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Kann

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This week we are featuring a truly unique hot spot experience with Kann Winter Kitchen. This winter, American Express and Resy teamed up with some amazing chefs around the nation to create pop-up restaurants located in yurt clusters. Luckily, we got one in Portland and the chosen chef was none other than Gregory Gourdet, who created a memorable and transporting menu of traditional and creative takes on Haitian cuisine.

The Yurts

Kann Winter Village is the perfect description for what we walked into. The cluster of quaint and cozy yurts, complete with pine boughs and twinkly lights, delighted us immediately. The yurts are heated and outfitted with spare utensils, plus a lazy Susan so that the wonderful staff can safely deliver your food while remaining properly distanced.

The Food

Our first course of the evening was a Ripe Plantain and Squash salad. Full disclosure, I thought this sounded like the least exciting part of the menu. I was SO wrong. I have no idea what the chefs did to make that squash easily the most tender and delicious I have ever tasted, but I certainly want to. There were also wilted greens that were outstanding, bright pops of tart pomegranate, and plantains two ways. I think of salads as being often mundane, but this was a fully conceptualized and balanced vegetable side, and I adored every bite.

Our second course there was a split. For the omnivore menu, a Twice-Cooked Pork Belly and for the pescatarians, a shrimp Creole. Both were delicious, but the tender, crispy, rich, and spicy pork belly had our hearts. Third course was the Soup Joumou, which had a bone-in chicken drumstick for the omnis that was absent in the pescatarian. This soup was incredibly hearty, and could have acted as a filling meal in itself.

As an extra treat to ourselves we did add on the 1/2 Peking duck, which arrived next. We were already starting to feel quite full at this point, so we just had a little taste and took the rest home for an epic leftovers feast the following day. What a taste it was! The duck was meltingly tender and the sauce was highly spiced and complex. It was served with plantain crepes, Haitian cornmeal, and spicy pikliz. Again, I could have eaten an entire meal of just this and been pleased as punch.

Next, we had another division. Braised Beef Short Ribs with Habanero and Thyme for the omnivores and an Epis Marinated Sea Bass for the pescatarians. Once more, while both were lovely dishes, I have to side with the omnivores on this one. I LOVE short ribs and would say I may eat them more regularly than most. These were some of the best I have ever enjoyed. And mind you, at this point I was stuffed, and yet I could not resist eating a slightly excessive amount of these delectable creations.

Finally, somewhat bursting at the seams, we enjoyed dessert. A lovely Upside Down Banana Cake, topped with warm coconut cream and with a caramelized burnt crust. I’m not quite sure how I managed to find the room, but I finished every bite. As a bonus treat (did we need more?) we added a bottle of the first of the wines from the pairings (our favorite!) a pinot noir rose bubbles. We finished every drop of that one too.

If you also would like to make it to Kann, check out more info Here. Where should we go next? Let us know in the comments!

Quaintrelle

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This week I went out to Quaintrelle. I had heard great things from friends and was very excited to visit! Dining outside in the winter isn’t always comfortable with the rain that Portland is so well known for, but Quaintrelle makes it feel comfortable and warm. There is a large white tent on the cobblestone patio with multiple tables, bistro lights, and a large heater to keep the space warm. Regardless of weather, at least one side of the tent is left open to allow for proper air flow.

Our Food

Quaintrelle makes Pacific Northwestern food sourced from local farms and purveyors. Seasonality is a huge part of their menu so it changes frequently which allows you to return over and over and always have a new experience. We started with green curry mussels with house made pickles. The mussels were plump and buttery. The broth they were served in was rich, full bodied, and had just a hint of spice. Next was the “Whiteout”. As the name suggests everything on the plate was completely white. Parsnip, egg, celeriac, pear, yuzu, and wasabi snow. The dish was playful and imaginative. This paired perfectly with my sparkling wine. They also have a small cocktail menu with some of the classics.

We moved into our second course by ordering the whole striped bass with miso and nuac cham, brussels sprouts with ginger, hoisin, and puffed rice, and beets with Meyer lemon custard, barley, and Roquefort powder. The bass was perfectly cooked, it was moist and fell away from the bones effortlessly. Quaintrelle took just as much care with their vegetable sides as they did with their main entrees. Each dish had the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and bitter notes.

