Restaurant Review: CASK

I tried a out a new spot with some friends to kick off a likely uneventful Memorial Day weekend. CASK is a cute spot tucked away in Murray Hill. They have a solid selection of small plates, which I love because sharing is caring...or just a great way to try more items on the menu. Also, they have Happy Hour until 8pm which was a delightful surprise! I ordered the Blood Orange Jalapeno Margarita, made with house infused Jalapeno Sauza Blanco, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and blood orange puree. I was assured the Jalapeno Sauza Blanco was not too jalapeno-y, since I did not want another Sweet Heat situation. And it was actually a very well balanced drink with fresh orange and only the slight taste of jalapeno without the major kick.

There were 5 of us eating, but only 3 sharing so we decided on 5 Small Plates: Caramelized Brussel Sprouts, Red Neck Sushi, Truffle Mac n' Cheese, Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls, and a last minute Bruschetta Flatbread.

The Brussel Sprouts were made with spicy chorizo and creamy manchego. They were large pieces and not crispy, so it was difficult to cut into bites. The manchego was melted on top, but had started to congeal by the time we got it (definitely not "creamy"), so it was not the most appetizing dish. I would not order this one again.

Now, the Red Neck Sushi was a fun, creative dish. It was plated to look like sushi, even with accompanying chopsticks, but the rolls were actually made of port braised smoked pork belly, applewood smoked bacon, and maple glazed pickled jalapenos, and then a refreshing side of bosc pear green apple slaw. Each piece was made of tasty layers of rolled up salty, delicious pork. So needless to say that if pork is your friend, you might want to consider this dish.

The Truffle Mac n' Cheese was honestly your basic mac n' cheese dish made with aged white cheddar, reggiano, and black truffles. These were not the most potent truffles, not that I was expecting top quality from here, but just sayin. Was this the best mac n' cheese I have ever had? Certainly not. Would I order it again? Probably.

So, let's talk about the Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls. This one definitely gets my vote for creativity. In theory, this should be ridiculous - Philly style steak and melted cheese stuffed inside a crispy wrapper. However, it was unfortunately extremely greasy... which everyone knows equals delicious, but I could not order this again for fear of my arteries closing up right there at the table. I did appreciate the horseradish cream and chili aioli dipping sauces it was served with, though. If you are really determined to try this, I would highly recommend splitting it with 6 people (it comes as 3 rolls each split in half), because you really only need one piece.

Lastly, the Bruschetta Flatbread. This was a last minute add on for fear of not ordering enough food. I think we could all agree that we would have been fine with the first 4 (plus a healthy share of the bread basket, oops). However, I wish this came out earlier in the meal because it was better than the Brussel Sprouts and the Spring Rolls. It was like a small pizza, with a nice thin and crispy crust. Topped with fresh mozz, roasted tomato, red onion, and pestoooo. Got to love a good touch of pesto, but not too much of course.

Unfortunately, I did not manage to snap pics of the Spring Rolls or the Flatbread. Sorry folks.

However, I did get one of the Cask Chopped Salad, which I did not try any of (so I cannot comment), but the other 2 diners both ordered it and enjoyed. It came with mixed greens, feta cheese, asparagus, cucumber, roasted pepper, tomato, carrots, olives, onion, and a tomato basil vinaigrette.

Side bar - the highlight of the night was the proposal we witnessed at the table a few down from us. All of a sudden there were gasps and commotion and we look over to see this guy down on one knee! I have never seen a proposal happen in real life, so that was exciting, and sweet...for that girl anyways.

Overall, I give it a 6.5 out of 10, which provides a window of willingness to go back and try a few other things. Good place for Happy Hour and groups of 4-6!

SeaPort 2013: Day 9 - Portland/NYC

Not much to report for our travel day back to NYC. Woke up hella early to catch a 7am flight, but I wanted to take this time to reflect on our 8 day trip.

People in the Northwest are just so damn friendly. We noticed that people really try to help you in all situations, and not just because it's their job (in the case that it actually is their job). They really look you straight in the eye and make sure you are A-okay. It is so refreshing. I can't tell you how many instances I saw (and even encountered) people randomly addressing strangers about this, that, and the other, and the receiver was happy to engage. We all know that in NYC, striking up random conversation with a stranger gets you the stink eye at minimum.

