davis street tavern

Valentine’s Day 2009.  I opted for a new restaurant this year, and chose the Davis Street Tavern in Old Town Portland.  I had made reservations for 6 PM, two days prior and even had to speak with the manager to get my name on the list, but when I arrived the place was basically empty, with the single exception of two people at the bar.  Of course, we had to find the place before we could actually sit down, and even though it is on the corner, the only marking in small logos in the windows; it has no wall or street marking that I could see.

The place did fill up throughout the evening, but never once was every table full.  Because we were some of the first people to arrive, we were doted on hand and foot by the attentive staff.  They kept our table clean, our drinks filled, and timed the delivery of each course perfectly, giving us a few minutes in-between each to prepare for the next.

 The restaurant had a special menu for Valentine’s Day, and guests could opt for either three course or five course meals, and we opted for the latter.  It consisted of your choice of three appetizers, one entrée, and one dessert.  For the most part, the food was well prepared, and plated with a touch of elegance making for beautiful presentation. 

 After our order, the chef brought to our table an aperitif of sliced apple, manchego cheese, and house roasted, candied nuts; it was fabulous, blending the elements of sweet and tart very well.

The Tuna Tartini appetizer was tartar, but served in a martini glass, and was one of the best starters we had.  The tuna was very tender and chilled, it blended very well with the mild flavor of the Avocado, but the cilantro really brought the flavors together.  We also had Oysters, which though tasty (and not too briny) were very small.  The Fois Gras Torchon was highly recommended by our server, and the Fois Gras itself was quite flavorful, and much denser than I’ve had before.  However the sauce, which was a Prosecco-Date Emulsion, completely overpowered the dish; I found myself avoiding the sauce simply so that I could taste the Fois Gras. 

Both salads were excellent and uniquely prepared.  They had oversized croutons and cheese cubes, and the Caesar was served with un-chopped lettuce leaves, and left us both quite contented while waiting for our main course.

Both the Seared Sea Scallops and the Grilled New York Strip Steak were exquisitely prepared and plated, the flavor of each was complimented, not overpowered, by its’ sides. 

For dessert, a Mocha Mousse was ordered, along with the Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding.  The Mousse was delicious, thick and heavily chocolate complimented by unsweetened espresso foam.  I did find the Bread Pudding to be somewhat misleading.  Dark chocolate bread pudding makes me think of just that, but this dessert was a classic style bread pudding lightly laced with dark chocolate, but hardly enough to even notice.

In regards to drinks, they had a short but good wine list, and a handful of homemade liquor drinks.  I opted for the Vesper, which is derived from the drink that James Bond drinks in Casino Royale, given my slight obsession with movies.  It was very tasty, albeit strong, mixing vodka, gin, lemon, and bitters.  The drink was well poured, with no flavor overpowering another, and it had a nice citrus finish. 

So, overall, Davis St. Tavern knows how to make a good meal, but it is the little things where they fall short.  It is great for a night out on the town, but not for the budget: it would be tough to get a full meal, drinks, and tip for under $50.  There were both highs and lows during our night out, but there were certainly more highs, making the evening one to remember.  This place has a lot of potential, and is in a great spot sitting right in the heart of the revitalizing Old Town neighborhood.

Zell’s Cafe

Zell’s cafe is quite a popular spot in SE Portland.  I’ve been there once before for breakfast, and waited nearly an hour to get a seat.  It’s been nearly two years since my last visit, and today I found myself in the area, so I thought I’d drop in for lunch.  The dining room is small, but laid out well to seat as many as possible without feeling cramped.  Each table was adorned with the standard fare: butter, jam, ketchup, and hot sauce.

After I sat, I ordered a cup of coffee from my less than friendly server, which she promptly brought out to me, along with a plate of three mini buttermilk scones.  The coffee was French Pressed and the beans were from a local roaster; it had chocolate overtones with a slightly acidic finish, but it was very smooth.  The Scones were fresh and flaky, but not warm when they were served.  I ordered the special “Reuben Scramble” which was described as a Reuben with scrambled eggs and ham.  It was delivered to me in about five minutes, which was quite impressive.  Less impressive, however, was the actual sandwich. 

The eggs were watery, which shed their liquid onto the bottom piece of bread, promptly making it soggy.  The ham was deli ham that had been diced into the eggs, and the rye was light and did not provide any flavor to the sandwich.  As I was eating the sandwich, the thought “I could make this at home” kept running through my mind.  The redeeming factor was the kraut, which was unique in that it was very hot and was actually grilled before being placed as a side, along with country style potatoes.  The potatoes were flavorful and cooked well, but held nothing unique in their flavor. 

