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Playing with Their Food
Step into the entrance of Park Kitchen, and you might hear locals the Shins or Elliott Smith playing on the stereo. “That was a calculated move on my part,” says chef/owner Scott Dolich. “Music is an inspiration for us as far as style of service is concerned, and it informs what we do. The restaurant itself looks very informal, although the food is from an educated palate.” Contemporary dishes like braised pork belly with pappardelle, rapini and shaved goat cheese are echoed in the serious cocktail list – the bartender makes his own tonic water from scratch. At lunch, the chef offers some clever variations on standard lunch fare: the homemade hot dogs with their own ketchup and chips and a Reuben sandwich with duck confit sitting in for the corned beef. Even the cocktail list gets into the regional act, pairing locally made Medoyeff Vodka with fresh citrus, orange curaçao, Angostura and artisanal bitters. The Alberta Street Oyster Bar & Grill, a little bit off the beaten track in the Concordia neighbourhood of Northeast Portland, is like that great local band that’s perfectly happy selling out shows at home rather than seeking wider acclaim. The room retains a lo-fi, hand-painted feel but gets jazzed up by red and black walls illuminated by candles and red lamps. Chef – and former Montrealer – Eric Bechard’s menu is like an extended riff on surf and turf: grilled sturgeon with beef tongue, monkfish with oxtails, diver scallops with chicken liver sauce. As a neighbourhood place, the kitchen knows it has to cast a wide net. The skilful cooking paired with a democratic menu allows for an improvised five-course tasting option. But then there’s oyster stew every Sunday in winter and a local beef burger with house-cut fries for under $10 for the hipsters. Perhaps the most memorable meal of my visit was at Nostrana in a glorified strip mall in what used to be a grocery store. “When we took over, there was a false ceiling, and we didn’t realize that just by removing it, we would open up this space,” says co-owner and chef Cathy Whims, referring to the soaring, angular ceiling that suggests either a durable barn or a humble cathedral. It’s the perfect staging ground for food that is at once rustic and elevated. Nostrana means “local” in Italian, and the kitchen takes this to heart. The restaurant’s interpretation of Italian standards includes a charcuterie plate featuring an assortment of cured meats made by Mario Batali’s father, Armandino, at his shop, Salumi, in Seattle. A local Strawberry Mountain steak, seared on the wood-burning grill, is topped with a funky porcini butter and served with fingerling potatoes and sautéed escarole. Naomi Pomeroy and Michael Hebb started out running their underground restaurant – the instantly popular Clarklewis – out of their apartment. When that grew too big to sustain, they took over warehouse space in the Central Eastside Industrial District, a neighbourhood the restaurant is credited with having helped to develop. (Pomeroy has since left to open Beast.) The meal begins quietly with a selection of local pink and white Easter radishes, raw and unadorned except for sides of sweet butter and sea salt. The tempo quickens with the arrival of Belgian endive dressed in the toastiest brown butter vinaigrette, spiked with sage-toasted pine nuts and topped with lashings of Basque blue cheese. Pan-seared scallops sing alongside Rio grapefruit, pomegranate and mint salsa verde. Still, Clarklewis’ indie spirit prevails. The waiter proffers miniature flashlights with the menus, explaining, “We light for ambience, but if you like, these might help.” It felt to me like the start of a show. Write to us: letters@enroutemag.net |
