The Mornings After

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It’s summertime in Portland; the skies are clear and light pashmina shawls are worn not for temperature but to conceal some of the silky sundress induced nips (decipher as you will)

The sun sets late and thus prolongs the night. With the vast majority of my foreign friends being gone, I’ve been spending a lot of time daytime and late night frolicking around NE Portland with my work friends slash David and Anne (who have successfully integrated into the crew that is my work friends and their friends)- in parks, at the bachelorette pads and basements of friends, on patios, the sidewalk, and of course at brunch.

Caitlin has offered me multiple times to crash at her Alberta pad on those 3am nights when I insisted on going home to get my beauty rest (beauty…who am I kidding) because I had a brunch reservation to tend to in the morning. Yes, for some setting a 9am alarm for brunch sounds like a chore, but really there is nothing better than arriving to a classy PDX establishment on a brightly lit summer day- Matthew Williamson shades on (and kept on), one or two missing brain cells, and a glorious menu to pawn over…and then of course stories to recount.

So here I bring forth, not one, not two, but THREE epic Morning After Portland brunches; and I’m saving the best (and most epic of them all) for the end of the post.

The Country Cat

The Country Cat is in the neighbourhood of Montavilla, residing far out East on SE Stark and 80th. It’s an interesting dichotomy of a neighbourhood with a seemingly large immigrant population and cornucopia of ethnic grocers and eating establishments (everything from Ethiopian/East African to authentic dim sum hotspots). The particular stretch on Stark where it resides however is abundant with a few notable Portland establishments such as The Observatory, and then of course this homely Southern influenced brunch spot.

The menu…always the question of whether to have sweet or savoury

Anne: Cinnamon Swirl Challa French Toast
Dipped in Maker’s Mark custard with Winter fruit compote, clabber cream, & maple syrup

Me: Wild Mushroom & Fontina Cheese Omelet
Served with home fries

David: Shrimp and Grits topped with a fried egg

Kat: Smoky Bacon & Broccoli Hash
With two poached eggs & mustard cream

The Country Cat on Urbanspoon

Olympic Provisions (NW)

Anyone who knows anything about charcuterie in Portland (or perhaps the entire northwest) has heard of Olympic Provisions. Besides being Oregon’s first USDA-approved salumeria, the two locations (the other being in SE Industrial district) also feature an enticing deli and full on restaurant. Since David decided to bail out on our brunch plans this week (for good reason…his grandma is in town), we decided to stay on the westside. After a mere five hours of shut-eye, I put on some shades, a floral romper (though I despise rompers) and my Alexander Wang satchel (to add a semblance of glamour to my diced start du jour) and headed to meet Anne…who predictably looked v glamorous in an entirely Kate Spade/Tory Burch ensemble.

Too many excellent choices…per usual

Anne: Breakfast sandwich with bacon,
two eggs, cheddar cheese, ketchup, arugula

Me: Daily Frittata stuffed with asparagus, gruyere, and sorrel with schmaltz-roasted potatoes, and very buttery toast

This was the most delightful breakfast brunch considering my physiological state; plus having had a rather jumbled day of eating on the day before (artisanal cheese plates, slices of bresaola, strawberries, pecorino fries, and several Boot Strap Bucks/El Diablos at Kask); this was the ultimate satiation.

Olympic Provisions on Urbanspoon

…And now, for the most famous brunch in all of Portland (and perhaps the Northwest)…I present to you Top Chef mistress, Naomi Pomeroy’s…

BEAST

Just so you know, David, Anne and I had made our 10am reservation at this famed establishment nearly a month in advance. Beast has two brunch sessions each Sunday, one at 10 and one at 12 noon and then they have dinner Wednesday-Saturday nights with two nightly seatings. The brunch is a set charge of $35 and a four course surprise menu with never a single dish repeated. Despite having gorged on a Pine State Biscuit a mere 8 hours prior (that’s for another post) and having indulged in a mere five hours of sleep from another Alberta adventure, I was beyond the valley of stoked for this experience

My kind of place…

And…the surprise revealed

I love not having to stress about menu choices; in fact I will inadvertently shun any dining establishment with too large of a menu- I do not want to be given a choice; just give me what you’re good at, what’s in season, and what will be delicious (especially during the most debilitated classy meal of the week…I simply do not have the brainpower prior to carbs and Stumptown to make a coherent decision)

