Check out Hotel Vintage Plaza’s “Growing up Gourmet” package in the December issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Kids and Parents both can enjoy this fun foodie package!

Twas the week before Thanksgiving

And all through downtown,

No construction was ringing

Not one hammer sound

Today was the first day of the downtown Portland construction moratorium, and we have the fat man in the red suit to thank for it! Yesterday, Santa granted Mayor-Elect Sam Adams’ holiday wish… to clear the streets of construction gear and open up more parking spaces for seasonal shoppers. No more traffic snarls downtown? Looks like Santa’s gift is going to bring smiles to more than just Sam’s face.

Sam got a construction moratorium, and all I got from Santa was a mini candy cane. Apparently I need to clean up my act for next year.

Portland is a hub for food and drink, but it’s also home to a thriving music scene. For you music lovers, here is something you must check out. I happened upon this site a few months back and I was instantly hooked. It’s called Black Cab Sessions and was dreamed up by Hidden Fruit Prods and Just So Films – both UK based companies. Trust me, after you watch these you’ll say to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that!”

How it works: it’s a small production consisting of one camera set up in the back of one black cab (of the British variety of course) with one band en route through the urban streets of London. They get one take and that’s that. The rest speaks for itself.

Black Cab Sessions is about one thing only – great music, raw and uncut. These videos give viewers access into a special moment where some of the world’s most popular indie rock artists are stripped down to one guitar and their voice sans microphone or studio effects. This is the essence of Indie music at it’s core.

These are a few of my favorites: My Morning Jacket, The Kooks, Spoon, Death Cab For Cutie, Bon Iver and Brian Williams from the Beach Boys. Sometimes the website is slow to load, in which case go to Youtube and search Black Cab Sessions and the artist’s name.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

Nostrana’s Chef Cathy Whims shares some of her recipes in the December issue of Bon Appetit. All recipes feature chanterelles, an ingredient that is at its seasonal peak.

Get them while they last!

Sara Perry of the Oregonian interviewed Oregon Brewers Guild President Van Havig for a Q & A column on fresh hop beers. Get your lesson on fresh hops by reading the full article below.

It’s that time of year again… time to share some of the trends we have spotted popping up here in Portland and across the country during 2008. Let us know if you have seen these around town and if you have any trends to add to the list!

1. Eggs for Dinner
When life gives you eggs… make a frittata.
The last few years have aimed a bright spotlight on eggs. From consumer designations like cage-free

Tabla Ravioli

and veg-a-fed, to the growing number of backyard coups in urban neighborhoods, eggs are seeing an elevated status as a protein source. Add to that the fact that they’re affordable, and it’s understandable why there’s a growing demand for these savory ova. Eggs have always been popular with home cooks, but we’re beginning to see an increase in egg-centric dishes on dinner menus, like the Tabla Ravioli with housemade pasta, chard, ricotta, poached egg and poppy seed butter at Tabla Mediterranean Bistro in Portland, Oregon. Can I get a cluck, cluck?

2. CSA – Community Supported (Whole) Animals
Most foodies have heard of the whole animal movement that is gaining popularity among chefs, but for most average folks the idea of buying a whole animal has been unfeasible simply because of the volume of product that comes from a whole animal. We’ve noticed that some intrepid carnivores have taken to forming small coalitions that work together to purchase a complete animal, with each individual or family taking home a quarter or an eighth of the meat.  Not only do you know where it’s coming from, but you might save some money.

Check out eatwild.com to find a local pasture-based farm near you!

3. Fresh Hop Beers
Fall has clearly descended upon us and in the Northwest beer scene that can mean only one thing: it’s time for fresh hop beers. This growing trend takes advantage of Oregon breweries’ close proximity to the abundant hop farms by utilizing fresh picked wet hops that impart earthy and herbal flavors not found in varieties brewed with traditional dried hops. In addition to being available at the recent fresh hop “tastivals” the Oregon Brewers Guild sponsored with Oregon Bounty, many of these once-a-year beers are still available on draft with a few breweries producing bottled versions.

We recommend trying Deschutes Brewery’s Hop Trip and Rogue Ales’ Independence Hop Ale to experience the variety of flavors fresh hops can produce.

4. Bicycle Lifestyle
Bike commuting is no longer just for the spandex crowd. In Portland alone, bike commuting has jumped 28% in the last year, with 8% of Portlanders citywide now using a bicycle as their main mode of transportation to get to and from work. As pedaling becomes more popular, new services and events hit the scene daily. Have you ever seen a coffee shop ON a bike? Check out Café Velo.

How about your neighbors moving furniture by bike? Not yet? Well keep an eye out. It’s coming to a city near you…

5. Chicken Liver Mousse
As a card carrying Unitarian and recovering Catholic, I have led a fairly sheltered life when it comes to chicken liver. It’s one of those culinary treasures I came to late in life. And thank God, which ever you choose, for my savory enlightenment! We’re seeing great versions of this on practically every one of our favorite Portland menus. From Clyde Common to Mother’s to Ten 01 and our current top of the liver list – 50 Plates which features an inspired concept. They take Manashevitz and turn it into a gelée which rests on top an egg cup of delicious chicken liver mousse. Oy, that’s good. ~ Lisa

6. Wine Beauty Products
Enjoy wine? Why not soak in it? We’ve noticed a growing trend towards wine based beauty products that boast healthier skin, hair, improvement of blood circulation and pure relaxation. They are calling this Vinotherapy, a treatment that originated in the Bordeaux region of France. This treatment has now made its

Caudalie's Crushed Cabernet Scrub

way to the US, where manufacturers, spas and consumers are starting to pick up on the craze.

