Portland Dining Month is back this March!

Portland Dining Month, one of my favorite events of the past few years is back, with 122 restaurants offering three-course dinners for $29 throughout the month of March.

This year, more restaurants are participating than ever before. I’ve spent quite a bit of time scouring the menus – things like this require a battle plan. For me this is a chance to return to restaurants that I have forgotten about, and try some of the new ones that I haven’t had a chance to visit yet. With so many great choices, it’s difficult to keep up.

Every year I go through and pick out a group of restaurants I want to visit. Some are old favorites, a few I’ve never been to, and I always include some that I’ve been disappointed with in the past, but want to give another try. Here are the 14 restaurants that are on my list this year:

Bar Avignon: 

• First course (choose one): Roasted chicken consommé with braised leek, green apple and thyme oil -OR- Groundwork Organics lettuce with chive and herbed Dijon vinaigrette
• Second course (choose one): Caramelized carrot risotto with Hopworks Urban Brewery Hard Cider, goat cheese and tarragon  -OR-  Rosemary glazed pork chop with potato-roasted garlic gratin, grana and rapini -OR- Roast chicken panzella with oyster mushrooms, beet, hazelnut, Manchego and sherry vinaigrette
• Third course (choose one): Buttermilk panna cotta with preserved satsuma honey -OR- Warm chocolate and butterscotch blondie with cinnamon and whipped sour cream

Ataula:

• First course: Pulpo octopus carpaccio with sun-dried tomato, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts and pickled cipollinionions
• Second course: Tortilla de patatas con bellota with farm eggs, confit potatoes, onions and 4-year cured ibérico ham
• Third course: Mini rossejat negre with toasted noodles, calamari, squid ink, sofrito and harissa aioli

Autentica:

• First course (choose one): Tostada de tinga de pollo topped with shredded cabbage, crema, cotija, avocado and pickled jalapeño -OR- Traditional guacamole served with fresh corn tortillas -OR-  Orejona of chopped romaine leaves with avocado, cilantro, radish, spicy toasted peanuts and spicy cotija cheese dressing  -OR-  Daily fish ceviche
• Second course (choose one): Estofado de javali of braised boar collar in chili negro, roasted carrot, black eyed peas and escabeche  -OR-  Cachetes de puerco of braised pork cheeks simmered in mole ranchero, radish and Thai chili and served with white rice   -OR-  Ensalada caliente of sautéed spring vegetables, served over chili mole and topped with cotija
• Third course (choose one): Platano caramelizado: plantain and banana sundae with caramelized nuts, chocolate sauce and house-made ice cream   -OR-  Helados autentica: two scoops of house-made ice cream or sorbet

Aviary:

• First course (choose one): Braised beef cheek dumpling of egg yolk, jicama, cucumber and peanuts -OR-  Prawn salad with snap peas, coconut, Cara Cara oranges, jalapeño and taro root crisp
• Second course (choose one): Red cooked kurobuta pork short rib with rutabaga, enoki mushrooms, fish sauce and pickled Thai chiles  -OR-  Pineapple curry with glazed skate wing, Manila clams, cranberry beans, maitake mushrooms and sea beans
• Third course (choose one): Pistachio dacquoise yogurt mousse and grapefruit sorbet   -OR-  Chocolate cremeux cake with passion fruit and crispy rice

Clyde Common:

• First course: Pork and shiitake lumpia with house sweet and sour sauce and spicy greens
• Second course: Preserved ramp butter risotto with grana padano, chili oil and chicken chicharrónes
• Third course: Local bee honey panna cotta with chèvre whipped cream, mixed berry jam and candied pine nuts

Higgins: 

• First course (choose one): Endive and radicchio salad with blue cheese, Marsala roasted figs and croutons
• -OR-  Alsatian style terrine of duck and pork with cherries and hazelnuts
• Second course (choose one):  Roast Carman Ranch Lyonnaise sausage with pistachios, green lentils and fingerling potatoes  -OR-  Risotto of rapini, carrots and provolone picante
• Third course: Lemon panna cotta with Swiss meringue, raspberry coulis and sesame tuile

