The boys act like they own the world, the women keep their stupid diaries.

I ate at PING the other day. I spilled palm sugar on my shirt and the handsome bartender offered me soda water for the clean up. Ping is basically the ex-boyfriend of Pok Pok, a very attractive ex-boyfriend. Owned by the same innovator, Andy Richter,  Ping diverges from Pok Pok’s ”reel you in and nurture you” style.  You are allowed to hang with Pok Pok’s ex because she is a really cool lady who wishes you the best. She’s also glad he chose to locate across the river so she doesn’t have to watch him flirt with you all night.  

Delicious Quail Stain

See that sauce? Picture it on my shirt. . .delicious. The meat and structure of this quail was impressive, juicy and BIG. You take some quail, dunk it in the sauce and then take a bite of raw ginger and pepper.

Toast with Kaya

 Kaya is basically a coconut jam. . .more like a coconut curd? I liked this even though I have no idea why we ordered it, but that is what happens with good-looking ex-boyfriends, you do strange things you can’t explain.

Wild-caught prawn skewer.

For example, I sprinkled the Vietnamese sea salt and pepper on a shrimp and ate the crustacean with the shell still on because I am an ANIMAL. There in so much flavor in the shell. Try it sometime, you have nobody to impress.

Baby octopus skewer.

 These little guys were carefully grilled. . .and they’re addictive. I could not shake this Ping dish from my mind and ate squid for lunch the next day because I have real problems.

I drank a Singapore Sling and something else that I can’t remember. BUT, Ping is the sort of guy who mixes you strong and highly drinkable cocktails. If you want nuance and intrigue, go see Pok Pok.

After dinner I ran around the city with an awakened fervor and zest for life, because Ping is just that attractive.

My neighbor, the pastry chef.

I live next door to Danielle Pruett, a pastry chef. When Aaron and I first met Danielle she simply mentioned that she was a baker at a place downtown. “Just a little place, you’ve probably never heard of it”, she explained. I didn’t inquire any further and privately continued to make my way through a long list of restaurants, food carts, and regional ingredients that I wanted to try. I’m no where close to the end of my list. But towards the top of the list there is a restaurant that I have visited more times than any other restaurant in Portland and this past summer I finally learned that Danielle is the pastry chef at that very restaurant.

Clyde Common is not really a “little place”, nor is it very unknown. I’ve taken three different friends visiting from out-of-state to their Happy Hour and on a few occasions I’ve stayed for dinner.  The unsolicited Yelp chorus gives Clyde four stars and they’ve received some impressive national press. However, this post is not really about Clyde; it’s about my good friend and neighbor Danielle Pruett – pastry chef extraordinaire.

I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.

This is a picture of a huge rolling-pin on Danielle’s oven. She actually uses that rolling-pin. The top of her fridge contains a professional mixer and a cake stand. Her kitchen is incredibly clean and she has an amazing collection of cookbooks, many of the books are family heirlooms from Milan, Tennessee where Danielle’s ancestors were the town bakers. It’s not so surprising that her and I get along so well. My ancestors were just on the other side of the Smoky Mountains in Burnsville, NC.

After college in Eugene, OR Danielle went to culinary school and over a glass of wine she told me a story about finding an old list she made that included her goals in life. One goal read, “become a great pastry chef at a top restaurant in Portland.” Even by her own high standards, Danielle has arrived and thrived at her own goals. I love it when that happens to people. I love it even more when success looks like this. . .

chocolate baked Alaska, Elijah Craig 12-year whiskey ice cream, pecan praline

The Alaskan Interior.

One of the inspiring aspects of Danielle’s desserts is that they have a voice. You will not find the standard panna cotta or pound cake on her menu. You will only find inspired items that are seasonal in their approach and convincing in their flavor. They have a whimsy about them without being overly dainty or cute. I suspect this is what Portland Monthly means when they describe her offerings as unprecious - in a good way. Danielle’s creations go very well with the concept and “voice” of Clyde Common. The similarities are not accidental. Danielle’s approach seems to use desserts as a closing parentheses to a great meal, not a period. For example, after I consumed this. . .

offal ravioli

I tried this. . .

caramel fig tart tatin, balsamic, cream

These dishes were an extension of the other, working in tandem to create a mood, the apprehension of the Fall season, a voice. When you order a dessert at Clyde, which you simply must do. You may be stuffed, you may be late for your next engagement, but you will want to linger at your table for a moment – not grab your check and dash. 

When the desserts come out of the Clyde kitchen, customers around the restaurant crane their necks and ask the name of the dish. It’s so fun. You know what’s more fun? Dining at Clyde Common with Danielle and watching her smile as her desserts are delivered to tables around the restaurant. A goal on a list made years ago, accomplished.

gingerbread stout cake and cream cheese ice cream sandwich with raspberry "stuff"

First Blush at Casa Naranja

Aaron and I received a phone invitation to have dinner with Aaron’s mom (Laurie) and step-dad (Jim) last Wednesday. I’m always happy when they call with a last minute idea because they are delightful and interesting people. Aaron and Laurie are alike in far more ways than they are different: they share a nearly identical view of the human experience (bad circumstances lead to unexpectedly awesome results) and they have an uncanny way of disarming people to create friendly and informative verbal banner. I’m pleased that Jim and I share a similar viewpoint on dinning out: know where you’re going before you get in the car and try new restaurants as often as possible (this is Portland, after all).

Casa Naranja is a laid back restaurant in North Portland with genuine service and good food. They have a patio that surrounds 3/4 of a cute little house. We scouted the back patio where tanned men were lounging in hammock chairs and smoking cigarettes. Laurie requires a smoke free exsistence (she’s classy like that) so we turned back to sit on the front deck. Our table provided ample seating for a party of four and a great view of North Mississippi Avenue.

We shared many small plates throughout the evening and I was very pleased with the vegetarian options that Laurie and I were able to enjoy while Aaron and Jim sampled wild boar ribs and a unrelated dish of chorizo in puffed pastry.

Spicy Basil

The cocktails were good but they all seemed to explore the sweeter side of alcohol charged libations. This Spicy Basil concoction lived up to it’s name. . .in the Basil department. Not as spicy as I would have liked. The real cocktail winner of the evening was the Portland Manhattan that Jim ordered, a Pacific Northwest berry-centric delight with just the right amount of bourbon.

I decided to post about Casa Naranja because I wanted to share the following dish with a few vegetarian friends who read this blog.

Veggie Tartar

The Veggie Tartar is great, almost as great as the smoked tofu salad with roasted beets, arugula and sherry vinigrette. A micro thin slice of zucchini surrounds an army of diced veggies that are perched on a fantastic sun-dried tomato base. The dish is topped with micro greens and crispy wontons. This is truly a great veggie take on a classic meat-centric French dish.  The whole package is drizzled with quality olive oil.

When I lived in the South I tried to visit a restaurant several times before posting an opinion. Some restaurants (like a certain Ryan Adams themed pizza parlor) were strong contenders for a great blog review and over time the consistency failed and I chose not to write about the restaurant instead of writing a negative review. I feel a bit more bold in Portland so if my initial experience with a restaurant warrants an A or B average I’ll write about here and you are welcome to read my unsolicited (and anosmic) advice.