Also…David and Anne were quite stoked on not having to wait for me to photograph the food this time since we were ALL having the same thing

Course 1: Rhubarb Clafoutis with candied hazelnuts, whipped cream and maple-glazed bacon (I gave my bacon away to David)

While a delightful first course, it was a tad too sweet for my first taste du jour, but that’s really my fault

Course 2: Braised pork belly hash with maitake mushrooms, artichokes, turnips, asparagus and cauliflower, a poached duck egg and hollandaise

Yes, Beast is a pork-heavy establishment and I went in realising that as a non-pork eater I would have to do a little picking- but this course was perhaps the single most incredible brunch plate I have ever had. I have developed a new affinity for duck egg- yolkier and more velvety than that of the chicken, and an absolute divinity when drenching a hash of fresh local vegetables.

Course 3: Gathering of Cheeses from Steve’s Cheese Bar, Gathering Together Farm Greens, and an aged Sauvignon Blanc vinaigrette

Course 4: Chocolate Truffle Cake, White Chocolate Mousse, and Oregon Strawberries

As much as I adore a fancy, unconventional, and savoury-tinged dessert; at the end of the day there is nothing like a slab of high calibre chocolate cake. At this point I was ridiculously stuffed but as one should know, I am not one to leave  a plate in residence

Conclusion: Phenomenal; now I just need to find someone willing to shell out $75 for the dinner here (in my defence I’ll sacrifice two Laurelhurst Market suppers to compensate). Any volunteers?

Beast on Urbanspoon

What are your summer weekend routines?

Wildfire and Cling Wrap

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In a continuing tribute to all my lovely (and coincidentally foreign) friends who graduated in Nazneen’s class last week, let us begin this post with some music:

I for all the best reasons think quite highly of my friends, but it really is no exaggeration when I refer to them as celebrities/role models/inspirations/any other noun highlighting their positive impact on the world. They’re all little bigshots to say the least–one such being Daniel Caplen, a very gifted artist with a voice and a swagger that sweeps a good 99.8% of women off their feet:

***

Alright, now onto the next bit. This post is two weeks overdue; but nevertheless one I could not delay much longer

It was obviously a Tuesday night, since Tuesdays are my mandatory dishing and dining nights. Nazneen and I had plans for supper at Jade Teahouse & Patisserie, a patisserie (obviously) and Southeast Asian cafe in the quaint bikram-studio and tea house peppered neighbourhood of Sellwood.

At some point in the earlier bit of the day (probably over Twitter), I had the brilliant idea of asking the remainder of our “Awesome Foursome” aka Iman and Kemi to join. Kemi was all for it and Iman was as usual making excuses about having seventeen already overdue papers to work on…

…excuses. She showed up. In her sweatpants. But it’s Sellwood nonetheless Portland and we’re all foreign and ethnically ambiguous and have great accents (see a theme to this post) so whatever. Just so we have a visual to go by- here’s a snap…at graduation though, not the restaurant (obviously):

The graduates, from left: Iman, Nazneen, and Kemi…and I’m in the background laughing at Yurop’s distaste for quiche

As is typical for each time the four of us go out on one of our CRAZY adventures, we over-order…to the max. Plus Iman and Kemi have helped instill this new fabulous habit in Naz and I which is called, “order an extra meal (or five) for takeaway!”

Since this is partially a patisserie, we started with some goodies:

Sesame ball, some sort of a custard filled brioche and a sea salt chocolate cookie

 Iman LOVED the custard thing- like loved it; she probably went through about seven spoons to use to dig into it. I on the other hand couldn’t keep my hands off the cookie…which tends to be a theme in my life for anything containing high quality chocolate.  The sesame ball was mainly for Naz…but saccharine balls aren’t really my thing; I prefer them spicy or savoury

And now…the main courses…none of which could have fit on the table at the same time. To remind you, the amount of food you are about to see was for four of us. Yes four relatively slender girls; and let me iterate that we are NOT dainty in the least; personality or appetite (as illustrated below):

Spicy green papaya salad with prawns

Fried spring rolls filled with some sort of meat

Coconut Prawns!!!

