BEN @ Beaker and Flask (503) 235-8180
720 SE Sandy Boulevard, Portland, Oregon, 97214
Why he’s dreamy:
Fried razor clams put a satisfied smile on my face, while the tender pork cheeks with pickled octopus made me positively giddy. And you have to love a guy who can make simple, lightly-herbed fresh soft pretzels and mustard with a beer back seem like the sexiest snack in a place full of tasty treats.
~swoon~
Another Taste of the Nation event has come and gone, and we Crush Girls couldn’t be more enamored of our local cookin’ cuties. Aren’t we the luckiest diners? Here are some of our favorites from this year…
Gabriel @ Davis Street Tavern
duck breast with apricot chutney on brioche
Patricia @ La Calaca Comelona (A fave from last year!)
beef quesadillas
Ben @ Celilo
pork rillettes
Matthew and Eric @ Firehouse
rosemary lamb sausage
Dustin @ Wildwood
chilled asparagus soup with creme fraiche
John @ Pazzo (Who’s the cutie on the left?)
fig bellinis & smoked marlin-wrapped asparagus
Ian @ Fenouil
salmon tartare
Laurel @ Alberta Street Oyster Bar and Grill
tuna tartare
Jose Luis @ Andina
purple potatoes with shredded chicken and aji amarillo
And last, but certainly not least, our award for Taste of the Nation: Portland Chef Crush 2009 goes to…
Ray @ Nuestra Cocina
chicharron con salsa verde
KRIS and BEN @ Ping (503) 229-7464
102 NW 4th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97209
Why they’re dreamy:
Tasty skewers of various meats, fish, and veggies. We’re partial to the Vietnamese style short ribs, spicy Chiang Mai sausage, and house-made fish balls. The ramen is a (cheap!) huge bowl of slurptastic noodles, prawns, and bouncy pork. We’re not sure what bouncy pork is exactly, but we like it. And “carrot cake” is not a very apt description of the nonya dish, but once you taste it, it will grow on you like a bad drug addiction. Catch a counter seat and satisfy your cute cook cravings while you nosh on food you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in town…
BEN & JASON @ Ned Ludd (503 288-6900
3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, Oregon, 97212
Why they’re dreamy:
We fall hard for their tasty charcuterie and cheese plates, and don’t get us started on the black radish with butter and sea salt starter. The fromage blanc toast is a surprisingly sassy addition to the onion soup, and the sole with buttery leeks, escarole, and capers made us positively blush. What’s not to like about a place with adorable cooks feeding us such tantalizing tidbits?
BEN and AARON @ 23Hoyt (503) 445-7400
529 NW 23rd Avenue @ Hoyt Street, Portland, Oregon, 97210
Why they’re dreamy:
The seared sea scallops appetizer with butternut squash puree, sauteéd chantrelles and brown butter-caper vinaigrette actually makes a perfectly-sized light entree, especially when paired with a happy hour deal or two. It’s nice to eat (and drink!) like a princess, especially on a (volunteer) blogger’s salary, so we appreciate being able to mix and match off both menus. And of course if we feel like splurging, there’s always the trout with grilled baby octopus, mint, capers, olives, tomato, preserved lemon and olive oil potatoes…
Also, we have to mention that Aaron has been our most requested chef crush ever, with a total of five different readers taking the time to suggest we crush him. Must be quite the Casanova, hmm? *wink* You gals can lay off already…We got him for you, ok? Hehehe!