Pig-Out in Portlandia

All's well in the City of Roses.  I got in mid-afternoon on Wednesday after a very bumpy ride down from Juneau.  It was blowing about 40 in Ketchikan and the cloud tops for most of the way to Seattle were at about 37,000 feet.  We pounded our way down the coast - the captain kept the fasten seat belt sign on the whole way.

Seattle was  quite nice however and so was Portland.  It clouded up yesterday and is overcast again this morning; but no rain yet.  Wednesday night Leah, Amanda, Daniel and I went to a seafood joint downtown.  I have already forgotten the name of the place and will soon forget everything else about it too - except for the excellent company, of course.

Last night more than made up for the night before however.  We dined at Castagna and it was superb. The joint features a fixed price menu with four courses and four or five offerings for each course.  The menu is quite interesting in its descriptions of the dishes - pretty daunting in some cases - but EVERYTHING was yummy.  We all ordered different stuff and shared - so it was kinda like a massive tapas meal.  Way fun.

A few of my favourites:

• Black Cod cured in hay with a variety of radishes in different shapes and textures;
• Black truffles with wild apples, cress and celery root cooked in ash;
• Steelhead smoked over alder with beet charcoal, buttermilk ash and grapefruit;
• Duck with roasted salsify, wild licorice, bourbon and spiced milk; and
• Chamomile ice cream with crystalized honey, sweet and sour citrus.

A couple of bottles of excellent Italian red accompanied the meal.  And with dessert I braved a glass of slivovitz - which I believe is the Polish national drink - and which Daniel accurately characterized as a "tribute to grain alcohol and hard-living."  Actually I believe the beverage is distilled from plums.  But it is potent stuff.  OOFTA!

Yesterday Amanda and I visited the Chinese garden downtown.  It was the Chinese New Year and very festive.  I was amazed at the number of things that are in bud and will soon be blooming.  The place will be a riot of color in a few weeks.  We had tea and watched a dragon dance.  

Today it's off to Sokol-Blosser winery where Leah will give Jane, Amanda, Daniel and yours truly a tour and no doubt a sampling.  I will take my camera so will have some photographic evidence to share.

Tomorrow night I'm off to A Cena - one of my favourite Italian joints located near Jane's and John's place in Sellwood.  We hope to be joined my my old college pals Rich and Irene McConaghy.

I just love this place...