Monthly Archives: June 2015

NYC – 6/3/15 – Empellon Cocina

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Since it opened this has always been one of my go to places on the short list of restaurants that I visit repeatedly. I was very curious to see what the remodel looked like in person. Waiting at the bar for my guest to arrive, it honestly just felt really weird because the old bar was so unique and I felt like I was somewhere else completely. But oddly mid way through dinner all felt right again.  I loved the concept, and taste of the deviled egg filling, but felt a bit like it was odd to just eat on its own because of the texture and resorted to spreading some on the chips that came with the guacamole.  The sliced mango was outstanding as was the ceviche.  The last time I had friend smelt was at Alinea so I had high hopes for these tacos and I could have eaten at least two more.  A definite must order!  Loved both of the desserts but unfortunately didn’t write down the descriptions.  I’m looking forward to returning for the kitchen table and the pan-roasted lobster because when the table beside us got it we immediately regretted not doing so.

Pan-Galactic – Pandan-infused rum, oloroso sherry, lemon juice and egg white

Guacamole with pistachios

Deviled egg filling with trout roe

Sliced mango with perky toe crab, chile powder and lime

Ceviche of the day

Fried Maine smelts with cabbage and jalapeño relish

Shredded chicken with yucatecan pipian and toasted pumpkin seeds


NYC – 6/2/15 – Marea

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Before switching jobs I was able to get to Marea for lunch much more frequently than I can now. My mind was evidently so focused on the fusilli that I didn’t even take a picture of my first course. And while it was a fantastic crudo, I can’t even recall which one. The fusilli remains probably my absolute favorite dish in NYC. I rarely order pasta when dining out, and certainly never crave it, but this one I do. Constantly. As a challenge to myself I am going to try my best to order something different when I return for brunch this sunday. Something tells me I won’t be successful.

Fusilli – durum wheat pasta, red wine braised octopus, bone marrow

Chicago – 5/31/15 – Au Cheval and Next Tapas

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Au Cheval 
This will officially be my last blog posting that includes Au Cheval. Why? Because I love it too much, visit too often, and while I can look at this burger all day every day, I’m guessing some of my readers may become a bit bored with it. Chances are it will remain my favorite burger anywhere and I will be eating them just as often though!

Next Tapas
After the outdoor preview two nights prior I was very much looking forward to this menu. While I have liked and appreciated every Next menu for different reasons, I can admit that there are only a few that I have loved enough that I immediately wanted to repeat.  This is definitely one of them.  The contrast of the more simple dishes, like the absolutely perfect tortilla, with the very complex, such as the patatas bravas, was fantastic. I never cease to be impressed!

anchoas y aceitunas
coliflor asada con chorizo y coca cardona
hongos y cebolla


mejillones enlatados
pulpo y berenjena

  
cerdo y romesco
cebollas a la parrilla


yema de huevo frito

aceitunas de albert adria
brandada crujiente

datiles con jerez y chocolate

pomelo quemado y pinones

un plato de jamon iberico de bellota

esparragos y sepia

patatas bravas

chuleton
tortilla

gambas con fresas y habas

  
caramelo de aceite de oliva

chocolate con arandanos y avellana

fartons

tarta de queso

Chicago – 5/30/15 – Bom Bolla, Broken Shaker and Formentos 

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Bom Bolla
On a day that felt more like the end of November instead of May I trekked to the new cava bar Bom Bolla in Wicker Park.  With a group of friends I could see this as a fantastic sunday funday location.  I definitely enjoyed the different cava’s that I tried but have to admit that after having such an amazing pork bocadillo the night before at Next, this one was a disappointment.  On a different day I might have liked it more without the comparison.  But definitely order the marcona almonds!  I thought they couldn’t be improved upon, but everything truly is better fried!


