by David Burn | Dec 23, 2008 | Food & Beverage, Oregon
We went to Newport Seafood Grill for lunch today—day 10 of a massive winter storm. The staff was incredibly happy to see us.
According to The Oregonian, Portland restaurants are reeling.
Portland’s formerly bustling scene is squeezed as never before. Soaring ingredient costs, escalating gas prices, vanishing credit lines, a looming increase in the minimum wage and consumers who closed their wallets back in October all contribute.
David Machado, owner of the popular Lauro Kitchen and Vindalho says, “This weather is ripping the guts out of restaurants and wiping out one of our busiest times — this micro climate thing is going to tip the balance against a lot of businesses because restaurant margins are as thin as they get.”
“I’ve heard some people say their business has dropped by as much as 40 percent in the last month or so,” says Bill Perry of the Oregon Restaurant Association. “Things weren’t too bad until October — sales were off just 4 percent or so over the year — but then, two or three weeks before the election, things just froze. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Oregon lost 1,900 restaurant jobs in September and October, and suppliers are left with unpaid bills and dwindling orders.
“These are hard times for everybody because we’re all in the same boat,” says Ben Savery of wholesaler Provista Specialty Foods Inc. Savery has been in the business for years and says he’s never seen the likes of 2008. “The economy has been not great for a year or so, but in the last three months it’s become something much worse.”
[UPDATE] We did what we could to prop up the restaurants this holiday season by visiting Fife, Ciao Vito, Toro Bravo, Pok Pok and McCormick & Schmick’s.
by David Burn | Oct 27, 2008 | Food & Beverage, Oregon
The Wall Street Journal investigates more than stocks and bonds, for people who make money also enjoy spending money. As one of those people, I especially enjoy spending money on fine wine from Oregon’s top producers.
Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, who write the Journal’s “Tastings” column, suggest several pinots from the banner 2006 vintage, while also providing some background on the specialness of the fruit and the local industry that’s grown up around it.
We are delighted to report that Oregon Pinot continues its upward trajectory. The difference in the wines over the years is remarkable. We found again and again in this tasting that the wines have developed a confidence and depth that beautifully complement their lovely fruit. The wines have not only a purity of fruit but a purity of vision that is very attractive. Like Burgundy itself, these are wines that speak softly to the more romantic parts of our being.
The winemakers allowed the vineyards themselves, the fruit itself, the terroir itself, to star. This is what makes great Pinot what it is — an expression of place. When we tasted these wines, we imagined the vintners standing among the vines crushing a grape between their fingers, smiling broadly and deciding that the best thing they could do is not screw it up. This made the wines, on the whole, both tasty and relaxed, as though no one was trying too hard (though we know, of course, what really goes into this).
The couple’s “Dow Jones Oregon Pinot Noir Index” follows:
Domaine Serene “Evenstad Reserve” 2005 (Willamette Valley). $52.99.
Foris Vineyards Winery 2006 (Rogue Valley). $18.99.
Yamhill Valley Vineyards “Estate” 2006 (McMinnville, Willamette Valley). $19.95.
Beaux Frères 2006 (Willamette Valley) $54.95.
Francis Tannahill “The Hermit” 2005 (Willamette Valley). $41.99.
King Estate Winery “Signature Collection” 2006 (Oregon). $29.99.
Ponzi Vineyards 2006 (Willamette Valley). $37.99.
Roco (Dundee Wine Co.) 2006 (Willamette Valley). $39.99.
by David Burn | Oct 17, 2008 | Food & Beverage, Oregon
According to John Foyston at The Oregonian, 12 Oregon breweries claimed a total of 21 medals at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival held October 9-11 in Denver. Eleven of Oregon’s 21 medals were gold, giving Beervana more than any other state.