We observed, especially in Portland, that this is where the nicest, most patient drivers must exist. First of all, we did not encounter one bit of traffic (but that could have just been luck and/or timing), so that probably helps with the calming effect. Secondly, these guys yield for everything. I'm telling you we experienced a 100% yield rate at every street crossing. Walking or on the bike, these drivers slow down if they see you even considering crossing the street from 100+ feet away.

Generally speaking though, Seattle was sort of a dead zone filled with some real grungy homeless people. Lots of young punks. When exploring Seattle, it was as if everyone decided to leave the city for those 3 days. There was no one around! This was great for attractions, which Seattle provided more of than Portland.

I think it is safe to say that we enjoyed Portland more than Seattle. I'm sure the cold and cloudy weather in Seattle did not help it's defense against Portland's gorgeous, 70s and sunny weather. But I also think that Portland had way more of a community feel to it. The city is smaller and simpler, thus easier to navigate. We also had bikes in Portland, which was a huge piece of our entertainment (and exercise in one!). Another huge plus in Portland was NO sales tax! This is versus Seattle's close to 10% rate. Both cities have a large commitment to being sustainable, but Portland definitely took it to the next level. This is a place where recycling options, eco-friendly modes of transportation, and access to local artisans are just handed to you.

The biggest takeaway, and that of utmost importance, is that great food exists in both cities and there was reliable transportation available that made this self-made Northwest food tour (sans car) an easy and fun adventure!

SeaPort 2103: Day 8 - Portland

Our final day in Portland was actually pretty reminiscent of yesterday's activities. After a light breakfast, we took the bikes downtown back to Powell's to pick up some last minute gifts (you know who you are). We then went to find out what this whole Food Truck Heaven situation was about. We heard about Nong's Khao Man Gai, and ultimately ended up braving the line to try this famous chicken and rice dish. Not before some dumpling appys from Dump Truck. To be honest, none of the above were too impressive. I found the dumplings to be average and they had a limited selection with suggested sauces that I did not find paired well. The Khao Man Gai was pretty good- chicken was moist, but not too flavorful if not for the spicy peanut sauce. I forgot to mention that today was the warmest day so far, so we thought another round of iced coffee from Stumptown was in order. We then took the bikes back to Western Bike Works since our rental period was winding down. I'll miss that orange cruiser, we had some fun times. After walking the few short blocks back to the hotel, we lounged on the roof to soak up some final rays. Our "last supper" was at a little place called Farm Cafe, and it just so happened to be a few doors down from Le Pigeon, which if you remember, was where we dined last night. Don't worry, our ride over was far less eventful. We were seated promptly and decided we needed some vegetables in our life. We ordered the pickled plate to start, with pickled radishes, beets, asparagus, and baby strawberries (that were white!). 

Everything was delish. I have a new found love for all things pickled. Anyway, we each ordered a salad to follow- Beet Carpaccio with crumbled chevre, fresh herbs and hazelnut vinaigrette and Fennel and Kale Chiffonnade tossed in a Meyer lemon vinaigrette and topped with toasted pumpkin seed. 

Both were fresh and refreshing! For our entrees, Jeremy decided on the Asparagus Ravioli- Handmade ravioli stuffed with asparagus, sautéed shallots, mascarpone and Parmesan, drizzled with a lemon-butter sauce and then finished with fresh mint and asparagus tips. I went with the shockingly vegan Quinoa Crusted Risotto Cakes served with roasted brussel sprouts and a root vegetable puree. 

We unexpectedly ate the best vegetarian meal yet, and there were in fact meat options to refuse. Everything here was very well done and you could tell they used the finest and freshest ingredients. However, since all we could think about was last night's profiteroles, we decided to take dessert down the street to Le Pigeon again. They recognized us instantly and welcomed us back with open arms. We even sat in the exact same seats! Since now we're experts, we requested 4 puffs, because god forbid we split the 3rd one! We told ourselves this was to check for consistency, and yup, definitely just as delicious. The whole operation took no more than 15 minutes from start to finish. 