Shrimp with tomato & horseradish
Grilled pork shoulder, preserved lemon, manchego bocadillo

Pork fat fried Marcona almonds

 Broken Shaker
The Chicago location of the Miami import Broken Shaker recently opened in the Freehand hostel.  Having visited the Miami location fairly recently I was curious as to how the concept would translate without the cool outdoor space.  I think they have done an excellent job however of maintaining the same vibe within the constraints of a city location.  While walking in seems perhaps a bit too similar to the Ace next door, when you actually get to the bar it feels entirely different and far removed from your physical location. This will definitely enter my regular rotation for future visits.

Bitch Don’t kill my Vibe – lemongrass reduction, aperol, shaken with tropical juice and vodka
Gin tonic from the market – shaker g&t with market fresh botanicals, built on beefeater gin and lillet

Formentos
Pickled vegetables are one of my absolute favorite things. If on any restaurant menu, it is guaranteed that I will order them. Case in point, I had an assortment of pickled vegetables the previous night at Parachute and would have the off-the-brunch-menu pickles at Au Cheval the next day. It doesn’t matter what vegetables are pickled but classic giardiniera is the best. So any restaurant that begins the meal with a bowl of this has already won me over. The shrimp scampi was perfectly done and sometimes it is just great to have a well executed classic. I can’t even think of the last time I have had it in a restaurant but now need to rethink how I have been making it at home. Looking back at my pictures I can’t believe I ate all of the enormous lamb t-bone, but I could never leave lamb unfinished! And what a better ending than my favorite cake, carrot cake? I didn’t necessarily think about it at the time, but one of the reasons that I enjoyed this meal so much was that it was perfectly composed of some of my all time favorite foods. Food aside, it was a pleasure to see some familiar faces. I unfortunately don’t remember my server’s name, but she did a very graceful job of dealing with the extremely difficult patrons sitting beside me. And while I love the cozy ambience of the dining room, I hope to return before the end of summer to take advantage of the patio!

Giardiniera

Roasted heirloom beets – orange, castelrosso, pistachio
 Shrimp Scampi

Lamb T-Bone – lupini beans, Gaeti olives, green garlic

Carrot cake

 

Chicago – 5/29/15 – Next outdoors and Parachute

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Next
I’m so happy I managed to make it to Next on one of the very few beautiful June evenings there have been in Chicago. Such a great idea to have the separate outdoor tables and menu to go along with the Tapas menu. Exceptional as always! I could drink these G&Ts all day. And while it doesn’t look like much in photos, the bocadillo is definitely one of the best things I have had this year. If you haven’t been yet, get there before the Tapas menu ends!
Gin & Tonic 
cold octopus and celery salad 
iberian ham with tomato 
porkbelly and manchego sandwich 

Parachute
I loved my first visit to Parachute and was looking forward to a return visit. The bing bread was just as good as I remembered and if not for the earlier trip to Next I would have eaten a full order on my own. Unfortunately I have no recollection of what our last two courses were and the photos are useless. I really hope this Estela plating trend stops. I just don’t get it and I have no idea why so many chefs are copying it.

c&k immature brandy, yujacha, lemon, egg white 
baked potato bing bread, bacon, scallion, sour cream butter 
house pickles, kimchi, chili chayote, watermelon radish zuke 
ceviche 
pork belly and mung bean pancake, kimchi, black garlic, hen egg, pineapple 
  

NYC – 5/24/15 – Spyglass Rooftop, Extra Fancy and Maison Premiere

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Spyglass Rooftop
While the drinks are overpriced, it is hard to beat this view!

Extra Fancy
Frozen G&T. Enough said.

Maison Premiere
This may be the best outdoor dining space in the city. You truly feel like you are somewhere else. Unfortunately as it was so dark my photos are as well and I can barely decipher what we had. But regardless I’m just very proud of myself for ordering oysters a few weeks after a horrific bout of food poisoning. Definitely looking forward to getting back here a few times this summer!