Here’s the list of award-winning craft beers made in Oregon:
Alameda Brewhouse Black Bear XX Stout
Bend Brewing Co. Hop Head
Cascade Brewing Co. Cascade Kriek Ale
Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. Blonde Bombshell
Deschutes Brewery Bachelor ESB
Deschutes Brewery The Dissident
Deschutes Brewery Chinquapin Butte Golden Ale
Full Sail Brewing Co. Full Sail Pale Ale
Full Sail Brewing Co. Session Premium Lager
Hopworks Urban Brewery Organic IPA
Laurelwood Brewing Co. Himmelbrau Helles
Pelican Pub & Brewery Surfer’s Summer Ale
Pelican Pub & Brewery Le Pelican Brun
Pyramid Breweries Pyramid Crystal Wheat Ale
Pyramid Breweries Pyramid Apricot Ale
Pyramid Breweries Blackwatch Cream Porter
Rogue Ales Dry Hopped Red
Rogue Ales Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Rogue Ales American Amber
Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. Hefeweizen
Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. Drop Top
Alemeda Brewhouse, for one, is located right up the street. I’ll be sure to order a Black Bear XX Stout (a four time winner in Denver) next time I’m in.
BTW, check out this list of brewers located in Portland. To say it’s extensive is putting things mildly.
by David Burn | Aug 24, 2008 | Chicago, Food & Beverage, Nebraska, Oregon, Place
We just completed a nine day journey cross country by car from coastal South Carolina to Portland, Oregon. On day one, we stopped for lunch in Asheville, NC to say “hi” to Gary and Katie. We then pushed on to Lexington, KY for the night. From the hotel we walked first to Mexican food and top shelf margs, then over to the historic Red Mile for harness racing. In the morning we found our coffee place downtown, before heading out to horse country for a tour of the distillery where the world’s best bourbon, Woodford Reserve, is made.
From the limestone hills of Kentucky, we headed north for Cincinnati where our wonderful hosts, Dave and Tera Ackerman, plus their kids, dogs and friends entertained us in their fine Craftsman-era home. That was fun. Day three took us northwest to Chicago where Casey and Gwen opened their Ravenswood apartment to us for the night. Stef came over and we walked down to Pizza D.O.C. on Lawrence to meet Liz and Buban for dinner. Pizza D.O.C. rocks, as does having dinner with friends one hasn’t seen in years. There was more drinking at two Lincoln Square bars after dinner–hey, this is Chicago we’re talking about here–before retiring to Casey and Gwen’s.
Sunday we dropped in on Evil Vince for a visit, before heading west. When Chicago started to give way to the fields of corn, I started to feel good. I felt even better when we crossed the Mississippi River and drove through the picturesque hills of Iowa. The sunset and simultaneous moonrise, as we were pulling into Omaha on night four, was stunning. We grabbed some salad, pizza and wine for dinner at a patio table in the Old Market before heading over for a free night on points at Hilton Garden Inn. In the morning I met with Shawn at his work place and had a chance to talk to his boss about picking up some copywriting assignments. We then met my aunt Leanne for lunch at Kona Grill in West O before heading for the Sandhills on Highway 2. We stopped in Halsey–where my grandpa and I used to go deer hunting–to mail some letters. At Seneca, we pulled over to see the Middle Loup River up close. A local gentleman directed us to his “rickety” cable and plyboard bridge over the river, a kind gesture we greatly appreciated.
We looked for a dinner spot in Alliance but decided to head on to Scottsbluff for the night. When we got there places were closing, but The Gaslight in Gering took us in and made steaks for us. I love Nebraska and Nebraskans. On day six we took the back way to Laramie, seeing the North Platte River near Fort Laramie. In the college town of Laramie we ate a kind hippie lunch at Jeffrey’s Bistro before heading over to Martindale’s for some new pearl snaps and a straw hat. That’s Laramie in a nutshell–part hippie, part cowboy.
We pushed westward on I-80 to Salt Lake City, where DK was entertaining his family rooftop at American Towers. DK and Anina recently purchased a truly outstanding 19th floor apartment in American Towers, with south-, west- and north-facing views. In the morning we headed up City Creek Canyon for a hike, then ventured across the tracks to Red Iguana for a mole festival at one of the nation’s best Mexican joints.
