eat/drinkpearl district eats and treats
The Pearl District is home to Portland’s top dining destinations. Neighborhood restaurants and bars, however, offer more than just good grub and tasty mojitos. Read on for the latest dish on special events, new openings, seasonal menus and more.
02.21.08
Good Day Oregon Broadcasts Live from Ten 01
If you're near a TV this morning, tune to morning show Good Day Oregon (ch. 12) between 5-9 a.m.
The show is broadcasting live from Ten 01 restaurant in the Pearl District, featuring bartender Kelley Swenson and pastry chef Jeff McCarthy. Kelley and Jeff are spending the morning making a variety of pear delights, including cocktails and sorbets, all in support of the local pear growing industry (Pear Bureau Northwest).
If you're in the area, drop by and say hi... and join us for a pear cocktail! (It's ok to start drinking at 6 a.m. if fruit is involved, right?)
02.14.08
Olea Earns High Marks in Oregonian Review
Today's Oregonian features a favorable review of Olea restaurant in the Pearl District.
Reviewer David Sarasohn writes:
Service is admirable, helpful and engaging. The space is attractively designed with high-ceilinged stained-glass appointments and a copper still, but the lighting is too low to appreciate the surroundings. In a restaurant touch now as fashionable as butternut squash, diners huddle around table candles trying to make out the menu.
Olea follows its own direction, mostly within the western Mediterranean basin, and goes some interesting places -- as well as some dead ends. But it's usually a trip worth making. Just follow the sign of the horizontal pizza.
Nice to see Olea getting some fresh recognition... now we're craving their pizza!
02.14.08
Fratelli Gets Some Love from KGW
KGW entertainment reporter Drew Carney spent Valentine's morning at his favorite romantic restaurant: Fratelli in the Pearl. Click here to watch!
02.13.08
My Sweet Valentine
In preparation for Valentine's Day, we stopped by Cupcake Jones last night. As usual, owners Lisa and Peter were a delight to chat with. We placed two orders for Valentine's Day and checked out their featured flavors... hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows...chocolate dipped strawberry... cherry cheesecake! (One order for our Valentine, one order for us... couldn't resist!)
If you want to grab some cupcakes for your Valentine, or you just want to treat yourself, call in your order soon! Lisa already had a huge stack of orders for tomorrow, so they'll be baking overtime to meet demand.
Cupcake Jones is located at 307 NW 10th Ave. in the Pearl District. To order ahead, call 503-222-4404.
02.05.08
Lunchtime at Mercato
We stopped by the new Mercato to try them out for lunch today. Upon entering, we were met with a chorus of hellos. Six different people must have greeted us... the staff was quite friendly.
The restaurant's decor and set-up is pretty cool. As you walk through the front door, the menu is displayed on overhead flat panel TVs. Or, if you're blind and constantly squinting like us, they have paper menus.
Diners can pick from fresh sandwiches, salads, pastries or gelato from the deli case, or choose from a nice selection of pastas, pizzas and entrees. You place your order and pay at the counter, then find a seat in the hip cafeteria-like setting and they bring your order to you. The restaurant has a cute arrangement of soft chairs, if you'd prefer not to sit a table - perfect for grabbing a cup of coffee and pastry. They also have an open kitchen and row of seating nearby if you want to see the kitchen at work.
The atmosphere seems like it could be a big lunchtime draw for the local work crowd, whether you're going with a group or want a spot to grab a bite and bring your laptop (which we did, and for once MetroFI internet access actually worked).
There was no wait time to order, the food came out fast, and it was just a very friendly environment all around. (Hopefully this friendly, quick lunch won't change once these guys get busy!)
We went with a safe pick, Margherita Pizza. It was quite good. This phone picture doesn't do it justice...
If you're looking try something new in the Pearl, Mercato is definitely worth checking out. The restaurant is located at 904 NW Couch St. in the Pearl District.