              

NYC – 5/23/15 – Clocktower

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I’ve been a fan of Jason Atherton’s for quite a while and so was quite excited to try Clocktower soon after it opened.  In general out-of-town chef’s who open restaurants in NYC when not living here just don’t make it and I’m usually not sad to see them go.  But I certainly hope that Clocktower sticks around for a while.  There were some service issues with the timing of courses but as I was there so soon after opening I forgive them!  I’m generally not a fan of cocktails with savory components but these were some of the best that I have had and actually some of the best cocktails overall that I have had in NY in recent memory.  While the starters and salad were great, and the cote de boeuf amazing, its oddly the green bean and foie gras salad that stole the show for me.  A completely standout side dish that should be its own starter!

Los Pollos Hermanos – Del Maguey Vida mescal, Olmeca Altos blanco, herb infused agave, lemon juice, chicken stock, egg white
Give Peas a Chance – Beefeater gin, yellow Chartreuse, salted pea cordial, lemon juice, mint, Butterfly absinthe, egg white, flora

Warm white asparagus, slow-cooked egg, chicken thigh, chicken cornflakes

Roasted sea scallops, ragout of line caught squid, cepe, bacon, celery root puree

English breakfast radishes, salad leaves, cucumbers, feta and pistachio puree

40 day dry aged cote de boeuf 32 oz, green bean and foie gras salad, bone marrow jus, potato gratin

  
Strawberries and cream, vanilla custard, olive oil cake, verjus sorbet

Mignardises

Chicago – 5/16/15 – Sixteen

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Sixteen is yet another Chicago restaurant that I had been trying to get to for ages and I’m still bummed that I missed some previous menus that looked amazing. It really doesn’t get better than having such a fantastic meal while gazing at some of my favorite buildings in the city. I could never get tired of this view. The theme of the spring menu is Food in Progress: Assessing an American Food Revolution. The menu presentation with the seed box, filled with small bites, was absolutely adorable and just so much thought clearly went into the structure of the menu and the theme of every course. I haven’t transcribed the whole thing here but I even mores regret missing the architecture menu!


    
Spring Pea in its Shell, Green Strawberry Almond and Mint
Soy Bean Panna Cotta, Pine Nut, Tomato Hearts

  
Veiled Green and White Asparagus with Blood Orange and Curry

Comte Flan with Chive Flowers, Morels and Asparagus Soup

Barley Porridge, Escargot, Mustard Greens and Juice

Carolina Gold Rice Congee, Sorghum and Country Ham

Abalone, Dulse, Sea Grape and Dashi

Potato soufflé with Sturgeon and its Caviar

  
Wild King Salmon, Crushed Favas, Fava Leaves and Shiso

Loup de Mer in Whey, Wild Dill and Fennel, Clam and Parsley-Horseradish Emulsion

Smoked Squab with Sour Cherry and Sorrel

Porcelet, Roast Brined Carrot, Buttermilk and Ferns

Grass-fed, Dry-Aged Beef Ribeye, Fermented Ramps, Sprouting Alliums

Cheese
  
Mandarin and Avocado Sorbet with Freeze Dried Mandarin
Pistachio and Yogurt Cake with Blueberry and Lavender Jam

Creme Fraiche Panacotta with Rhubarb Compote and Buttermilk Chip
Toasted Milk and Strawberry Ice Cream, Poppy Seed Sable with Fresh Anise Hyssop

Pineapple, Verbena Mousse, Coffee Jelly and Salted Caramel

Chocolate Cremeaux with Sesame Cake, Blackberry and Sudachi

Chicago – 5/15/15 – Embeya and Intro

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Embeya
As frequently as I am in Chicago there are still restaurants that I have always wanted to go to but somehow never seem to have the time for. Embeya has been on my to-do list probably since it opened but it took the relaunched version with Mike Sheerin at the helm to get me there. An absolutely lovely lunch and perhaps our only complaint was that the broth of the mussel dish was under seasoned.

