Mike and I have never been to Portland. Nor are we hipsters. Nor have we ever watched Portlandia. But Portland is in the same state as Astoria, home of the Goonies, so it has that going for it. And I do like vinyl and PBR. And I totally dig me some home decor with a bird on it. So, if it weren't for the risk of tsunamis, my guess is that Portland isn't half bad.
But why did it make our list this year? Well, because it makes everyone else's lists. I know, for instance, that Portland has an intense local food scene featuring, among other things, more than 300 kinds of truffles. You're not going to get to experience any of those truffles at Cafe Davis. Not unless we win the lottery. I also know that restaurants in Portland have the reputation of being simple, and not flashy. The restaurant scene focuses instead on the experiences that come from eating good food with friends. I really like that. I also know that Portland's culinary offerings are all over the place, from Argentinian to fine French cuisine to haute noodle houses. It's really the latter that was the big draw for Portland. I wanted a city with a reputation for great pan-Asian food - more than just what any large metro area's Chinatown could dish up - and Portland fit the ticket. A few notable examples that I'm familiar with include Bollywood Theater (Indian street food from a chef trained at Chez Panisse); Langbaan (Thai speakeasy); and Nodoguru (a Japanese pop-up in a grocery store). Sounds intriguing, right? I can't tell you what to specifically expect from your Cafe Davis night in Portland. I CAN tell you that it will likely be kinda experimental. There will probably be rice or noodles. Perhaps there will be gastronomic foam (probably not, though). You might drink from a straw that makes you look like you have a mustache. I hope that you'll wear a beanie. I hope that your beanie is bedazzled with a reindeer. And the food... whatever happens, I'm sure it will be non-ironically delicious. I'll bet a bird on it. Comments are closed.
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