farm to table Archives

Nostrana’s Famous Radicchio Salad

Posted on April 7, 2020April 23, 2020 by Sherri

Before diving deep into what makes Nostrana’s famous radicchio salad so awesome, let me mention that Nostrana has been open for fifteen years in Portland, Oregon. In terms of the life of a restaurant, fifteen years is pretty much forever. Which means chef Cathy Whims is doing a few things right. Cathy and her husband David West opened Nostrana in 2005, in the heart of the Buckman neighborhood, which encompasses the Central Eastside Industrial District. With the coziness of the wood decor and pizza oven inside and the patio seating outside, it very much has a neighborhood bistro feel to it.

For decades, Cathy has been a frequent traveler to Italy, where she has built friendships, strengthened her relationship to Italian cooking, and studied with the famous Marcela Hazan. Lucky for her (and us), Italian cuisine adapts very well to the Pacific Northwest. Mainly because they both draw on the natural bounty of the region, supporting local farmers, fisherman and ranchers. Starting with the best ingredients and creating rustic, simple dishes, can result in some of the most complex and tastiest food. I read a quote by her that really struck a chord, “at Nostrana, the farmers and the ingredients cultivate the menu”.

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What’s Russian Cuisine? Find out at Kachka

Posted on March 11, 2020April 15, 2020 by Sherri

I laughed really hard when I read the introduction to Kachka chef, Bonnie Morales’ cookbook, Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking. She tells the story of when she and her husband Israel were opening Kachka in 2013 and they interfaced with contractors, inspectors, vendors, food writers, banks, potential employees. In short, in every discussion, once she mentioned her restaurant to be would serve food from the former Soviet Union, she was met with blank stares, long pauses and confusion.

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A Slice of Hog Heaven – Tails and Trotters

Posted on July 2, 2019April 12, 2020 by Sherri

Every time I walk into Tails and Trotters I comment (to myself), “this is a slice of hog heaven, well actually it is not heaven for a hog, but it sure is heaven for a human.” Of course this assumes that you are not vegetarian. And if that is the case, then keep reading!

Pork is nutrient dense and flavorful, not to mention adaptable to different cuisines. Now imagine if those happy pigs were finished off on hazelnuts. I bet you realize that would impart a distinctively complex and rich flavor to the meat. Well that is exactly what you can discover for yourself at Tails and Trotters.

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A Night at Erizo Is a Night Worth Remembering

Posted on May 1, 2019April 12, 2020 by Sherri

I had been to Bar Casa Vale once before and liked it well enough. But the announcement from its parent company that a second restaurant, with a focus on sustainable seafood was opening up next door really grabbed my attention. It’s name was to be Erizo. It sounded like a fun place to eat in Portland.

Usually it is the fancy restaurant that opens first and the casual cousin comes next, to make the chef more accessible to the masses. But hey, this is Portland, and things don’t happen in any particular order. Someone creative gets an idea, goes with it and often, they are successful doing it their way.

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Providore Fine Foods – Visit on a Portland Food Tour

Posted on April 15, 2019April 12, 2020 by Sherri

Providore claims to be a purveyor of fine foods and it is indeed just that. It is actually a mix of several businesses that each occupy space in the same building. And the synergy of the mix is awesome. Providore’s website lists: Pastaworks (fresh pasta, wine, and a deli), Arrosto (rotisserie chicken), Flying Fish Company (replete with its own oyster bar and soup samples), The Meat Monger (think duck, quail, hazelnut finished pork, and pasture fed beef), Rubinette Produce Market (with unusual varieties of usual fruits and veggies), Little T Baker (artisan bread and sweet treats) and Hillary Horvath Flowers (think seasonable like eye popping peonies and wild berry flowers).

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Holdfast Dining — the Place for Re-envisioned Seafood

Posted on March 16, 2019April 12, 2020 by Sherri

I love a good backstory and Holdfast Dining has all sorts, including the pop-up birth. Currently the open kitchen seating is housed in the tasting room at Fausse Piste Winery. Will went to culinary school with the man who owns the winery. As befits a winery, the restaurant is filled with large barrels, as well as an old press, that, if I understood properly, is still in use in “the season”. So its roots are woven into the ambiance of the place, which is very Portlandesque, I may add. The winery and restaurant are tucked away in part of a non-remarkable looking building in close-in southeast, probably a building that had its roots in an industrial endeavor.

Holdfast, evolved from a pop-up created by chef Will Preish over the past three years. Unfortunately I only heard of it in the last six months. I must have been busy chowing down on other worthy endeavors. But you can be sure that I am delighted to be part of Holdfast’s 522^nd dinner. I know this, because they put that info on the menu for May 19^th.

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Navarre – A Kerns Neighborhood Bistro

Posted on February 1, 2019April 12, 2020 by Sherri

Navarre may be my favorite restaurant on Restaurant Row (NE 28th between Glisan and Burnside). Very European in its presentation – candlelit and cozy, serving creative bistro fare.

The menu is ever changing and all the dishes are offered in small or large portions. The set up is perfect for eating tapas style with a few friends. Which is my favored dining style, hands down. Their bread is from Ken Forkish’s eponymous Ken’s Artisan Bakery.

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