The bar and the front door are on top of each other and little space remains between the bar and the dining room. But the servers seem fine with the set-up and don't look bummed to be asking you to move every minute or two. The spot was noticeably first-datey; lots of new couples leaning in close, made easier by the small tables. I warmed up with a tasty cocktail called GIN-ger. Gin and muddled ginger among other subtle flavors, lovely. We ordered a few small plates: a cheese ball (great name for a delicious...well...ball of cheese) cream cheese and fresh herbs and seasoning served on a plate with toasted bread; the hummus plate with warm pita triangles, olives, pepperoncinis, roasted red peppers and spring mix. The hummus plate was great but definitely left garlic weeping from every orifice. Lastly was the roasted mushrooms. Tasty in their bath of olive oil, garlic, herbs, the warm little buttons were served up with more of the toasty bread. We had the good fortune of noticing that the chocolate souffle was made to order and would need extra prep time. We ordered that with the rest of the dishes and by the time it arrived almost debated it's necessity, though ultimately it was the right move. Chocolate souffle is about as close as it gets to heaven on earth. The fudgey molten center supported a gently melting scoop of coffee ice cream. In it's simplicity, it left nothing to be desired, except a more expandable stomach which would have allowed us to finish it.

Notable meal two was actually wine and dessert at Marvin's restaurant, 23 Hoyt. I promised her I would eat dinner and review it but ultimately opted out-- it's been quite a long run of restaurant food and I believe my taste buds are getting a little foggy from all the butter and salt. But I will say this: without knowing anything about their more savory entrees, it is worth stopping here to have a Spanish Coffee. Sue behind the bar makes a devilishly good one. It was the first of three I had over the weekend and certainly the best. We also had the pear caramel strudel whose presentation was well-conceived: a three tiered phyllo tower, with pears in small dice style making up two of the layers and the bottom grounded by a thick slice of caramel custard. A balsamic reduction speckled the plate's edge and a scoop of vanilla ice cream rounded out the whole dish. It felt like a tribute to winter; it was soul warming. Lastly, we palette cleansed with a piece of chocolate cherry cake. I'm not the biggest chocolate and cherries fan but in so far as the flavors are concerned, they did a good job. It was a monstrous piece of cake, and there was an armour of robust ganache cloaking the whole thing. The chocolate cake was not too dense and bits of cherries were peppered throughout. I like cake, I liked this.

Notable meal three was brunch at Tin Shed. I have to hand it to these folks for flexibility. They offer substitutions for meat with both vegan and veggie options and you can get egg whites or tofu at no additional charge. Gracias. I wish I could just post their menu online but alas, no way, no how. I was impressed that they had a coconut and rice porridge. In my book that qualifies as a down-right inspired item. I almost ordered it but then got distracted by Sweet Chix. I rolled with egg whites and veggie sausage and then the listed brie, green apple, basil, onion, and bell pepper. It was served with a choice of potato cakes or cheese grits and a biscuit. What a nice way to start a day a day that ultimately involved wine tasting in the Willamette Valley.

Wine Tasting in the Willamette Valley:

I mean it's no Napa Valley, and that's what makes it great. It was Monday which maybe isn't the optimal tasting day in the dead of winter but it worked out. We made two different stops that spanned the spectrum of what the valley had to offer. The first was Archery Summit which is a strictly Pinot Noir house. The wine was good. They use all new oak so the tannins are apparent. It's not the most fruit forward wine but definitely a good lesson in the range of Pinots. (Like this? Look at me pretending I know anything about wine...) Second was Winter Hill, a corrugated tin two car garage converted into a cozy tasting room. Their operation smacked of family: juice conceived in love and a little table loaded with all kinds of local specialties- hazelnuts (awesome) praline fudge (eh) and Pinot Gris jelly w/ horseradish (absolutely flooring-- particularly at $2 a jar.) We ended up buying two bottles, a Pinot Noir and Muscat, that we drank sitting out in the sun overlooking the beautiful valley bathed in white winter's light. Their Muscat was particularly noteworthy, bright but not as sweet as the nose implied. I bought a bottle to bring back, quite a steal at $12, but the bastards at the baggage counter told me I couldn't check it. It needed to be in a manufacturer's box blah blah blah. I'm sure that's just the airline people's hustle to bring nice bottles home to their significant others.

All in all, food and otherwise, it was a good time. Marvin, thanks for hosting. P-town thanks for the nice weather.