Tete charcuterie Sai Krok Isan – pineapple, green garlic, cilantro
Charred baby carrots – cured ham, togarashi, yuzu vinaigrette, mint
Green papaya – cucumber, Chrissy shallots, Thai basil, mint
Steamed mussels – spot prawns, halibut, lemongrass-lobster broth
Chicken thigh – steamed cabbage, roasted potato, soy-mirin jus
Yuzu semifreddo – sake soaked strawberries, angel food cake
Ganache – whole wheat graham cracker,miso-caramel ice cream

Intro
For those not familiar Intro is sort of a long term pop-up concept where the chef rotates every few months. Erik Anderson was the second chef in residence at Intro, and while I generally avoid opening nights of anything, we planned our trip around this dinner. The last time I was in this space was in the L2O Laurent Gras days and remember it as a dining room out of a tv show…so sophisticated and modern and just perfect. So it was certainly very strange to be back with taxidermy on the walls! But if I avoided the comparisons I did like the decor. I’ve previously loved Erik’s cooking and this meal was no exception. And while the entire meal was great, the foie tart was so memorable that I’ve almost totally forgotten about all of the other courses.



Island Creek Oyster – Gueuze
Preserved Foie Gras Tart – Salted Strawberries – Hazelnut Milk – Radishes
Pike Boudin in Onion – Lettuce – Snap Peas – Ramps – Egg Yolk – Smoked Lamb’s Tongue
Roasted Poularde – Lobster – Morcilla – Fava Beans – Madeira and Black Truffle Sauce
Roasted Hay Custard – Fresh Creme – Maple Syrup
Bourbon – Tea Baba

NYC – 5/13/15 – Shuko

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A multitude of fantastic reviews have already been written about Shuko and as I wholeheartedly agree with all of them I won’t bother repeating what has already been said. As suggested by others we opted for the longer Kaiseki menu for the first visit. I look forward to returning to try the shorter omakase menu. Unfortunately no menu and most of the courses came so quickly that I wouldn’t have been able to keep up even if I was writing them down.

   
                                               

Berlin – 5/10/15 – Dachgarten and Horvath

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Dachgarten
I booked lunch at Dachgarten as it affords entry into the Reichstag building and certainly seemed easier than trying to figure out how to register to visit otherwise. It is quite the production to get through security and into the building but certainly worth it as the dome is stunning. Lunch was quite good although the prices a bit steep.  But consider it the price of admission!

Green rooftop salad – smoked ricotta, cucumber, green asparagus, peas, avocado, wid herbs 
Unfortunately I don’t recall all of the ingredients to this dish!

Horvath
I admittedly ended up at Horvath by default as it is the only Michelin starred restaurant in Berlin open on Sundays.  Whatever the reason I’m quite glad to have visited.  It was a bit of a hike from public transportation and sits along a canal on a slightly difficult to find street.  The space was quite cozy and almost felt sort of tavern-ish which was the perfect atmosphere for such a chilly evening.  Every course was accompanied by a small card listing the name of the dish and ingredients.  I’m actually not sure if these were provided to all tables, or only to me as an English speaker.  Either way it was a cute touch and I’m happy to have the detailed description as I am writing this.



broccoli | mustard seeds | garlic
steamed broccoli from the “keltenhof”, white chocolate cream with camelina oil, roasted garlic, sprouted mustard seeds

mushrooms | celery | malt
bread cream, well-hung sour cream, burnt celery root, king oyster mushroom cooked and baked, poppy-seed oil, reduced celery root juice

trout | eggplant | pork chin
raw “lunenburger hiade” trout filet, grilled eggplant with ham-caramel sauce, pork chin and mustard pickle compote, cucumber-yoghurt emulsion, grated iceberg lettuce, cress, smoked greaves

parsley | egg yolk | radish
duck lard emulsion, poached egg yolk, juice and oil from the garden parsley, in beer marinated black radish, frozen radish, wild herbs

veal | root vegetable | chervil
roasted veal “tafelspitz”, root vegetable with meat aspic, pickled flamed yellow carrot, beaten egg bouillon with chervil

hazelnut | molasses | brown butter
salty hazelnut cream, roasted hazelnuts, molasses aspic, sweet hazelnuts and root vegetables, hazelnut oil, fluffy chocolate, nut butter ice cream

Berlin – 5/9/15 – Tim Raue and NENI

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Tim Raue
Some friends had been to Berlin a few weeks before me and Tim Raue was their favorite dinner of the trip.  While I was visiting for a much shorter period of time and could only fit in 2 of Berlin’s 2* restaurants, I was certainly looking forward to this one and it exceeded my expectations.  I love encountering things I haven’t seen in other restaurants, such as the very cool tables with inlaid linen tablecloths – the perfect way to make a white table cloth completely modern.  Beautiful plates and plating and an overall absolutely delicious dinner.  I could go into much more detail, but suffice it to say this will be my first stop on any future trips.

