Dave Knows Portland

Philadelphia’s City Paper takes a tour of Portland’s food scene

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Portland has “the greatest chef culture in the country,” declared hipstery food star Anthony Bourdain* last year, in an interview with Nick Norlen for Philadelphia’s City Paper.

This was sufficient to inspire another City Paper writer, Drew Lazor, to make the trip to Portland.  And he blogged his account: Philly kids in PDX: An eater’s guide to Portland, Oregon.

What does he think of Portland’s rank as a great chef’s city?

Is it really the greatest chef’s city in the nation? I’ve never been one for blanket superlatives — but I strongly suggest you book some plane tickets right now.

The recap of the visit covers plenty of brewpubs and good restaurants, and the Great American Distillers Festival.  He goes gaga over our street food, and makes the spot-on observation that Stumptown Coffee is “hilariously snotty.” It’s definitely worth a read.

* Here’s a sample from the No Reservations episode wherein Anthony Bourdain visits Portland and checks out some cooks’ tattoos. Alt.portland reviewed the episode here.

How Channing Frye spends his summer vacation

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Watching movies.

Since the end of the season Channing has posted quite a few movie reviews on his blog. He’s no Shawn Levy, but he does exhibit the ability to distill his thoughts succinctly.

On Be Kind Rewind:

I came out feeling strange. The only comparison I can make is when you get padded down by security either at a club or at the airport. You just feel like you’ve been taken advantage of. Even though you already knew it was coming, you just feel very awkward afterwards.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:

WAIT FOR DVD should be stickered at the front of the movie. I mean, really, what the heck it was in 3 words: tacky, corny, and unoriginal.

And furthermore, my popcorn was extremely salty, which also probably made me not like the movie even worse.

Hancock:

I went in there expecting to be disappointed and came out like a little girl with a brand new my little pony. It was that good.

Wanted:

Was poop. I wasn’t feeling it. Yes, the action was cool and Angelina was looking skinnier than ever. It just didn’t keep me interested.

The Dark Night (and Wall-e):

Seriously, if you have to go beg on the side of the street for an extra $10 bucks to go see this movie, do it. Don’t waste time seeing Wall-E, cuz it sucks and was boring. If you don’t like it, I’ll slap you with a spoon.

I think it’s only a matter of time before you see Channing’s blurbs in movie ads.

Deschutes Brewery’s Portland Pub: a sneak peak

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pdxbrewery_sign.jpgThe grand opening for Deschutes Brewery’s first Portland pub (210 NW 11th Avenue) is scheduled for next Friday, May 2nd. This Saturday, April 26 the pub is hosting a (sold out) pre-opening fundraising party to benefit Oregon Trout.

We’d heard rumors, however, that the pub might be open already for lunch, so Amy and I walked by today at about 11:30. What appeared to be customers were sitting at tables, and an ample supply of pub staff, decked out in brand new Deschutes Brewery polo shirts, flitted about. Upon further investigation I noticed a sign on the front door, something about Friends and family only, but before I could bring this to her attention, Amy had entered. I followed. The friendly hostess saved us the embarrassment of having to back out by informing us that though this was an exclusive event, they weren’t too busy, and she would gladly seat us, and oh yeah, we were entitled to a pint each, an appetizer, entrees, and a dessert – for FREE!

We couldn’t believe our good fortune, and hastily sat before she could change her mind.

Reminiscent of the SE Lucky Lab crossed with a McMenamins, the high ceilinged space has red walls, mismatched light fixtures, and unpainted wood rafters – some real and some for effect. There’s a long bar along the north wall, a semi-open kitchen in the northeast corner, and seating every where else. Huge windows let in lots of light.

Much like the Rogue Public House up on Flanders (i.e. decent food and selection, but overpriced), the menu is standard upscale-pub (e.g. $14.95 fish and chips, $9.50+ for a burger). I ordered the fish and chips and Amy ordered the spicy mac and cheese. Both were nothing special. Filling though.

We shared an appetizer, a huge soft-baked pretzel with white cheddar dipping sauce accented with Black Butte Porter-Honey mustard. For dessert we split a slice of fantastically rich carrot cake with vanilla cream cheese ice cream (food wise, the highlight of the visit).

