Bacon wrapped tri trips at teardrop

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Oregon wines on Broadway

Yummy wine!

Lobster Mac at El Gaucho

Jen may be in San Francisco....but we get decadent lobster Mac and cocktails with fun friends Patrick and Heather!

This Week's Beast Menu!

We were sitting idly at work this morning, counting our ink gel pens and playing with our label maker, when suddenly we got a thrilling surprise: Naomi posted Beast's menu for the week on our Facebook wall, before she even posted it on the Beast website!

See, we've been dying to know what's on the menu this week, since Table For Twelve is heading to Beast tomorrow evening for our first supper club event of 2009, and we expressed our yearning on our Facebook status update yesterday. And lo and behold, Naomi saw it!

"Posted just for you..." she said, "Wine pairings TBA."

We can't help but feel a little special. Okay, very special. We want to share our joy with you, so here is the link to our Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1371603171&ref=nf#wall

If you aren't our friend already and want to see the menu you better Friender us!

Or, I will just tell you now. Because I'm so excited.

MUSHROOM VELOUTÉ
HAZELNUT SALSA VERDE

CHARCUTERIE PLATE:
FOIE-GRAS BON-BON, SAUTERNES GELEÉ
STEAK TARTARE & QUAIL EGG TOAST
PORK, PORK LIVER, SOUR CHERRY & PISTACHIO PATE
CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE, MAPLE CANDIED BACON

SEARED CATTAIL CREEK LAMB LOIN-CHOP
FRENCH WHITE BEANS WITH TOMATO & ROSEMARY
OLIVE, PARSLEY AND CAPER SALSA
GARLICY WILTED CHARD

HEARTS OF ROMAINE, BUTTERY CROUTONS
ANCHOVY & SEVILLE ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

~SELECTION OF STEVE’S CHEESE~
CRACKED PEPPER & FLEUR DE SEL SHORTBREAD
LOCAL APPLE , POACHED FRUIT & CANDIED HAZELNUTS

CITRUS MERINGUE TART
CANDIED GRAPEFRUIT

Life just doesn't really get any better than Naomi giving you an exclusive peek at her splendid menu on your Facebook wall.

-J

Human Salt Lick

The BF and I were stumbling around Mississippi Avenue this weekend and came upon The Meadow... and no it wasn't actually a "meadow," but a salt store. We heart SALT, we think SALT as mom put it,"is the real staff of life," and completely agree with Pythagoras that "Salt is born of the purest parents: the sun and the sea."

The owner educated us about cooking on a Himalayan Salt Plate, which is like a giant human salt lick. If you have a gas stove you can just put it right on the burner and if you are not fortunate enough to have a gas stove then you have to use a wok ring to keep it off the element. The idea is that it puts the exact amount of salt on whatever your cooking in a thin even layer. It can even be used with anything from fruit, chocolate, meat, to veggies.

Tonight was our test... we decided we would place the salmon on it and have the Human Salt Lick be the only seasoning. It took about 25 minutes for it to get hot all the way through and once the salmon was on it took about 8 minutes. The result was a perfectly salted salmon!

Table For Twelve: The "Your Inner Food Beast Wants to Wine and Dine in 2009!" Edition!

Dear food-loving friends,

TableTalkPortland hopes you had a very merry and memorable holiday season. We did, even though Santa did not bring Jen the one and only thing she asked for (a mini bulldog named Admiral Toot), and Mom gave someone (Jen) a slight concussion with a cowbell shaped like an angel while we were caroling on Peacock Lane in our pajamas (after a little too much mulled wine), and Michelle had to postpone her famous yearly Christmas Party twice because Jack Frost was determined to save her neighborhood from the annual indignity of our hot-toddy-fueled midnight Christmas Party karaoke session (think "Total Eclipse of the Heart", the Old School version, on repeat).

And since thanks to good old Jack Frost we didn't have to waste any time dreaming of a White Christmas this year, we spent our homebound holidays dreaming of what 2009 would have to offer -- hopefully, a mini bulldog named Admiral Toot. Er, we meant to say world peace. And, a brand new year of Table For Twelve supper club events! We're kicking off Table For Twelve '09 in style, by taking TFT to Beast next week!

