Portland Nursery 25th Annual Apple Tasting Extravaganza

I love the Autumn.  It is truly my favorite time of year.  The weather is a perfect mix of sunny, clear, cool and wet. It is the only time of year I will tolerate scary movies.  I often wax nostalgic on childhood memory lane.  I can watch any number of football and/or futbol (soccer) games.  And then there is the food...Winter squash, sausages, every mac and cheese combo imaginable, pork in every glorious cut and apples.  Oh I do love apples in the late fall.

For the past 25 years, Portland Nursery has hosted a legendary apple tasting party that runs the course over two weekends.  Apples, Music, Apples, Scarecrows, Apples, Cider, Apples, Strudel, well, you get the picture. It is glorious.  This year was especially sweet. It is their 25th Anniversary and they brought out all of the bells and whistles:  Cooking demos, tastings, crafts, amazing music, an old fashioned cider press, there is no better way to greet the Fall. AND true to Portland Nursery form, it is a great benefit to the community.  A portion of the proceeds goes to the non-profit Elders in Action and there is a food drive benefiting Impact Northwest.  Why do I love this place? Oh yeah.

I was a bit nervous because we were waiting until the Sunday of the final weekend to go.  I have been to Apple Tasting when they've run out of apples and it literally made me cry. We wanted to go today though because the son of our good friend was playing in a band and I had heard they were a must-see. It was no lie.  LoveBomb Go-Go, an intergalactic marching band by nature, was fantastic fun. Hard to really put them in a box or genre, just know they can rock, pop, oompa, swing and march with the best of them.  Hope to see more of them around the Pacific Northwest festival scene soon.

Now, of course, this was "Apple" Tasting but Portland Nursery learned a while back that there are some pleasant accompaniments and products that glorify this delightful immigrant to North America.  It's true, the Crab Apple is the only actual apple that is native to the U.S.A although we now grow over 2500 varieties. Makes you think about that "American as Apple Pie" in a whole new light, doesn't it?

But I digress.  Next year, before hitting up the looooooong line for the actual apple tasting tent, I suggest you seek out the treats tucked away in the Shade Plants building.  There is traditional delicious cider tasting available across the way but here is where you will find the Hard Cider tasting along with cheese, wine, chocolate, oh my.  There is no better way to spend a day than with that happy trio.

 

Enso, a wine vendor I had not encountered before but will definitely seek out at their Urban Winery, represented well.  There was a crisp Pinot Gris, a well blended table red and an as of yet unreleased Malbec.  The Malbec was young but very promising and the ResOnate (the table red) was quite drinkable.  The young woman behind the counter was also brilliant in her suggesting we take each of our tastings over to the Smitten Artisan Chocolatier for a complimentary pairing.  The results were brilliant but the stand out sample of the day had to be the Apple infused Bourbon Dark Chocolate.  Sadly, I did not purchase any and when I turned to their website could not find it listed along with their other stunning chocolates I almost shed tears.  I will turn to my second favorite, the Kalamansi and Creme Honey for comfort.  This is melt-in-your-mouth-and-take-you-to-heaven chocolate and it pairs lovely with wine.

Then there was cheese.  Chevre, to be precise and it was amazing.  If you've ordered Chevre  in some of Portland's finest dining establishments, you have undoubtedly enjoyed Portland Creamery's fabulous fare. Their goat cheese is served in all of my favorite places including Screen Door and Tabla.  Enough said, right?  Liz Alvis and friends were on hand at the nursery to share some of their indescribably delicious cheese.  The creamy sweet texture of her chevre gives proof positive why her creations took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place titles in the  2011 American Dairy Goat Association Cheese competition.  While my friends and I contemplated what we could smear the amazing Pumpkin Stout Chevre on we stumbled upon the Sweet Fire nosh of Creamy Oregon Chevre topped with a marionberry/habenero preserve that took our breath away.  I almost caused a brawl when I purchased the second to last tub of it.  I didn't wait around to see what happened to the lucky(?) lady who got the last one.  As the tagline on their product site states: Live, Love, Chevre.

The cider, dips, organic chestnuts roasting on an open fire and hard ciders that we tried were all yummy.
K is, of course, attracted to the dry-hopped and hops infused type of cider.  He loves the Finnriver Dry Hopped Apple Cider.  I, on the other hand, like my ciders a little more sweet and am attracted to ciders blended with pears, cherries or berries but I still love a clear, crisp Apple cider, which is really what this is all about.  Why don't I get into the kitchen and make something with my 10+ lbs of apples and I'll talk about the apples in another post...promise.