Chicken satay with peanut sauce and some cracker thing that Iman and Kemi got v. excited about

Chicken with Garlic Sauce

Udon Soup x 2 (picture two of those)

Naz’s Soup…not sure what it was but it was amaaaaazin

Truffle Fries with Sweet and Sour Ketchup

Mango chicken with spring onions

Chicken wings? Who knows at this point…

This place is incredible; there’s even some sort of a curry burger on the menu that was screaming my name (next time, obviously). We did a decent job of polishing off most of the food–and by most I mean that Kemi still had enough leftovers to feed her until her family was to come three days later.

Though a casual eatery, we were there for a good 2-3 hours; still picking at peanut sauce-drenched frites (or custard brioche if you’re Iman) while laughing to the point of tears/heart palpitations/other physical reactions that normally symbolize intensive pain. We spoke to great extent about scenarios involving cling wrap, the alleged properties of yams (according to Ugandan grandmothers), we reminisced, and gave blatantly honest accounts of otherwise mundane life experiences. It was a hilarious time as it always is with these three; #toomuchfun was the theme of the night…

…that was until a couple who looked to have been having #toolittlefun intruded amidst another joke about clingwrap reprimanded us for laughing too loud–well at least that’s what we interpreted as since most people in their mid fifties discuss clingwrap in the context of preserving potato salad.

Jade Teahouse and Patisserie on Urbanspoon

Buzzkill. That was until we got back in the car and put on We Are Young and discussed how we each would be like as grandmothers. The mutual conclusion? Fun.

I miss these ladies. Laughing like that has to do something for your longevity.

For Zazu, Love Timi

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These past several weeks, all obligations and most social engagements have been postponed to “after May 8th” since every morsel of my spare time was to be spent in the company of my biffle (what Naz calls a best friend), Nazneen before her college graduation and inevitable return to Bombay City

To keep it short and concise, we have had way too much fun these past few weeks. Sleepovers in our matching python print dresses, dishing over foie gras parfaits, dancing till our kajal was at our cheeks, lingering for hours in the car with instruction manuals to help one another conquer our irrational fears, and popping bottles of Moet as if LVMH sponsors our lives is just a sample of the activities we have mutually partaken in as of late

This is cheesy, I know, but more in the fourme d’ambert sense than Kraft pre-sliced. But indeed we have laughed, snuggled (even though neither of us are the touchy-feely sort), lunched, hugged, and kissed…then finally cried- twice, outside a club at 3am on a weekday then again late last night in the lobby of The Nines hotel while being so rudely interrupted by a severely sunburnt and inebriated tourist. Ugh, can’t anyone have a private-in-a-semipublic place emotional moment anymore?

But whatever, who cares about tears reducing the attractiveness of your pheromones or becoming oblivious to mascara trackmarks outside the confines of your car/home/bathtub- I love this girl to death; she is not just my best friend, but a family member. A measly blogpost and any assortment of words cannot do any justice as to  how much this crazy lady means to me and how much she has positively impacted my life and been there for every single little morsel whether it be to lend me an emergency spritz of Parisienne and write me a fat reality check  or to insist on sleeping at my house in the midst of a traumatic situation.

With our third biffle, Yurop

And since this is still a food (esque) blog, here is one of our last lunches together; at no other than Suzette, a creperie and dessert cafe on SE Belmont and coincidentally sharing the same name as my favourite creperie in Bombay:

DIY Crepe: Buckwheat crepe stuffed with Gruyere, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, roasted garlic chickpea spread, and capers and topped with a fried egg

Absolutely delectable; the only difference between mine and Naz’s was that hers was a NON-BUCKWHEAT crepe (buckwheat and kale are not really up her driveway) and she added prosciutto. The crepes come hot, fresh, and STUFFED to the gills; in fact it’s more like stuffing with a side of crepe. And that garlic-chickpea spread makes it worth it to postpone any platonic (or more importantly NON platonic) dates you may have planned for the next 24-36 hours…

Dessert Crepe #1: Normandie filled with lemon butter, topped with cider-poached apples, cider caramel, and creme fraiche ice cream

Dessert Crepe #2: Chocolat filled with homemade nutella, topped with candied hazelnut, chocolate sauce, and cinnamon ice cream

Both dessert crepes were ridiculous; and completely demolished till not even the powdered sugar remained on the plate. The chocolat one was a dark bittersweet chocolate (which means I had most of it since Naz is not a fan of chocolat sans lait) while the lemon butter one was a tangier sweet though still a phenomenal choice to satiate a lingering sweet tooth

