Toro Bravo

It is seriously sad that we don't head here more often, when it is a mere 6 blocks from home. And we've only been once, I think. We walked down last night just after 5 and snagged seats at the counter.

We started with drinks - Borio (?) for him (a tequila cocktail) and a Sage Seville for me (like a gin mojito with sage instead of mint). Tasty and balanced for both.

We started with the Singing Pig salad which featured grilled asparagus, chopped egg and hazelnuts, and the sherry chicken liver mousse. Both were big portions for the price. We were expecting maybe a votive of chicken liver mousse, but it was a very generous cup. Served with quartered ciabatta bread slices and crispy baguette. The salad was served in a mixing bowl with salad tongs. I tossed it around a little and served us up a big scoop each and still had enough left in the bowl for seconds. I love egg in salad so this was a winner for me. It was very lightly dressed in a mild vinaigrette.

Next we ordered the oxtail croquettes and drunken pork with fresh shell bean stew. I thought the oxtail croquettes were a ripoff for $14. Three, two-inch croquettes? Oxtails are from the tail of a cow, right? They were rich and crispy, though, with a great spicy aioli. I'm glad we tried them, and because the first two dishes' portion size was so generous, this one being skimpy didn't really matter. Actually, maybe that was why we expected a little more on that plate, because of the size of the first two. The drunken pork came out next. Tasted like a smoked pork chop chunked up with great northern beans and a tomato-pepper stew.

We passed on dessert and Brian had one more drink instead. 3 drinks + 4 dishes = $67 before tip. Not bad considering we can spend $30 for breakfast in the area pretty easily. I think we'll probably pop in more often now.


Toro Bravo
120-A N.E. Russell Street
Portland, OR 97212
503.281.4464
torobravopdx.com

Chesterfield and Thatch

This week I hit two places I'd never been before, Chesterfield over on Burnside, and Thatch on NE Broadway. My friend J and I met at Thatch at 4:00pm, and they didn't open till 5, so we headed over to Chesterfield. You might know Chesterfield by its big red paint job. It's in the same building as rocket - Chesterfield on the bottom floor, rocket on the fourth. Still haven't been to rocket but it doesn't sound like I'm missing much. Chesterfield is brightly decorated, with plastic stools. I didn't like them at all! Stupid stools.... Upstairs there's a round coke den table in black leather. It looks just like the ones at SubTerra, only not white. There's also a counter lining the loft ledge with more plastic stools, perfect for sipping solo, gazing down at the pretty young things below. Speaking of pretty young things, there were none in sight. In fact we were the only ones in the whole place when we walked in, and then a table of 3 showed up. The space is a lot smaller than I'd imagined, and I would not like to be there on a busy night. The best surprise was the bartender Russell. He's an old friend from my Red Star days back in 2000, and a terrific bartender. My friend had a perfectly balanced Pimm's Cup and I tried the Wendelini - peach bitters and prosecco with an lemon twist. J and I shared some curried mushrooms and a greek salad. Good portions for cheap. It was happy hour, too, so our drinks were $3 off. I will go back, soon, to see my friend Russell and try more drinks, like the Miss Sassy Rack or the Queen Bitch.

We had made a commitment to get into Thatch, so we headed back to my 'hood just after 5pm. It, too is smaller than it appears. Maybe 6 tables, and the bar. To enter, walk over the little wooden bridge spanning the "grotto". Some people find it annoying, but I love the tiki motif. It reminded me of being in Mexico. Sniff. There are tiki idol gods everywhere, and a thatched roof and a private table in it's own little hut. I can see heading there in the depths of February when ya just need a little cheering up and a mai tai is what the doctor ordered. J dared me to try a Donkey Punch, a drink so dangerous they are limited to two per customer. And the ingredients aren't listed, but the main one is Bacardi 151. And I drank two. I felt pretty good when I left. The food menu is pretty limited and there isn't much of a kitchen, so I don't know if I'd make it a food destination.

Chesterfield
1101 E. Burnside
Portland, OR 97214
503.236.6133
Open Daily 4pm - 2am

Thatch
2733 NE Broadway
Portland, OR 97232
503.281.8454
Open daily 5pm-close

Fratelli and Bar Dué

Fratelli recently expanded into the space next door, creating Bar Dué. It's dark, candle-lit, has a small bar and a long bench seat with 5 or 6 two-top tables. I tried two cocktails that I really liked, a pear-tini (Grey Goose Pear odka, fresh lemon & Amaretto) and a Mezzaluna Orange Martini (Mezzaluna vodka, Grand Marnier & fresh squeezed orange juice). The Happy Hour menu is broken into Pizzette and Small Plates. There are four pizzettes with various simple toppings. I tried one with tomato, fennel and salami. Yummy, crisp and slightly sweet. From the small plates section, I had the veal meatballs with gorgonzola and the braised beef panini. The meatballs rocked. Veal and gorgonzola - what a combo. The panini was pretty good, too, especially the spiced pickle and onion marmalade spread. Also on the menu is roasted lamb with salsa verde, polenta with mozzarella and prosciutto, squash wrapped in pancetta, beef and pork lasagna, and a mixed green salad. Happy Hour is 4:30-6:00 and 9:00-close; $2 drink minimum. Pizzettes and small plates are $5. The regular bar menu includes pizza, antipasti, bruschette and formaggi. Prices range from $3 (one antipasti) to $16. Try it!

Fratelli
1230 NW Hoyt
503-241-8800

Summer Hours: Sun-Thurs: Bar 4:30-9:30, Dining room 5-9:00
Fri & Sat: Bar 4:30-10:30, Dining room 5-10:00

Summer in Margaritaville

I am blessed in many ways. Not least is that I have a very loving bf who is a master in the kitchen and makes great drinks. All of his cocktail creations are made with fresh-squeezed lemon, lime and orange. His favorite liquor is tequila, so, not surprisingly, we enjoy many versions of the classic margarita.





This is one he whipped up last night. I can't post the recipe - I don't know the amounts. He used lemon, lime and orange muddled well with sugar, ice, tequila, triple sec, cranberry juice and grenadine shaken furiously, then topped with a little splash of RockStar energy drink. Bottoms up!