Lardo PDX is open!

Lardo, the food cart, has received accolades from Willamette Weekly and Sunset Magazine. High praise from local food bloggers to Oprah magazine. It was a cart destined for greatness, and like many carts that I have enjoyed in the past, (Violetta/ Salt and Straw...)it was also destined for a brick and mortar store front. A real, true place to call home. I admit, I hadn't tried Lardo's cart fare. Just never made it down to it's location on Belmont. Today, though, as I was browsing through various foodie websites and monitoring Facebook I noticed that New Deal Vodka had posted about Lardo finally being open. They posted a copy of the menu.

I had to go. I was concerned about going to such a high profile opening day. I dreaded long lines and longer ticket times. I didn't give K the time to say "not today". We hustled down through rush-hour traffic to the defunct Winchell's Donuts building right across Hawthorne Blvd from my favorite cart pad, Cartopia! Although the fresh, picnicky patio area was crowded with happy diners, there was only a few people in line ahead of us in the restaurant. A large chalkboard behind the counter confirmed what FB had told me earlier. I was in for the long haul! What to try first? The Meatball Banh Mi? The Grilled Mortadella? I settled on the Pork Belly Egg and Cheese while K ordered the Double Burger Pork Belly. We decided to split an order of Lardo fries, parmesan, fried herbs, house-made ketchup. Although they have a full liquor license and some tasty looking specials on the drink board, I stuck with beer. And then came the wait. The seating inside has a little to be desired. Although attractive, not terribly comfortable. Fine for a fast food joint when you need a quick turnover but when the real wait is for the kitchen, I'm looking for something a tad more cozy. As soon as a table opened up outside Kieran and I bolted for it. And we waited some more. With all due respect this was their first night. They were extremely busy for the size kitchen they have. The staff remained cheerful and patient, why shouldn't we? I'm so happy we were patient. I know it's a cliche' to say something is worth the wait but please indulge me this...it's worth the wait. First off, the fries. When the person behind the counter asks you if you want them "Dirty" please reply with a resounding YES! The addition of pork scraps and marinated peppers will have you wondering why you hadn't done dirty before now. These fries alone are reason to return but let me tell you about the sandwiches. The Pork Belly is smoky, sweet deliciousness served on a crusty soft Fleur de Lis bun. Accented with a fresh, golden fried egg and the peppery bite of arugula and caper mayo. I have to pause quietly between bites to wipe the tears from my eyes. Nothing short of amazing. K's burger was also a crowd pleaser, fantastically flavorful and topped with Pork Belly and the now famous Lardo sauce. Simply fabulous. I won't wait to return.

NAOBF 2012: Saving the planet, one beer at a time

I'm going to come right out and say it now, The North American Organic Beer Festival is the best beer festival in Portland. OBF folks, take note. There are many reasons why people will tell you this is their favorite festival of the season.

Great venue: The view of P-Town from Overlook Park is awe-inspiring. The park is home to one of the prettiest trees in all of Portland. I can't be there and keep from thinking how much I love where I live. Just enough space to give you elbow room but cozy enough to make you feel like your simply at a friend's backyard bbq.
 Great volunteers: Now I believe the volunteers at all of the Beer and Wine Festivals are awesome so maybe it's just the general feel of this festival that puts people in such a great mood. They run short, fast lines without making you feel rushed. There doesn't seem to be a large ensemble of DB's looking to get drunk on PBRs and puke on the lawn and so the people here are just happy to take some time and talk about good beer and what that entails. Of course, "the more I drink, the more I think" is sometimes the logic as stated by the man wearing the bright yellow Caution! My awesomeness can cause blindness t-shirt.
 Great food: I have to admit, I'm a big fan of Violetta, the little cart that could. Nut Love! otherwise known as Family Tree Nut Co. serves up my favorite beer snack, Apple Rosemary Roasted Hazelnuts. This year, we also tried some fare from Zuppa! Yummmy curry and masala but lacking a little of the "heat" that I require when going for Indian. The addition of Bottles pulled pork sliders was a good call.
 Great music: Caught a couple of the acts on the Roots stage and they were a sweet addition to the day. Left Coast Country's brand of bluegrass was extra tasty but the festival likes to mix it up a bit and you'll hear anything from Acoustic Blues to Rock/Soul to Zydeco.