We were tempted to stay another night in SLC, but opted instead to drive five hours further west on I-80 to Winnemucca, where I thought we’d rent a cute little cabin or roadhouse room for the night. Instead, we looked at several flea-bitten options before settling in to the Days Inn. Thankfully, the grocery store had a Peet’s Coffee in it, so we fueled up in the morning and headed onto one of the loneliest stretches of two-lane road you’ll find anywhere in America. North of Winnemucca about 40 miles, we turned left onto Highway 140, which goes for many miles before delivering one to Oregon and the homey little town of Lakeview. Jerry’s Restaurant in Lakeview made us perfectly prepared hash browns to go with our sandwiches and iced tea. We then took more country roads toward Crater Lake National Park, a park we’d never visited before. After you enter the park, you climb up several thousand feet to the rim of the ancient volcano and peer into the pearl blue otherworldly lake. Wow.
We took Highway 138 north from the park and wound down the canyon with the North Umpqua River as our guide. Another major wow. We caught up with the interstate highway system again in Roseburg and punched it up to Eugene for the night, where we dined on Thai food and infused ginger-cranberry cocktails. We made it to Portland by mid-day on Friday and began to settle in.
by David Burn | Jun 9, 2008 | Food & Beverage, Place
We had a nice time exploring the country outside of Atlanta this weekend, first at Etowah Mounds State Historic Site and Red Top State Park, both near Cartersville. Then on Sunday, we checked out the LEED Platinum visitor’s center at Sweetwater Creek State Conservation Park, before taking back roads to the outer reaches of Fulton County, where the people of Serenbe Inn–a beautiful organic farm off Hutcheson Ferry Road–welcomed us in.
When it was time for dinner, we strolled through the farm, passing donkeys, goats, llamas, sheep, rabbits and chickens before coming to an expansive wildflower meadow. The sun was beating down as we emerged from the shaded woods into the open expanse. On the other side we entered the Hamlet, a new urbanism project rising from the ground half a mile from The Inn. We strolled by retail shops and sharp looking homes, before reaching The Hil. Named for chef, Hillary White, who runs the restaurant with her husband Jim, The Hil is a refined, yet informal, neighborhood restaurant, with a dedication to serving simple, farm-fresh cuisine.
I ordered Pan-Roasted All Natural Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy. Every bite was delicious. Darby had Wood Grilled Harris Ranch Hangar Steak with Sernebe Farm Crispy Onions. I ordered a side of Serenbe Farm Broccoli and was glad I did. We started out in the bar with Hornitos Margs on the rocks, no salt and an order of Carmelized Vidalia Onion Dip with Potato Chips. For dessert—Riccotta Fritters with Strawberry Jam.
In our bathroom at Magnolia Cottage I found the Nov. 2007 issue of Atlanta Magazine, wherein a feature on nearby community, Rico, describes Serenbe as irrelevant to members of the local community.
“I’m not sure if I can say this right,†Donna Bailey, a pastor at the United Methodist Church in Rico said, “but people with large or unlimited incomes envision community different than the rest of us. For the people who’ve lived here a long time, they don’t have much of an interest in living in condos, or eating fancy desserts. That’s not community to them. [Serenbe] is an urban concept brought to the country. There’s no question, what you have here is tasteful, it’s sculpted, and in places it’s even beautiful. But somehow it seems irrelevant.â€
I find it interesting that this is bathroom reading the The Inn. I love the concept of new urbanism on paper, but I have to admit seeing it up close as I’ve done at Serenbe Hamlet and also closer to home at Palmetto Bluff and Habersham, I do tend to stand back a little, pause and ask, “Is this some kind of Stepford?” These places do have a dreamy quality to them.
Serenbe, though, strikes a unique balance thanks to being grounded by the historic farmhouse and the animal husbandry and food production that makes for a real farm. Maybe not as real as some, but real in its own right.
by David Burn | Feb 9, 2008 | Food & Beverage, Lowcountry, Place
Port Royal is a charming community tucked into the marsh between Paris Island and Beaufort. It has an historic downtown like Beaufort, Bluffton and Savannah. Hilton Head doesn’t offer this, and it’s a flaw in their carefully-crafted design, in my opinion.