The service was prompt, but as mentioned above it was atypical of Portland in that it was neither good nor bad.  It just was.  My coffee was kept filled, and my plates were cleared as I finished, and my check was brought just as I finished. 

I was disappointed in Zell’s Cafe during my visit because I’ve been there before and the food was excellent, as was the service.  I think this is a spot I’ll reserve for my early meal, and I think it’s a good thing they serve it all day.

1300 SE Morrison St – (503) 239-0196

Ristretto Roasters

My visit to this small Beaumont coffee house was on a sunny, albeit cold, Saturday afternoon to visit with an old friend.  This is a local roaster just off of NE Fremont St near 33rd Ave.  When I visited, they had 5 roasts total: three blends, one decaf, and one espresso.

The roasting room and the counter took up more than half of the space, leaving little room for the seating area, which was quite cramped.  It had only half a dozen small tables, one booth, and two short counters with a few stools.  Luckily the booth cleared just as I was ready to sit, and it was quite comfortable being the only window seat in the house. 

Upon my arrival, the staff was friendly, and welcomed me with a smile.  This being my first visit, I inquired as to what the barista preferred between the Bali Blue Moon and the Mexican Chiapas Organic.  After a quick description of each, and a taste of one, I decided on the Bali in a French Press.  After fresh grinding the coffee in the roasting room, the press was brought to the table, and when four minutes was up, they let me know to press the coffee down.  I found the Bali to be very flavorful, with an earthy bite and a chocolate overtone while remaining not too acidic, but the finish was unfortunately bitter. 

Along with the coffee, I ordered a ham and cheese croissant out of the small food case, but when I asked if it could be warmed I was informed that they did not have a microwave, so I had no choice but to eat it cold.  This, however, did not detract from the quality of the food, which can only make me think how delicious it would be warm!  The croissant was soft and buttery, yet crispy on the outside, and they used a soft cheese that did not harden even when room temperature, allowing the flavor to remain intact and robust.

My suggestion to this roaster would be to get a bit larger space to allow more people to come and congregate.  As it is, there is very little room to come in and stay.  It does seem that given the small selection of food they are not catering to this crowd, but rather to the in and out coffee drinkers of the area.  In this area, they have done it right.

While the coffee is better than many chain roasters, I would not go out and buy myself a pound for $14 of the particular Bali roast.  I did enjoy the coffee, however, and most certainly will be returning for another pot of French Press when I am in the area…and possibly another croissant!

Ristretto Roasters – 3520 NE 42ndAve Portland, OR 97213

Sushi Hana

For my first restaurant review, I thought I would start small.  I went to lunch at this popular “sushi train” style restaurant last week.  It is unassuming, sitting in a strip mall next to a Petco.  This area is always busy, so parking can be a bit of a bear, as can getting in and out as it sits right on Hwy 99W. 

 

Upon entering, we were greeted by friendly staff that explained that there was a bit of a wait, and that we needed to put our names on a list.  There were three of us, so we had to wait about 10 minutes before we got a spot along the train counter. 

Once seated, the staff was quite attentive, getting us drinks and place settings almost immediately; they also kept our drinks filled and came back frequently, but without being overbearing. 

The food, however, was not as good as the service.  I had several different rolls and sashimi plates, but despite the attractive preparation, many fell short of my expectations.  Generally the rolls were flavorful and unique, especially the asparagus & cream cheese and the tempura crab rolls (despite it being artificial crab meat).  Their forays into the unique did not always work well: the strawberry/mango/sweet rice roll was tart, and the fruit under ripe.  The sashimi was moderate sized portions, but the salmon lacked flavor and would have done better to have a touch of wasabi on the rice.  Worst of all, anything that was seared was done with a propane torch.  Upon tasting the fish, the gas permeated into the flavor that was less than pleasant.  I must say though that the calamari ($1.75) is some of the best that I’ve tasted in the city – it is tender, lightly battered, and bursting with flavor.

The prices were right, with the majority of the plates being around $2, and I was able to keep my lunch below $15 with a drink.  I was impressed by the selection, and they were quick to make any special requests for customers.  For a quick, well priced sushi lunch, this is a good choice if you are in the area.

11705 SW Pacific Hwy Portland, OR 77223