Portland Day 4

Sunday is our culinary tour with Eat Adventures and we’ve all been looking forward to this day! We jump in the van promptly at 10:30 am. I’m starving, but told there is tea and a pastry waiting for me in the car.

Our first stop is The Rendezvous Grill in Welches and they stuff us. I was not expecting three courses at 11:30am, but what the heck, I’m on a food tour. To start, locally foraged chanterelles with a garlic and marsala wine sauce over toasted bread. The mushrooms taste amazing! Next course, a Crucolo fondue with bread, apples, and chicken sausage. Normally, I’m not a fan of chicken sausage (texture is usually off), but this one was great. Then, for dessert (it’s barely 12pm), a huckleberry parfait. It was fantastic, but I left feeling stuffed and hoping that our next stop was very far away.

Off to Mount Hood’s  Timberline Lodge, and it’s snowing. October is a bit early for snow in my book, but it definitely adds to the ambiance of the lodge. Inside, it’s warm and inviting, the fireplaces are crackling, and I’d love to plop down on a couch and take a nap, but no, we must eat.

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Ram’s Head Bar – First, they bring out this wonderful bread (almost like potato bread, but lighter and fluffier). Then, the pièce de résistance, see below. Totally incredible!! I was stuffed and now I’m uncomfortably stuffed.

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TumaloTomme, honey, Apres Ski Fondue (a blend of Melted Raclette, Swiss, Fontina & White Cheddar Cheeses with Roasted Garlic & Ice Axe IPA), Olympic Provisions Charcuterie (Saucisson d’Alsace, Mortadella, Pork Rillette, Liver Mousse with Ice Axe Mustard Seeds & Caraway Pickled Onions), and a slice of Huckleberry cheesecake.

Nora’s Table is our final bite and it’s fantastic. We start with the house-cured and smoked Oregon salmon tostados on house-made masa tortillas with lime tequila slaw and avocado peach pico de gallo. This changed my mind completely about salmon, they tasted out of control good. The two other dishes we had were specials, one was scallops and the other pork belly. Again, delicious, you could taste the love and care the kitchen put into all the dishes.

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