OK, so we all know it's a great festival. Craig Nicholls and his amazing crew work hard to make it so. Let's talk about the beer. Great beer. Organically and Sustain-ably produced beer.
 Ambacht Brewing out of Hillsboro, OR brought a couple of tasty treats including the Bourbon Barrel Aged Honey Triple 8.6% ABV. Sweet, floral, rich and tasty. I enjoyed this one and I am sad I didn't go in for the Golden Rose Farmhouse style. Yes, I did go for the Bison Organic Beers Chocolate Stout 5% ABV. It is, after all, one of my first loves in the organic beer world. This and the Honey Basil Ale 6% ABV are a given for me at NAOBF. Every year.

 I've been waiting to taste some brew from Captured by Porches out of St. Helens. This weekend, I got to try two. The first was the Bavarian Hefeweizen 5.7% ABV. Yummy, fruity, light. Followed by the Invasive Species IPA 6.3% ABV, one of my favorite IPAs. Not overpowering, hoppy malty balance. Enjoyable.

The Commons Brewery offered up an Oat Saison, Haver Bier 5.6% ABV. Creamy and delicious, this is one of my new go-to styles. I like the slightly sweet spice of the malt which makes for good drinking whatever the weather. For warm weather drinking only, I would maybe recommend the Eel River Acai Berry Wheat out of Fortuna, CA. It was super light, not too fruity and boosts a "great taste that is great for you". Had to smile at that one. Another fun addition to the festival was the Elliott Bay Olde Burien 600 Malt Liquor 7.4% ABV. Sweet, smooth, lageresque. Is this really Malt Liquor?

Oh! I just came across my notes for the Finnriver Farm Ciders, Chimacum, WA. Both the Dry Hopped Sparkling Cider 6.5% ABV and the Black Currant Cider 6.5% ABV have one simple word jotted down next to them...YES! I guess I liked them but as I recall the Wandering Angus Dry Oaked Cider 7.5% ABV was delicious as well...time to admit I'm a fan of cider.

 At one point during the day I asked Craig what were the "must try" beers of the weekend. He had mentioned the Belgium imports, Brunehaut Amber and the Brunehaut Blonde which I, regrettably, did not get to. Not sure why I was saving the 3-token tastes for the end but by the end, I didn't have the 3-tokens. Poor poor planning on my part. Why am I so cheap with the tokens? Craig also pointed me in the direction of the Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Hood River, OR. The Seizoen Bretta 8% ABV was a delicous Saison style. Crisp, spicy, dry, keg-conditioned with pear for that sweet, sparkly finish. One of my favorites as well, thank you Sir. The Kili Wit 5.5% ABV, an organic White, had a sour/soft mouth-feel that I really enjoyed. Fuggles hops, barley malt, wheat and a coriander kick made for a very unique beer. I'll have another. Another brewer touting Fuggles Hops this year was Lompoc. Now I'm usually a fan of anything Lompoc but I didn't really care for the Cluster Fuggles IPA 6% ABV that they were offering. It had a strong metallic aftertaste that actually had me wanting to rinse out my mouth after tasting. I don't usually like to rinse after beer.

 At this point, I may have been a little sleepy so I opted for the Mateveza Brewing Co. and their Yerba Mate IPA. Yerba mate is a South American herbal tea that holds a slight caffeine kick. Brewed with organic Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe hops and you get a fine, dry IPA with a minty herbal bite. I like. I've probably told you about my love/hate relationship with McMenamin's Brewerys. I love their style, their venues, their golf courses, pool tables, hotels. Their food is so-so and their service is ridiculous to the slowest level. I still love their beer. I hate the fact that I can never find a good pint of brewer Dan Black's Purple Haze when I want one. I love the fact that they have several brewmasters at various locations and they aren't afraid to compete with themselves. This time around they offered no fewer than four different brewery offerings. Concordia, Crystal, Oak Hills and Old Church. I settled for two. Old Church's Dark Knight Dunkelweizen 5.3% ABV was dark and delicious and everything I want in a dark beer. Spicy, sweet, malty. Dessert in a pint glass. McMenamin's Concordia Brewery showed up with my favorite name for a beer, School's Out IPA 7.2% ABV. A really refreshing IPA that enchanted a few of my friends with it's crisp evergreen high notes and citrus/ fruity undertones. Super summer drinkable. Of course there were many other delicious offerings with the catchy organic names we all anticipate~ Rockbottom's Dirty Hippy 5.3% Kolsch and Upright's Reggae Junkie Gruit 5.3% ABV to name a couple. Some were hot, some were not. I found myself writing "meh" on my notepad a few times.