Join us at Beast, which Esquire magazine recently lauded as the nation's "Most Tolerable Example of the Communal-Table Trend," for Chef Naomi Pomeroy's peerless "Ghetto French" cookin' on Wednesday night! Next week's menu hasn't been posted yet, but consider a few highlights of last week's spread: white bean, kale & bread soup with shaved parmesan and French oil, pheasant breast stuffed with brioche, house pancetta, dandelion and golden raisins, citrus-marinated sea scallop with grapefruit, tangerine and avocado and mint salsa verde, olive oil cake with poached apricots, figs, prunes and vanilla bean whipped cream. Seriously, if you aren't clicking the Reply button right now and screaming for a spot at the table, you're as cold-blooded as Jack Frost.

We hope you will join us Wednesday for Table For Twelve: The "Your Inner Food Beast Wants to Wine and Dine in 2009!" Edition!

Details, Details
When: 6 pm seating, Wednesday, January 14
Where: Beast, 5425 NE 30th, Portland, OR 97211 (http://www.beastpdx.com/)
Why: Because we are setting the bar high for 2009, so why not kick off TFT '09 at one of Portland's very best restaurants. And because Naomi kicks rump! Just ask Esquire. Just ask Gourmet magazine. Just ask Portland Monthly. Just ask us.
Who Should Not Come: Vegetarians, Vegans, Meataphobics, anybody who likes to ask the kitchen to tweak their meal (Naomi don't do substitutions, savvy?), Mom's angel-shaped cowbell, Jack Frost, Michelle.
How Much This Will Cost You: $45/5-course tasting menu or $52/6-course tasting menu + wine (if you want wine) + gratuity. Also, we had to put our credit card down to secure this reservation so if you cancel less than 24 hours in advance or don't show, we'll be forced to drum you out of the TFT club for all of '09 and we'll disparage you bitterly on Facebook, Michelle's fave new pastime.

See you at the table!

Jen & Michelle
TableTalkPortland.comWhat is Table For Twelve all about? Click HERE to find out.

Server of the Month

Kurt, of Clarklewis, is unanimously voted our Server of the Month! Kurt treated our indecisive, unruly group like kings, even though we were just eating off the happy hour menu and were wearing sweats (well, Michelle was). And he immediately removed our corked bottle of Chianti without batting an eye, and when the kitchen ran out of happy hour chocolate hazelnut brownies, he negotiated a substitution of delectable chocolate gingerbread cake off the regular dessert menu instead. Also, he did not bat an eye when Michelle stuffed all the wine corks in her mouth right in front of him.
Hip hip hooray for Kurt, tabletalkportland's first Server of the Month of 2009!
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We love clarklewis' happy hour

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Celebrating at Castagna

Happy new year!

Where in the world could Jen be? Hopefully she isn't doing anything boring! We are missing her at Oregon Wines on Broadway!

A spread fit for a princess, catered by Nicolas'. Lamb kebabs, kafka, falafel, and spankthepita. And baklavaklavak.
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There she is, the hostess herself. In the bar, of course.
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Michelle has a party!

Arriving at Michelle's for her annual Christmas party, which had to be postponed until after Christmas due to Arctic Blast '08.
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Merry Christmas

Tabletalkportland was VERY good this year...Santa brought us oysters and a magnum of cava.
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Shucking Christmas oysters

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Merry Christmas!
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Christmas Tea carnage.
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This spread is brilliant, good job Philippe Boulot and team!
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The eats are here! Attack!!
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And Jen is filled with champagne.

Actually, Jen is filled with Segura Viudas cava, which is her favorite everyday table sparkly. So if you haven't gotten her Christmas present yet because you weren't sure whether to get her a bottle of bubbly, diamonds, or a small bulldog, consider yourself informed.
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Michelle is filled with holiday cheer.
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The Heathman's historic Tea Court halls are decked with holly.
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The only thing better than a milk mustache

Is a Cacao drinking chocolate mustache.
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Cacao

We just finished learning important lessons at Portland Center Stage's production of A Christmas Carol. Now we are pondering our newfound insights on life at Cacao over small cups of drinking chocolate, while we wait for our Christmas Tea to begin in the Heathman drawing room.
This drinking chocolate is the stuff dreams are made of--a spicy, sinfully scintillating concoction of 72% arriba dark chocolate infused with cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and ginger, and blended with milk, cream, and coconut milk. Only $2 a shot, and one shot of this stuff will put enough theobromine in your system to keep you on a chocolate high until 2010. Bottoms up! -J
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Jen and Michelle Got Mail!

