I've been loving apple cider season. The quickest way the make a super delicious spiced version is a microwave and cocktail bitters.

Heat for 2 minutes, add to a stemless wine glass with several dashes of bitters, give a little stir and enjoy. I'm using Draper Girl's Farm Cider, bought at yesterday's PSU market and Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters. [Angostura would be amazing, too]

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

Kana was nice enough to school me in sake pairing for the omaksae [tasting menu] this week. It was awesome! We went through 16 or so to find the right accompaniment for each course.  Her philosophy is to offer a contrast between each sake as well as a contrast between the food courses. We tasted each potential sake to find the food match; locked it in and then tasted the new potential pairing candidate for the next course.  Sort of like working backwards: trying the new candidate, then going back to taste the preceding course’s sake, and finally trying the candidate once more, making sure it contrasts with the preceding sake, so it stands out or doesn’t get lost. I learned so much going through this exercise.

Just before I rolled out of Austin, I was lucky enough to Uchiko it, omakase style, twice with my brother Joe. Both dinners were outstanding. To put things into perspective, their omakase is over $100 per person without the pairings. Biwa’s is $35 for seven courses. Nice.

Moreover, at the two ounce pours per course for the pairing option at Biwa, if you added up what we should charge for the accompaniment, it would be $38, instead of the $25 dollars we charge. Gabe isn’t as concerned with the cost, but wants more folks to taste the omakase with the pairings.  Anyone who is coming into our busy izakaya for more of a dinner dinner as opposed to a quick snack or a ramen might seriously consider going omakase. It’s totally soignée, and it’s way under-priced!

The final lineup as pictured, handwritten above
sommariva prosecco brut, conegliano-valdobbiadene superiore [non-sake for the 1st course]
chokaisan junmai daiginjo, akita
minato yamahai namazake genshu, akita
otokoyama sesshu, hyogo
seikyo omachi junmai, hiroshima
mantensei junmai ginjo, tottori
kiminoi yamahai junmai ginjo, niigata

What will these be paired with? You’ll have to come in and find out, I suppose!

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

 

My second favorite beer from HotD [after Blue Dot] is Fred. I recently made a pit stop at the Brewery and Tasting Room, just before returning home from a bike ride.  I found they were offering the 2009 Barrel Aged version of Fred on tap. Although I stopped in for one Blue Dot, I felt compelled to order the three ounce glass size of the fresh and the aged version of Fred to compare. The aged Fred spent 2 years in a new American oak barrel.

The 2009 Barrel Aged Fred has a deep brown color with a firm uniform head and fine effervescence. The nose displayed coconut, brown sugar, ground coffee, candied orange peel, vanilla, chocolate covered cherries. The palate is rich, dense and alcoholic offering an additional crème brulée top, banana nut bread and a hint of hay to the bouquet profile. The finish is incredibly long. This is a pretty serious and complex ale. 

Hair of the Dog Fred [regular] is deep golden, slightly cloudy with a thinner head and moderate-plus effervescence. Sporting scents of banana and caramel [think Bananas Foster], it broadens to mango, papaya, fresh orange juice and lemon custard. On the palate, there is the addition of lemon pith bitterness to balance with buttercream frosting, sweat and bruised apple. A strong [10% abv], rich, yet lively golden ale.

I was glad I had my bike lock that day. I didn’t plan on analyzing the beers. I had to ask to borrow a pen and a Radio Cab pad to jot down my notes.  Is one ale better than the other? Both were exquisite. It depends on your mood, I suppose. Although the beers share some similarities, the 2 years in new wood create some gigantic differences in the final product.

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

 

 

I’ve been wanting to check this place out for a while now.  Owned by Steve Jones, Cheese Bar on SE Belmont between 60th and 61st has a large, well-curated selection of cheese, an impressive selection of beers and a thoughtful wine list for enjoyment on-site or carry-out.  So many to choose, I had a difficult time narrowing it down to just three cheeses.

From left to right, above:
Neal’s Yard Gubbeen from Southern Ireland [cow]- earthy, semi-soft spongy, grassy, slight funk, buttery and mushroomy
River’s Edge Sunset Bay from Logsden, Oregon [goat]- smoky, creamy meets chalky with tangy acidity
Unikaas Vintage Grand Ewe from Northern Holland [sheep]- nutty, salty, creamy with a lingering finish
 -served with a little demi-baguette and house-made chutney
To drink, the Cavalry Fresh Hop IPA [on-tap] from Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland- apricot, peach, hay and tangerine peel

After the cheese, I ordered Speck and a delicious Julian Hard Cider [on-tap]. The smoky Speck was sumptuous with the dry cider, which had a fine mousse and actually reminded me of a fresher version of Prosecco. I finished with a couple of truffles from Xocolatl de Davíd, the Bacon Bourbon and the Salted Caramel.