Suzette on Urbanspoon

***

While I am still fortunate to have a plethora of incredible friends here in Portland, I already miss her to pieces. What I have to remind myself however is that there is always time to be made to see those who I love and care for the most and I know I will be seeing her again soon- in Bombay or Doha or New York or London…it barely matters where as long as we’re close enough to scrape the garlic sauce off each other’s plates and share the same spritz of perfume

**Zazu & Timi are our respective nicknames for each other. Nazneen is Zazu for obvious name-related nature and the undeniably coolness that comes with being Simba’s bird friend whereas I am Timon (which has been shortened to Timi or Tims) since I possess many characteristics that may make some believe that I was a meerkat in a past life

Stuff That You Discuss at Sunday Brunch

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Ah the joys of Sunday brunch; a gathering and replenishment drastically enhanced by the illumination of the rare occurrence that is a sunny 85 degree day

David, Anne, and I have started a Sunday brunch tradition as of this past Sunday; a weekly gathering to catch up, trade antidotes from the prior week, and begin our weekend recovery with some high quality nourishment

This past Sunday I was not feeling too fabulous nor glamorous

My eyes blinked open at 7:08 am to the inevitable sunshine, a severely parched throat, and a frantic search for the nearest fan– then of course was the fact that I had fallen asleep in my Twenty8Twelve pleated skirt (the pleats have now been readjusted) and forgot to wipe off my kohl. After two bottles of coconut water, some home-brewed Stumptown, and a very prolonged bubble bath/face wash sesh I threw on a margarine-coloured Fornarina frock and my sunnies and headed out to NW Vaughn to Meriwether’s

Seated in the outdoor garden; the menu featuring the bounty of creations grown on site- can't get more local than that

Listing of the various harvests

What you talk about pre-ordering:

  • What to order. Who should order what. Participate in persuading someone that they should order the coconut fried chicken because goodness knows you’re curious but cannot fathom an entire plate full of chicken and waffles at this hour
  • Justify your need to double fist with coffee and a sugarcube soaked in Prosecco. Or if you’re me, get a tall glass of ice water and save the $9 that you already spent 8 or 9 hours prior
  • Comment on how hot it is. Make comments about one another’s skin tones. Complain that it’s too hot.
  • Complement each other’s sundresses

What you talk about after ordering:

  • One by one recount stories from the prior night- make sure to include vivid imagery in the form of describing outfits worn, methods of transportation utilised, beverages consumed, and interactions with acquaintances. Pause sporadically to roll your eyes, give heavy sighs, and discuss emotional responses to particular situations. Make observations throughout and ensure that you include superfluous details- par example: Then I felt awkward when I was in the ladies room washing my hands/fixing my eyeliner and two inebriated chicks in Forever 21 bandage dresses were having a very very intense conversation about a not-present third chick and/or their (desired) subjects of affection. OR they cut the cucumbers into circles! You don’t do that with dippables!
  • Make sure to pose a thought provoking concluding question and/or epiphany at the end of your story
  • Someone (most likely David) will contradict your epiphany and make you spend the remainder of brunch pondering out loud the meaning of life.
  • Ask about one another’s close associates- for Anne that would be her omies (the homies she does Yoga with), for me that would be my sister/Naz/Yurop.
  • Mention how famished you are and bond over how none of you have anything besides posh condiments/charcuteries in your refrigerator
  • Pause to stare at the table next to you getting their food
  • Commence a period of silence:

Anne: Quiche Lorraine with applewood bacon and smoked gruyere

David: Coconut fried chicken and waffle with applewood bacon, grilled fruit, and toasted almond

Me: Huevos Rancheros- Mole Casserole, Sunny Side Eggs, Guacamole

(Proceed to do a plate rotation enunciated by sighs of satisfaction and commentary regarding the complex textures and flavours involved)

Stuff to talk about while eating:

  • Decide that this weekly outing is indeed a very, very, very good idea and proceed to have Anne get out her iPhone and book a reservation for Sunday brunch at Beast in three weeks.
  • Discuss the latest highlights on Eater PDX. Proceed to talk about the ventures of Andy Ricker/Naomi Pomeroy/Vitaly Paley as if you actually know them.
  • Tweet about the experience. Mention that you’re tweeting some clever line about over-easy eggs. Describe a particularly bizarre Twitter interaction/trend from the past week. Say something superfluous again…such as how TamaleBoyPDX started following you

