Tag: Food

It’s time to FEAST!

Nong's Khao Man Gai | Feast PDX | Serious Crust

Tea Bar | Feast PDX | Serious Crust
Ice cream & Wine | Feast PDX | Serious Crust

It has begun. My Instagram is being inundated with photos of delicious bites displayed on tiny wooden plates. It’s time for Feast PDX! I’m easing into it this year, and just attending two events: Night Market and Brunch Village. But that doesn’t mean that there will not be indulgence and excess all. weekend. long.

My dad and stepmom are coming down for the weekend, we decided take the opportunity to also show them some spots that we don’t usually get to hit up when they’re here. The plan is to hit up some of my Portland favorites between events, while also fitting in a hike in the beautiful Forest Park (exercise, please!).

So today we’ll be hitting Nong’s Khao Man Gai, a Portland staple, for lunch. Chicken and rice may not sound exciting, but holy smokes it’s so dang good, not to mention being topped with the best gingery spicy savory sauce ever. After that, it’s time to cram in the last minutes of work before the party really begins, so I’m taking my stepmom to my favorite tea shop, Tea Bar, for a work date.

Tonight is Night Market, which I have been dying to go to for years, and this year the scheduling stars have aligned to make it happen. With the vibe of an international urban street market, and dishes inspired by food from around the world, this is my jam. Keep an eye on my Instagram if you want to see what I’m eating while I’m there.

Blue Star Donuts | Feast PDX | Serious Crust
Tomatoes with Jacobsen Salt | Feast PDX | Serious Crust

Tomorrow is our day off from Feast, but it doesn’t mean we’re taking a day off from eating. My dad has requested a stop at Blue Star Donuts, and who am I to say no? My favorite is probably the matcha cake donut, so I’ll have one of those to myself. After breakfast, we’ve planned a hike in Forest Park to help us feel better about all the food and drink we’re imbibing. It’s supposed to be a perfect fall weekend, and it’ll be nice to get active for a bit.

Saturday night, we are going to try our luck at the Multnomah Whiskey Library before hitting up Boxer Ramen for dinner, and then, thanks to the influence of the NYT 36 hours piece on my parents, we’ll spend the rest of the evening whacking ping pong balls at each other at Pips and Bounce.

We’ll round out the weekend with Brunch Village on Sunday morning. This, of course, is something Portlanders can get excited about. Bloody Mary’s, eggs, biscuits, eggs, pastries, eggs… What a perfect way to start the day, and finish the indulgent weekend!

Are you going to Feast? What are you excited to eat? Don’t forget to follow the weekend by checking out #feastpdx on social media!

Restaurant Review: P.R.E.A.M.

Restaurant Review: P.R.E.A.M. | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Restaurant Review: P.R.E.A.M. | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Restaurant Review: P.R.E.A.M. | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Restaurant Review: P.R.E.A.M. | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Restaurant Review: P.R.E.A.M. | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler

Pizza is near and dear to my heart (ok, tastebuds). I love that it can be fancy, it can be casual, it can be greasy, cheesy, covered in classic ingredients, or ingredients that you’ve never seen on a pizza before. In Portland, there are an insane amount of pizza places (or places you can get pizza), many of which are really delicious. When we decide we want pizza for dinner, we still have a decision to make. Do we want neapolitan, slightly soggy in the middle from Firehouse? Do we want slighty classed-up parlor-style from Apizza Scholls? Do we want slab pizza from Roman Candle? Do we want slightly adventurous, mix between neapolitan and pizza parlor but always delicious Oven & Shaker? The list goes on.

Up at Ned Ludd, they do this thing on Mondays. You see, Ned Ludd uses a wood-fired oven to cook all their food, but they don’t make pizza. So on Monday nights, pizza it is. P.R.E.A.M. (standing for Pizza Rules Everything Around Me) used to be the regular pop up in the spot, but then got big enough that they decided to open their own restaurant. Pizza socials still happen on Monday nights at Ned Ludd, with great Portland chefs coming in to design their own specialty pies.