 All in all, another amazingly fun and delicious way to introduce yourself to some new brews, re-introduce yourself to some old favorites, and spend another fantastic Portland day in a fantastic Portland way. Enjoy!

Wine Clubs and hot pasties...how I love my world

Tonight, K and I traveled down to North Portland to pick up some wine from our Tesoaria Wine Club and say hey to the winemaker, John Olsen. I must say, I love Tesoaria. I mean, I'm big on wine period but this is truly my favorite, favorite wine. Four years ago I became hooked on John's version of the Hungarian style Bull's Blood. This blended recipe from the 16th Century boasts Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Tempranillo & Hungarian Kadarka. This is the only true Bull's Blood in the US and I love the motto John uses while describing it: Do Right and Fear No Man. From the looks of it, John has nothing to fear. His wines have won no fewer than 32 awards this year making Tesoaria the most winningest vineyard/winery in Oregon this year. This time around, I had ordered the Bulls Blood (my staple)and two others. The Dolcetto being one; a fat, warm black cherry that begs to be quaffed down with a big juicy steak or a giant plate of Pasta Bolognese. You can't just say Dolcetto, you have to robustly cheer Dolcetto with a thick italian accent and a raised glass. The other is a white. I know, a white. I'm not usually a white drinker. I like my wines to have thick mouth-feel and warm my cheeks immediately but this white is special. The Vermentino leads me to a sunny patio with it's melony freshness and soft bite. Now if only this Portland weather would warm up and let me enjoy it this way. These folks are clearly winning at life. John brings his wine and undeniable charm. His wife, Joy, put out a table of appi's and snacks that were fresh, easy, delicious and from the looks of it, never-ending. She must have prepped her tail off in the kitchen before they came up. Their beautiful and talented children played music and entertained the crowd that quickly outgrew the room reserved for the Pick-up Party. A pretty great room, by the way, Saraveza's Bad Habit Room. K and I were so found of the place that when my enochlophobia (fear of crowded rooms)finally drove me from the Tesoaria party, we stopped in to the host-pub, Saraveza Bottle Shop and Pasty Tavern. Oh, those pasties. First off, nice looking tavern with an amazing selection of bottled brew in the cases close to the front. Nostalgic beer paraphernalia covers the walls but not in a tacky, beer-can pyramid in the window sort of way. I immediately felt comfortable and anticipated the treasures our new find had to offer. I ordered the Gigantic “Smokin’ Georgia Peach” A Smoked Hefe on Peaches. I just had a feeling it would go well with whatever pub-fare deliciousness I ordered from the kitchen. Smooth and creamy,like peaches and cream yet more smoky than sweet but in a good way. K ordered the Russian River “Pliny the Elder” IIPA. He loves IPA and this is purported to be one of the best. I did not try it so I'll need to wait and order one for myself before I try and describe it to you. Now, onto the pasties. We ordered two and split them because they were simply too delicious not to share with each other. Actually, we both wanted to fully eat both pasties and not share either but that would just seem piggy. Speaking of piggy, the first pasty was the day's special pasty~ a fabulous Pork Belly and vegi concoction with carrots, potato, rutabaga, onion, etc...the crust was flaky, buttery, sinful. The second, is called the Potater. Mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, rutabaga, potato & white cheddar cheese. How do I love thee? Chicken pot-pie has always been one of my absolute comfort food favorites. These Pasty creations have now taken it's place. Not soggy, crisp and flaky. Not bland or floury, smooth, creamy delicious. Not mushy, cooked to perfection vegis. I am in love. K and I can't wait to return. I plan on checking out every pasty on the menu and more. I glanced out the window and sun shone through to warm my face. It doesn't get better than this.

Portland SakeFest 2012

Just to preface this entire posting if I have never thanked them in this blog before, I need to thank them now. PDX Pipeline is an amazing online promotions/event calendar that I have found to be priceless. It began when I won tickets from them to attend a ChocolateFest and has evolved into a twice weekly must check used to plan weekend outings and cross check against anything else that may be coming down the well, the Pipeline. Their calendar is quick and easy to use and they are constantly promoting and giving away tix to various "gotta be there" events.

Let's just say I was thrilled when I received an email from the Pipeline editor informing me that I had won two tickets to the SakeFest PDX 2012. Mid-week drinking be damned, I deserved those tickets and I was going to celebrate my good fortune.

Thursday evening came and it was glorious, simply a beautiful evening. My spirits were in fine form and it just kept getting better and better. I know, eighty tastings of sake' paired with small bites of yumminess does make for a fine progression into the night but this event really does it right.