Unfortunately I did not write down descriptions of all of the initial courses.

Green asparagus
violet | coriander
boiled green asparagus, butter & green thai chili, coriander coconut cream, mango

Pikeperch
kamebishi soy 10y | leek & ginger
steamed pikeperch, butter, spring leek & young pickled finer, stock of 10 year aged kamebishi soy sauce


Langoustine
wasabi | caantonese style
stock made from fish sauce, mango & carrot, langoustine turned over in starch flour and deep fried in wok, marinated with wasabi mayonnaise & deep fried green rice

Pork chin
papaya | nuac mam
smoked pork chin, jus from smoked paprika, nuoc mam jelly, carrot raw & cream, pickled papaya, sour tomato, trevisano salad, basil

Manny’s beef
beetroot | morel
manny’s dry aged beef shoulder, morel stock, braised beetroot, as jelly & meringue with morel mash, pearl onion pickled in port vinegar, green thai pepper

Strawberries
pondicherry pepper | basil
raw gariguettes strawberries, woodruff jelly & woodruff meringue, rhubarb-strawberry stock, ice-cream, pondicherry pepper oil


  
And my favorite wine of the evening

 
NENI
I’ve switched the order of lunch and dinner here because I just couldn’t start this post looking at this meal. Its rare that I have a meal that I would describe as horrid and leave hungry. NEHI is located on the top floor of the Hotel Bikini and was close to my hotel (and appeared on a recent Eater heatmap) so I decided to check it out for lunch. When I got on the elevator and it was full of tourists, I should have been tipped off that this would not be good. Ufortunately the only thing NEHI has going for itself is the gorgeous view. For the only time on this trip I felt like I was being ignored by waitstaff as I was alone. I received most of my food before I had even received my drink which is an immediate indicator that nothing is prepared to order. The salads were so horribly overdressed that they were literally swimming in liquid and one of my dishes was entirely forgotten but appeared on my bill. I left here starving, and went back to my hotel where I had some absolutely amazing hummus.
   
  
    

Berlin – 5/8/15 – Reinstoff

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I never thought I would publish this post after almost losing 2 months worth of photos on my iPhone.  An expensive lesson learned….back up frequently.  Actually this dinner almost didn’t happen due to a delayed flight and crazy traffic. Then when I finally arrived at Reinstoff horribly late, I discovered that the restaurant had cancelled my reservation after supposedly not being able to reach me to confirm.  By some miracle there was an empty table in this relatively small dining room on a friday night. While the overall vibe was quite casual and friendly (and I felt a bit overdressed) service was impeccable.  So glad that I did not miss out on this one!  

Onion tartlet
Brown trout jerky
Chioggia beet and Mochi
Venison sausage



Black morel in stock, mushroom noodle and fermented shallots

Artichokes, hop sprouts and baby artichokes  in beer

Fried veal sweetbreads, peas, young lettuce, apple and liquorice
 Quail – leg, mirepoix and gravy

Quail – breast, vegetables in red wine and Mangalitza pork ham

Refresher – Medlar sorbet, fir shoots and orange wine
 Goats cheese from fresh to mature with roasted celeriac and pickled strawberries

Asparagus and mocca caramel

Tiramisu, Andraschko coffee and ice cream

Munich – 5/5/15 – Tantris

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I wish I had dined at Tantris on my last trip to Munich, and was kicking myself for not doing so after being fairly disappointed in the places I did visit. I vaguely remember looking at some photos and thinking that the decor may be a bit over the top then rushed to judgement and bypassed it on my to-do list. Not that it doesn’t photograph well, but what I thought was ‘too much’ in photos is just really really cool in person. Such a completely unique dining room that you would think wouldn’t work, but totally does. And despite its very large size manages to feel quite cozy. An overall lovely spring menu! I seem to spend all of my time in Germany trying to avoid spargel, but here I had the first preparation that I actually enjoyed. Fantastic wine pairings including perhaps my favorite riesling in memory.