Stuff to talk about after the food is gone (and once your mind has been fed enough to engage in a more intellectual breed of conversation):

  • Raise a business idea/aspiration; mutually discuss ways to materialise said aspiration; namedrop connections; decide to collaborate; feel inspired
  • Reflect on the past year- a year post college graduation and each other’s inner accomplishments- reminisce about the maturities acquired in one another. Get very deep and analytical and compliment one another’s heightened degrees of morality
  • Notice a famous bartender two tables over. Inform the other two parties as Anne unsubtly gets up, twists her head and squints her eyes to ultimately not recognise aforementioned bartender
  • Ask one another where they parked. Then decide to go lay in a park for the next few hours and tan your eyelids.

Meriwether's on Urbanspoon

Sunday Funday

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What is a typical Sunday for you?

For me, I may take a prolonged bubble bath, lunch with Yurop at Dang’s, then go to the carwash and stock up on yoghurt for the week.

Easter Sunday this year around was different

Portland was graced with the rarity that is sunshine and I woke up to a group chat between Caitlin, Madison, and Sapphire about plans for a tea party in the park

At first, I was in a rather cloudy mood; you know the type where you want to cry in your walk-in closet amongst the floor-dwelling fur, chiffon, and silk while looking in the mirror for dramatic effect. But then that gets a tad boring and a tad greater depressing so you decide to put on some flowery 2008-era Urban Outfitters floral frock and respond to the group chat using “prolonged bubble bath” as the excuse for the delayed response.

Wipe off the mascara, spritz a little J’adore Dior as if it’s summer and drive over to your friend slash boss’ bachelorette pad on NE Alberta; do an impeccable one-time-try parallel parking job in front of her crib and frolic on the sidewalk until a park is decided upon

Then, since this is NE Alberta after all, head down to the local co-op grocery store and pick up some tea party fix-ins; you know whatever bougie delight happens to call your name which for us ended up being some Willamette Valley French Prairie Fromage, Rosemary Crackers, Mango Habanero Guac, and Garden of Eatin’ tortilla crisps:

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Then, head over to a park and find a spot to set up:

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There were also some dried cranberries…and salsa.

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In case you were wondering; this was a tea party without the tea…or as Madison and I liked branding it: A Tea Party ;) … the “Tea Party” bit simply is alluding to the fact that Madison needed to put her grandmother’s gorgeous fine china to precious use

And that’s cranberries getting soaked in ‘not tea’

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There was also an egg cracking competition since it was Easter and Caitlin had a dozen eggs to hard boil and paint with blueberry juice. I won second place…but that’s probably because our friend Pete accidentally ate his egg before the game was finished.

Around 4PM it started to get a tad chilly…despite the heat provided by the not-tea, so Madison donated her prized rabbit fur shawl for me to print-clash with for what would become the remainder of the day

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This was some hilarious moment. Probably when I invented the abbreviation “Go and Ho,”…which translates to “Go Out and Hang Out”

I was probably alluding to the protocol of platonic dates.

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I bet you wish you were having a not-tea party with her…

…I mean just look at all that matching turquoise

After a few more rounds of tea, we were all ready to go home and turn in early for Sunday night; but really what ended up happening was Madison napping on Caitlin’s bed while Caitlin and I had some v. deep conversations on the sofa in the dark

Fast-forward several hours and surprise surprise, it’s time for a late supper

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I think this place was called New Thai Blues over on Alberta. The staff was very very very courteous considering our not-tea-party/post-NTP nap sesh mannerism deficiencies. Image Madison wasn’t hungry but she got basil fried rice. And please ensure that you are pronouncing basil in such a way that it DOES NOT rhyme with hazel.

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I got chicken pad phet and it was delicious. Being the famished munchkin I am, I polished this off completely; Caitlin got some green curry but my camera memory card was filled at that point so just go google a picture of green curry and I’m sure you’ll get an accurate depiction of what it looked like

At this point, it was perhaps 10PM; we drove back the three blocks to Caitlin’s crib and then Madison and I drove home and talked about the #loveatfirstsight I had just experienced with someone who happened to walk by Caitlin’s door at that very moment…and then proceed to enter the building next door. And by love at first sight, I mean we made eye contact three times in a matter of twenty-nine seconds and he smiled at me despite the fact that I was pheromonally deficient, had sunburnt cheeks, and was wearing severely clashing prints.

