Le Pigeon, Portland, Oregon 11/5/11

Atmosphere: Small restaurant east of downtown Portland. Less than 10 tables with 6 chairs overlooking the kitchen. Brick built building with lots of character.

Service: 4 out of 5 spoons
Very attentive staff with lots of knowledge of the products and ingredients. Although they took my order they were spotty in providing service at the chefs bar table and concentrated more at the tables.

Food: 5 out of 5 forks
Food Comments: Food was french technique inspired with American fare. They provided great products and in unconventional forms. Everything is made to order including the pasta dishes which are made right in front of you.

Appetizers:


( Mr.)

Escargot and Orzo pasta dish 8

Rabbit risotto 13

Quail and gnocchi 12

Entree:

Sou Vide Duck Confit

Kale, Red Wine Jus 26


Dessert:

(Mr.)

Foie gras profiteroles with caramel and sea salt 10

Wine Paring: 2007 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five 75 dollars 350 ML

4 out of 5 corks Great selections of wine at reasonable rates. Bring your wine for even a better experience if you know what is on the daily changing menu.

Favorite dish (of Mr.):

Foie Gras Profiteroles
with carmel and sea salt 10

Favorite dish (of Mrs.):

Cost: 90 per person with wine (Tax and Tip Included)

About: Shafer Vineyards

Shafer Vineyards traces its beginnings to 1972 when John Shafer left a 23-year career in the publishing industry and, with his family, moved to the Napa Valley to pursue a second career in wine. After purchasing a 210-acre estate in Napa Valley's Stags Leap District, the Shafer family faced the arduous task of replanting the existing vineyards, which dated to the 1920s, and terracing the steep and rocky hillsides, eventually expanding vineyard acreage to its current 50 acres.
Evolving from grape growers to vintners, the Shafers crushed their first Cabernet grapes in 1978 and began construction on their winery a year later.
The first Shafer Cabernet became a benchmark, winning the acclaimed San Francisco Vintners Club taste-off upon release and, over a decade later taking first place in an international blind tasting held in Germany, where it outranked such wines as Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour and Chateau Palmer.
Doug Shafer became winemaker in 1983 after graduating from the University of California at Davis with a degree in enology and viticulture. A year later Elias Fernandez joined the winery as assistant winemaker. Together Doug and Elias have worked closely to forge the Shafer style of quality, consistency and elegance.