What is Portland Eats Out, you may ask? In a nutshell, it’s a community-focused dining program supporting local restaurants and the Oregon Food Bank. It encourages you, the intrepid Portland diner, to help bolster our wonderful local restaurants by eating at them on “slow nights,” Sunday through Thursday. Your Portland Eats Out membership card gets you a 15% discount at participating restaurants on those nights (excluding happy hour). And as the only discount dining club that advocates collective giving to help eliminate hunger in Oregon, Portland Eats Out donates ten percent of your membership fee to the Oregon Food Bank.

While Portland Eats Out ‘Staff Eaters’ are out beating the streets to sign up more restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, bars and food carts to join the fun, a whole slew of quality eateries have already joined, including Tabla, Fratelli , Acadia, Olympic Provisions, Genoa, Accanto, Patty’s Wagon, Roythai, Ruby Jewel Scoops, An Xuyen Bakery, Flying Cat Coffee House, Seven Virtues Coffee, Vino Paradiso, Viking Soul Food, Trebol, Ten 01, FIN, Eleni’s, Pepper Box, Lauro Kitchen, Vindalho, India Chaat House, El Palenque, and Yakuza.

To get a membership card of your very own, go to the just-launchd www.portlandeatsout.com, or visit the Portland Eats Out booth at the Belmont Street Fair on September 12th. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Portland Eats Out on Facebook and Twitter.

Let the eating, saving, and philanthropy begin!

The dinner menu will feature burgers (including the “Toro Bravo” burger), breakfast-for-dinner (a selection of Tasty n Sons’ signature brunch items), some of Chef John Gorham’s favorite classic diner recipes, good beer, and classic cocktails. Initially, dinner service will be offered from 5-10 pm Tuesday through Saturday as the restaurant eases into a daily dinner schedule in a few weeks. They’ll also offer a limited menu during the 3-5 pm afternoon lull between brunch and dinner.

On another note, don’t plan on a tasty Tasty n Sons Labor Day brunch–it’s closed Monday, Sept. 6.

Last weekend was a BIG weekend for cheese in the NW. Thousands of people flocked to Seattle for Cheese-a-Topia! (sounds like heaven don’t you think?) a huge conference all about cheese!

The biggest deal being -of course- was the much awaited Festival of Cheeses where all the winners from the 1462 cheese entries were displayed and tasted! Wowzers! Its basically like the academy awards but for cheese!

I really wished I could have been there to meet other cheese makers from all over the country and to taste the winners.

On Saturday evening I got a call from Marc Bates and his lovely wife Janice telling me that my creme fraiche was awarded a ribbon!!!!! Me? OMG!! Me? Seriously???? Followed only by a txt from Becky telling me the same followed by another ‘anonymous’ txt telling me congrats on my creme fraiche win I always knew you could do it!!!  Yippeee right?

I had a moment of extreme joy that was soon followed by a very depressed emotion (tears) brought only on by the fact that my ricotta was totally and udderly neglected. I might have been the only cheese maker to have cried after winning her very first ribbon but cry indeed I did, because I had so wanted my ricotta to win.
Perhaps it was just extreme stress and massive sleep deprivation?

I am feeling much better about it now and feel  proud to be ranked up there against two other companies (Bellweather Farms and Vermont Butter and Cheese Co.) who I greatly admire. Both companies have amazing cheesemakers and a wonderful array of products. There is always next year for the ricotta

This week we have copious amounts of the award winning creme fraiche! Our new version of the age old farmers cheese and of course fresh churned butter!

Host a party in your mouth and try all three at once!

The farmers cheese is wonderful with tomatoes and absorbs a vinaigrette nicely for a salad.

This week you can find our products at PSU and Hollywood on Saturday the King market and Hillsdale on Sunday and Monday Pioneer Sq, Tuesday (me) at Cannon Beach (as long as there are no Tsunami warnings) and Hood River and the NW 23rd market on Thursday. If you cannot make it to any of these markets you can find us at Sheridan Fruit company! They are now carrying the feta, butter, ricotta and fromage blanc!!

Until next time! (hope your udderly fabulous in the mean time)
Yours always
Cheese Czarina!

Although it consistently offers ceviche and beer, Juan’s menu changes weekly, and this past Tuesday we were served an exceptional ling cod ceviche with finely diced tomato, onion and cilantro on crispy corn tortillas ($3 each), and platefuls of roasted pork, pickled onion, and refried pinto beans served with fresh corn tortillas ($12). A selection of wine is offered at $5 a glass, or you can guzzle cold bottled Mexican beer with your meal ($3).

