Tiffany Owens – Clips & Samples

Simple Elegance: Portland's Park Kitchen Offers Award-Winning Fare with Flair

Publication:  Portland Lunch Times

Date Published: 6/27/2005

Photographs: No

Content

By Tiffany Owens

Serving lunch, dinner and a fantastic weekend brunch that often sees lines spilling out onto the North Park blocks sidewalk, Park Kitchen has become an instant classic with downtown “foodies,” businesspeople, Pearl art lovers and those that crave out-of-this-world food in a down-to-earth place.

For starters, the minimalist, yet inviting décor with its garage-door entrance and open kitchen, lime-green walls and leather banquettes, amiable staff and soulful dining music (ranging from Al Green to Elliot Smith), work together to evoke a breezy ambience. But it’s the ingenious menu that keeps patrons coming back for more. With beautiful presentation, but no smack of pretentiousness, Park Kitchen’s menu offers up inventive bistro cuisine and pub classics with a new twist.

Often, the ingredients are unexpected combinations, but after sampling, seem a natural pairing. Such is the case with the sweet potato salad with bay shrimp, shallots and giant capers, served over greens with a warm balsamic-type dressing. The result is a surprisingly vibrant explosion of texture and flavor, with the sweet potatoes lending a subtle, sweet contrast to the overall savory mix. Conversely, the shaved apple, manchego cheese and endive salad is a light, refreshing concoction that makes a perfect accompaniment to a bolder entrée choice.

Other lunch standouts are the “Reuben” sandwich with duck confit for a lighter, tastier version of the traditional sandwich, the fresh-made hot dog and chips, and the Chanterelles and hedgehogs (both exotic mushrooms) on toast, smothered in velvety Fontina.

Weekend brunches are bustling with those waiting to enjoy such Park Kitchen staples as the omelette with tomato-braised broccoli and goat cheese, or to simply linger over coffee with one of Pastry Chef Ellen Jackson’s fresh-baked confections. Dinner is a festive affair, offering a wide array of small plates, best enjoyed tapas-style with a glass of wine from their extensive list.

The Park Kitchen menu changes frequently and in accordance with the fresh, seasonal bounty that the dishes incorporate. In fact, Chef Scott Dolich says it was the abundant local produce that first lured him to Portland in 1993. He quickly made a name for himself working with lead chefs at some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants, such as Tapeo, Lauro and Wildwood, before opening Park Kitchen in 2003. Dolich was soon thereafter named one of Food & Wine magazine’s top 10 new chefs of 2004 – the first chef from Oregon to receive the honor.

But despite the accolades, the restaurant now appears on many “don’t-miss” lists quite simply because Dolich delivers consistently amazing food – a first-rate feast for all of the senses – be it dinner, brunch or lunch. "Lunch is a fun meal," he says. "People only have an hour, so that means we have 35 to 45 minutes to give them a complete experience… and make it good. I love that. If dinner is like a novel, then lunch is like a really good short story.”

Tiffany Owens is a freelance writer and avid culinary and wine enthusiast whose move to Portland last year coincided with a desire to be in closer proximity to her favorite cafés and Pinot Noirs.