|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHEF'S BLOG - PORTLANDby Dana Cress, June 2008 Summer is almost here and that means fresh local produce ! My chef team and I anxiously anticipate this season every year. Berries, heirloom tomatoes and Northwest produce are plentiful from local farms. I grow several species of heirloom tomatoes in my backyard every year and have started growing herbs in pots on our east deck here at the restaurant on the Columbia River. Mango, cucumber, papaya, coconut, heirloom tomatoes, watermelon, rhubarb and, last but not least, an ice cream sandwich, are all arriving on our June menu. Stay tuned! World of choices to stretch dollars at Salty’s. A topic that is on all of our minds is the economy, rising costs and other realities impacting our daily financial decisions (it’s on my mind both personally and professionally). We are excited to offer many options for you to stretch your dollars at Salty’s – but at the same time deliver quality at a good price – value. On our dinner menu you’ll find half-size and half-priced portions of our famous cioppino, smoked salmon along with crab Mac and cheese. The dinner menu now has an à la carte section called “Simply Grilled.” It features wild salmon $23.95, Alaskan halibut priced daily, or prawns $19.95. You can add sides – or not – for $3.95. Choose grilled polenta cake, cilantro lime rice, grilled baby bok choy, rosemary red potatoes, fries or garlic mashed potatoes or veggies. It doesn’t get any better! Did you know that Salty’s was voted a perfect score of ten in the Portland Happy Hour Guidebook? Check out www.happyhourguidebook.com and when you buy the book be sure to flip to the back for a two-for-one entrée good at Salty’s in Portland. We expanded our happy hours to Monday to Friday 2 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 4:30 p.m. to closing. We’ve also added a few new items like our Flatbread of the Day. See our menu at http://www.saltys.com/portland/menus/Portland_Happy_Hour.pdf Did you see Salty’s in Portland on KGW’s Dining Deals? Visit http://www.kgw.com/business/money/stories/kgw_051608_business_money_dining.108173398.html to read all about it. Did you know if you fill out a comment card, we mail you a postcard with an offer for a free dessert? Another option to stretch dollars is to choose appetizers as entrees. Our appetizers serve as “small plates” – it’s your choice. We let you decide! If you have questions, just ask! We aim to please! Happy Dining! Chef Dana April/May 2008 Spring has nearly sprung in Portland and I am excited for the abundance
of produce and the arrival of fresh wild caught salmon that spring
delivers! In other news, our May Market Sheet launches soon. I highly recommend
the Drunken Oysters. They are Madiera-marinated and broiled with a
fresh herb and shallot relish topped with crispy prosciutto. February 2008 Dana's Dish PORTLAND – Ever hear of “sliders”? Perhaps you’ve been to White Castle and had one of their famous small square burgers? This month our chef team is having fun with our own seafood version of sliders by serving Crab Cake Sliders with a cup of our award-winning seafood chowder for lunch! Each mini-burger is a layering of Pacific crab, arugula, red onion, shaved celery and lemon-thyme aïoli.
In other Dish news, I am a new Dad as of January 9. My wife is also
a chef and we are happy that our new “Sous Chef” Jayda,
is finally here! January 2008 Chef's Product Knowledge for the February Market Sheet (rollout - January 31st) Appetizers Crab-stuffed Mushrooms Entrees Crab Cake Sliders & Cup of Chowder Salmon Picatta Blue Plate Special Grilled Smoked Salt-Dusted Sturgeon Dessert Fresh Fruit & Vanilla Mousse |
Columbia Menus
Enter the
Salmon
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We had a wonderful Winemaker’s Dinner here in Portland featuring
Seven Hills Winery. We served five courses - well, you could call
it eight since our Pastry Chef Darla couldn’t decide on a dessert
so she made three for our guests to enjoy. Cream cheese flan with
Asian pear was the favorite of the group. We featured five wines
in an intimate setting of 25 people with the winemaker himself, Casey
McClellan. I enjoy these events because I aspire to pairing food
flavors that best compliment the wine. I hope you will consider the
Chateau Ste Michelle Winery Winemaker’s Dinner coming up this
summer on August 8. Weather permitting, we’ll sip and savor
on the decks with five white wine selections.
We
are also playing with sturgeon in our kitchen. I often see fishermen
outside our restaurant windows fishing for these big fellas on the Columbia
River. Sturgeon can range from 60 to 3000 pounds. I sometimes refer
to them as dinosaurs given their size and their ability to hang around
since the earliest days of existence. Prized for their caviar, the flesh
is really versatile to work with. You can grill, sauté, pickle,
smoke, bake or braise sturgeon; our presentation is a fillet of meaty
sturgeon dusted with smoked salt and grilled. Accompanied by cauliflower
purée and creamed spinach, this dish is my personal recommendation
when you dine with us in February. There’s also the Crab Lover’s
Feast paired with Wine Flights of Fancy. It makes every day Valentine’s
Day. Be sure to check out on my Market Sheets at 