In honor of Juan’s south-of-the-border eats, the Luce event space is hung with festive Mexican papel picado banners, and both sides of the simple room are lined with rectangular tables for 8 (or however many you can cram around them), so you’ll eat elbow to elbow with your neighbors, which makes the whole thing feel like an informal neighborhood dinner party. As the dog days of summer melt into the soul-sucking rain-drenched days of autumn/winter/spring, Eating With Juan will be the ideal destination for a culinary adventure that feels like a mini Mexican vacation…a very affordable one.

Eating With Juan is held every Tuesday from 4 pm to 9 pm, or until the food runs out. Luce is located at 2138 E. Burnside, directly across the street from new June restaurant and Heart Roasters, and just a few blocks down the street from the Simpatica/Laurelhurst crew’s soon-to-open Ate-Oh-Ate. This stretch of Burnside is becoming quite the stomach’s paradise.

For those of you who are interested, Ate-Oh-Ate is coming along quite nicely.  We have been madly working on getting it put together and should be open late next week (like Saturday).  I will let you know for sure in next week’s email.  Thank you for your continued patience – we are all very, very excited to unleash our new baby upon the world.  I have a million things to do between now and then – wish me luck, I’m really going to need it.

Ate-Oh-Ate will be located at 2452 E. Burnside, and will be open daily from 11am to 9pm. They now have a website, which offers a teensy preview of plates to come–promising “Teriyaki, Kal-Bi, Katsu, Loco Moco, Spam Musubi, Housemade Kimchi, Saimin and more…” along with beer and Mai-Tais. And Spam, of course. As the website explains,

Ate-Oh-Ate is brought to you by the owners of Laurelhurst Market and Simpatica Dining Hall & Catering.  Our goal is to provide you with the finest and most delicious Hawaiian Style food possible.  We use only the highest quality products, including all natural meats, fresh vegetables, real Best Foods Mayonnaise and authentic Spam (accept no substitutions!).  Feel free to dine in or take-out.

June
2215 E. Burnside St.
503.477.4655
Tue-Thu 5:30-10:30pm; Fri-Sat 5:30-11pm

I’ll sidestep the ’shoulda named it August’ jokes and get to the point–former DOC Chef Greg Perrault’s recently opened tiny-lovely East Burnside restaurant is a delight. On our inaugural visit, we feasted on a summer salad with pickled strawberries and shallots, roasted carrots and frikeh surrounding an unusual bay leaf panna cotta, smoked black cod with fingerlings and tender French filet beans, and housemade egg noodles tossed with what seemed like five pounds of morels and topped with a poached egg and a sprinkling of chive blossoms, sipped sparkling rosé, and bragged about how close June is to our house. Befitting the neighborhood, the space is intimate and unpretentious, with a small bar manned by popular local bartender Kelly Swenson (who came from Ten 01), herb-filled window boxes, and a stylish suede banquette-lined lounge that will make the wait for a table more bearable. For the time being, Chef Daniel Mondok (Carlyle, Sel Gris, Foster Burger) is Greg’s right hand man, so your plates come blessed with a double dose of culinary talent.

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Bunk Bar
1028 SE Water Ave.
Daily 3pm-2:30 am
www.bunksandwiches.com

The agonizing wait for the Southeast Industrial Waterfront’s newest eatery had nearly reached fever pitch when it was announced that they were quietly opening this past Monday, spawning a mini-Twitter seizure. Bunk Sandwich darlings Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood’s easygoing, mid-afternoon-to-late-night hangout has a sandwich ‘n sides window, a full bar, a long row of cushy booths, and a healthy hipster population–think Rontoms meets Bunk Sandwiches. For those who don’t have time to hang out and savor a pork belly bahn mi, Pie Spot pecan “pie hole,” pint and a game of pinball, step into Bunk’s little adjoining sandwich lair, housed in the space formerly known as Bakery Bar, and you and your fried shrimp po’ boy and Boylan’s grape soda will be on your way before you can say “Pie Hole!”

