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Start Off Portland Right With The Farm Cafe
We arrived in Portland today in order to enjoy two days of rest and relaxation before we make our way north for the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference.
I've started relying more and more on Yelp to help me pick where to eat when visiting somewhere new. Tonight it led me to The Farm Cafe, a superb vegetarian restaurant specializing in local, usually organic ingredients from small farms.
The meal started with asparagus fritters. They were deep-fried, but still light and airy, reminding me a bit of a pop-over. The fritters came with a horseradish creme fraiche that was so good I almost ate the leftovers with a spoon.
The entrée was a pan-fried Idaho trout that was both simple and spectacular. It was easily one of the best fish dishes I've ever had in a restaurant. Patrick, our waiter/bartender, told us that a customer liked it so much he ate the tail when he was done. Despite the portion being large, I was also tempted to eat the tail.
The dessert was a sunken chocolate soufflé with a molten center that was baked to order. It too was amazing, and the kitchen was nice enough to allow us to try both the coffee and the vanilla ice creams. Each ice cream comes from a different local vendor. If the presentation is a little off in this photo, it is only because I couldn't wait to dig my spoon in beforehand.
I also enjoyed a unique cocktail that was invented by the bartender, Patrick. It's called the LoBu Gimlet, and has a local gin, local mint, two fresh egg whites, some simple syrup, and a cucumber slice.
The total bill was only $41, and shockingly for this Californian, there was no sales tax. If the rest of Portland compares to this, it might be time for me to relocate.
Six comments
Sounds like you hand a wonderful selection to choose from.Fresh ice cream..you cant beat that!
Looking forward to seeing you at the Wine Bloggers Conference. Are you going to be taking a leisurely drive through the gorge?
Dear Sam,
It was great to meet you and Catherine during the conference excursion at WBC. I look forward to staying in touch with you. I will be adding 1,000 Corks to our blogroll soon.
You can find the video diaries we recorded online at http://www.youtube.com/winebloggerschannel. Our video blog is located at http://blog.jordanwinery.com. If you have any suggestions on content, I’d greatly appreciate any advice.
I hope to see you in Charlottesville next summer. If you have plans to visit Sonoma County wine country, it would be nice to host you at Jordan.
Take care, Lisa Mattson
Fresh ice cream - you cannot beat it! We love doing road-trips but have not done one north of us in a long time. I keep thinking we should plan one up to Portland, I have heard the coastal drive is amazing!
Anyhow, I wanted to stop by and say hello. I just found your site via the IFBC guest list, I, too, am attending. Anyhow, I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. Hopefully our paths will cross during the course of the weekend!
D.
Mmmm...My mouth is watering! The trout would have gone so good with a Sauvignon Blanc - such as Pouilly Fume or Sancerre (a little more delicate, but still very nice!) Don't you think?
The food looks delicious. What can you tell us about the wines from there?