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.

The Prime Rib, Philadelphia May 29th 2011

Atmosphere: Large restaurant located within a hotel. It has an awkward entrance that opens up into the main eating hall and the bar. Very refined and old school vibe with Manhattans, sidecars and old fashion the drinks to order.

Service: 4 out of 5 spoons
Service was proper with a a great attention to detail. They provided proper presentation of all three courses without skipping a beat. Although the waiter failed to come back to fill continuous drink orders its hard to tell if it was the large group that slowed it down or what to expect from the service

Food: 3 out of 5 forks
Food Comments: Food was straight forward steakhouse with nothing that stood out. Felt that Morton's would be a comparable example of what to expect. Although Morton's service and food presentation are a lot more cleaner.

Appetizers:


( Mr.)

Main Lobster Bisque 10

Entree:

(Mr.)

Roast Prime rib signature cut 49

Dessert:

(Mr.)

None for me

Wine Paring: 2005 Silver Oak - 199 dollars



4 out of 5 corks Our recommendation is bring your own bottle and save on the mark-up. The menu demands a red wine.

Favorite dish (of Mr.):

Favorite dish (of Mrs.):

Cost: 140 per person with wine and cocktails (Tax and Tip Included)

About: Silver Oak

90% Cabernet Sauvignon
6% Merlot
3% Petit Verdot
1% Cabernet Franc

Wayfare Tavern 4/28/11

Atmosphere: Large restaurant with two stories of limited seating. Very loud and rambunctious lively crowd even at our 10pm reservation. Lots of suits and dress attire but all are welcomed into Tyler Florence's comfort food palace.

Service: 5 out of 5 spoons
Service was fantastic and never missed a beat. Their cosmopolitans with the bourbon ed cherries added exceptional detail to the perfect aperitif cocktail.

Food: 4 out of 5 forks
Food Comments: Great food executed in harmony with the ingredients that were used. It was a well orchestrated symphony throughout the dinner with some hiccups and experiments gone awry.

Appetizers:


( Mr./Mrs.)
CHILLED MAINE LOBSTER - HALF - 18/WHOLE - 30
lemon garlic butter

Entree:

(Mr.)
STEAK FRITES - Santa Maria tri-tip, truffle butter, watercress and French fried potatoes - 27

( Mrs.)
ORGANIC FRIED CHICKEN - buttermilk brine, roasted garlic, crisp woody herbs, lemon - 22

Dessert:

(Mr./Mrs.)
FINANCIER CAKE
honey thyme ice cream, fresh cherries, candied thyme

Wine Paring: 2008 Leviathan- 95 dollars

Although we drank this bottle way to young. It was a terrific assertive and delicious red. That is spicy wonderfully textured red with a taste of anise, plum, spice, tobacco leaf and cedary/oak finish.



4 out of 5 corks Our recommendation is bring your own bottle and save on the mark-up. The menu demands a red wine. Although many beautiful selection on the menu. It is worthwhile to stop on the way to the restaurant

Favorite dish (of Mr.): ORGANIC FRIED CHICKEN - The exceptional brine on this chicken makes it completely moist on the inside with a great crust on the outside. It is incredible comfort food.

Favorite dish (of Mrs.):ORGANIC FRIED CHICKEN-

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

About: Leviathan

40% Cabernet Franc
30% Cabernet Sauvignon
16% Syrah
14% Merlot

Leviathan is a wonderful red wine from one of the most prominent wine makers in Napa Valley, Andy Erickson. He is the former winemaker at both Harlan estate and Screaming Eagle. Both of these bottles of wine would cost you more for a dozen bottles of his latest venture leviathan. But don't think that he didn't put great time and energy into this great product as well. Although we drank this bottle way to young. It was a terrific assertive and delicious red. That is spicy wonderfully textured red with a taste of anise, plum, spice, tobacco leaf and cedary/oak finish.