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Fin
1852 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
503.517.7770
Wed-Sun 5pm-close
www.finpdx.com

Fin surfaced a few weeks ago in the old Sel Gris space on SE Hawthorne, promising sustainably sourced seafood with a Pacific Northwest touch. The single page, conscientiously-curated menu divides Fin’s fishy fare into whet, wade, and plunge (although it was sometimes hard to tell, portion-wise, what the difference was), dessert is dubbed “resurface,” and the wine list is “fluid, and perpetually shifts, swirls and evolves.” Grandiloquence aside, Fin Executive Chef Trent Pierce, a Foster Burger alumnus, is preparing pleasurably sophisticated seafood dishes, like the delicate Nairagi carpaccio in an intensely flavorful white soy ponzu, barramundi with charred sweet corn in a chorizo consommé poured tableside, and creamy sablefish over a kaleidoscopic peperonata nestled next to a slab of pork belly in a pool of squid ink. Fin’s service is knowledgeable and friendly, and the reworked restaurant has some interesting design features, like the cozy minibooths along the west wall, cork floors, and a beautiful reclaimed maple high bar that bisects the dining room, over which hangs a locally-made abstract art piece that vaguely resembles fish bones.

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Good Food Here
SE Belmont & SE 43rd Ave.
Hours vary per cart
www.goodfoodherecarts.com

When I first saw this neat little cart community while en route to Movie Madness, I was sure the tidy shaded picnic area set in a bed of shiny hazelnut shells, the colorful melange of multicultural carts, and the dedicated parking lot had to be a mirage. At last count (this morning), there are 11 carts selling everything from asiago and prosciutto-stuffed flatbread to Big Daddy Tuna Melts and fried Oreos to kimchi-topped pulled pork sandwiches to tortas de mole to farm fresh produce to escargot. Yes, escargot. At the moment, my top three Good Food Here carts are Dog Eat Dawg–I’m in love with their Chicago dog, a fat quarter pound Nathan’s Famous Frankfurter topped with tomatoes, onions, pickle spears, sweet relish, spicy peppers, and celery salt; Créme de la Créme–because where else in town can you dine on croque monsieurs, escargot, and lavender lemon tartlets whilst reading the latest issue of Saveur at a bistro table beneath the awning of a tricked out Frenchie la la-style school bus(??), and Lucille’s Balls…because, well, I have a terrible meatball addiction. Don’t judge me! Good Food Here has space for up to 20 carts, so it can only get better…stay tuned for updates.

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Dick’s Kitchen
3312 SE Belmont St.
503.235.0146
Daily 11am-10pm
www.facebook.com/DicksKitchen

The paper quietly came off the windows of Dick’s Kitchen on SE Belmont a few weeks ago, and since I just happened to be walking by, I stopped in for a hot dog and a papaya drink. The space feels miles away from its former life as the Opposable Thumb Cafe, with unfussy white subway-tiled walls, a small window bar, and a bright red, makes-you-look-thrice geometric mural emblazoned on the back wall of the long, narrow dining room. Dick’s, which serves burgers (including buffalo, turkey, salmon, and vegan versions), hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, sides-a-plenty, shakes and sodas, is noticeably devoted to excellent sourcing–their grass-fed, grass-finished beef is Food Alliance-certified, almost everything from the soft potato buns that cradle the burgers to the zesty ketchup that comes with the distinctive convection-baked fingerling Not-Fries is made in house, salad dressings, condiments and sauces are made with agave in lieu of corn syrup, and the restaurant plans to host “food table” dinner discussions about food, diet and food politics featuring local farmers and ranchers. Dick’s Grand Opening Party is tonight, Friday 8/27, at 6pm, and you’re invited–come meet your neighbors and sample complimentary burgers, Not-Fries, coleslaw, shakes, and maybe even some pie. Plus, the invite promises that beer and wine will be offered “at prehistoric prices.” Like you needed an incentive.

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Hair of the Dog Brewery
61 SE Yamhill St.
503.232.6585
Wed-Sun, 2-8pm
www.hairofthedog.com

So I cheated a bit on adding this one to the list because, until next week, you can’t get anything to eat yet in Hair of the Dog Brewery’s cheerful, airy new brewpub on SE Yamhill & Water. But you can sit and sip one of their rich and powerful beers from a bulldog-emblazoned tulip glass, beers like the Greg (named after popular Portland chef Greg Higgins)–a hopless brew made with winter squash, the decadent Fred–a golden ale with hints of toffee, and the heady, oak-aged Fred in the Wood, plus an extensive selection of vintage beers that range from $10-$25 a bottle. Committmentphobes such as myself will love taking a Walk The Dog Around the Block–Hair of the Dog’s term for a flight of 3-oz pours of all six beers on tap. Woof!