Sometimes, when one of our readers is in dire need of a restaurant recommendation, or is snowbound and really bored, we get mail here at TableTalkPortland. If we happen to be sober when we read it, we usually reply, otherwise we tend to forget we ever read it. Sorry. Anyhow, we thought it would be fun to start a new segment called "Jen and Michelle Got Mail!" Here is a random sampling of mail we've received this month.

To: Jen & Michelle
Date: Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Subject: Where to go tonight?

Hey Michelle and Jen,

We have 7:30 pm tickets for the Christmas Carol at Portland Center Stage, and it's Adam's 11th birthday. We're looking for a place that's good, not too expensive, has burgers and breaded chicken strips (for Adam), where the hubby and I can get a decent meal, and is close to the venue?

Any ideas?

Janine

Hi there Janine!

Have you tried Deschutes Brewpub? It's a block from the Armory and has a lively vibe, not to mention quite a few burgers. Plus, they do not give children snotty looks or try to lure them into the kitchen with turkish sweets and bake them into pies, which is nice.

Here is a link to the menu: www.deschutesbrewery.com/brewery/brew-pubs/portland-pub/pdx-pub-menu/default.aspx

Tell Adam Happy Birthday from TableTalk!

Graciously,
Jen

To: Jen & Michelle
Date: Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 4:18 PM
Subject: How do I get to do what you do?

Dear Jen and Michelle,

After stumbling upon and watching your daily adventures as chronicled on your blog now for several months, I have to ask: how on earth are the two of you able to (1) do anything but eat and drink all day, (2) pay for it and (3) go without taking a day, a week, or a month off? I am sincerely yours, sitting eating frozen pizza and watching day 24 of storm coverage with no life of my own,

Steve B

(that’s not exactly true, I just got done updating my wine inventory and ordering four bottles of a St. Emilion Grand Cru so I exaggerate a bit)

Dear Steve,

Wow, that's a lot of questions, Michelle hasn't had to endure an inquisition like that since she was pulled over for the third time for driving with no front license plate, which was, let's see...yesterday!

We'll try though. Here goes:

1)We actually DON'T do anything but eat and drink all day. But if we did, I would be a princess and Michelle would be a super nice traffic cop who never, ever gave people tickets for not having a front license plate. Or, I would be a writer and Michelle would be a CFO, which is sort of what we do when we aren't eating and drinking.

2)In times like these, who hasn't had to sell an organ or two to afford dinner out? Really though Steve, affording our lifestyle is all about priorities. For example, I find that electricity is completely overrated, and Michelle just let her housekeeper go and makes Mom clean her house instead. See? Priorities.

3)We are just driven girls, I guess. Kind of like our bff Madonna (you can see our beautiful friendship evolve starting here: http://tabletalkportland.blogspot.com/2008/10/just-hanging-out-with-madonna.html), we have an incredibly tenacious work ethic when it comes to our "art". We don't have very big biceps though.

Now we have some questions for you, Steve. It's only fair.

1. What kind of frozen pizza? Better be frozen Apizza Scholls or Ken's leftovers, Mister. Which you should never freeze, btw. It's best fresh.

2. Mom used to date Jacques Hebrard and every Christmas he has a case of Chateau Cheval Blanc St. Emilion Grand Cru delivered to her house on the back of a winged golden stag. So, where did you get yours?

3. That is not actually true. I'm sorry I lied. Are you still going to invite us to your tasting party? We love parties!

Thanks so much for your letter Steve, and stay warm and dry, drinking your St. Emilion Grand Cru by the fireplace! Hopefully you have a fireplace, it seems only appropriate.

Cordially,
Jen

To: Jen
Date: Mon, Dec 22, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Subject: Bring me lunch

Sis,

I just woke up. I'm hungover from my pub crawl down Belmont last night. Bring me lunch now.

Michelle

Dear Sis,

No way. Not until you agree to let Guinevere, my highly anticipated Christmas bulldog, live at your house since my apartment building doesn't allow dogs.

Resolutely,
Jen

And that concludes the first edition of Jen and Michelle Got Mail! If you have any questions or comments of your own, please write us at tabletalkportland@gmail.com. FYI, pre-happy hour inquiries are the most likely to be answered.