8.01 I 5:30 to 10pm Chef is preparing grilled goodness on the schwenker grill. Schwenker masters (and winemakers on the side), Barnaby and Olga Tuttle of Teutonic Wine Company will be there to discuss the schwenk tradition they discovered while traveling in Mosel Valley Germany.

Chef and Barnaby are grilling up marinated beef short ribs, chicken bratwurst, grilled corn, jalapeno and chimichurri. Schwenk plates are $20. The dish will be available throughout the dining room during regular dinner hours (5:30-10pm), in addition to our regular dinner menu.

Let’s Schwenk!

Wildwood is pleased to announce the first in a series of luncheons featuring our latest addiction, Water Avenue Coffee. We invite you to join us for a fabulous afternoon of lunching with Portland’s favorite non-alcoholic beverage, coffee. Come taste the components of the new Wildwood blend and the final combination that Chef Dustin Clark calls #peanutbutterjellytime.

For Wildwood, Water Avenue’s coffee was love at first sip. Dustin and Roaster Brandon Smyth met with the intention of creating the perfect blend for the restaurant. Collaborating with chefs is a dream come true for Brandon, as food and coffee can often speak the same language. Coffee is often seen as a side-note to a meal offering in cuisine, but he wants to change that. His unusual and fruitful coffee can be paired with specific meals, the food and drink working in harmony, complementing one another.

Now here’s where we get to the peanut butter & jelly:

The Wildwood Blend is a mix of an El Salvadoran Red Bourbon San Luis Full Natural and a Brazilian Yellow Bourbon Peaberry. Before you get excited, it’s pronounced “borbón,” no relation to booze. The red bourbon is processed “full natural,” meaning the coffee cherries were sun dried on the seed before hulling, leaving them stained with the cherry’s juice and natural flavor. Some coffee cherries taste like blueberry, some taste like honey – this red bourbon tastes like strawberries.

Coffees from Brazil generally have low acidity, lots of chocolate flavor, and if you are lucky, a hint of sweet peanut butter. Brandon sourced the Brazilian Yellow Bourbon Peaberry earlier in January in the hopes of pairing it with something like the San Luis.

Brandon praises his farmers for letting Water Avenue gain access to coffees that typically might not be available to smaller companies like his. Miguel Menendez, Sr., the farmer who grew the red bourbon, allowed Brandon to experiment with his harvest, using processes like full natural and honey processing that take extra work to hull, but ultimately turn out a more unique and original product. Miguel’s passion for coffee and his support of Brandon’s desire to do things a little differently has culminated in the fabulous blend you’ll taste upon visiting Wildwood.

We hope you’ll join us for lunch, Saturday, June 22nd at 1pm. Tickets are $35 and include 4 light courses and 4 tastes of delicious Water Avenue Coffee. rsvp@wildwoodpdx.com | 503.225.0130 ext 2

Menu:

strawberry rhubarb spritzer

el salvadoran red bourbon san luis full natural
strawberry jam coffee cake
hazelnut nutella, cocoa nib whipped cream

brazilian yellow bourbon peaberry
goat cheese and house made chorizo frittata
arugula and fried shallots

wildwood blend
grilled pork chop
coffee purée, honey roasted rhubarb

cold pressed red bourbon full natural
lemon sorbet

Portland Dining Month is back!

For the entire month of June, join us for 3 courses for just $29. Chef Dustin Clark has created three lovely dishes, including vegetarian and gluten free options. The meal finishes with a beautiful dessert by Wildwood Pastry Chef Julianne Richardson. Our regular menu will of course be available nightly.

starter

shaved radish and asparagus salad
caramelized garlic, lemon, feta
2011 cá montebello, pinot nero bianco, italy

entrees choose one

green curry lamb ribs
crushed potatoes, spring onions and crispy beets
2010 françois pinon, vouvray, les trois argiles, loire

ayers creek polenta
fried egg, spicy greens and grilled lemon chimichurri
2012 gilbert cellars, rosé of mourvèdre, columbia valley

dessert

cardamom-vanilla bean panna cotta
strawberry-rhubarb jam and brown butter tuile
nv kopke rosé port

$29 per person  I  $44 with wine pairings

no substitutions or modifications  I  menu subject to change based on availability

photo credit: John Valls

On Friday June 14th at 6:30pm, Wildwood‘s Sous Chef / Beer Director Paul Kasten will be hosting Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. for a very special six-course beer pairing dinner. At the core of the beer lineup will be the four 30th Anniversary collaboration beers brewed by Sierra Nevada with the help of several pioneers of American craft brewing. These beers have been properly cellared in Paul’s private collection since their release in 2010.