Pok Pok Noi

ok, best, andy

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ANNE AMIE VINEYARDS
CARLTON

From the bottom of the long sloping drive that leads to this picture-perfect winery, Anne Amie almost seems like a mirage, perched regally atop a hill in the the Yamhill-Carlton District. But once you pull into the parking lot, the place is very much alive–vineyard workers go about their daily tasks while touring trolleys, limos, and buses load and unload jolly groups of wine tasters. A lavender-rimmed stone patio skims the front of the winery, affording a picnicker both unobstructed sunshine and majestic views of the valley below, while a vine-swathed arbor at the far end of the winery provides a shady haven for the row of picnic tables beneath. Inside the tasting room, you can escape the summer heat for a moment and taste the fruits of Anne Amie’s Salmon Safe and LIVE certified-estate vineyards, like the excellent 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2008 Pinot Gris, or 2008 Cuvée A Amrita.

6580 Northeast Mineral Springs Rd., Carlton
503.864.2991
www.anneamie.com
Summer Tasting Hours: Daily 10am–5pm
Tasting Fees: $5-$10
Recommended by Frank Rinaldi via the UTTWJ Facebook page…Thanks Frank!

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BLACK WALNUT INN AND VINEYARDS
DUNDEE

Ah, to be rich and famous. Or just rich. A weekend getaway at the opulent nine-suite Black Walnut Inn and Vineyards doesn’t come cheap, but the view might just be priceless, and even if you aren’t an overnight guest at this South of France-inspired villa–nestled in what seems to be a veritable fairy ring of lavender in the ruddy Dundee Hills–you and your picnic are more than welcome to share their stunning south-facing terrace, provided you acquire a bottle of the 2007 Pinot Noir and are polite to the resident Westie, Bailey. But I’m warning you now–once you’re settled into this lavish roost, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll want to leave, so I suggest you pack your piggy bank, hammer, pajamas and a toothbrush in your picnic hamper.

9600 NE Worden Hill Rd., Dundee
503.538.8663
www.blackwalnut-inn.com
Summer hours vary

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CANA’S FEAST WINERY AND CUCINA
CARLTON

Cana’s Feast is the pampered picnickers dream–you don’t actually have to pack a picnic to enjoy a sumptuous meal on their sun-soaked terrace, which overlooks the valley’s gently-rolling golden wheat fields and the Coast Range to the west. On the weekends, the winery’s Cucina serves a full Italian-style luncheon with seasonal delectables like crostone with fava bean puree and mint salad and the house-ground Carlton Farms pork burger with peperoncini aoili, as well as a $25 prix-fixe dinner that includes a glass of one of their Italian varietals or Bordeaux-style blends. During the week, guests can nibble on house-made foccacia, herbed olives, or the mixed antipasti plate from a lighter Tasting Room Plates menu. The Cana’s Feast crew likes to have fun–their summer events list brimmeth over with festivities like the Southern Mediterranean Festival, upcoming 2nd Annual Italy in the Valley, and Thursday night bocce competitions on their patio-side courts, so check the calendar before you go.

750 W. Lincoln St., Carlton
503.852.0002
canasfeastwinery.com
Summer Hours: Daily 11am-5pm
Tasting fees: $10/person, refundable with $40+ purchase

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DE PONTE CELLARS
DAYTON

The De Ponte sign, which graces the curvy shoulder of Dayton’s wineries-with-a-view-heavy Archery Summit Road, announces the winery to be one of Oregon’s best kept secrets. All the better for you, because there are only so many tables on the altitudinous patio clinging to the far end of the tasting room, and there’s only one picnic table–but what a picnic table it is, with crushed hazelnuts underfoot and stunning views of the valley. You might have trouble choosing which of De Ponte’s Burgundian-style wines will best suit your picnic, my favorite is the refreshing 2009 De Ponte DFB Estate Melon, a wine of “lively and vibrant texture with a delicate freshness,” as they say. It tastes born to be imbibed on a million-dollar view endowed terracotta terrace–or at a redwood picnic table, while wiggling one’s bare toes in hazelnut shells.

17545 NE Archery Summit Rd. Dayton
503.864.3698
www.depontecellars.com
Summer hours: Daily 11am-5pm
Tasting fees: $15
Recommended by Bette Sinclair via the UTTWJ Facebook page…Thanks Bette!