02.04.08
Celebrate Valentine's Day at L'Heure Bleue
Bluehour is opening its private dining room, L'Heure Bleue, for a special Valentine's Day dinner on Thursday, Feb. 14. In L'Heure Bleue's intimate, candlelit setting, guests will enjoy a romantic five-course dinner fit for the occasion. The menu looks amazing... oysters, caviar, lobster... need we say more?
The restaurant is offering two seatings - one at 6:30 p.m. and another at 8:30 p.m. The cost is $85 per person. Call 503-226-3394 for reservations. Check out the menu after the jump...
Continue reading "Celebrate Valentine's Day at L'Heure Bleue" »
01.31.08
Mercato Finally Open?
We're hearing buzz that Mercato has finally opened. You may recall that this is the italian restaurant - located on the corner of NW 9th and Couch in the Pearl District - that was originally said to be opening months and months ago.
A knowledgeable poster over at PortlandFood.org writes:
Plan as far as I know (insider info!) is that they will be open this Thursday for dinner, Friday for lunch and dinner and B-L-D on Saturday. Hours will be 7am-10pm. It's not a 'full-service' joint, but rather you order at the counter and have your food deliver to your table.Menu looks a lot like Lucca's. What's with Portland and the "Rustic Italian"? Is there really *that* much of a demand for it? lol.
They have a small wine list, 8-10 wines. All Italian and interesting. Pasta's, roasted meats, paninis, pizza. A little Northern, little Southern, little Island fare. Everything looks nice. Lots of cheese!
Sounds interesting... if you get the chance to try it this weekend, drop us a note!
UPDATED TO ADD: Mercato actually ended up serving its first dinner on Saturday night, and today (Monday 2/4) will be their first lunch service. We walked past the restaurant this morning and chatted with some employees who were quite nice.
01.31.08
"Slick" Caffé Umbria Gets a Nod from Food Dude
The Pearl's newest coffee shop, Caffé Umbria, is featured on Portland Food and Drink today. The brief review by Food Dude is fairly positive, yet balanced:
If a smooth cup of coffee in a modern, slick environment is your thing, Caffé Umbria may be what you are looking for. For best results, I’d suggest you stay with simple drinks.
If there's one site that we're addicted to, it's PFD. We hadn't ventured into Caffé Umbria yet, simply because several other great coffee shops are so close by. Even a moderate nod of approval from Food Dude is enough to prompt us to try a restaurant or cafe, however, so we're tempted to head to Caffé Umbria to see what we've been missing.
01.29.08
Ten 01 Markets to the Business Class
Ten 01 is ramping up its lunch appeal with a new three-course "Power Lunch" menu that will get you in and out of the restaurant in a timely manner during your work day.
At just $15, this week's lunch menu sounds like a steal:
Choose from a starter of Wild Arugula Salad with peppadew peppers, citrus segments, shaved fennel; Winter Parsnip Soup with chestnuts, pickled shallots, balsamic brown butter; or Sweet Onion-Cauliflower Soup with spicy lamb sausage, golden raisins, almonds, curry oil. Then select a main course of either Sautéed Sea Scallops with fennel puree, shaved brussel sprouts, marcona almonds, Spanish chorizo; Roasted Sweetbriar Farms Pork Loin with housemade pancetta, creamed lentils, chorizo vinaigrette; or Wild Mushroom Risotto, rosemary oil, grana padano, aged balsamic. And to finish, housemade truffles, caramels or gelees.
Or, if you're in the mood for a bit of a liquid lunch, Ten 01 is also offering $4 martinis, manhattans and bloody mary's, and $5 wines by the glass.
“For a lot of professionals, going to lunch is something that they might not have time for on a daily basis,” said co-owner Adam Berger. “Our Power Lunch was created as a way to let those busy professionals enjoy a three-course lunch out of the office, while being able to get back to their next meeting on time.”
The Power Lunch is available Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ten 01 is located on the corner of NW 10th and Couch in the Pearl District.
01.21.08
Last Chance at Ten 01's James Beard Dinner
Ten 01 is serving their special James Beard menu tonight. We hear there are still a few open reservations if you're interested... click here for an overview of the menu. Call 503-226-3463 for reservations.
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