Situated in the beautiful Governor Hotel, fifteen purveyors of fine sake, plum wine, beer and spirits snuggled in between seventeen local restaurants and pub-houses. On the main stage at the end of the ballroom a delightful jazz trio plays. All too briefly one of my favorite performance troupes, Portland Taiko takes the stage and drives home just how amazing this evening is turning out to be.

Some of the highlights include my personal favorites, local craft sake brewers~ SakeOne. They offered tastings of their full line-up including Momokawa, a delicious Junmai Ginjo that will change your mind about sake forever. Before K and I started enjoying all the SakeOne has to offer, we despised sake. Was not fond of having to heat up something just to mellow it out enough to slam it down. But then again, I'm not a big fan of "shots".


The sakes we enjoyed at the SakeFest were definitely NOT that type of sake.

An interesting twist with the sake that I didn't expect was the addition of St. Germaine elderflower liqueur. 4 parts sake to 1 part St. Germaine makes for a sweet little cocktail called a Sake Blossom. I will definitely be making more of these in the future.

There were some fairly good food offerings from places like the Saucebox and Wildwood. Then there were a few that had me vowing to go back for more, seek them out on the internet, and make reservations immediately. Kale offered a delicious Japanese comfort food similar to a stew. It was creamy and rich and was the perfect base for the evening. The amberjack sashimi from Park Kitchen was chewy but I enjoyed it. K did not. However, Yakuza Lounge was treating everyone to amazing Spring Run Chinook. I really think it may have just jumped out of the river and onto the chef's carving block. It simply melted in your mouth. Best dish in the place. I snuck back for more and even considered putting on shades and a fake mustache as to not embarrass myself begging for more.

A more low key venue that offered up some delicious treats and has a menu that I will absolutely be seeking out is MiHO Izakaya Japanese Pub. The Sesame Pork Meatballs served with Wasabi Watermelon, oh my.


Next year, I will even consider paying for my tickets to SakeFest. After all~ the $45 admission included over eighty sake/wine/beer tastings, food from seventeen restaurants, some sensational chocolates from Xocolati de David, little sake tasting glasses to take home and tickets to an after-hour party at Saucebox that I was just too pooped to pop for. It was Thursday night after all. I will be back.

Oregon Brewers Guild Zwickelmania 2012

This weekend was building itself up to be bigger than ever and I just can't express how grateful I am that we're celebrating our Presidents' Birthdays combined today so I could have a day to recoup. No disrespect to our Founding Father's intended. I am actually old enough to remember when we celebrated both Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays individually but I'm fine with celebrating all of our Leaders, their faults and gifts equally.

The real anticipation this weekend for me, however, was Zwickelmania. Every President's Weekend for the last four years, the Oregon's Brewers Guild has organized an amazing event celebrating true Oregon brew and the best that she has to give. It has grown exponentially larger each year and I'm hoping that all of you will forget all about it between now and then so I and the other throng of thousands can continue to celebrate in relative peace. Oh, you know I'm just kidding, the more the merrier folks and if you are a genuine, true blue fan of everything Oregon and her brew in particular, you need to come out and hit this next year. It is held all over the state of Oregon and is broken into regions for you by the OBG. although there is plenty to see, do and taste here in Portland, next year, K and I may just head out the Gorge to the Hood River area or towards the Bend events.

This year, our itinerary crept very close to what we had done last year as we were joining some friends and family members and wanted to keep it fairly simple. Lot's of FREE tastings/pairings in the short amount of time that we had due to another event we had planned for the evening. For those of you hoping to hit more tastings and get the most bang for your buck ($0.00) ~ please take one of the FREE shuttles provided by either Rogue Breweries or Brewvana.

I have explained that the gist of this event is gratis right? Free. No charge. Complimentary. Very generous of these brewers and their businesses. It is my suggestion that you make a habit of paying them back and patronize your favorites frequently. We don't want to lose any good brews like (remove cap please) Roots.

That being said let's begin with Laurelwood Public House. Last year they served cupcakes at each brewstation to compliment the beers they were pouring but I think we caught them with their pants down this time. We arrived slightly after 11:11 when the event was slated to open and found a line of people waiting for the brewery doors to open. Ok, take a deep breath. I don't need to rush this. They'll be open in a minute...breath again. Ok, doors open and in we scurry to find...caramel and chocolate dipped pretzel sticks (not bad, I'll make 'em at home with relative ease) and a crumbly cornbread type cupcake with a vanilla beeresque frosting. Truly, I couldn't quite figure out the flavor. Either way, any beer in the place would do to wash it down so on to the true tastings.
My first, Esteem Beer, 6.7% abv, 55 ibu. Maris Otter, Organic 2 Row Malt. Northern Brewer, Cascade and Liberty Hops.
A California Common or Steam brew Lager.
Meh~ It was drinkable but I'm not a huge Lager fan so my opinion here may not be worthy of the beer.