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DOMAINE SERENE
DAYTON

In the world of beautiful wineries, Domaine Serene is a supermodel, with its Mediterranean-style edifice, wide stone patios, effusively blooming gardens, and large swaths of bright green grass that sing a compelling siren call to your picnic cloth. Inside the tasting room, well-dressed wine lovers sip Yamhill Cuvée Pinot Noir and Rockblock Reserve Syrah by the massive fireplace whilst admiring the expansive views. The handful of patio tables scattered about the terrace will play a fine host to your feast, but if you like the feel of freshly mowed grass underfoot, do bring a blanket.

6555 NE Hilltop Lane, Dayton
503.864.4500
www.domaineserene.com
Summer Hours: Wed-Mon 11am-4pm
Tasting Fees: $15

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PENNER-ASH CELLARS
NEWBERG

Penner-Ash makes me a little bit homesick, because it reminds me of my old stompin’ grounds in Sonoma. The tasting room is a thing of beauty–all warm wood and cool stone and wraparound clerestory windows, a visual theme which continues onto the paved terrace, which holds several sturdy wooden tables sure to bear the weight of whatever your hamper holds. The views of vine and wheat-laced Chehalem Valley and majestic Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson, while impressive, seem somehow simultaneously intimate, as though you’re looking out over your own private valley. Patio picnic- and budget-friendly wines include the French oak-aged 2009 Roseo and the spicy 2008 Rubeo, while pinot noir lovers will relish the 2008 Élevée Vineyard Pinot Noir.

15771 NE Ribbon Ridge Rd. Newberg
503.554.5545
www.pennerash.com
Summer Hours: Wed-Sun 11am-5pm
Tasting Fees:
Recommended by May Wang via the UTTWJ Facebook page…Thanks May!

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VISTA HILLS VINEYARD AND WINERY
DAYTON

Vista Hills Vineyard’s Treehouse Tasting Room is tucked cozily into a graceful grove of Douglas Fir and White Oaks, a vantage point that might give you flashbacks to your favorite backyard childhood hangout. Except that Vista Hills is a grown-up treehouse where you and your friends can lounge on the spacious shaded deck, lay out a sophisticated picnic that doesn’t involve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sip Vista Hills’ 2008 Flagler Pinot Gris and 2007 Saga Hills Reserve Pinot Noir instead of apple juice, and fully appreciate the spectacular views of the winery’s 40 acres of estate vineyards and the lush Willamette Valley beyond.

6475 Hilltop Lane, Dayton
503.864.3200
www.vistahillsvineyard.com
Summer Hours: Daily 12-5pm
Tasting Fee: $10, waived with purchase of any bottle of wine
Recommended by Emily Kaplan Petterson via the UTTWJ Facebook page…Thanks Emily!

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PICNIC 911: NEED A PICNIC? THESE FOLKS CAN HELP!

Farm to Fork: This stylish little bistro and delicatessen is centrally situated along Highway 99 just outside of Dundee. Stock up on fine local and international cheeses, charcuterie, ready-made salads, sandwiches, quiches, homemade pastas, paninis, olives, and other gourmet goodies…or, just call ahead and have them prepare a customized picnic basket for you. 1410 N. Hwy 99W, Dundee * 503.538.7970 * farmtoforkdundee.com * Open daily 7am-5pm
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Harvest Fresh: A longstanding cornerstone of McMinnville’s bustling 3rd Avenue, Harvest Fresh specializes in natural, organically grown, local foods. You’ll be able to assemble a grand picnic on your own from their selection of cheese, meats, breads, produce, and chocolate, but if you’d rather they do the work, just order a salad, soup, bagel, or “sandwich of substance” from the deli menu, or request a boxed lunch, which comes complete with a sandwich, side salad, fresh fruit and a cookie for only $8.50. 251 NE 3rd St., McMinnville * 503.472.5740 * www.harvestfresh.com * Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 10am-7pm

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The Filling Station Deli: Located in tiny downtown Carlton, kitty-corner to the community pool, this cheerful little deli serves up hearty subs, clubs, wraps and gyros, as well as specialty sandwiches, build-your-own sandwiches, and vegetarian entrees. Emphasizing local ingredients and purveyors, they scoop Cascade Glacier ice cream, stock the fridge with Thomas Kemper sodas, brew Stumptown Coffee, tap Fire Mountain brews, and have weekly bbq’s featuring local buffalo burgers, Carlton Farms Italian sausages, and locally-made veggie burgers. 305 W Main Street * Carlton * 503.852.6687 * www.fillingstationdeli.com * Sun-Tue 7am-3:30pm, closed Wednesdays