Guests will kick off the evening with some time to mingle over Sierra Nevada’s Pale, Summerfest, and Ovila Saison w/Mandarin Orange and Black Pepper. Sierra Nevada will also be bringing two brand new and very special beers. Barrel-Aged Maple Stout is a brand new 13% abv imperial stout with coffee and maple added, aged in bourbon barrels. Fungoo is a brown ale brewed with shiitake mushrooms and California Wild Rice.

“Like so many beer fans, Sierra Nevada’s offerings had a huge impact on me as I developed my taste for finer craft and import beers,” says Kasten. “It is a testament to the hard work of the Sierra Nevada team and the quality of their products that such a large brewery remains innovative and relevant to the current happenings in the industry even as it approaches its thirty-third birthday.”

Seats are $75, with gratuity included. Please contact Shelly Jones for reservations. 503.225.0130 | shelly@wildwoodpdx.com

Menu

snacks
pale, summerfest, ovila saison w/mandarin orange and black pepper

grilled oregon albacore
fried snap peas, green garlic aïoli
charlie, fred, and ken’s bock

steak tartare
crispy shallot, morels, parsley, pickled calabrian peppers, green garlic, pimentón
fungoo

crispy chicken confit
mixed greens, crispy potatoes
our brewers reserve: grand cru

cocoa-chile braised pork
shell beans, jus
jack and ken’s ale

stout braised oxtail and porcini mushroom ravioli
grilled romaine purée, brown butter
fritz and ken’s ale

chocolate mousse cake
walnut brittle ice cream, bourbon-cayenne caramel sauce
barrel-aged maple stout

Remember that day when Oregon adopted the first official state microbe? With the prevalence of saccharomyces cerevisiae in craft brewing, the rest of us might need reminding of other wild things growing out there, and what they might tell us about what beer is supposed to taste like.

Chad Yakobson of Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project was so fascinated by one wild yeast in particular, that he’s built his MSc. dissertation around it, creating a body of research entitled the Brettanomyces Project. Wildwood is honored to host Chad and Crooked Stave for our upcoming beer dinner, June 8th. Beer Steward and Sous Chef Paul Kasten‘s light and engaging menu features peak-of-the-season snap peas, dungeness crab, and a beautiful chévre to pair with Crooked Stave’s exciting array of Brett beers.

Brettanomyces is a form of wild yeast that is known by most as an unwelcome addition to wine, creating off flavors and “funk.” But before the advent of sterilization, “Brett,” as it’s often called, made its way into everything. Modern brewers, drawing on techniques of the past, welcome Brett as the yeast responsible for traditional Belgian ales like lambic and gueuze. Wild-yeast beers are said to have a wine-like complexity that craft beers lack, making them a natural accompaniment for food.

Yakobson says, “I’ve always been fascinated with the Biochemistry behind yeast fermentation. Studying Brettanomyces spp. gave me the chance to learn more about a yeast species which is relatively understudied in the brewing industry and gain a complex understanding of fermentative behavior… My interests involve the sensory aspects of beer flavor and aroma, especially the influence yeasts have on their development. Most importantly I’m interested in the rarely studied effects of bacteria souring organism and the so called ‘wild yeasts’ Brettanomyces.”

Crooked Stave Brewer’s Dinner @ Wildwood
Saturday, June 8th, 6PM | $75 includes 6 courses with pairings and gratuity
Reservations: shelly@wildwoodpdx.com | 503.225.0130 ext 2

Menu

dungeness crab, beets and crispy pork belly
minted yogurt, lime
vielle, artisanal saison

creamed new potatoes and snap peas
house cured spanish chorizo, créme fraîche, savory, gremolata
hop savant, 100% brettanomyces pale ale

crispy spent grain pork rillettes
oregon black truffle aïoli
surette, provision saison

seared muscovy duck breast
creamed peas
surette reserva, rustic five grain saison aged in chardonnay barrels

tandoori roasted rack of lamb
crispy new potatoes, baby carrots, glace
nightmare on brett (cognac barrel aged), 100% brett baltic porter

river’s edge chévre sunset bay
apricot, prosciutto
st. bretta, 100% brett fermented whitebier

If you’re interested in researching further, here’s a few great articles:

Brettanomyces, a Funky Yeast, Makes Flavorful Beers –  NY Times

Chad Yakobson’s Brettanomyces Dissertation – The introduction is worth reading!

