It’s that time of year again, yes, it’s Indie time!  For those of you who don’t know, Lisa founded the Portland Indie Wine Festival back in 2005, and it’s been LAD’s signature event and passion project ever since.  

We’ve altered the format a bit this year, but trust us, it’s for the better.  One day with all 40 wineries, new location and hours, VIP tickets, gourmet bites from Portland’s best chefs and restaurants, a wallet-friendly wine warehouse sale and a Friday night fundraising dinner for the Indie Wine Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to preserving and sustaining the art of craft winemaking. 

For more info go to: www.indiewinefestival.com or click here to read our Indie blog where we’ll keep you up to date with what’s going on in the PIWF world.  You can also follow us on twitter and Facebook.

Buy your tickets online here. 

Hope to see you there! Oh yes, and if you’re interested in volunteering this year, email info{at}indiewinefestival.com.

Looking for an after work activity tonight? Check this out…it’s too good to pass up!

From drink guru & friend Kelley Swenson at Ten 01 —

Tonight, Wednesday @ Ten 01 between 5 & 7 pm I am proud to announce a special cocktail happy hour in collaboration with House Spirits Distillery called Recession Proof Mixology or RPM.

This evening Kelley, Kara, and Colleen will be joined by Ryan Magarian of Aviation Gin & House Spirits to mix happy hour cocktails from a special menu designed for the evening.

Ryan is a Portland native and an accomplished bartender nation wide. It has been some time since he has been behind the bar in PDX and Ten 01 is excited to welcome him back for an evening of quality affordable drinks!

The RPM special menu will feature $5 drinks from 5 – 7 pm. Please stop by to say hello!

The Indie team recently hosted two meetings – one in Carlton and one in Portland – to discuss the infrastructure and future of the Portland Indie Wine Festival. Karl Klooster, a writer from Oregon Wine Press, joined the Carlton conversation and published an article about Indie in the January 2009 issue. Well said, Karl!

To read it, click here.

Nine days ago, the weathermen predicted a storm so I went to the store and felt a little foolish but thought I’d stock up even if it was a conspiracy to get people shopping. The next day was snowy and I felt wonderfully wise. Now, it’s over a week later, 15 inches of snow higher, and I’m down to my last grapefruit.

My kitchen window view yesterday before another 6 inches came down.

So, it’s been a day of working from home, impromptu chicken (frozen breast) and noodles with peanut sauce (had to substitute ginger powder for fresh, and make my own version of chili sauce) and trying I am to remain optimistic despite losing our LAD holiday party today and many other inconveniences.

It does remind me of the NYC Blizzard of 96 when everything shut down except for my office. I was told that despite the state of emergency those of us who could still walk to work were expected in. I got there, had nothing to do, and made a lunch reservation for Bolo, Bobby Flay’s Spanish place across the street on 22nd. Three of us camped at a table, ordered a bottle of wine, had a 4 hour lunch and called it a day. Snow days are probably not the best days to impose autoritarian rules.

I guess the best thing about storms like this is the opportunity to be reminded that our tendency to think everything is within our control is a comfortable illusion.

It’s been fun to simply get caught up on house projects, pack for Mexico with the hope that I will in fact fly out on Thursday, and enjoy the scrumptous treats in my cabinets.

Tonight, I’ve tucked in with a ginger bread cookie from Two Tarts (Thanks Mark!) and a delicious Chocolate Stout from Rogue’s fantastic Thanksgiving Weekend garage sale. No complaints from this snowed in girl.

Late night Oregon snack -- stout and ginger cookies.

New LOCAL Product Watch – Viso

At LAD we are always looking for new companies to support, especially local brands with a great story and an exceptional product. Viso is one of them. What is it? Think red bull meets vitamin water infused with EmergenC. Viso is a new healthful drink that gives consumers that extra kick in their step the natural way. The blue bottle (darkened to protect the electrolytes, natural flavors and vitamins from prolonged light exposure) comes in a eight different flavors, all packed with 100% of the daily allowance of 12 vitamins and 2 minerals – the website has a ‘periodic table of Viso’ feature, detailing all ingredients. Four are sugar-free and four have 300 milligrams of caffeine (that’s about 3 cups of coffee). I love Strawkey – light and fruity, NOT syrupy or artificial-tasting. I also owe a thank you to Will Energy for getting me through a long, icy drive back from Seattle on Sunday night (w/o the sugar high)!

The best part, is the team behind the brand. A friend of mine told me that they called the number listed on the website and the Founder and President, Alex IIica picked up. They proceeded to have a friendly conversation about the product and Portland, and he’s been an avid supporter since. Got to love that transparency! Just from the website you get great a sense that the Portland-based Viso Beverage Co. crew are having a great time making their product (they started production in Alex’s kitchen in 2000) and are dedicated to creating loyal brand supporters. www.drinkviso.com

Hey Viso, do you have any PR?

Ever since I graduated college in Orange County, California I have tried to make it back down at least twice a year to see friends, get my fill of nice weather during the rainy months in Oregon and to get a fix of my favorite spots. A couple weeks ago, I booked a cheap ticket to John Wayne Airport and began mentally planning my trip. From the second I arrived in Orange County, I found myself flying by the seat of my pants trying to fit everything into three days. Here is my top 10 list of places to visit in Orange County during the winter months.

1. Citrus City Grille
Located in the heart of the City of Orange in the Orange Circle, this restaurant is at the top of my all time favorite restaurants list. A well-known hotspot for great food and drinks, this cute and cozy restaurant offers the best focaccia and balsamic dipping sauce for an appetizer and Seafood Linguini. Some other hits I would recommend are the Ahi Poke Salad (seasonal) and the Wild Mushroom Meatloaf.

2. Balboa Island
From boutique clothing shops to ice cream shops to art stores, Balboa Island is a fun place to wander around even if you are just window shopping. Find unique tops and jewelry, eat handmade “original” chocolate covered bananas, or just stroll down the beach and check out the sailboats. This is a great place, but beware of the limited parking.

3. Opah
I didn’t make it to Opah this trip, but it’s a spot I look forward to visiting. This is a perfect date spot for dinner or just a great place to go to for happy hour. Happy Hour features half price starters, and boy are they good!

I have been to Opah on several occasions, and I can say that these dishes are among my favs. All contain seafood, but hey that’s just me.

Frutti di Mare – Shrimp, New Zealand mussels, Manila clams, fish and calamari in a spicy vegetable marinara over linguine.

Pacific Northwest Cioppino – A rich shellfish and seafood broth, simmered with 1⁄2 Maine lobster, New Zealand mussels, prawns, Manila clams, scallops, calamari and fish.

Sesame Peppercorn Seared Ahi (rare) – Pickled cucumber relish and Thai citrus sauce.

4. Roger’s Gardens
Oh Roger’s Gardens… During the holiday season this place is a gold mine! Roger’s Gardens is open all year to people interested in horticulture, but it’s the holiday season that attracts me to this place. From November through the beginning of January, Roger’s Gardens transforms into a Christmas paradise. If you too get really excited about Christmas and holiday decorations, you should make a special trip just to visit this place.

Check out their website to see what I’m talking about.

5. South Coast Plaza

A Shop-a-holics dream. Even though you pay a 7.75% sales tax, it’s worth it. From European stores such as Zara, H&M and MNG-Mango to stores like Steve Madden, you can’t leave this place without blowing your paycheck – or maybe that’s just me.

6. Yard House
Yes, this is a chain restaurant. I am crossing my fingers we get one in Portland very soon. This is a great restaurant for a beer lover, offering between 100-250 beers on tap. Besides the beers, I would recommend starting off with the Spicy Tuna Roll or California Roll. This is not your typical sushi roll (See photo below). The Seared Ahi Sashimi and Vodka Shrimp Pasta are also very tasty.

Happy hour at Yard House is a great value with selected half price appetizers and discounted drinks.

7. Newport Beach – Night Life
Huntington Beach, Fullerton and Newport Beach are the hot spots to go out as all of these places are loaded with bars and clubs. Newport Brewing Company, Rudy’s and Woody’s are three of the bars I enjoy wandering into.

8. Rutebegorz

Voted the #1 Vegetarian Restaurant in Orange County and #2 for Most Unique Salad, this restaurant located in an old house close to the Orange Circle is popular among both the college kids and the locals. Although it’s vegetarian, Rutebegorz offers a variety of meat dishes. The Chicken Garlic Wrap is to die for and the Pizza Bagel is simple but very yummy.

9. Antique Shops in the Orange Circle
Ok, it’s out there. I’m a 23 year old that likes to go antiquing. All those years my mom hauled me to the Antique and Collectible Shows at the Oregon Convention Center, also known as the largest antique and collectible show in the world, paid off – I finally appreciate antiques. Check out these stores. I bet you’ll go home with some one-of-a-kind items. Click here to see a map.

10. Ho Sum Bistro
A next-door neighbor to my college internship, this small restaurant offers the best chicken salad, the Ho Sum Chicken Salad. Next time you’re down in Orange County driving down Newport Boulevard during lunchtime, keep your eyes peeled for bustling little restaurant.

If you have any favorite spots in Orange County let me know – I would love to check them out!

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.

I love this time of year… Halloween and Fresh Hop Beers! It’s times like this that I count my blessings for living in the Northwest. While people everywhere will celebrate Halloween this week, there isn’t another region of the country where you can get the fresh hop experience, and even if you live here you’d better move fast – they only last a few weeks. In order to seize the moment, we did a LAD taste-test of two Oregon fresh hop brews: Deschutes Hop Trip and Rogue Independence. Both were delicious but very different in style. Here’s a recap of our tasting notes, and since we’re so close to Halloween we’ve given the beers their own costume equivalents.

Festive Fresh Hop Beer

Deschutes Hop Trip / Jack Skellington: Sophisticated, fresh, fruity and smells like a hop farm. This beer was layered with a bright nose and dry palate that evaporates off the tongue leaving you curious for more. Herbal without the intense bitterness, it would be the hit of Halloween Town.

Rogue Independence / A Pirate : Dominant, intense, bitter and might knock you over the head. Simple, but tried and true and always fun. This beer had more hop intensity, with rich malt and caramel flavors. The quintessential hop lover’s beer with a big pop. Get ready to walk the plank, matey…. arrggh.

I just received Michael’s real time email with a preview of what’s in store for Tabla Mediterranean Bistro’s Tuesday Flight Night this evening. It sounds delicious! Unfortunately I’m missing out, but for those of you seeking a fruity Tuesday night bite paired the perfect wine head over and let me know how it is!

Pears
October 14, 2008
Wine Flight :: 12
Food :: A la Carte or 23 for all 3

cheese plate :: ossau iraty, brie, purple haze,
grilled pears and saba :: 12
Pairing :: 2006 Roland Lavantureux, Chardonnay, Petit Chablis, France

duck sausage :: stuffed pears, thyme, grana frico :: 8
Pairing :: 2007 Domaine Lapierre, Gamay, Morgon, Beaujolais, France

grilled pork chop :: pear and sage chutney :: 15
Pairing :: 2005 Azul Guelbenzu, Tempranillo/Cabernet/Merlot, Ribera del Quieles, Spain Full Glasses ::

Full Glasses ::
Lavantureux :: 12
Domaine Lapierre :: 13
Azul Guelbenzu : 11