The interior is quite small, with focus on the bar so we sat outdoors. To start, we each ordered a glass of wine: 2017 Brut Rosé, de Nit, Raventós i Blanc from Conca del Riu Anoia for me and 2018 Belle Oiseau, Belle Pente, from Willamette Valley for Keith. I always love a nice sparkling rosé and we both found Keith's white blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Gewürztraminer to be very elegant. Both wines paired perfectly with our shared starter of Oysters served with mezcal mignonette and chili salt. This might have been my first time having oysters from the Pacific Northwest and they were still briny, which I love, but way more creamy. I normally like my oysters naked, but added a touch of the vinegar and salt to counterbalance the creaminess and found it quite delightful!
We also shared a salad of Spinach & Green Tomatoes with a wonderful sheep’s cheese, topped with pistachios and honey. The spinach was huge and leafy green, the tomatoes were tart, and the honey added just a touch of sweetness. Overall, a refreshing dish.
Keith decided to splurge and order the Foie Gras Dumplings with apricot teriyaki, dashi honey, and puffed rice. The wrapping was a bit hard (and I'm sure any Asian like my mother would scoff at), but the filling was smooth and delicate. Not convinced if these little guys are worth the $24 price tag, but hey - we were on vacation and felt we needed to order something with duck for the restaurant's namesake.
For his main course, Keith ordered the Chorizo Stuffed Quail served with masa panisse, salsa negra, and a corn salad. Though tasty, Keith tends to regret ordering quail due to its small size. He always states how he could eat at least four of the little birds. He paired it with a glass of 2019 Coteaux du Lyonnais (Gamay), Traboules, Guillaume Clusel, from Rhône, France. The red wine was medium-bodied and great for summer.
I enjoyed the vegetarian option of Squash & Tomato Tart served with strange curry pickles and griddled halloumi. I loved the cheese, which definitely gave some heartiness to the dish. I paired it with a glass of 2013 Semillon, Nacré, Forlorn Hope, from Napa Valley. This white wine was a little too light for my food, but would be nice on its own or better with the oysters I had earlier.
Instead of dessert, we ordered a cocktail as they all really sounded amazing. I liked the Smoke ‘n’ Rosés, which is made with banhez mezcal, lillet rosé, cynar, and pamplemousse. This was refreshing from the grapefruit but had a subtle smokiness from the mezcal that was sexy. Keith drank the Wawa West, which they described was their version of a Long Island Ice Tea - here made with vodka, gin, rum, tequila, peach liqueur, amaro ciociaro, lemon, and coke. Apparently someone is from the East Coast (where Wawa - a gas station famous for its peach ice tea - is located, so wanted to put a nod on the menu here.) He could taste the peach but was disappointed that it was from a liquor and not actual Wawa peach ice tea.
Overall, we had a great dinner and service was decent. We just found the prices to be a bit too high, compared to most other places in Portland.
Total Rating: 3.8
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 4.5, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5