I would highly recommend Quaintrelle to anyone that hasn’t had the chance to try it. If you’re in the mood for some great local Northwest cuisine, you will not be disappointed.

Have you tried Quaintrelle yet? Let us know in the comments! If you have yet to try it out, you can check out the menu here. To see what else we have featured, you can check out those here!

Oma’s Takeaway

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This week we had the pleasure of trying Oma’s Takeaway! Oma’s started as a pop up when the chef/owner of Gado Gado realized his food wasn’t well situated for the take-out only option of the pandemic. He and his sous chef started putting together a menu based on their childhood memories and grandmother’s cooking. They both called their grandmas Oma, so it was an easy name choice. The two restaurants are now ‘sister’ restaurants with a similar southeast Asian style.

Oma's Takeaway exterior

Oma’s Takeaway now stands where Whiskey Soda Lounge used to be. I was unsure before trying Oma’s if they would be able to fill the shoes of the past owners. I didn’t have a chance to try Oma’s when it was just a pop-up so I had a few doubts. The smell wafting from the restaurant as I approached the door was sweet, spicy, and slightly fishy – all things you want from a southeast Asian restaurant! Oma’s has the options right now of either dining on the patio or taking their food away.

The Food

I really wanted the full experience so I tried almost everything on the menu. The standouts for me were the Cumin Curry-spiced Ribs in Tamarind glaze, the Braised and Fried Chicken, and the Corn Fritters. The corn fritters were fried perfection with a sweet and sticky soy dip. Both the ribs and chicken are part of the Nasi Lemak. Nasi Lemak is the national dish of Malaysia and means rich rice. The rice is served with peanuts, fried anchovies, and house made sambal. For dessert we tried the rice crispy treat. I don’t know about you, but I hadn’t had one in AGES. They add whole marshmallows and fruity pebbles to the recipe to add a bit of flair. It rounded out the meal extremely well and I can’t wait to go back!

Did you have the chance to try the pop-up? Or have you been to the new brick and mortar? Let us know in the comments! If you are looking for something different you can check out the other restaurants we have featured HERE.

Laurelhurst Market

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This past week we braved the weather to head out to one of my favorite restaurants in all of Portland. Laurelhurst Market is hands-down one of the best steakhouses in the city, but did you know that they also have a FABULOUS lunch menu? The butcher shop carves up meat and makes them into artisan sandwiches and charcuterie boards, both excellent.

Laurelhurst Market is currently serving both lunch and dinner on their very impressive parking lot patio. Now that the rain is here to stay, they have upgraded from individual umbrellas to a full-sized tent with lights and heaters. The tables are spaced more than 6′ apart and there are multiple barrels with plants to help separate the space even further.

Laurelhurst Market

We tried 2 different types of sandwiches, the Hot Pastrami and the Special of the day which was a cheesesteak-style sandwich. The Pastrami comes with Swiss, Dijon, zucchini pickles, and red onion and is served on An Xuyen roll bread. The steak sandwich came with provolone, caramelized onions, and sautéed mushrooms. Both sandwiches tasted exactly the way you would expect the sandwich to taste and the meat was very tender.

The menu changes frequently depending on what the butcher shop has that is fresh and there is a new special at least every week. You can always check out the lunch menu here if you are curious to see what they have. If you aren’t quite ready for tent dining, they are still offering takeout for both lunch and dinner.

We would love to hear what you think if you have been! If you have somewhere that you would like us to feature, let us know in the comments.

Someday

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Ahhh, Someday. An apt name for a bar that was originally conceived of years ago by the owners, who wanted to open their own bar ‘someday’. An even more appropriate refrain for all of us who are wishing and hoping to return to some sense of normalcy in our daily lives ‘someday’. Yet, while we are waiting for indoor dining to be a safe option again, we are always looking for a great spot to grab a drink and a bite outdoors, particularly as the long winter months approach.

Someday is doing the patio scene right. They have big, well-spaced picnic tables, strands of draped lights across the space, and last we checked, were installing heaters to keep you warm and cozy while you drink. The wine selection is well-curated, the cocktails are balanced and delicious, and there is a selection of tasty snacks. If you are looking for a heartier meal, the patio also offers a few food carts to choose from.

