SECRET RESTAURANT PORTLAND: Burgers & Beer

(early september. number 33.)

Doing an outdoor seating during the first week of September on the upstairs front porch seems a bit of a tradition now, following in the footsteps of #8 and # 21.

The idea for a "burgers & beer" Secret Restaurant was something we had last year, but never actually got round to doing. This year, with the garden exploding, the home brew operation more fervent, and the summer's waning light– it seemed as if the time had come.

Dinner plate:

Romanesco slaw

Romanesco (S.G.) and carrots (S.G.), tossed with a fresh ceasar-esque dressing.

Cranberry bean salad

Cranberry beans (S.G.), meticulously split and shelled. Then the fibrous insides scraped clean, and the shells french cut. Tenderized with lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Tossed with the shells beans, purple basil leaves, and cracked black pepper.

Burger Sliders:

My grandmother's hamburger bun recipe, a delicious half-whole wheat recipe, made soft and deeply savory with wheat germ and dairy. Slightly modified since last time, with the use of sour cream and my wild-yeast starter in the dough.

'Summertime' head lettuce (S.G.). Black cherokee heirloom tomato (S.G.)

Fresh wasabi aioli (actually made with fresh wasabi). The lightest brushing of dijon mustard.

Slice of Special Reserve aged Tillamook extra sharp cheddar.

Orange heirloom tomato (S.G.) ketchup. I used apple cider vinegar, and cooked it with coriander seeds and dried porcini mushrooms wrapped in cheesecloth. Emulsified with walnut oil.

VEGGIE: Andrew's work. Three varieties of grilled eggplant (S.G.), roasted garlic, oregon brown lentils, oatmeal, and pulverized sunflower seeds. Seasoned and formed into patties, then prepared not unlike eggplant parmesan, with a bread crumb/egg coating, slow baked on parchment paper till crispy on the outside, warm and giving on the inside.

MEAT: Lucas's work. Entirely ground in-house, day of: beef rump, lamb, and bacon. Mixed with garlic and herbs, grill-pan fried.

Dessert plate:

Apple pie:

Frequent guest Courtney Allen (she was at the first dinner! Look at our header photo!) made us this beautiful pie from the first crop of Gala apples at her family's orchard in Hood River. She actually made two, and was bringing them on the bus. Quite tragically, a man bumped into her as they were exiting the bus. The pie fell to the ground, shattering the glass pie dish, and splaying the dessert onto the pavement. The man proclaimed "SHIT," paused, looked closer at the detritus, then inquired, slowly "Is that a homemade apple pie??" When Courtney replied "Um, yes," he then proceeded to pick half of it up off the ground and amble away, without another word! This mildly unbelievable, ghastly story at least made for many an entertaining retelling, but remains rather tragically true.

A lil square of cheddar.

Apple Butter Ice Cream

Very creamy and rich texture, due to the inclusion of sour cream. This made the magic happen, beautifully off-setting the sweetness of the apple butter. The body of the ice cream was apple buttery, and there were also ribbons of apple butter throughout. One of our best ice creams ever, as noted by some frequent guests.