After watching a TED Talk by former NY Times journalist Jennifer 8. Lee (and eating a few of Chef Dustin Clark‘s more inspired staff meals), the Wildwood team was moved to embark upon a playful experiment in American – Chinese Food. And then we thought, what a great excuse for a cocktail party!

1. Cocktails and Chinese Food are inextricably linked. Ask our Barman Ryan Csanky his favorite hangover meal in the neighborhood; we’d all have to agree on Ling Garden.

2. Dustin has told of his homemade fortune cookies, but we have yet to try them. We hear he hand-letters all the fortunes, and if you haven’t seen his lovely handwriting, you’re in for a real treat.

It required quite a bit of “R&D,” but in the end, Ryan’s come up with some surprising, interesting and fun ways to combine familiar flavors like szechuan pepper, hot mustard and plum sauce into a lighthearted match for Dustin’s adventures in global cuisine.

Join us for Mix.Sip.Grub. A two-hour cocktail event in the Wood Room celebrating our guilty pleasure–American Chinese! Starting at 4pm, enjoy six of Ryan’s campy cocktails paired with 6 of Chef Dustin’s themed appetizers. $35 Advance tickets includes Mixed Sips, Grub & gratuity. $40 door.

PS. We’re totally kidding about the MSG. Like all our favorite Chinese spots, we are all natural, baby.

Menu

char siu steam buns of steel
ginger, hoisin, five spice
ancient chinese secret
shochu, mao feng shui, combier peach

is it crab or raccoon?
pollock rangoon, rhubarb sweet & sour
shiso gangsta
choya, house made acid soda

general dustin’s chicken***
jolokia peppers, ginger, caramelized garlic
mao tse drink
szechuan-infused bourbon, passion fruit

shrimp fried rice
oregon bay shrimp, basil, edamame
belching dragon
vinn vodka, yuzu, plum sauce

mongolian beef tartare
soy-ginger glaze, grilled green onions, toasted rice cracker
way of the panda
vinn baiju, black pepper sesame syrup

crispy crispy yum yum*
shiitake beef eggroll, chinese mustard sauce
shanghai sunset
bourbon, tamarind, hot mustard

*spicy
***you’ve been warned.

reservations: shelly@wildwoodpdx.com | 503.225.0130 ext 2

Mother’s Day, May 12th at 5:30pm, Wildwood presents a unique collaboration between Sous Chef and Beer Steward Paul Kasten and The Bruery of Placentia, CA, featuring a stunning lineup of beers.  This dinner offers beer geeks and Wildwood fans access to eight of The Bruery’s most sought after creations.  Among the beers are a few only available to members of The Bruery’s exclusive beer societies, along with other limited release and vintage bottles. The lineup includes Grey Monday (released to the Hoarder’s and Reserve Societies), Sour in the Rye with Peach (released only to The Bruery Hoarder’s Society), Marrón Acidifié (a limited release from spring 2011), Bourbon Barrel Smoking Wood, and more.

Paul’s reputation for skillful food pairing and The Bruery’s cult status amongst beer collectors makes this one of the most exciting match-ups we’ll see all season.  For a glimpse into Paul’s inspired pairings (he’s the only one we know who’s tried some of these beers, after all) check out the menu below.  We’re salivating with anticipation of his surprise ice cream flavor to be paired with Grey Monday.  For one night, let’s pretend we’re exclusive members too.

The Bruery creates “beers with character and depth using the simplest and purest of means.” Their beers are unfiltered and unpasteurized, and gain carbonation through 100% bottle conditioning, allowing carbonation to naturally occur through a secondary bottle fermentation.  They strive to use unconventional ingredients, and are inspired by those in the brewing community who are pushing the limits of what ‘beer’ is.

Menu:

house salumi
grain mustard, pickles, baguette
hottenroth

grilled halibut
spicy greens, pickled chiles, zolfino beans, crispy shallot, lime-ginger vinaigrette
saison rue

tempura spring onion
green curry aïoli
humulus lager

purée of asparagus soup
morels, crispy prosciutto, gremolata
rueuze

country pâté stuffed chicken leg
pea purée, smoked chicken glace
sour in the rye w/peach

seared duck breast
red wine carrot purée, strawberry saba glace, pea shoot salad
marrón acidifié

slow roasted ribeye filet
green garlic potatoes, porcini, bourbon-wort glace
bourbon barrel smoking wood

surprise ice cream flavor
hazelnut crêpe, dried plum
grey monday

Reservations: shelly@wildwoodpdx.com | 503.225.0130 ext 2