How to Eat . . . Better

It started with a dinner with Microsoft clients at the Book Bindery.  What I thought was a simple get to know you and celebrate the start of a new project kind of dinner, quickly moved into one of those dinners where I was goaded to order the sweetbreads.

Despite a nagging fear of contracting zobieism from eating brains, I ordered, and they were fabulous. The sweetbreads were quickly followed by a foi gras terrine with citrus aspic, an apple salad and hamachi crudo. Of and then an entrée of rack-of-lamb.

Getting back in Portland the next day, lunch started with a brewery hop, starting with Coalition Brewing.  Then a late lunch at Burnside Brewing. After starting in on a bourbon porter and an apricot Scotch bonnet pepper ale we ordered  duck comfit cigars. Duck comfit, wrapped tightly in a crunchy crepe shell then wrapped again in collared greens. Rich duck, crunchy, and tangy greens made to look like a cigar and served with ash of salt, pepper and ground hazelnuts.

We followed the duck cigars with the best pastrami sandwich I’ve ever eaten — yes, better than Kenny and Zukes — and a burger cooked in duck fat. The thick cut pastrami was accompanies by thinly sliced pickled apples. Same principle as sauerkraut on a reuben, but much better with out all the goop.

Sunday brunch was had at Russel Street Barbecue with good friends. Barbecue for brunch. This was then washed down with beer at Bar Bar and a steady stream of musicians going in and out of Mississippi Studios.

Dinner that night was leg of lamb with cauliflower puree at home.

And to counteract all this eating, I took the stairs at work this morning.