See more Port Royal on Flickr
One of our favorite restaurants in the area, Bateaux, recently relocated to historic Port Royal from Lady’s Island. Today, we ventured over to try Old Towne Coffehaus and McPhearson’s Serious BBQ, both of which were excellent.
We walked around a bit and saw lots of For Sale signs on homes and business properties. We also saw a new development going in, and evidence of others. Port Royal, like Bluffton, is being discovered. Marshfront living is alluring, there’s no doubt about that.
Before heading back to this side of the Broad we motored up to Boundary Street to find Higher Ground in its new location. Of course, my shoe radar went off and it brought me in direct contact with a pair of Keen’s in my size at 50% off retail. Who can resist a bargain?
Interestingly, there’s a new microbrewery in town in the next retail bay over from Higher Ground. Brewer’s Brewing Co. is a 7 bbl, 90 seat brewpub and claims to be a green operator. I ordered a Brickyard IPA and was impressed with the intense hop profile. Brewer’s says it’s one “for all you hop heads out there” and it is.
p.s. While drinking iced espresso at the Coffeehaus, I picked up the front page of today’s Charleston Post & Courier and smiled when I saw my friend Phil Sellers there. The paper is interested in his CityTrex startup, as well they should be.
by David Burn | Nov 17, 2007 | Food & Beverage, Place
Caffe Vittoria, Hanover St., Boston
My friend Mark asked me earlier today where I’d like to go to dinner. I said, I don’t know. How about something exotic? Something I can’t get where I live.
Mark delivered. Big time. He and his wife Sharon swooped over to Cambridge to get me and over the bridge to Bahstin we went in their Honda Accord. We parked downtown, then walked about six blocks to the North End, a neighborhood with no parking but an Italian restaurant every 20 feet. We dined at The Florentine, which was totally satisfying, but our dessert was the bomb.
After a port at The Florentine for Sharon and me and a single malt for Mark, we walked back down Hanover Street to Caffe Vittoria and it–like every other place–was packed. However, we were seated quickly, and the next thing I knew I was enjoying pistachio gelati and espresso while realizing that there is no place like this anywhere near where I live. It was nice to feel the Saturday night energy and experience the history of the place. And it was good to share the company of a friend I have not seen in nearly two decades (although it seems like just yesterday).
by David Burn | Sep 7, 2007 | Food & Beverage, Place
Back porch, Cafe Driade, Chapel Hill, NC
Over the past two days I’ve enjoyed sipping fine espresso thanks to the efforts of Scott Conary at Carrboro Coffee Company and the baristas at Cafe Driade in Chapel Hill. Like wine, coffee is culture, and culture is found in intelligent places. Chapel Hill is an intelligent place.
by David Burn | Jul 24, 2007 | Food & Beverage, Place
Thanks to a business trip to NYC, I was fortunate to dine at Gotham Bar and Grill last night. I opened with Black Bass Ceviche made with purple Peruvian potatoes, red onion and avocado in a pineapple aji amarillo emulsion. For my main course, I chose organic salmon with jasmine rice and yard beans in an eggplant and cilantro coconut lime broth.
Then today on the plane back to Savannah, I read in the Business section of The New York Times how Singapore Airlines is serving chef Alfred Portale’s food in first class, including the ceviche dish, which I can now attest is out of this world.
by David Burn | Jun 29, 2007 | Food & Beverage, Lowcountry, The Environment
According to The Beaufort Gazette, St. Helena farmer Sara Reynolds, 56, introduced her newly certified organic produce to the public Wednesday at a new market off U.S. 21 behind Gullah Grub restaurant.
photo by Bob Sofaly
The market is still in its early stages, but organizers hope it will include other local farmers interested in growing produce using fewer chemicals.
From noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays at the market, Reynolds will sell an array of organic seasonal produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, cantaloupe, watermelon, bell peppers and yellow squash for $15 a box.
The mixed produce boxes are roughly enough to add to recipes to feed a family of three for a week and must be reserved in advance.
For more information search Local Harvest, an online directory of organic farms, farmers and farmers’ markets.