Next up, Thai Wit, a collaborative effort that includes Tom Bligh from Hopworks Urban. 4.8% abv, 18 ibu.

This aromatic includes lime, coriander, tangerine, blood orange, juniper...don't be put off...it was simply delightful. The room was raving about this stuff and for good reason. I could picture myself washing down a steak, thai food, a fish taco, even a stale corn muffin with this stuff. It was complex but easy to drink. Amazingly enjoyable and as I write this I may want to head down to Laurelwood and pick up a growler to go with the amazing Gumbo K whipped up for Mardi Gras.

On to Cardinal Sin~ pass. The keg wasn't cooperating and the first dozen pours were foamy slop but I'm a patient person. I shouldn't have wasted my time. This Belgium style Quad (10% abv, 35 ibu) was seriously off-putting. Sharp mouth-feel, no balance. I like a deep and meaty brew but this was not what I wanted. It had been sitting on cherries but the fruit wasn't working.

Finishing Laurelwood off with the Sour Red which was a collaborative effort of Gigantic, Hopworks, Upright and Laurelwood. I love when our brewmasters all get together and "jam". That's when we get to enjoy the spicy tart punch of this sour cherry fruit beer which was exactly what I expected. See~ I'm not afraid of fruit or sour it just needs to be done juuuust riiiight and that is what happened here with this Flemish style Red (~7.7 abv)

Then we were off to K's favorite, Lompoc. We decided on the Lompoc at 5th Quadrant because we like the people there and the atmosphere is pretty down to earth. Texting ahead to K's sister "Meet us at Lompoc" and then remembering there are a few here in town and we should probably clarify, the ins and outs of trying to coordinate more than a couple people through Zwickelmania started to become apparent. Pretty sure they were there before we were but we missed them anyhoo and so went back to the keg room to continue Zwickeling. A zwickel, by the way, is a valve on the side of the fermentation tank used to take samples of beer from the tank during the process. Brewers use it to gauge quality, age, readiness, etc...

At Lompoc we were treated to samples of:
the Red Belgian eloquently named, Dirty Badger Rye. Enjoyable.
A young, very young IPA called Flower of the Gods. Clearly referring to the flowery delicious hops being used. It should be ready in a few weeks and I look forward to heading over to SideBar to see how it has matured. One of the brewmasters suprised us with a delicious sour aptly named Cherry Bomb! Much more drinkable than the previous sour we experienced and the surprise pour exemplifies the amazing hospitality and graciousness you'll find with some of these brewery tours.
Then, there was the un-named Stout. It was like a warm, mocha milkshake that had melted into my mouth. No, that's not a bad thing, I like it like that. A little more fermentation will give it a slightly better mouth-feel but the flavor on this one is rich. Our server, Irene (?), was hoping for Stout Out Loud. I say Hear! Hear!

Finally met up with some of our family members and decided to head over to Widmer Brothers. I know, I can hear many of you now complaining that they are a large corporation now and shouldn't be given the time nor publicity but hear me out. As much beer as you may see with the Widmer label on it here in the Pacific Northwest they still brew and bottle 1/10th the amount of Sam Adams from back East and Sam Adams nationwide still only brews and bottles 1/10th of what the larger (cough cough) breweries create and distribute. Widmer also still dabbles enough in small batch brewing and creation that they are worthy of a visit now and again. I choose to go for Zwickelmania because they feed me too. This tour is fascinating and really worth the 20+ minute wait at the door. The folks who work these tours on this day actually work in the brewery regularly and give sweet insight into some of the goings on in their individual areas. Our tour-guide, Jacob, was actually sweet enough to pose and vogue his ink for us. Good sport. Now to save time, mine and yours here are the descriptions of each of the tasting sites on the Widmer tour as provided by Widmer themselves on their Facebook page. I'll just let you know how much I enjoyed each one...


Station 1: Hef, Drifter, Alt, Kellerbier
- Cucumber canapés with white bean puree and roasted peppers
- Tortilla rolls with jalapeno cream cheese, corn, cilantro and oven roasted tomatoes Grocery Store offerings meant to appease the masses while we readied ourselves for the tour. The tortilla rolls reminded E of her mom's enchilada casserole.