Then, I got home and went to bed. After having a cup of yoghurt. #SundayFunday? I think so.

 

Mi Mero Mole: Taco Fest

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Anne and Madison have finally met.

FINALLY

And this was after six months of me telling each of them how much they would get along. Of course, David was there as well; and myself.

It was on a dreary Saturday evening over gentrified tacos at Mi Mero Mole, Nick Zukin’s (of Kenny & Zuke’s) new SE Division eatery specialising in Guisados- stews traditional to Mexico City

What happens at Mi Mero Mole is you walk up to the counter, select which Guisado you would like and then choose if you want it on a homemade taco, in a burrito, quesadilla or on a plate accompanied by rice & beans. You then take your number, go kick it at a table and then have a taco tasting fest with the only friends you have with pronounceable first and last names.

As is the norm with most Portland establishments, there is also beverages menu featuring a generous variety of tequila and mezcal and several unique cocktails (including one with Maggi seasoning). However, as it was only 5:45 in the afternoon, I was only in the mood for a glass of water (though I do admit that Anne’s Horchata tasted like sweet reckless dessert).

Anne’s choice of guisados: Duck hearts and the other filled with some sort of a tangy chicken

David of course chose everything else unconventional: beef hearts, some sort of a meatball, some creamy one, and the shrimp one (which i suppose is a tad more conventional).

I would look up the exact guisados that these were, however Mi Mero Mole changes them on a daily basis, which makes it all the more exciting to have a different tasting experience on each visit

Madison decided to go all vegetarian probably to balance out all the meat fests we have had on our recent dates: Mushrooms in a red chile sauce and asparagus stir-fried with garbanzo, onions, tomato, and chipotle

I ordered the chicken and the shrimp ones since I felt like being conventional and foregoing the innards and mouth bits of animals–I think my camera ate my photo though.

The guisados here are delightful however; very comforting, satiating, and flavour-abundant  thanks to the spices and tenderness of the meats- without a doubt the best Mexican I have had so far in PDX

Self-explanatory…and phenomenal guac

Plantains with a sweet cinnamony cream sauce; if this is not a dessert item, it should be

Mi Mero Mole is a rather casual establishment; and the kind of place you stop by, have your tacos and a Tecate then move on to the next place

However, with this epic introduction of Anne to Madison, we may have lingered an hour or two too long. Anne of course had to share with Madison some very good and very NSFW stories from our senior year of college while Madison had some lovely antidotes concerning   a certain ‘not-down-to-be-platonic’ classmate who came to class with a black eye; and since I played a role of some sort in all stories involved I just laughed along whilst fiddling with my (now-eradicated) split ends while David made facetious comments.

Mi Mero Mole on Urbanspoon

Ahh such a wholesome and fabulous time it was; if there is one sort of social gathering I adore, it is introducing good friends to one another. I mean, when not in the presence of one (or ten) I tend to talk incessantly about them to the others, so it’s kind of like everyone knows each other already.

Do you ever mix your friend groups?

Where is the best Mexican food you have ever had?

How early is too early for a cocktail? 

#Tuesdaysarethenewfridays

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Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me for using a hashtag as a blog post title. And yes, as this clearly demonstrates I am admittedly a hashtag abuser thanks to my unashamed Twitter addiction (which began as a way to occupy myself on my Blackberry to avoid awkward weather banter in the lift or having to make a cocktail decision while waiting for one of my platonic dates to surface).

Now that we have got that sorted, let’s get to the content…

…universally speaking, Tuesdays have a tendency to be anticlimactic; they come right after the burden that is Monday and the beginning of the weekend-anticipatory period which begins on Wednesday.

Tuesdays for me however are always a classy affair; a way to add some revitalisation and social spark to my week. They’re usually spent with my favourite ladies, they always involve something delightful to the palate, and I usually just happen to be accessorised with freshwater pearls and a fur shrug (since it is still practically winter in Portland).