Imperial

• First course: Grilled squash salad with hazelnuts and dill vinaigrette
• Second course (choose one): Braised pork shoulder with creamy polenta, chili and basil  -OR-  Pan-roasted cauliflower with crispy Brussels sprouts, hummus, Cara Cara oranges and harissa
• Third course: Chocolate bouchon with cinnamon-roasted rhubarb and Chantilly

Kachka

• First course: Watermelon radish salad with buckwheat honey butter and buckwheat blini
• Second course: Beef tongue stroganoff with egg noodles, mushrooms and cognac-Smetana sauce
• Third course: Apple ponchiki donuts with lingonberry jam and thyme

Laurelhurst Market

• First course: Sausage-stuffed crimini mushrooms, arugula, parmesan and aged balsamic
• Second course: Braised beef shoulder with horseradish creamed kale and fried onions
• Third course: Chocolate-whiskey pudding with marshmallow and pretzel shortbread cookies

Little Bird: 

• First course (choose one): Radicchio salad with orange-poppy seed dressing, pistachios and aged gouda  -OR-  Sweetbreads truffled potato salad
• Second course (choose one): Cedar-planked cod with spicy tomato sauce, roasted fennel and white bean salad  -OR-  Pork cognac plum stew with lentils, charred scallion and Dijon vinaigrette
• Third course (choose one): Olive oil cake with honey cream, pineapple, pistachios and blood orange sauce  -OR-  Ice cream and sorbet duo  -OR-  Dozen macaroons

Park Kitchen:

• First course: Chickpea fries with roasted squash ketchup
• Second course (choose one): Ayer’s Creek barley with smoked beets and pomegranate  -OR-  Blood orange with radish, pumpernickel and crème fraîche  -OR-  Charred carrot with black olive, pecans and carrot tops
• Third course (choose one): Ayer’s Creek adzuki bean cake with braised collard greens and popcorn sauce  -OR-  Blackened steelhead with cauliflower grits and watercress   -OR-  Grilled Maupin Farm’s ham with Anthony’s garbanzo beans and green olives

Smallwares:

• First course: Scallop or eggplant sashimi with den miso, yuzu kosho and puffed rice
• Second course: Fried maitake mushrooms with arugula, sansho and Meyer lemon aioli
• Third course: Handkerchief pasta with Sichuan cauliflower or pork ragu, pine nuts, gochujang, tarragon and scallions

St. Jack:

• First course: Scallop or eggplant sashimi with den miso, yuzu kosho and puffed rice
• Second course: Fried maitake mushrooms with arugula, sansho and Meyer lemon aioli
• Third course: Handkerchief pasta with Sichuan cauliflower or pork ragu, pine nuts, gochujang, tarragon and scallions

• First course: Fried Brussels sprouts with buttermilk, anchovy and dill
• Second course (choose one): Blanquette de porc with baby carrot, new potato, cognac, cream and fresh herbs  -OR-  Vegetarian entrée available upon request
• Third course:  Chocolate pot de crème with walnut liqueur Chantilly and a sugar cookie

Xico:

• First course: Taco de ensalada verde with spring lettuces from Gathering Together Farm, Portland Creamery feta, avocado and pickled red onion, dressed with cilantro-lime vinaigrette and served on a fresh, hot tortilla made with heirloom Abenaki corn
• Second course: Ancho chili relleno with sweet and spicy red chili, steeped in piloncillo and stuffed with fresh Mexican cheese, ripe plantain, tomato and chicken. Topped with crema Oaxaquena and parsley leaves and served with toasted chicken broth rice, refried red beans and melted cheese
• Third course: Sweet corn cake with vanilla custard and crème anglaise, mezcal and anejo tequila

Full disclosure: I am being paid a fee for advertising Portland Dining Month on my website. However, I would write the same post in the same way if this was not the case. I truly believe this is a great thing for Portland.

The post Portland Dining Month 2016 – Here is my list! appeared first on Portland Food and Drink.