Eating and looking out the window, watching the evening’s dusk take shape, listening to the noises and clatter of the room with Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot being played in its entirety, which I haven’t heard in this manner, since it was first released, cold weather and hilly bike ride to get up here to the Mount Tabor District, dark and colder still when I zoom home downward across the river.  I feel totally blessed, like I’m on vacation or something, and somehow in another country. As Portland settles into autumn and the winter rains begin, I feel the similarities between ATX and PDX will wash away.

Anne had to work tonight, but I will return with her the next day we have off together.

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

 

On sight, the Bouvier Marsannay Clos du Roy is clear, day bright, displaying ruby red color of a medium-minus concentration with a watery to light brick to light garnet robe.  The viscosity is medium. The bouquet is clean with no signs of brett; the power is medium and shows a note of vinosity. The fuit nuances are ripe red cherry, tart red cherry, slight hint of dried strawberry, hint of cranberry. This is a meaty style of Burgundy with notes of beef broth, complemented by light lavender, hint of rose petal and mushroom duxelle earthiness; I don’t detect new wood on the nose.

The wine is dry, medium-bodied, hint of age, ever meaty beef broth meets mushroom duxelle. The light floral nuances are present with the addition of fresh cut fennel, cedar shavings and parsnip; the red fruits are more tart on the palate with maybe a light use of new wood as smidge of star anise emerges. This Marsannay is silky with medium length and powdered stone minerality, medium-plus acid, medium-minus tannin and a 13% abv.  Not a super complex style of Burgundy, but a good solid food wine and worth the $31 at E&R Wine Shop on SW Macadam Ave.

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

Of all the farm eggs offered at the various Portland Farmers Market locations, Dancing Chicken are my favorite.

Next Wednesday, the 26th, will be the final Shemanski Park market of the season. Marvin, the owner of Dancing Chicken Farm, told me he'll move to PSU's on Saturdays, the following week. The Saturday Portland Farmers Market at PSU runs until mid-December. Good news, since we live directly between both Farmers Market sites.

He also told me Dancing Chicken Farm will be in the winter market, held back at Shemanski Park, starting January 2012. Nice.

I prefer to bake the eggs in a sauté pan, which allows the whites to rise a little higher. To finish, I add a pinch or two of saffron salt. I'm sure I could live off these eggs with a little Ken's Artisan Bread.

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

I really like this route, heading east off of N Williams onto Morris, next Siskiyou and Klickitat, then to Freemont Drive & NE 92nd, finally up Rocky Butte Road to Joseph Wood Hill Park.

The views over the Columbia River into Washington are gorgeous.

I love the neighborhoods of Klickitat and Siskiyou, reminds me of my childhood home in Michigan. We’re having a few days of Indian summer here in Portland. A cloudless day in mid-October is a rarity.  It’s windy and the air is just a little crisp.

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

Same story, different town. Yikes, it was a madhouse! These huge trade tastings are always challenging.

I started with Riesling [Weil & Loosen- delicious!]; then hit Sake [I liked the intense Kikusui Funaguchi Genshu and the elegant Oze No Yukidoke Junmai]; next was Champagne [Gaston Chiquet Special Club 2002 is true vin de garde, wound so tightly]; finally, I sampled a couple reds [nothing to write home about]. Could have stayed longer, but it's time for work.

Plus, who wants to stay inside today? Portland's having fine weather this week.

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

Anne had to work last night at Paley's Place. I had the night off; so, I headed to Biwa with Jesse Bates for an early dinner. I've been craving ramen. It was good to get my fix. We had a bunch of little plates, too: Hiya Yakko, Onigiri, Pork Belly & Kara-age. We ordered a couple tokkuri of sake as well: Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo from Akita & Watari Bune "55" Junmai Ginjo from Ibaraki. Kana also paired our courses with some of her favorite sake. It was a sublime experience and a serendipitous education. I love this restaurant.

Tonight I work, but Anne's coming in with Patrick, who works grill at Paley's and used to work at Biwa. I'm excited for her to see and taste what's going on at this busy little izakaya.

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine

I like a beer that looks mean: dark brown to black, thin sticky head, moderate-minus effervescence. The nose displays grilled ear of corn still in the husk, roasted coffee bean, hoisin, Russian rye and burnt sugar. On the palate, a thin-ish body delivers an intense mix of bitter, malty, roasty flavors. Coffee and grilled herb notes resonate throughout. The finish is burnt sugar, dark chocolate and grill smoke; the abv is 7%. This porter from Seven Brides Brewing is made for a rare steak with thick-cut fries. Tasted on draft from Bailey's Taproom.

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine