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

It was a blue sky and a perfect day for sorting fruit at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in the Willamette Valley yesterday. The attraction for me is to personally connect with this year’s harvest, to smell the fruit, see the clusters, chat about random things and come home with sticky boots and a little more knowledge about the magic of how these ripe berries become a memorable elusive liquid.

The view from the Terrace which looks onto Mt. Hood

I worked on the sorting line with Lynn and Ron and a few other friends who hand sorted several tons of Pinot Noir from Shea Vineyards.

Fresh from the vineyard

The last time I did this I learned about second crop or fruit that needed to be pulled from the line because it was not as ripe as the main clusters and this time I noticed Lynn pick up one cluster and pull off a few berries. I asked why she had yanked only a couple berries and she showed me that they had a bit of botrytis or rot. Fortunately, we saw this only once or twice but it was a great opportunity to learn how to identify it and to see the real care that goes into this process.

I was impressed that her eagle eye could see such a subtle discoloration so quickly (fruit zips by fast and even though at some points we had up to six people on the line, it is still an intense momentum). I did occasionally feel like Lucy on the bon bon candy belt.

It was a great day indeed.

Lots of laughter, great tasting fruit (yes, it is mandatory to nibble on a few berries) and a good hearty lunch.

a slow moment on the sorting line

We just learned the sad news that David Lett eyrievineyards passed away last evening.  We want to convey our deepest condolences to the Lett family.  

We have had the privilege of working with David’s son Jason over the years and also of joining both David and Jason for one of the most memorable tastings of my career.  In March of 2006 David and Jason graciously opened up their cellars for two of my good writer friends from NY who were visiting as part of the Indie Wine Festival (Malachy Duffy, former senior editor of Food & Wine, and Alice Feiring, Natural wine advocate and wine writer for Departures, LA Times Magazine, etc.)

Alice and David at our fabulous Sunday afternoon tasting in McMinnville

Papa Pinot’s talent, attitude, vision and wine will be enjoyed for many years to come. They will live on in his children, grandchildren and the wine culture here he helped establish.  Let’s all lift a glass this evening in his honor!

Most people will tell you that I’m not into new age ideals and that superstitions aren’t a big part of my daily life; however, I never pass up an opportunity to read my horoscope. Whether it’s waiting for my latte at Starbucks or flipping through the pages of a magazine, I’ve always liked the idea that there is some sort of cosmic guidance offering us insights into the coming day, week or month.

So, imagine my excitement when I stumbled across an online guide to the ideal beer for you, based completely upon your astrological sign. Divine beer guidance? This was something I had to read. Here’s a quick look at the LAD zodiac and what the universe has in store for our palates:

• Lisa & Katie (Taurus) - Brooklyn Lager
• Jackie (Gemini) - Guinness Stout
• Stephanie (Virgo) - Smithwick’s
• Lota (Scorpio) - Old Ruffian Barley Wine

You can find the complete article here. What do you think about your cosmically perfect brew, ideal match or unfathomable flop? Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below.

2004 Piluso Pinot noir

The wine lovers at LAD have officially called it. ‘04 Oregon Pinot noirs are ripe and ready to be drunk. I write this after last night’s dinner went from seriously last minute, to seriously memorable. Here’s how it happened…

I’m drowning in tomatoes. In an effort to eat my mandatory daily ration I decided to cook up a quick tomato tapenade for fish last night. While it was bubbling away on the stove, I ransacked my house for a cheap red wine. Pepperwood Syrah… gone. Red Bicyclette… au revoir. By then I was fixated. Fresh tomato tapenade and no red wine is practically a sin, and one I’m not willing to pay the price for. I trudged down to the cellar, the whole while wondering if I could justify popping a bottle of one of my more prized wines on a Wednesday night, with no company. I’ve got a nice little trove of Oregon indie wines that I’ve collected over the last couple of years at the Portland Indie Wine Festival. Granted, they don’t last very long around my house, so I was quite surprised to discover a forgotten ‘04 Toluca Lane Pinot noir…

Here’s where it gets interesting. It was perfect. It had a little effervescence when I first uncorked it, but the nose was beautiful and it was perfectly balanced and full of flavor. It was Oregon elegance at its best, and 30 minutes later it surpassed my highest expectations. I could tell it was at its prime - 6 months or more and it might have been over the hill, but right now it was perfect!

I told my tale at the office today and learned that I’m not the only one who had this ‘04 experience. Last week Lisa popped a bottle of ‘04 Black Cap Pinot noir and knew she’d hit the jackpot. The nose had particularly interesting rose pedal character and the finesse was incredible. It was a stunning example of Jason Lett’s intuitive talent and must be similar to when a surfer catches the crest of a wave — it was a perfect arc of flavor.

Catching a wine in its prime is a sublime experience, and one you wish you could savor over and over again, but it’s that short window of perfection that makes the moment so coveted. After making this discovery, we understood what we had to do. As Oregon wine lovers, we feel it is our duty to ensure that people get the best experience possible. Take our word for it … drink your ‘04 Oregon Pinot noir, and DRINK IT NOW!

Many of you may be wondering why I’m so excited about a “festive winter ale” in September, and to you my answer is simple - have you ever tasted Jubelale? Full of dark crystal malt, it’s nutty, it’s sweet and generally delicious. Mmmm…..

So what prompted this sudden outburst of Jubelale love? Last night Deschutes Brewery held simultaneous Jubelale launch parties at its Bend and Portland public houses, offering a lucky few the opportunity to try the 2008 brewing before it’s release to store shelves in the beginning of October.

In addition to traditional Jubelale the pub was offering a special nitro Jubel and a menu of delicious beer infused options. We tried the “Pig’s Ear” dessert which was similar to an elephant ear (with bits of bacon incorporated into the dough) and came with caramel sauce and a Jubelale ice cream. Pretty tasty.

So, if you’ve got a craving for some Christmas in September, I’d recommend heading down to the pub and getting your hands on some Jubelale before word spreads and you can’t get a stool at the bar.

Kegs

Are 21 year olds interested in beer and food pairings? What’s the best social media platform to reach young consumers? Which craft breweries have the most brand awareness with the youth market?

These are just a few of the many questions we’re trying to find answers to here at LAD comm headquarters. To help us in our mission and to provide more industry insight for our client partners, we’ve developed a new online survey that we’ve sent out to our network of targeted beer-loving consumers.

If you’d like to chime in and give us your two cents, check out our Zoomerang survey here. The survey is quick and easy (it should take about five minutes.) We’re interested to hear your thoughts - but don’t worry, all responses remain anonymous.

*UPDATED 10/1/08: Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our beer survey.  Due to the high volume of responses we received the survey is now closed.  We’re excited to start analyzing the data and reading your feedback.   Please check back soon, we’ll be posting some of our findings in the coming weeks.