Variation of tuna with mackerel tatar with white asparagus and yuzu

Red mullet with oak choy, yellow curry-lentil puree and sauce mignonette

Medallion of veal fillet with cabbage, carrots, fresh morels and potato gnocchi

Mousse of brilliant savarin in olive cracker with braised rhubarb

Chocolate dumpling with pineapple-papaya-mango ragout and passion fruit ice cream

Prague – 5/2/15 – Cotto Crudo, Tretters and La Degustation

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Cotto Crudo
Overwhelmed by the mobs of tourists on the Charles Bridge, I escaped to the tranquility of the Four Seasons and the Cotto Crudo restaurant. The view from the outdoor patio was absolutely lovely and lunch was just the reprieve I was hoping for.
 
Cuttlefish carpaccio with soya honey reduction and caviar

Formaggi

Pan seared tuna, panzanella salad, crispy bread, red wine vinegar emulsion

Tretter’s Bar
Evidently Tretter’s was inspired by NY bars of the 1920s which was evident in much of the decor. The drink menu was quite lengthy and my cocktails well made. But as somebody who has been bothered by cigarette smoke my whole life I will admit that I kind of couldn’t wait to get out of here. I’m not sure I could ever get used to this aspect of so many places in Europe.

Le Degustation
I’ve often said that you can tell a lot about a restaurant based on how they treat solo diners. I had what I thought was the best table in the restaurant with a perfect view of the open kitchen. La Degustation’s modern take on Czech cuisine was fantastic with some truly surprising courses such as the tomato sauce with mustard (amazing!). The wine pairings were all very interesting and made for an overall lovely meal.



trout, egg, dill, buttermilk

tomato sauce, mustard, honey

skubanky, poppy seeds, prague ham

poultry giblets, semoline puree, corn

beef tongue, yellow pea, apple

olomoucke tvaruzky, caraway seeds


Prague – 5/1/15 – Sansho

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I escaped the mobs of tourists for a calmer area of town and dinner at Sansho.  Far removed from the more traditional restaurants of Prague, Sansho has communal tables and one set menu served family style.  Unfortunately there was no printed menu (at least that I remember) and I took no notes which I blame on jet lag.  I definitely benefited as a solo diner and often seemed to receive the portion for 2 people of several of the dishes.  Service was excellent and I still can’t get over what a value this meal was.   I loved it so much that I seriously considered going back for lunch the next day and am kicking myself for not doing so for the soft shell crab slider alone.

Love the extra touch of flavored water  Salmon sashimi
 Clams
 Smoked Trout 
Pork Belly Pepper Sauce
Soft shell crab slider
Penang Curry

NYC – 4/29/15 – Costata

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I couldn’t be happier that the White Label burger is finally available outside of Ai Fiori. I have no idea why this burger doesn’t end up on more best of NY burger lists other than maybe too many people haven’t had it. Hands down one of my 3 favorite burgers in NYC. Everything else was wonderful, but I can be honest and say I was just here for the burger.


Carrots Oysters
 Artichokes Alla Giudea

White Label Burger – bacon marmalade, mcclures pickles, American cheese, fries

Jersey City – 4/25/15 – Razza Pizza Artigianale

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Its so great to see so many new places opening on the western side of the Hudson.  Razza is rather small and does not take reservations so a wait is very likely.  Unfortunately you actually have to stay and wait and they will not call or text you like so many other places now do.   Fortunately there is ample room to wait, but no seating so plan your footwear accordingly.  I may have skipped ordering the bread and butter if I hadn’t previously read so many great things about it.  The homemade butter was outstanding and next time I will definitely be having a double order.  The homemade bread from the wood fired oven was perfect accompaniment.  The pork pie sounds as good as it actually is and is baked with cubes of gelatinized pork which melt over the top while baking.  But most surprising was the panna cotta, a dessert I typically hate and completely avoid.  If only all were as dense as this and topped with a layer of salted caramel.