Some examples of recent Tuesdays:

Sapphire and I at the end of a night spent between Teardrop and Oven & Shaker at a dear friend of mine’s new  impeccably furnished bachelor pad smack dab in the Pearl District; check out the fireplace in the lower left corner

Cocktails at Clyde Common with Madison- a much needed night of dishing, catching up, and literally being in full view of every paedestrian to cross this block of SW Stark between 7:30-9:00 PM

As for tonight? A highly anticipated introduction for Anne to my very favourite establishment for meat in all of Oregon, Laurelhurst Market

I arrived straight from work; Anne from C3 Yoga (that’s a session that is more intense than that hot power yoga I went to that STILL has my heart palpitating). The menu has changed slightly since my last visit in January, which is always an exciting prospect to expect at my favourite locavore establishments in Portland

Of course, as usual, Anne and I decided to order an indulgement-fest and split it down the middle as to savour as much as our hunger capacities could take which translated to: Two appetisers, one entree, one side, and dessert.

Foie Gras Torchon: Salt-cured with savory brioche bread pudding, hazelnut butter, pear butter, saba

This is one of the best dishes I have ever had in Portland, if not my life; and it takes a lot of panache for me to be able to say something like that. In fact, this was so incredibly glorious that it has inspired me to start concocting a “Best Dishes in Portland” list…and so far, this is up at the top.

The disc of foie gras is succulent, smooth, and buttery enough to make you believe that your taste buds were auctioned to you by Hubert Keller. Then there is the bread pudding to texturally compliment that velvet fattiness of the gras and the sweet slightly coarse drizzles of hazelnut and pear butters.

What is so flexible about this dish is that it not only can be an appetiser, but also dessert (and a spectacular one at that), and dare I say…breakfast? It is sensical however as my breakfasts for the entire month of January consisted of Laurelhurst Market foie gras (gifted by one of my thoughtful coworkers) on levain with preserves.

Daily Appetiser Special: Rib-eye bites with truffle shavings over a thin truffle-oiled omelette

Yes, this was delicious and a proper way to begin the fulfillment of our protein cravings, however dare I say that anything to follow the torchon will come across as anticlimactic. But there was steak. And truffles. And eggs. And impeccable quality fleur de sel, so a delight nevertheless

Pan Seared Bavette Steak with Ancho-Chili Romenesco and Braised Winter Greens

Can you believe this dish is a mere $20?! This was the first time I veered away from the Piedmontese flat iron steak in lieu for the slightly more marbled and thicker cut bavette. I found the steak delectable, perfectly cooked at medium and sprinkled with fleur de sel and a generous bed of ancho-chili romenesco. Anne wasn’t crazy about the greens…so I ate them.

Mac N Cheese with Tim's Potato Chip Crust

No meal at Laurelhurst is complete without a ramekin of the $6 mac au fromage. I’ve already described in prior posts about how luscious this little pot of overly generous comfort is- smooth, cheesy, and sprinkled with some crisp and crunch. This may or may not also be on my upcoming list of Portland’s best dishes.

And, of course…there was dessert:

Chocolate Chestnut crepe with blood orange marmalade and whipped mascarpone

Anything that comes hot in a mini cast-iron skillet tends to win my favour and this was no exception; think a gentrified miniature nutella crepe.

(I am well aware that I need a new gel manicure asap)

Very reasonable, n’est-ce-pas? I did have to forego ordering a pair of Rag & Bone sunglasses on Gilt today in an effort to stick to my new self-imposed budget; but anyways those sunnies would have cost more than the $37.50 (plus tip) so in a skewed way I sort of saved money while simultaneously staying nourished and having something to lift me out of  the rather deflated state I had fallen into over the last few days.

Plus, Anne is just always an absolute delight to share the company of. I mean, this post has taken me nearly two hours to write just because I have been simultaneously facebook-chatting with Anne the most strategic way to word a message to one of her potential non-platonic dates.

Of course, the conversation is confidential, but I’ll give you a slight snippet just for laughs:

Anne: if I say grab coffee or something does it sound too vague? i mean should i give him the option to pick a place that also serves tea or light tapas?

Sara: LIGHT TAPAS! You keeeeel me. If a guy suggested light tapas as a nonplatonic date idea, I’d put a ring on it…or let him put a ring on me. Or maybe pay for the mini causas and ceviches we split

Anne: well very petit tapas. you know where the focus probs should be the beverage and the tapas is just to fufill the oregon liquor law requirement of food. awww yeah thatd be cute!

***

That is all. Happy Tuesday.

What would you want your last meal to be?

What’s your favourite weekday (Friday does not count)?

What is your Tuesday night agenda?