Station 2: W’12, Marionberry Hibiscus Gose
- Mini skewers of black pepper marinated havarti and red grapes Um Yummy. One of my favorite stations. The Marionberry Gose was fruity and delicious and probably not much for true beer aficionados as much as a fruit beer quaffer sitting on the patio in the summertime. The W'12 Dark Saison was and is my favorite beer of the day. I can't describe it. I can't wait for it to be released. This Saison style Ale is sweet and peppery. Chocolate and caramel. The havarti was pretty tasty too. It was at this point that my phone died from being used too often as a camera. Ah me.

Station 3: Spiced IPA, Killer Bee Mead
- Honey spice cake bites These were two sweet surprises, I mean three. The Honey spice cakes were a delicious honey-soaked treat and washed down with the Killer Bee Mead, heavenly. The Mead was light, not heavy at all. Floral and sweet with a great acid end. Super mouthfeel, not overly sticky or tart. I'm going to go searching for the spiced IPA. I'm finding I enjoy IPAs more and more these days.

Station 4: Pitch Black IPA, Brrrbon ‘11
- Phyllo cups filled with blue cheese mousse and peppered bacon Well, the Brrrbon wasn't available so we were given delicious samples of an Oatmeal Porter that I now wish I had asked more about. I can't info on it anywhere and it was truly a delicious Porter so I'm going to be doing some more investigating for sure. Pitch Black IPA is just that~ an amazing, delicious best of both worlds beer that K and I don't have to fight over when we go to the store. It satisfies my longing for dark, coffe-like heaviness and his Hopheadiness.

See, Widmer was worth it. I'm still a big fan of Kurt and Rob and the whole crew.

After Widmer, we lunched at the carts next to Prost! but that is my next blog. Hopefully, it will only be a short wait. After lunch we thought we'd hit one more place before splitting up and heading off to our other engagements. We decided on Amnesia.
Now granted this was our last place and our final samples after a long morning but I wasn't in the mood anymore. The place was crowded with Zwickelers and by the time we had gotten back to the "brewery" I was done being able to taste anything with any validity. I do still recommend Amnesia. Their IPAs are crisp and hoppy, especially when the weather is nice and you can sit on the patio and enjoy all there is to offer. There is quite a bit of great NW beer history in this tiny little brewhouse as well. Chris Spollen, owner, lit up as he described some of the equipment he's acquired over the years. Really, the place is a little diamond in the rough. I hope the rough is here to stay.
Cheers!

Party with a Purpose: 100% Portland

Last night K and I attended a fundraiser for a political candidate. Heck, I endorse him so of course I'll tell you his name. Jefferson Smith, and he's running for Mayor of Portland, Oregon.

The evening showcased Jefferson's plans for our city's future, ideas to be working on together and some amazing P-town talent that included fire-dancers and hoop girls, poetry and prose. Truly, a great night at the Bossanova Ballroom (very charming venue, by the way).

But this is my food and drink blog and so I digress, although the beer and wine were fine, there wasn't food available and so after the highly informative and entertaining event we headed down to the food carts on Hawthorne.

Now, I know that the food carts in Portland are on the verge of, if not already, fully overplayed. The height of their trendiness brought cart-pads willy nilly to every vacant lot in the city only to be quashed by zoning and permit limitations. I may just sound a little bitter because my own idea for a cart has materialized under someone else's name and is flourishing. There go my retirement plans.

The food carts on SE 12th and Hawthorne have long been favorites of mine and they have some real staying power which I believe is testimony to their greatness in a food cart metropolis.

Last night we enjoyed sampling from two places on the pad, as we vow to always choose food from different carts in order to patronize as much as possible. In the past, we have enjoyed the offerings from Pyro Pizza (amazing) and El Brasero (meh)and Perierra Creperie (some yum, some meh). Last night, however, was a win/win situation.

First stop, ordered a Chicken Pot Pie from Whiffies. While they were working that up for us we rolled over to Potato Champion. Side note, with a name like Potato Champion, how could you possibly go wrong? Right? I ordered the small Poutine, because it's still a serious serving of the Canadian comfort food. Poutine= Perfect, piping hot french fries covered with gravy and cheese curds. Do not knock it, you just don't know. I would be lying if I didn't tell you this was a return trip to PC. Then, back over to pick up our pie at Whiffies. Oh! How do I love thee, Whiffies? The vendor hands the lovingly foiled pie to K as if it were Excalibur, gently, with great reverance. We soon know why. The flaky crust on this hand-held, deep-fried golden delight is buttery goodness. No doughy cold spots, no chewy burnt crimps. Perfect all the way around. The filling was not so much chicken as potato and vegetable with some chicken in it but please do not let that sway you. This was amazing and delicious and everything I want from a chicken pot pie from now on. All in all a fabulous evening. I do love Portland.