I had never been to P.R.E.A.M. I wanted to go, but Monday nights were tricky, and I never could squeeze in a pizza dinner. But oh how I wanted to. I had heard great things. So as soon as I heard they were opening their own spot, I knew I needed to go. And now, having been twice, I figure it’s time to tell you about it.

First of all, they were bumping all my favorite 90s and early aughts hip hop and rap hits. You know, some Destiny’s Child, Ludacris, Ja Rule. Just really nailing it. Second, there’s a quote from Francis Mallman at the bottom of the menu. If you haven’t been watching Chef’s Table on Netflix, do it. But maybe just skip to the episode about Francis Mellman. The guy is quite a character, and cooks some of the most beautiful, rustic looking food I’ve ever seen. His love and knowledge of fire and cooking over it, in it, and with it was jaw dropping. Moving right along though – the menu is divided into Intro, Hook, Chorus, Verse, and Outro. Think appetizers, sides, pizzas, salads, and desserts. The staff was a great resource when picking dishes, which I always appreciate. Aside from that though, they seem a little green: not offering alternatives when they were out of something, and not always being on the same page regarding which server was helping us at certain points during the meal.

Let’s talk beverages. I’ll be honest, I can’t remember the name of the cocktail I got the first time – it was nearly three months ago. Plus I can’t find the drink menu online. But I will say this: it was good. It was a hot day, and my beverage hit all the right notes: fruity and refreshing while still being boozy and not overly sweet. The second trip, I got a mix between a shandy and a shrub, which was good. But be warned, on my second visit they were out of many of their beers, both on tap and bottled.

Our first time there, Jonah and I tried the escarole salad with smoked buttermilk dressing and chicken skin, which was awesome. I love crispy chicken skin, an they didn’t skimp. The dressing was creamy, but not heavy, which is a delicate balance. The second time we went with friends, we ate the summer squash with za’atar, sumac, and olive oil, which was a great, light dish. We also tried the black garlic knots in puttanesca which were tasty, but I wished there had been more black garlic in them.

Let’s get to the pizzas. These are some of the cheesiest, meltiest pizzas I can remember having, and the crust is rocking. Perfectly chewy and charred and brushed with what seems like a garlic oil. Rarely do I enjoy eating the crust as much as I do the cheesy, topping-laden part of the pizza, but this was different. In my two visits I’ve tried three pies: the fennel sausage pizza (so. much. cheese.) with lightly dressed arugula on top, plus a spicy sriracha like sauce the ‘Nduja with chicories and marinated peppers, and the tomato leaf with basil, and caramelized onion. The favorite for me is a tossup between the tomato leaf and the fennel sausage. Totally different, but both great. And the menu is changing all the time, so who knows what they’ll have next time I go.

The dessert I had there on my first trip was an olive oil cake on mascarpone cream, topped with green granita made of parsely and cilantro (nice and savory/salty), topped with marinated strawberries. Yes, the granita might sound weird, but it was a perfect salty and savory addition to what otherwise could’ve been an overly sweet dish. Plus it cooled the whole dessert down on a hot day. It was an awesome end to the meal – unexpected, playful, and refreshing.

Would I go back to P.R.E.A.M.? Absolutely. Especially if I’m in the mood for fun, nostalgic music, a good drink, and some cheesy, creative pizza.

Restaurant Review: Fish Sauce Happy Hour

Fish Sauce in Portland | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler

Fish Sauce in Portland | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Fish Sauce in Portland | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler

This week, Jonah and I were itching for happy hour. The sun was shining, and we both had finished up a day’s work by 5 o’clock. Because we both have a passion for any kind of Asian food, we decided to go to Fish Sauce, a little Vietnamese restaurant on a quiet corner in NW Portland. We had been once before a long time ago, and quite enjoyed ourselves. So I met Jonah there, and was pleasantly surprised to find that they have a lovely patio where we could sit outside.

Fish Sauce in Portland | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler

Fish Sauce in Portland | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler
Fish Sauce in Portland | Serious Crust by Annie Fassler

First we ordered drinks: Jonah started with an IPA, while I went the cocktail route with the Bangkok Dangerous, made with rye, thai tea, lemon, and demerera sugar. Because we were so hungry, we immediately ordered the crispy pork roll, which was fairly standard Vietnamese fare.

