Portland, Oregon has captured quite a bit of attention on the food scene; and during my recent short stay I could certainly see why. I ate several dishes that were spectacular, and the restaurants had a real energy about them.
One night I ate at Le Pigeon (website). It was a small cozy place with communal tables and an open kitchen. The menu was well edited and creatively reflected the best local ingredients. I started with Pork Belly; two luscious lardons of pork cooked to perfection…so good for the soul, but so bad for the heart. For the main course I had a Beef Cheek Bourguignon that would have made Julia Child smile. I loved the vibe of this restaurant; it reminded me of Provence.
Irving Street Kitchen (website) is another restaurant I was really impressed with. Irving Street is a large open place with a vibrant bar scene and a lot of energy.
The restaurant is in the Pearl District, a revitalized section that feels like Tribeca in NYC. There were 6 of us for dinner and everybody raved about their food. As a starter, I had Angels on Horseback (oysters wrapped in bacon) that were rich and succulent. I sure had a lot of pork fat in Portland. For my entree I tried the Duck; it was a combination of grilled duck sausage and a duck leg confit. It was was served over basmati rice and the flavors were fabulous. For dessert we split a huge Butterscotch Pudding that was served in a mason jar. Wow, so rich and creamy…pure heaven.
I know I just scratched the surface on the Portland food scene, but I have certainly got off to a good start. If you are heading to the northwest, make Portland part of your itinerary because there’s some great food just waiting to be eaten.