Ceci – chickpeas with CA EVOO and parmigiano reggiano

Bread and butter

Farmers salad

Special pizza of the day

Pork pie – pork broth, bacon, shaved onion, parmigiano

Panna cotta

 

NYC – 4/20/15 – Cosme

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I have to admit that I just wasn’t as blown away by Cosme as everybody else in NY and beyond seems to be. Maybe it was just overhyped and my expectations were too high. The space is comfortable and service was quite good. But overall it was just ‘good.’  After ordering one cocktail that was far more ice than cocktail, I switched to wine. The chicharron and hamachi were good, but I’ve had far better versions elsewhere. As someone who favors more savory desserts I did quite like the husk meringue but it certainly wasn’t the prettiest to look at. I went back to re-read the NYT review and do find it interesting that it contained an Estella analogy as its the other NYC restaurant that I think is extremely overhyped and I completely disagree with all of the accolades it has received. But I guess you can’t love everything.

Chicharron, radish, cilantro, avocado, hot sauce

Sliced raw hamachi, fermented serranos, fish sauce, black lime

Smoked raw sepia, salsa mexicana, avocado

Duck carnitas, onions, radishes salsa verde

Husk meringue with corn mousse

Portland, OR – 4/18/15 – Tasty n Alder, Olympia Provisions, Whiskey Soda Lounge, and Le Pigeon

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Tasty n Alder
I don’t know why there can’t be a brunch place like this everywhere. I love the idea of brunch, but mostly hate brunch menus. Too many repeats of the same uninspired dishes and its usually just not worth it. So many things on this menu that I wanted to try. The radicchio salad may have been predominantly bacon, cheese and egg, but that is exactly why it was so delicious. And if one bacon and egg dish is good, two is definitely better. The Bim Bop should be on brunch menus everywhere.

Radicchio – bacon lardons, manchego, chopped six minute egg

Griddled banana walnut bread, cajeta 
Bim Bop Bacon & Eggs 

Olympia Provisions (formerly Olympic Provisions)
I discovered Olympia Provisions last year in the other Portland.  We were waiting for a table at Central Provisions, stopped at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club for drinks and a snack which was a ‘bord’ that included Olympia Provisions Sweetheart Ham.  We loved it, ordered 2 hams over the holidays and then I received the best Christmas gift a girl could ask for – a salami of the month membership.  So even though this was lunch following brunch, I had to check out one of their locations.  I just hope my membership is renewed next year!


Italian Board – two italian salamis, mortadella, capicola, italian sausage, taleggio, fennel-parsley salad, olives

Whiskey Soda Lounge
While I try not to visit places with NY outposts, I often am just curious to see what the originals are like.  I made a quick afternoon stop for a cocktail and this was the perfect refreshing choice after a long trek through the Japanese Garden.



Le Pigeon
Another place I have wanted to visit for years was Gabriel Rucker’s Le Pigeon.  I think its amazing for a restaurant 9 years old to still have lines at opening time and I’m certainly glad that I got there early and made the first seating or I would have missed my flight.  The Hamachi was one of the most beautiful dishes I have had in months and I’m still thinking about the rice pudding.  And the signature foie profiterole certainly lived up to my expectations!


Hamachi, teriyaki pineapple, pickled jalapeño, foie gras macadamia nut butter, shiso
Roast Pork & Prawn Salad, fresh almond, chickpeas, zucchini, poblano tomatillo dressing
Fish special
Beef Cheek Bourguignon 2015, epoisses risotto, oyster mushrooms, dijon pickled onion, sweet herbs
Jade Rice Pudding, rhubarb fritters, toffee sauce
Foie Gras Profiteroles with sea salt and caramel sauce