If you want to join in on the Vinotherapy mania or if you’re a skeptic and just want to try this out for yourself, here are some of the products we found: Caudalie’s Crushed Cabernet Scrub, Napa Soap Company’s Shea Cuvee Body Butter, Victoria’s Essentials Burgundy Bath Soak and Desert Essence Organics Italian Red Grape Shampoo.

After you try these out let us know what you think!

7. Prix Fixe Menus
One lump sum, multiple dishes later – the prix fixe has made a come back. Given the unease of the economy, diners are finding ease by adopting the sum dining mentality. Some restaurants are new prix fixe fans, while others have been there from the start. Either way, seek out the set deals while they last! Tabla Mediterranean Bistro’s $24, 3-course dinner…that’s hard to beat.

8. Vintage Etched Cocktail Glassware
Like poodle sweaters, saddle shoes and mid-century modern couches, the 50s continues to inspire us. One home entertaining trend we’re noticing is a flash back to a time when martini glasses were 3 ounces and etched champagne coups did in fact remind you of your mum’s bosom. In fact, food stylists tell us that kitch glassware from local thrift shops and flea markets is always on the top of their shopping for props list.

9. Serious Foodie-Approved Vegetarian
Elevated. Thoughtful. Healthy. Gourmet. Meatless. Vegetarian cuisine has moved from phase to fad, and now gourmet veg-only hot spots are getting National recognition. What do we love the most? Leaving dinner pleasantly full and packed with the Vitas, without the fat. Nutshell, recently nominated “Best Vegetarian Restaurant” by Veg News, is a pioneer in the gourmet veg scene.

10. Upscale Yurts
Like camping, but not in the rain? Need a vacation, but don’t want to spend $200 for a hotel room? If these thoughts have crossed your mind, you’re not alone and there is a solution. One that more and more people are turning to – yurts. A modern adaptation of an ancient nomadic shelter from Central Asia, the yurt is a

Pacific Yurts

circular structure with a wood lattice-like frame that’s covered in fabric. Yurts can range from rustic to regal, competing for traveler business with both campgrounds and high-end hotels. In fact, Oregon now has yurts for rent at more than a dozen state campgrounds – most located on the coast. The best part – besides oak floors, wall heat, furniture, beds, electricity, skylights – they cost $30 a night.

About a year ago, Lisa dreamed up and established the Foodie Friday tradition at LAD. One Friday every few months, the LAD team organizes a special foodie outing to feed our curiosity about the industry and extend our knowledge base as experts. We’ve baked foccacia with Nostrana, tasted beer and toured Raccoon Lodge and taken canning lessons at Lisa’s – it’s been good! A few weeks ago, Stewart and Athena Boedecker, Boedecker Cellars, invited us into their new Northwest winery, The Portland Wine Project, which they share with Grochau Cellars. Foodie Friday, perhaps? Yes, please.

With Lisa in San Francisco and Stephanie tied up at a meeting, Lota, Jackie, Shawn and I headed out to Northwest Portland for our first taste of Crush. First impression – I can’t wait for this tasting room to open! The space was modern and inviting. Even amongst the construction, the energy was contagious. The 10,000 sq/ft winery is a fantastic industrial loft-style space with floor to ceiling windows, tasting room, cellar and crush facility.

We started off the day in the main crush facility. Athena brought us over to the collection of massive fermentation tubs that needed to be punched down and pumped over.

This is when we were given our first task. I started out with punch downs. To do a successful punch down, I learned you must work the flat tool down through the huge tub of fermenting grapes to make sure the juice and skins stay mixed up. After ten minutes, my arms couldn’t take it anymore (quite the work out!) so I switched with Jackie who was doing pump overs. The pump over process takes the juice from the bottom of the barrel and pumps it over the top with a hose. Again, we did this for about 10 min each barrel.

After punch down and pump overs, it was time to sip. Stewart took us through an educational tasting of four fermenting tubs – three pinot noir (from different vineyards) and one syrah. We could taste the subtle differences between the pinots. Grapes from Carlton Hill tasted well-rounded and elegant. Grapes from Holmes Gap Vineyard tasted as vibrant and bouncy as the young winery.

After the tasting, we were presented with a less glamorous task…siphoning a pinot gris jug to separate the juice from left over sediment.

Lunch was delicious! Athena whipped up one of her favorite pasta recipes from her James Beard pasta cookbook, a nice green salad, Cypress Grove cheese with fresh bread and, of course, wine. It was the perfect end to our day in the life of a winemaker.

For more information about the Portland Wine Project, click here to read Mike Thelin’s article in Portland Monthly.

Deschutes Brewery’s latest Reserve Series release, The Dissident, was featured as the top choice in Draft Magazines latest review. Check out the complete story below.

The Dissident in Draft