But the beer is the thing.

We decided to stick to the “pub exclusive” beers.

Amy had a pint of the Kilgorian Vanilla Porter. It’s a solid English-style porter; dry, with a strong, but not overpowering, warm vanilla flavor and aroma.

I went for the St. Tanith, a strong (8.7% alcohol) Belgian style ale, aged in oak, hopped perfectly (60 IBUs) with noble hops, and spiced, like a Belgian Witbier, with coriander and orange peel.

Out of curiosity we also tried the Rootin’ Tootin’ Low Gluten Ale; a very drinkable (4.5% alcohol), beautifully clear, and surprisingly tasty sorghum ale, spiced with Cascade hops.

The beers were excellent.

We tipped well.*

The pub is much like I expected. When it really opens I might be tempted to stop by for the pub exclusive ales, and maybe the occasional lunch.

*Free food/beer = huge tips!

Paranoid Park is worth paying attention to

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Paranoid ParkHeather is new to Portland, so I’ve taken it upon myself to inculcate in her an understanding of Portland’s all-around greatness. One of Portland’s greats is Gus Van Sant. I was shocked to learn not only that his films were not one of her reasons for moving here, but that she’d only seen Good Will Hunting! So I dragged her to Portland’s venerable art house theater, Cinema 21, to see Paranoid Park.

(I will ply her with my favorites, Drugstore Cowboy and My Own Private Idaho, later – but hide Even Cowgirls Get the Blues!)

Paranoid Park is the kind of film I have to see in a theater. If a movie doesn’t play by the rules, i.e. if it makes me pay attention and think, I, like most moviegoers, sometimes lose patience (the floor needs sweeping, let me get up and get another glass of wine, maybe it’s my turn on Scrabulous . . . ). I netflixed Gerry, Elephant, and Last Days and didn’t get through any of them (I’m both a lazy blogger and a lazy movie watcher). In his review, Shawn Levy succinctly sums up what it is about Paranoid Park and Van Sant’s other “arty” films:

Like “Gerry,” “Elephant” and “Last Days,” it’s built of long, often mobile, often dialogue-free shots; a disconnected narrative; and an emphasis on mood and texture instead of plot and explicit characterization. These films seem entirely unfettered by the demands of the commercial cinema and answer instead to a kind of poetic dream logic, in which repetition, fractured logic and novelties of craft don’t distract from the point but rather are the point: the sensation as subject matter. What seemed to have begun as an experiment has become a stylistic signature; Van Sant’s latest films feel as if they come from another country and, at times, from another world.

I had read the review before I watched the film, so I was prepared to pay attention.

It was easier than I thought it would be; I immediately identified with the main character, Alex. My 16th year, too, was an inexorable swirl of Holden-Caulfieldish cynicism and apathy held together by the glue of stoicism. The adult world eventually overwhelms every kid, some more abruptly than others.

Blake Nelson’s story, Van Sant’s vision, and the cast’s performances capture that liminal stage in one teenager’s life, a teenager with a crumbling home life and an ill-fated rainy night in a rail yard.

Portland’s noirish qualities are on fine display. Van Sant, as always, gets good performances from new and unknown actors. His skill as a director and editor combined with Gabe Nevins’ subtle performance successfully positions the viewer in the non-linear narrative mind’s eye of Alex. You do have to pay attention though.

The Virginia Cafe is dead, long live the Virginia Cafe

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vc.jpgA whiff of varnish, not the bar-y spice of cigarette smoke, greets us as we enter the new Virginia Cafe (820 SW 10th Ave).

On Monday the bar moved from its old (since 1922!) space on Park. Thursday we needed a beer.

The new location is smaller. The bar is on the left now. The booths, almost snug-like, are the same as before (including the broken off coat hooks). Natural light, not filtered through gossamer smoke, permeates the new space; larger windows face west and command a view of wide 10th Avenue, passing streetcars, and the pale facade of the Central Library. The restrooms, in the back past the lottery machines, are still clean.

The menu, service, and drinks, however, are all, comfortingly, the same.

I like the new VC. It’s more convenient; I’m at the library a lot more often than Nordstrom’s.