NW Chocolatefest 2012: Indulge

Woke up this morning to a very typical Portland day. It was sunny in the backyard and raining in the front yard. It was a day that screamed "get out of the house" but also whispered "it's time to spoil yourself". It was just that kind of day and so, Kieran and I headed to the Portland Convention Center for the ChocolateFest 2012. I know I've posted about ChocolateFest before. It's an amazing event with a million ways to treat yourself to chocolate and some truly fascination sights. Last year, I believe there was the woman having her body painted with chocolate. This year, no such luck on the choco-bodypaint but there were the obligatory Harajuku girls and even ordinary Portlanders seem more intriguing after a few Chocolate Martinis (imbibed by them or me, no matter). The chocolate from Leonida's truly makes the most amazing chocolate martinis ever. Creamy, delicious, good enough to go back around and get in line three more times...

Unfortunately, we went a little late this year and the crowds were horrific. People started out in lines but after a bit everybody was so hopped up on chocolate simple civility went out the window. But, hey, this is chocolate we're talking about. Amazing chocolate from all over the world but mostly the Pacific Northwest. Seattleites hawking all Organic, Oregonians pushing free-trade bean to bar. So good, so good for you. No-one can deny, chocolate is good for the soul. And although I can't say that all of the chocolate I tasted today was good I can say that some of the chocolate I had today was amazing. The "Best in Show" chocolate truly was, in my opinion "Best". Cocotutti put out some of the most scrumptious bits of chocolate truffle and confection. Chocolates infused with lavendar,ginger,mint or peppery spices that made "hot" chocolate not just hot, but savory delicious. Truffles and caramels disappeared from the trays as quickly as the vendors could pile them up. It reminded me of the "Candyman" sequence from the original Willy Wonka. I was living the dream.

Goodbye 2011, Hello BiGMoUtH

I realize my blogging efforts have been sketchy. I suddenly grew conscious of the fact that I was taking pictures and posting everything that I ate and drank...today I say why not? My New Year's resolution is to keep reading, keep writing, keep blogging, keep practicing. Communicate. I enjoy it. Sometimes I'm even good at it. I'm not going to stop eating and drinking so why stop talking about it? It has been a pretty introspective New Year for me. I have big plans for the New Year and they're all about allowing me to be me. The me that enjoys drinking. The me that enjoys eating. The me that enjoys discovering the new and old and wonderful about the Pacific Northwest. Some day the world.

The me that enjoys cheese. Not just any old cheese though. Delicious cheese. Cheese from a a company in Tillamook that dared create cheese in the shadow of Tillamook Cheese Factory. Now I have nothing against the Tillamook County Creamery Association or any of their own delicious cheeses, but when in Tillamook I prefer to visit the Blue Heron French Cheese Co.

K and I took Baloo to the beach this past weekend. It was rainy, as one might expect in late December on the Oregon coast. It was gray, and not just the sky either. It was such a gray day that everywhere you would look was bathed in a bluegreen light, muted and beautiful. Quiet. Even the ocean was quiet. Not very many waves, no real storm in sight. Baloo loves the ocean on days like these. He loves the game of running towards the sea only to turn heel and book it when the sea comes creeping in after you. He actually smiles. A big, wide dog smile that starts at his big dog lips and ends at his wide swinging, salt water soaked tail.

A trip to this portion of the coast calls for a trip to Blue Heron for a loaf of crusty french bread and a wheel of pepper encrusted Brie cheese. It's all we have for lunch. Maybe an apple or pear if we remember to bring one. We eat at least half the wheel and the entire loaf of bread sitting in the truck watching the ocean. I am covered with crumbs and loose black peppercorns and salt. From the seawater or the bread, I'm not sure. Either is fine with me.



I can't wait to get home and eat salad because this day we also pick up the best Blue Cheese dressing I've ever had. It's oil/vinegar based, not creamy blue. It holds spices and chunks of Blue Heron Blue Cheese. Heaven in a bottle.

And so I will continue to drink beer and wine and rave. Seek out new food carts and restaurants and swoon. Eat cheese and write about it. It's what I do.