What a sweet taste to leave Portland with!

SeaPort 2013: Day 7 - Portland

Our second day in Portland began with a light breakfast at the hotel and then we rode our bikes downtown to catch the bus to Washington Park. This park is on a fairly steep hill, so riding up it was not really an option. The park is a central location for several of Portland's "tourist" attractions, if you want to even call them that. There is the Oregon Zoo, a Holocaust Memorial, the Rose Garden, and the Portland Japanese Garden. We decided to check out the Japanese Garden, since our attempt in Seattle was an epic fail, which is at the very top of the hill. Its location provided for a stunning view of the city, but mostly of snow-covered Mount Hood:

Apparently, this garden is the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan, and it really was quite beautiful:

It was another gorgeous day, sunny and low 70s, so we just strolled around and enjoyed the outdoor activity. So much nature. It probably would have been beneficial to have taken the guided tour, but we missed it so what can ya do. After we made our way down the hill on the bus, we found our bikes and rode over to 21st Avenue, which is a hoppin street near our hotel (ish). Since we had been indulging for 5 days, we thought sushi would be a nice option. We found a rando sushi spot, SanSai, and enjoyed a leisurely lunch al fresco.

After lunch, we rode downtown to check out Powell's City of Books, which I had read about and had come recommended. This place is a site to be seen! There are at least 6 "rooms," each named a different color throughout 3 floors, that housed hundreds of thousands of books on every topic imaginable. In these days of e-readers and the internet, it's no secret book sales are suffering. However, this place makes you want to buy a book on every topic of interest, even though you know you can quickly just Google the information you are seeking. They also have plenty of funky/unique gag gifts (a la Urban Outfitters), so that's always fun. We ended up leaving empty handed and took a stroll down to Stumptown Roasters, the apparent best coffee in Portland (except I just found out while writing this post there are many other locations including a couple in Manhattan- I feel excited yet slightly duped). I opted for an iced coffee, and it was in fact quite delicious. 

We enjoyed that on our way back to where we parked the bikes and then set off to take advantage of happy hour. I always wonder who these people are that can make it to the bar in time to catch happy hour. Whelp, that was us this time! We found a great spot with a patio called Pope House Bourbon Lounge to enjoy the weather and a few cocktails. 

The only downside was that I had to tipsily ride my bike back to the hotel, but don't worry, I made it without a scratch (however the hotel room wall I nicked while putting my bike away can't say the same). My B. 

Anyways, we got ready for dinner and set out for the east side. We took a seemingly easy bus route, but apparently it's the preferred route for the crazies and crackheads! My oh my, this was the ride from hell. There were these 2 old ladies with their granny carts full of worldly possessions taking up the aisle space which caused some bitter words between them and the crazy crackhead lady who had to stand. Mind you, she was wearing Cookie Monster pants among other colorful wardrobe choices, but hey, it's Portland. Their bickering went on until one of them reached their stop, which then provided a fun game of musical chairs between the cart ladies and the handicapped man in a wheel chair (but he had his own sound system attached to the chair, so it was really entertainment for all). Meanwhile, a nice looking young man climbed aboard and apparently flashed some special bus pass that prompted the old grouchy man behind us to bitch and moan about this guy's free ride. He literally said "hope you enjoy your free ride, you piece of shit" to the young guy. This then turned into some heated words between to the two. I mean really, it was surround sound entertainment the entire way.

So we finally arrive at our stop and find Le Pigeon, an adorable little place with maybe 35 seats. After discussing whether or not to hit up the Chef's tasting menu, we decided to just order from the menu. My calamari appetizer was plentiful and thankfully not fried. It was actually the curliest calamari I have ever seen, and it was cooked well with a delicious orange based sauce. Jeremy ordered the Duck Cuit Sur un Plaque with soft boiled egg, truffle, and frisée. This is cooked very uniquely. The raw duck is sliced paper thin and the plate is heated to a very high temperature. When the raw duck is placed on the plate, the heat of it lightly cooks the duck to the perfect temperature. We enjoyed this dish. Then for our entrees, Jeremy ordered the Beef Cheek Bourguignon, which was incredibly tender and super tasty. I had the special for the night, which was a grand mix of seafood over a creamy risotto. Everything was cooked very well and the sauce was delicious.
Now for dessert. We had heard about the magic of these Foie Gras Profiteroles, so we decided we had to try it.

