clarklewis
Inconspicuously tucked into a former warehouse on SE Water Avenue, backed by the Willamette and sharing the still rather gritty neighborhood with a scant number of other intrepid eateries like Bakery Bar and Montage, clarklewis is much like the tents in Harry Potter—not much to look at from the outside, but opening up into something that’s a little magical.
clarklewis is much like the tents in Harry Potter—not much to look at from the outside, but opening up into something that’s a little magical.
The only evidence that a fine dining experience awaits behind the huge glass-paneled floor to ceiling doors (which roll up in warm weather to let a breeze flow through the restaurant) is a discreet glimpse of white tablecloths. The long narrow dining room is sleek and comfortable, a humming open kitchen complete with wood-fired oven and the woodpile to go with it at one end, a glammy little bar tucked into the other end, glossy polished concrete floors and flickering tea lights aplenty in between.
The upscale yet rustic cuisine showcases local ingredients, with standout dishes like a Viridian Farms asparagus salad with wild sorrel and hazelnuts in a porcini vinaigrette, ravioli with roasted Groundworks beets and fresh ricotta, and hearth roasted pork shoulder with Bluebird Farm farro and braised fennel.
Happy hour is a superb value, with $4 cocktail specials, $5 red and white wines by the glass, and food specials ranging from $1-$5, and even if you’ve naught but a wrinkly $10 bill in your wallet, you’ll eat and drink quite well.
Details
Cuisine: Regional
Executive Chef: Dolan Lane
Atmosphere: Stylish, contemporary, old warehouse-cum-glammy candlelit dinner den. Filled with folks that are as stylish/edgy as the surroundings, well-behaved families, dressed up couples out for a night on the town, a few hipster-chic couples sipping cocktails.
Outdoor seating: Not technically, but when the roll-up doors are open, the tables along the edge feel as though they are outdoors
Best Seat: I always sit in the bar, but if you sit closer to the very open kitchen you get great views of the staff in action. If you choose a table by the rollup windows, you get a great breeze when they are rolled up in non-inclement weather.
Noise Level: clarklewis can get loud when it’s full. If you’re with one other person, you’ll have trouble conversing. As your group gets larger, communicating with those more than a chair or two away from you becomes difficult. I wouldn’t take my slightly deaf grandmother there, if I had one.
Bring the Kids: No
Bathrooms: Yes, they are shared with the rest of the building, so go out the glass door along the back wall midway between the bar and kitchen, turn right, go down the hall, you’ll see them on your right a little ways down.
Parking: Free on the street and out front in marked spots.
Cocktails: Yes, full bar and yummy speciality cocktails ($8-$10), good selection of scotch, bourbon, whiskey, vodka & aperitifs.
Beer: Yes, a few draught and bottled ($3.50-$7), cans of Guinness ($5). Beer and cocktails menu here.
Wine: Yes, extensive selection of by the glass ($8-$10), half-bottles ($31-$64), and bottle ($31-$150), French, Italian, Spanish, German, Austrian and plenty of West Coast (CA, OR, WA) wines, see the menu here: Red Wine, White Wine
Corkage: $20 per 750mL
Teetotalers: Dry Soda, Herb Soda Company Root Beer and Honey Cream Soda, housemade raspberry lemonade
Coffee: Stumptown, the clarklewis blend
Tea: Mighty Leaf
Ideal Meal: Grilled Monterey Bay calamari, tagliatelle with lamb ragu, semolina-dusted Alaskan halibut
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Good for the following occasions: Romantic Date, Glammy Girls Night, Family Dinner, Impress The Client
Group/Private Party Details: clarklewis can accommodate larger parties both within the dining room and their private even space, call for more details.
Reservations: Yes, call or reserve on line at OpenTable.com
Take-Out: Yes
Deals: Daily three course blue plate lunch special, $12