portland: dinner highlights

So, onto the other meal we ate in Portland.  There were no lunches, since the breakfasts were so huge.  Even though we ate at a lot more breakfast spots than dinner places, the dinners we had were some of my favorite meals on our trip.

Pause

Wonderful seasonal and local dishes.  I got to try my first fiddlehead fern and huckleberries.  Seemed like sort of a Portland version of our favorite restaurants in Madison.  Great for grown-ups and kids.

special: seared halibut with morels, fingerling potatoes, fiddlehead ferns, and tarragon vinaigrette

braised pork collar over greens and potatoes with apple butter

cuban sandwich with ham, roasted pork, house-made pickles, and mustard aioli

huckleberry cheesecake

Toro Bravo

A Spanish tapas joint--my first tapas meal.  We each ordered something we thought sounded good, then shared.  It was a very nice, though dark, birthday meal for Matt.

fideos with spring vegetables and bacon

drunken grilled pork over avocado salad

braised lamb with coriander and apricots over house-made noodles 

(my personal favorite of the night)

Pok Pok

Would definitely return for more spicy, rich, sticky Thai food.  Whiskey Soda Lounge would make a fun stop--their related bar across the street serves really intriguing Thai appetizers.

clockwise from top right:

khao soi kai - curry noodle soup

duck larb issan

sticky rice & sides

sai ua samun phrai - Ching Mai spicy sausage

Vietnamese fish sauce wings

huckleberry drinking vinegars

this is exactly what i look like every day...

See?

pin & skirt, thrifted
blouse, Target
shoes, Good Style Shop
purse, Etsy

Okay, maybe not every day.

Anyway, here is our delicious meal from fresco on Sunday night. For Restaurant Week, we each got to choose from one of three appetizers, entrees, and desserts.

my appetizer: farmer's market salad with mixed greens, seasonal vegetables, chevre, and balsamic vinaigrette

Matt's appetizer: seared rare ahi tuna, nicoise-style potato salad, tarragon-caper aioli

my entree: sheep's milk ricotta cheese gnocchi, seasonal vegetables, brown butter herb creme

Matt's entree: asparagus, spring pea, butter lettuce, white bean, red onion, campanelle pasta,
prosciutto, summer vegetable butter sauce

my dessert: mint julip creme brulee

Matt's dessert: dark chocolates by Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier

Everything I had was perfectly luscious. I feel silly talking about food that way, but really, if you had eaten those gnocchi, you'd know what I mean. They were so smooth and rich, but not overly heavy like some gnocchi can be. Also, since my creme brulee was flavored with pureed mint, it tasted like a velvety, creamy mint leaf. Which is great, if you like fresh mint, like I do. I surprised myself by trying and enjoying Matt's ahi tuna appetizer (I am usually picky about fish). It was so tender and mild, and the salad was an excellent complement to the flavor of the tuna. I think fresco will become a regular stop for special occasions.

swanky anniversary dinner

Dinner at L'Etoile

first bite: flaky cracker with herbed goat cheese and hickory nut

amuse bouche: strawberry puree with muscat wine, buttermilk blue cheese,
edible flower, and toasted brioche

rolls with whipped butter

iced tea with strawberry-rhubarb puree and elderberry syrup

my entree: pan-seared Alaskan halibut with mashed potatoes, house-cured bacon, spring vegetables, and Pinot Noir-bacon sauce

Matt's entree: pan-seared pheasant and crispy pheasant confit with mashed potatoes, braised bok choi, and brandy jus

last course: hickory nut popcorn cluster, dark chocolate-covered applewood-smoked bacon, sugared rhubarb gel

Dessert at fresco

my dessert: honey-poached pears brulee with honey sauce and lemon whipped cream

Matt's dessert: dark chocolate soup with pound cake croutons and peanut butter mousse

foodfoodfood

Friday we celebrated Valentine's Day with dinner at fresco on the top floor the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. It had a lovely view of the city and the snow, and I'm sure it will be wonderful to sit outside near the sculpture garden in the summer as well. We're also looking forward to dining this summer from a new seasonal menu.

We started by splitting an enormous salad of iceberg lettuce, topped with a zesty, garlicky buttermilk dressing and flanked by smoky bacon pieces, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, and a soft, mild feta.

Bibb Wedge Salad

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of everything. I wasn't feeling great, so I just had a cup of creamy root vegetable soup with truffle-hazelnut compote butter. Our server told us that the vegetables were kept in cold cellar storage through the winter, so that they can serve some local produce year-round. The flavor of those root vegetables came through strongly to make a nice winter soup.

Matt had an entree of seared duck breast with fig jam and balsamic-fig reduction, served on roasted pears, fingerling potatoes, and shallot confit. He enjoyed the complement of flavors and textures very much, though I think the soft, sweet shallots might have been his favorite part.

Dessert was the highlight of the meal and hard to choose with many good-looking options on the menu. I went with the bananas foster creme brulee. It was a good choice. Rich, yet light banana-rum custard, sliced bananas, and a crust of burnt sugar on top. Mmmmm.

Bananas Foster Creme Brulee

Matt's dessert was even more decadent. Buttermilk beignets (basically fancy donut holes) were filled with melted milk chocolate and served alongside a creamy vanilla sauce. Imagine a light, fluffy cake donut hole encased in funnel cake batter. Matt was in fried food heaven (though they managed to avoid that junk food heaviness to some degree).

Buttermilk Beignets with Milk Chocolate Center and Vanilla Creme Anglaise

Also, here's the recipe for the soup I posted yesterday. I got it from a former coworker and I love to make it every winter. It's so hearty and healthy too.

Curried Lentil Soup

2 c dried lentils (preferably red, but any kind works)
4 c vegetable broth or 4 c water with a couple vegetable bouillon cubes
1 small onion
1 green pepper
carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes (I like fire-roasted)
2/3 c curry paste or powder (I used Maharajah)
1 tsp dried basil
1-2 small bay leaves
salt and pepper

Saute the onions, peppers, carrots, and garlic in a bit of olive oil until slightly softened. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for at least 45 minutes, until the lentils are soft. If the stew looks too thick, add more water and cook for another 30 minutes. If it's too thin, cook longer. It's not very scientific. Remove the bay leaves and enjoy. This freezes and reheats very well.