Wowww is my first reaction. This might be the most interesting, unique, and delicious dessert I have ever tasted! It came with 3 "puffs" of flaky dough with foie gras ice cream sandwiched in between. These were all swimming in a dreamy pool of salted caramel sauce and chocolate flakes. The salty-sweet combo was incredible. I even heard Jeremy describe it as "evil genius." Needless to say, we licked the plate (not actually, but might as well have).

So we finished up and Jeremy wanted to check out some of the bars nearby before heading back. We walked past a few kind of scary biker-esk bars, but settled on a nice looking establishment called Burnside Brewing Company. They offer their own brews, plus have an assortment of other options. Obviously one should always try the house brew when present, so Jeremy went with the IPA, and I for some reason ordered something called Sweet Heat. This is made with apricot (yummy!) and Scotch Bonnet (YIKES). On first sip, it's like "oo sweet apricot.... HOLY HELL that's hot!" WTF bartender, I did not feel adequately prepared for this selection. So I tried one more sip to try and man up, but just couldn't do it. I was worried about burning a hole straight through my stomach. So, that was that. Jer happily sipped his brew and a few others and we watched the Golden State Warriors game. After that, we headed back on the bus, but with a much less eventful ride, phew!

SeaPort 2013: Day 6 - Portland

It was the first full day in Portland and the sun was shining. Jeremy and I walked down a couple blocks to the pre-researched bike rental location called Western Bike Works. They have "cruisers" for day rentals, or you can do a 3-day deal for $50/bike. This worked out wonderfully as we needed them for the next 3 days. After getting all set with helmets, locks, and bike tune-ups, we were on our way. Applauding Jeremy's directional skills as well as his experience in city riding, I felt that I was in good hands. We knew we wanted to hit up Tasty N Sons for brunch in the Northeast, and lucky for us they serve brunch every day of the week. As expected, we enjoyed a very delicious brunch. We started with the sweet biscuits with homemade whipped cream and blueberry compote and an iced coffee. They provide quite the serving of coffee I'd like to add. A full glass plus an additional carafe to refill. We then moved onto The Bambino Plate which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, and a savory biscuit with honey butter. Lastly, we shared a delicious rendition of shakshuka. Now Jeremy has never had shakshuka, and I have had it several times homemade in Israel, homemade myself, and in other middle eastern restaurants. I love shakshuka and this was a wonderful dish. There were plenty of peppers and onions cooked down and the tomato base was the perfect amount of spicy (enough for a kick, but not too much that you can't taste anything else). There were 2 baked eggs sunnyside up on top that made it easy for splitting, and it was accompanied by unlimited toast. So, for $25 this was not only reasonable, but probably our best breakfast/brunch on the trip.

After brunch, we set off to tour the city by bike. We found a little farmer's market downtown at Shemanski Park and checked out some of its offerings. Since it was a gorgeous 70 degrees and sunny, we strolled around and lounged in the sun for a bit. We then took a ride down to the Waterfront Park. It was a pretty good ride down there and all around the west and east side parks, but there is a great trail to follow and it was a perfect day for it. 

