Chef Choice Portland Food Aventure with Jenn Louis of North PDX's Lincoln Restaurant

Last night, a group of hungry diners gathered at Lincoln - Chef Jenn Louis' gorgeous and highly acclaimed North Portland restaurant - for an evening of family-style food and exploration of Jenn's honest and creative approach to Pacific Northwest cuisine. The fourth Portland Food Adventures Chef's Choice dinner brought together food lovers of all stripes to enjoy one of the best menus in Portland as it transitions from winter's hearty comfort food to spring's greens and lighter dishes. I'd been to Lincoln a few times before, notably last fall after Jenn and I made Ribollita together at the Portland Farmers' Market, but last night was extra-special. Jenn selected a long list of dishes that represented Lincoln's hyper-seasonal menu and signature blend of high-end and accessible food - from classic cassoulet with rabbit, lamb, pancetta, and tarbais beans, to brandade (sold cod/olive oil mousse) fritters, fried fennel, and some absolutely perfect onion rings. We were treated to the story of how Jenn and her husband (Lincoln's front-of-the-house and bar manager David Welch) met when she was working at Wildwood, chatted with Gabe Rosen of Biwa about his mission of bringing traditional, fun, and accessible Japanese food to a nondescript corner of Southeast Portland, and received a big envelope stuffed with gift certificates to some of Jenn's favorite spots in town.

Party Photos: Mardi Gras Bash at Irving Street Kitchen

What: ISK's First Annual Portland Mardi Gras Party
Where: Irving Street Kitchen, 701 NW 13th St. - irvingstreetkitchen.com 
The Dirty Details: Strong classic NOLA drinks from shakers Brandon Wise and Allison Webber (think Hurricanes and Sazeracs till the sun came up), tarot readings, masked and beaded shenanigans, live funk and bluegrass music, burlesque dancers, two WHOLE ROASTED PIGS from Chef Sarah Schafer, the never-ending raw bar of oyster-shucking glory, jugglers, traditional king cake. I didn't find the baby in the cake, and I almost fell on those dangerous floor balloons about seventeen times, but otherwise the night was AMAZING. These kids know how to throw a party - and I've got the beads to prove it.

Medlar? What's a Medlar?

A few weeks ago I was at Park Kitchen chatting with Chef Scott Dolich about the sources of his produce and the reliability of local Portland farmers coming through year after year. Scott's a regular customer of Sheldon and Carol Laeity of Your Kitchen Garden in Canby, because they supply their "beyond organic" produce to the Portland restaurant scene almost year-round (all but January) and they provide some unique varieties of greens, veggies, and fruits that you just can't get anywhere else. Another favorite farmer of Scott's is Tremaine Arkley who owns land in Independance, Oregon (just north of Keizer). Tremaine is the source of some of Park Kitchen's more interesting menu items, including these homely little guys. These, my friends, are medlars. When Scott pulled out a canister of these wrinkly things from under his counter, he had this big grin on his face because he knew he was introducing me to something I had never heard of, much less seen.