Caprial's Bistro

It started with one of those nights where you are just not sure whether to crawl in bed and pray that you win the lottery or just go eat a real fine meal and pretend that you already won the lottery. I decided that I would start with the fine meal and then go on to bed and pray for the lottery win! My bf recommended that we move out of our typical eastside spots for dinner and go to Westmoreland's ever so famous Caprial’s Bistro.

The place has relaxing ambiance and we selected a table in front of the windows with giant comfy chairs. It was a little funny though, because the waitress recommended that we sit on pillows so that we could be closer to the table... blessed with height-we are not!

As we were perusing through the cocktail and wine menu, I remembered that I am trying to drink less and passed on a pre-dinner cocktail, but the bf went for it with a Satsuma Scotch Old Fashioned ($9). We started our meal with a pan-fried potato cake topped with smoked salmon and housemade horseradish yogurt ($11) and the roasted beet salad tossed with arugula in preserved lemon vinaigrette, topped with local chevron and spicy candied pecans ($8). The smoked salmon was definitely the highlight of the entire meal, perfect smoky flavor that didn't overpower the taste of the salmon. The potato take complimented it by just adding a little crunch from the pan frying and salt... it was delicious! The beet salad was typical for a northwest restaurant, but it was served with hot beets that wilted the arugula and I found it a nice change to a cold salad.

I had decided on the sturgeon served with fiddlehead ferns over a nettle gnocchi with house stewed tomatoes ($27) for my entree and it was a big OK for me. The ferns added no flavor (could be they are out of season?) and I really think they added them to the dish, because they look cool- I pushed them off to the side. The gnocchi was good and thank god it was so moist, because the fish was a little dry. The bf had braised pork shoulder served over a celeriac and roasted garlic puree with an herb and vinegar jus ($25) and he liked it enough. I tasted it and it reminded me of the meat and potato dishes you were served when you got hot lunch in elementary- don't get me wrong I thought it tasted good, but nothing exceptional.

Besides the salmon, the best thing we had that night was our dessert- coconut cake, served warm and topped with lime ice cream and macadamia nut brittle ($8). It might be my new favorite dessert. The moist warm coconut cake had a really thinbrittle placed on it and then they put the ice cream over it, so when you took a bite you had soft, sweet, warm, crunch, creamy, and tart. I was in love and forgot that I didn't love my entree for a minute.

I will now go to sleep happy and full and pray that I win the lottery tomorrow!

-M

Caprial’s Bistro *http://www.caprialandjohnskitchen.com/bistro/index.html* 503.236.6457 * 7015 SE Milwaukie Avenue* reservations * Lunch and Dinner served Tuesday - Saturday