After our big ride, we came back to the hotel to rest and hang on the rooftop. We then got picked up by my cousin and his girlfriend and went to Andy Ricker's Pok Pok for dinner. We had read all about this Thai place, especially now that there is one in Brooklyn, but we haven't made it there yet. We didn't originally have it on our list because it is not very close to the hotel, but this worked out superbly. We enjoyed many dishes at Pok Pok: 2 orders of Vietnamese fish sauce wings (one spicy, one mild), Pet Pha Lo- stewed duck, Kaeng Hung Leh- Thai sweet pork belly and pork shoulder curry, and Muu Sateh- pork loin skewers marinated in coconut milk with peanut sauce and bread to make a sandwich. We enjoyed a few unique cocktails as well: Jeremy had the Whiskey Sour and I had the Vodka Collins with salted plum. Overall, we enjoyed the meal very much. The cocktails were well balanced and went well with the meal. The spicy wings were not too spicy, which was preferred. These "wings" were also quite large, each one was both the drum and the flat. The meat on the pork belly and duck were both so tender they fell right off the bone. In fact, they don't even give you a knife because you don't need it. Both of those dishes were served in a flavorful broth and you need to order rice on the side to pair with it. We had 2 orders of jasmine rice. The pork sateh was fine, but more of an appetizer. It actually looked like chicken, and was a little dried out. The peanut sauce was yummy though. We opted out of dessert since we all were stuffed and concluded our evening by getting dropped back off at the hotel. All in all, a successful day one!

SeaPort 2013: Day 5 - Seattle/Portland

Final day in Seattle. We woke up, packed up, and checked out of the Red Lion. We used our final morning as an opportunity to hit up Pike Place Market for any final needs, wants, or desires. For breakfast, we selected Lowell's in the market by recommendation of our tour guide from Sunday. To get our last fill of local salmon, I had the Smoked Salmon Benedict and Jeremy had the House Cured Wild Salmon Lox with herb cream cheese on a bagel. I know what all of you New Yorkers are thinking - apparently, the bagel wasn't even that bad. So, we spent our last morning looking at this:

while eating this:

Not too shabby. We also were able to find this Brooklyn based artist we saw the other day and buy a few pieces Jeremy had been eyeing. Overall, a success. We then made our way to King Street Station to catch the Amtrak to Portland! Onwards and downwards.

We arrive at our funky boutique hotel, glowing with bright colors. The Inn at Northrup Station is in the Northwest, near the Pearl District and the Alphabet District. We think this place must have been some run down motel or something at one point, based on the long narrow hallways and only 3 floors. We have a King Suite which is pretty cool. King bed, couch, coffee table, desk that I am blogging at right now, and kitchen (full sized fridge, dishwasher and stove and stocked with utensils and cookware). While we love a good kitchen that is nicer than our own, we have zero plans to cook since our meals are all planned out - thanks OpenTable! So, we settled in and headed over to Paley's Place next door for dinner. Cute place, in a house type building. We arrived a few minutes before our res so we grabbed a few cocktails at the bar. I randomly went with a dirty martini and Jer got a Manhattan (must have been homesick). Pretty good, pretty good. So we get seated and notice there is no background music playing (unusual if you ask me). Therefore, you can sort of hear bits and pieces of all other 10 tables. Or the ENTIRE conversation of one table across the room. Not that Jeremy isn't interesting, but I kept getting distracted by this one booming voice. It was funny actually because he was at a table with 2 other guys and I swear neither got a word in. This guy was dominating the conversation, very know-it-all. Not to mention I noticed when we walked in that he was wearing a kilt and was bald with a super long beard and mustache. Quite interesting. Oh so the food? Pretty good, nothing crazy. We ordered a plate of 3 charcuterie to start: bacon wrapped pork and prune terrine, pork liver and pistachio pâté, and beef tongue with horseradish cream. This plate was delicious and the highlight of the meal (and the only pic I managed to take). 

For our entrees, we split a half order of Crispy Sweetbreads with herbed spätzle, chestnuts & mushrooms. It came as fried chunks of sweetbreads and the rest on the side. It was definitely crispy, but not my favorite rendition of sweetbreads. Then we dug into a full order of the Soft Duck Raviolo with mushrooms, asparagus, parmesan, and 30-Year aged balsamic. This was the most interesting ravioli we've ever seen. There was a very slightly cooked whole egg yolk under the top of the ravioli with the mushroom/parm mixture rolled up surrounding it. It came with 2 and each were huge. Very good, kinda weird, but interesting to say the least. Overall, we enjoyed our meal, but noted it is a big overpriced for what it is. However it was convenient and we were to take a quick walk down 21st Ave, which is a happening street in the neighborhood, and grab a couple beers at a dive called 21st Avenue Bar & Grill. Just some good ol' Portland people watching here! A nice night cap for our first evening in Portland.