Due to various circumstances, i.e. Paul being out of the country, holidays, changes at work, etc, we once again took an unintentional hiatus. But we’re back and planning to do much better at this eating and writing thing in 2011.
Last night we went to a relatively new place in our neighborhood, Roost, which opened about 6 months ago, if memory serves us. Paul had read several good reviews and we were looking for somewhere close by that neither of us had been to.
The first thing we noticed was how unadorned the entire place is. It almost feels like an empty art gallery with tables and a kitchen, in a bright, airy and inviting way. We loved the simplicity and found it a refreshing change from a lot of heavily decorated dining areas and uber modern kitchens.
We had just spent Friday night/Saturday morning and afternoon out at Ben-the-winemaker’s winery and farm, so we chose to forgo any age appropriate libations at this meal. As our waiter pointed out, water is life sustaining.
The menu is relatively short, seasonal, changes often and is Oregon grown whenever possible. They were out of all beef items, so we’ll have to return later to try the open faced burger or skirt steak. Paul had the Grilled Spatchcock Hen with Leek and Parmesan Terrine and Watercress. He didn’t say much about it while he was eating, but there were only bones left on the plate when the waiter took the plate away. It was extremely tender, fatty in a good way, and spiced spot-on with mustard and chives. Neither of us have had leeks as a solo side dish before, and we were quite pleased with the combination of the leeks and cheese mixture in this particular style.
Liza had the Roasted Beet Salad with Horseradish Cream, Watercress and Egg Salad Toast, along with a side order of a Mashed Potato Cake. The horseradish cream was the perfect pairing for roasted beets, and balanced well with the peppery spice of the watercress. The egg salad had several interesting flavors and was great on it’s own, but would be better served on non-pumpernickel toast. Easily resolved by eating the egg salad without the toast. The mashed potato cake was just that: mashed potatoes formed into a cake and lightly fried. Southern comfort food, Portland style.
For dessert we had the recently-added-to-the-menu Chocolate Mousse with whipped cream and biscuits, along with a couple of cups of Stumptown decaf. The biscuits were shaped to spell Roost, which gave the meal a fun finale. It was the right size for sharing as it’s quite rich and creamy, and was just what the coffee needed, at least at this hour of the night. And if it had been possible, Liza would have taken the little jar it was served in. But it wasn’t, and she didn’t.
Roost, we will be back to try more of your menu, and maybe if it’s not raining, we’ll even walk. Until then, Paul will see you wistfully on his bus ride home from work.
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