Another really fun and unique thing that they are doing is an Oyster BBQ pickup on Sundays! You all know how much we love oysters, so I can’t wait to grab some of these one of these days.

See more about their menu and hours here.

We are really excited for more visits this winter to this cute tucked-away alley bar! Have you visited Someday yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments!

Baerlic Brewing

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This past week we headed out in search of a cool patio and some yummy beer. While we have an abundance of choices here in Portland, it can be a bit harder to find the truly outstanding ones. Baerlic, however, is a brewery that you can always trust to have great beer. Their huge ‘Super Secret Beer Club’ Patio is just a fantastic bonus!

Berlin Patio

One of the things that we love most about Baerlic is that they excel in multiple different styles. There are a lot of breweries that specialize in IPA in Portland, fewer that you can get a great Helles or a Saison and Baerlic is certainly one. Personally, hoppy beers have never been my thing. This time, I tried an Oat Gose, which is a slightly sour beer usually brewed with a bit of salt, and the Helles. Both were clean, crisp, and delicious. The menu changes very frequently here, but you can check out the beers currently on tap before you drop in if you want to make sure they have one of your favorites.

Baerlic Beer

The ‘Super Secret Beer Club’ doesn’t offer any food, but you can bring your own, order from some nearby carts, or have something delivered. Teote or The Hawthorne Asylum Food Carts would be my recommendations because you can walk there and they are delicious! If you want to check out some of our other favorites places to grab beer, head over to our list of Top Breweries in the city!

Ecliptic Brewing

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This week we are featuring one of our favorite breweries and restaurants. With space themed decor and beer Ecliptic Brewing is just a fun place to visit for the whole family. They are currently only offering patio dining, but they have converted the entire parking lot into space for tables so there is plenty of space (pun intended).

Ecliptic also offers a wide variety of beverages, there is a full bar and some local wines to choose from. The real star, though, is of course, the beer. John Harris has been an important NW brewer since his early days at McMenamins. He then moved to Deschutes and Full Sail before finally opening his own brewery.

He doesn’t play it safe with his beer either, depending on the time of year that you visit, you can get almost every style of beer available. I love a fruity sour, there were multiple choices on the menu so I tried the the Carina Peach Sour. With the hot weather we also wanted to try a crisp and refreshing beer so we opted for the Ecliptic-Ruse Collab Pilsner. Both beers were refreshing, delicious, and exactly what we were expecting of the style.

Ecliptic Beers

Ecliptic has by far the best food menu of all the breweries. They focus on fresh and seasonal ingredients and switch up the menu often. This summer they are offering little gem salad, street corn and seared albacore tuna. You can also order one of their many burgers or sandwiches. They always have a great burger, but they are currently also offering a beet melt with goat cheese and granny smith apples and a salmon burger with avocado and jalapeño aioli. Head over to the website to see the full menu.

If you aren’t quite ready to head out to a restaurant you can order the food to go or have some beer delivered! You can order your beer HERE. Have you tried the beer/food yet? What did you enjoy most?

Want to check out our other hotspots? You can find those HERE

Tamale Boy

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This week we are once again highlighting one of our favorite restaurants, Tamale Boy! After searching for restaurants that were offering both dine-in service and patio tables we were left with very few options. Most dine-in restaurants have very few tables and are only seating with a reservation. We didn’t plan far enough ahead for that, so when we saw Tamale Boy on the list, we knew exactly where to go. They have 2 locations, one small location attached to Labrewatory on N Russell, and a larger location on NE Dekum. Ne Dekum has a huge patio and was just what we were in the mood for.

Tamale Boy Patio tables

While we were deciding on what to order we started with a side of house-made guacamole. I love Tamale Boy’s guacamole because they add a dried chile oil to give it a bit of spice, and roasted sunflower seeds for a nice crunch. For dinner I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and actually order a tamale. I decided on the Norteño tamal frito. A deep fried tamale with chile verde, served with black beans and 2 over-easy eggs. The flavor in the tamale itself was absolutely divine and with the beans and eggs it was a very filling meal. If you want to check out the menu or order ahead, you can do so HERE

We loved Tamale Boy this week, have you been to support this business yet? We definitely recommend you visit, whether you are ready to venture out or wanting to get some take-out for home. What have you been loving? Let us know your favorite local spot in the comments so we can support them (and our tastebuds)!