Portland Food Adventures: Levant

Monday evening we went to the Portland Food Adventure’s dinner at Levant. Have you ever gone to one of these? If not, you really should. There’s at least five courses and the chef (in this case, Scott Snyder), will tell you about the food you’re eating, the restaurant, and their favorite places to eat in Portland. And at the end of the night, you get gift cards to those places! It’s a pretty sweet deal.

Here are my main thoughts on this event at Levant: there was a lot of sun, the food was amazing, there were multiple dessert courses. Win! Unlike the equally delicious Gruner meal, everything Monday night was plated separately and while it maybe took a bit longer that way, the plates were just stunning. The menu is listed below and then my photos follow.

I think if I had to pick a favorite course (and I really liked them all), I’d have to go with the cheese and bread course because, well, it’s cheese. And bread.

Passed Canapes and The Phoenician (cocktail).

First Course: Spot Prawn Crudo, Preserved Lemon & Arak Sorbet, Pickled Chili, Mint Oil.
Wine: Getariako Txakolina, Ameztoi, Hondaribbi Zuri 2012.

Second Course: Haloumi, Fennel & Saffron Jam, Fresno Chili, Fried Mint. Harissa Baked Bread Roll.
Wine: Willamette Valley Ribbon Ridge, Trisaetum Dry Riesling, 2012.

Third Course: Sardine, Charmoula, Grilled Lemon.
Wine: Graves, Chateau Pavillon de Boyfrein, Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2010.

Fourth Course: Duck Breast a la Facille, Duck Sausage, Pomegranate Jus, Dirty Kamut.
Wine: Rioja, Pedro Martinez Alesanco, Crianza Tempranilla 2009.

Fifth Course: Cucumber Salad, Feta, Toasted Coriander.
Cucumber Refresher.

First Dessert Strawberry & Ricotta Doughnuts, Rose Jam, Cardamom.
Tokaji, Domaine Disznoko, Late Harvest Furmint 2008.

Second Dessert: Pistachio Milk Custard, Salted Pistachio Brittle, Candy Floss.

Extra Dessert, Just Because:: Turkish Delight.

Plus we also got a little take home bag with a chocolatey, muffiny, bread snack and gift certificates to Rum Club, Little Bird, and Aybla Grill.

Cocktail and passed canape — in this case phyllo dough wrapped lamb (I think), with a dipping sauce.

Lamb terrine, on a crunchy little crackery bit.

Duck breasts that we will be eating later.

Spot Prawn Crudo, Preserved Lemon & Arak Sorbet, Pickled Chili, Mint Oil.

Harissa roll.

Haloumi, Fennel & Saffron Jam, Fresno Chili, Fried Mint.

Sardine, Charmoula, Grilled Lemon.

Duck Breast a la Facille, Duck Sausage, Pomegranate Jus, Dirty Kamut.

Cucumber Refresher.

Cucumber Salad, Feta, Toasted Coriander.

Strawberry & Ricotta Doughnut, Rose Jam, Cardamom.

Pistachio Milk Custard, Salted Pistachio Brittle, Candy Floss.

Turkish Delight was…delightful.

Chef Snyder and our take home snack.