After that we ordered some grilled mussels, topped with coconut milk, toasted coconut, and peanuts, which were pretty unique and very good. We also ordered the grilled romaine with dressing and grilled tofu. I liked this dish – it was crunchy and refreshing – but I do wish there had been a little more dressing. Next up were some fantastic chicken wings (which were eaten so quickly that I couldn’t nab a picture). They were crispy and not drenched in sauce, while still being a little bit sticky and sweet.

After those small plates, we were still a little hungry so we decided to order the Bún, a big bowl of vermicelli noodles with lettuce, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots, mint, topped with a crispy roll, grilled shrimp, grilled beef, and of course there was a little bowl of sauce to pour over the whole dish. This dish was light, sweet, crunchy, and fresh, and is one of our favorite things to order since our trip to Vietnam last year.

The service at Fish Sauce was extremely friendly, and I love both the patio and the long communal table inside. This place feels like a great combination of a neighborhood spot, a best kept secret, and a tasty hip Portland restaurant.

Feast 2014 Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

Feast 2014 Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting // Serious Crust
Feast 2014 Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting // Serious Crust
Feast 2014 Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting // Serious Crust
Feast 2014 Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting // Serious Crust

Please tell me you’ve heard of Feast. The three-year-old food festival that now takes over Portland for a weekend in late September? The one with so many incredibly opportunities to eat, drink, and be merry? The one where you can easily spot your 5 favorite foodie celebrities in a single day?

This was my first year attending Feast, and I was (unfortunately) only able to hit up one event due to some scheduling conflicts with the band. But the event I did get to go to, the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, was 5 hours of tastebud extravaganza, meeting lots of people, and watching cooking demos. My dad and Darla came down for the weekend (they drove out to our gig with us over the weekend), and the three of us went to Pioneer Square to enjoy all that Oregon has to offer.

We made it to the tents in time to grab a couple wine pours and food samples before sitting down to watch Chef Naomi Pomeroy whip up a pork loin with romesco sauce (which, after sampling, inspired me to finally make some romesco sauce of my own). Afterwards, as we moved from some pâté panna cotta with Oregon berries and a parmesan tuile from Uptown Billiards Club, to Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters, to kale salad with smoked salmon (from I’m not every sure who), to crazy delicious bites from Three Little Figs, to some awesome bloody mary shooters from Face Rock Creamery, to tomatoes sprinkled with varied salts from Jacobsen Salt, to of course incredible ice cream from Salt & Straw (served by the one and only Jon Wash), and possibly my favorite dessert: Salt & Straw Olive Oil ice cream topped with Cacao drinking chocolate and candied cocoa nibs. I realized something. I am so unvelievably lucky to live in a city that not only has food like this at every turn, but to live in a city that creates a festival like this, that brings all these artisans and chefs and wineries and breweries together, and has this community around food. I think it’s pretty cool, don’t you?

Feast 2014 Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting // Serious Crust
Feast 2014 Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting // Serious Crust
Feast 2014 Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting // Serious Crust
Feast 2014 Oregon Grand Bounty Tasting // Serious Crust

Let it be known that we also enjoyed some beautiful wines poured by some beautiful people. The wineries that were pouring were some of the best in Oregon, and they were pouring wines that range from $20-70 a bottle. It was a chance for me to try some wines that, let’s face it, I would otherwise not have been able to. Some favorite wineries included Elk CoveAdelsheim VineyardsChehalem, and Penner-Ash Wine Cellars.

Overall, it was a beautiful day spent eating and drinking with some of my favorite people. I met some new friends (like Ian and Mike from Pfriem Brewery), bumped into some old ones (Erin from Bakery Bingo, Rachel from Love, Rachel, and, from afar, Bee from The Spicy Bee), and truly enjoyed discovering all the wonderful food and drink coming from the wonderful Pacific Northwest. Lucky girl, indeed.