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Beast Restaurant

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Just about everyone who reads local magazines has seen this photo of Naomi Pomeroy of Beast. One of the creators of Gotham Tavern, Ripe Family Supper and clarklewis, only to lose it all, she is the stuff of local legend. Now Naomi has risen from the ashes and started Beast, modeled somewhat on her experience with Ripe. Through her travails, she has developed a quiet strength which shows in her food and in the way she moves through her kitchen.

Beast is a difficult restaurant to review, because people tend to be seduced with the experience as a whole, and as with many things in life, seem to feel personally attacked if you don’t like it as much as they do. Beast, in particular, has a passionate group of followers. However, I think, when doing a review, one has to isolate himself from the experience, and concentrate on the food. Things like ambiance should be noted and made part of any review. But for me it all comes down to, if I am sitting by myself in an empty room, do I like the food, and would I come back. This is the question I asked myself about Beast.

The dining room itself is simple, a chalkboard painted wall across the back, and two large tables, flanked by the uncomfortable chairs that were banished from clarklewis when it was sold. The carefully composed graffiti in the restroom makes an interesting diversion. Music is present, but not so loud it interferes with conversation, though when the room is full you will find yourself competing to be heard. Overall, lighting is perfectly adequate, candles on the table help, though you don’t really have to worry since the menu is just a simple list of what you are having.

Seating is communal, so understand you will be sharing one of the two tables with groups of strangers. You will also be in the same space as the cooks. I enjoy sitting with my back to the wall so I can watch as they calmly go about their duties. This must be the least dramatic kitchen in Portland. The dual space also means you will be exposed to the heat from the equipment. This is nice on cold days, but can be a bit overwhelming in the summer, even with the screen door open.

The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, or as intimate as it can possibly be sharing a table with 20 plus other people. This can be great when you end up sitting next to folks who are outgoing and interesting.  At Beast, this is usually the case. I’ve had terrific conversations here with complete strangers. A note to a recent patron: If he hit you, you’re better off without him! (Somebody just sat up and went “that was Food Dude?!”)

Beast has a fixed menu, with the selections changing once a week. You can check their website before you make reservations to make sure you like what is being served. You’ll know what you’re getting before you walk in the door, and what the cost will be. On the other hand, you get what they are serving that night – no substitutions. If you don’t like something, you’ll be sitting on your hands until the next course arrives. Be warned, this is not a vegetarian friendly restaurant. One note: when they say “tasting menu”, they mean it. Sometimes the size of the dishes is so small I am left wanting more. However, by the time I’ve eaten all the courses, I always walk out comfortably sated.

Two seatings are available each night – one at 6pm and one at 8:45pm. On Sundays there is a brunch at either 10am or 12pm. Reservations are a must. Pricing is $52 for six courses, $45 for five. Wine pairings are $35 and $30 respectively. All of the wines in the pairing are available by the glass, as well as a few sparkling wines. Beast also has a small selection of whole bottles. If you bring your own, corkage is $30.

I enjoy having the wine pairings with the food. It is interesting to taste so many different wines. Most of the time the matching is just fine, though occasionally one will fall flat. This, however, is a rather subjective thing – your results may vary.

Meals begin with a small cup of soup, which is usually terrific. A recent cream of asparagus was an anthem to spring – lush, smooth and brimming with flavor. A bit of herbed crème fraîche & trout roe dressed it up just enough to put the whole thing over the top. Another successful version consisted of cream of cauliflower soup with house curry oil & trout roe, the latter giving a bit of salty crunch. On the other hand, a carrot soup with Washington mussels & saffron cream left me cold. The overpowering mélange of flavors all fought with each other. I simply didn’t like the way the sweetness of the carrots contrasted with the mussels, and while the addition of shallots gave it an interesting contrast, this isn’t something I’d order again.

Next, the charcuterie plate. It’s always made up of four or five items in a ring around a bit of palate-freshening salad. Selections change regularly. Some I’ve had in the past include a foie gras bon-bon, Beast deviled egg with house pancetta, steak tartare with quail egg, chicken liver mousse cracker, fig and green olive pork pâté, pork rillettes, Seville orange marmalade, cherry and pistachio pork pâté, duck liver & olive pâté, artisinal salami and more.

When it comes to charcuterie, I compare everything to my two favorite plates in town: Castagna and Ten 01. A selection of single bite charcuterie is an interesting idea – almost Thomas Keller in approach. However, despite the wide selection, only two items have lived up to my benchmarks. These are the perfect, freshly chopped steak tartar on a crispy little toast accompanied by a lovely raw quail egg, and the dessert-like foie gras bon-bon which has a tiny trembling golden square of Sauternes gelée perched on top which gives a hint of taste and cuts the fat. I could eat half a dozen of either one. The other items have been pleasant, but not necessarily something you’ll be talking about the next day.

A palate cleanser comes next, as I recall; it has always been a sorbet. Unfortunately, on my last visit, the sorbet was anything but light. Instead it was an overpowering grapefruit version that ran amuck on my palate. When subtle this is a very nice idea, but care should be taken to leave the palate refreshed, and not overwhelmed with a lasting flavor.

The next course is a main, which tends to be interesting, though not always entirely successful. That being said, over my visits since they opened, quality has steadily increased. At my last meal they served pot pie with braised short rib, wild onion and morels. This was accompanied with glazed turnips and sautéed turnip greens. The combination was fantastic, easily the best of the genre I’ve ever had. The crust was light, the meat tender and moist. The morels and sauce gave a wonderful earthy depth that made me reach for the bread to make sure I had sopped up every bit.

Other mains I’ve had in the past include baby lamb chops which were so small and had so little meat on the bone they needed the patience and precision of a surgeon. My whole table ended up discussing the hassle rather than the dish itself. Difficulty aside, the meat was just… fine. On another fall night, a serving of regular-sized lamb chops was much better; perfectly cooked on a bed of mashed potatoes studded with wild mushrooms.  For one meal, we had “braised local beef short ribs, rouge d’etamps pumpkin, golden raisin aigre-coux mustard greens with chili & garlic”. The beef was tender and flavorful, and the pumpkin provided a slightly sweet foil to the beef. The sauce was excellent, as were the accompanying mustard greens. Overall, it was a consummate winter dish. The same could be said of a slow-roasted pork shoulder with peppers and rainbow chard, a combination that spoke of earth and fall – another fine example of comfort food wrapping its arms around you. If I have any universal complaint, it is that they need to pull back a little on the salt.

Next up is a salad course. On the surface they may seem simple, but there are frequently lots of subtle tastes and textures. Each of these had an ingredient that pushed them over the edge into the really good category. One night a simple dish of frisée, local apples, house pancetta and candied hazelnuts stood out for the perfectly composed combination of ingredients. Another evening it was lettuces, anchovy, and lemon vinaigrette with shaved radish and raisin-walnut croutons. The croutons were simple, yet imparted a wonderful flavor, which raised it far above average. Last spring I was served a perfectly composed spring asparagus & poached pheasant egg frisée. Sauced with fried prosciutto and brown-butter vinaigrette, the prosciutto added a slight crunch and burst of flavor that contrasted perfectly to the early asparagus.

Depending on whether you order the five or six-course meal, you’ll either be served a cheese course here, or go straight to the dessert without a wait. Since the portions are small, I recommend going all the way. Cheeses are provided by Steve’s, arguably the best cheese monger in the Portland area. The selection is always stellar, and the combination each night is impeccable. They are usually accompanied by a bit of house-made shortbread or fruit. My only complaint is sometimes they are a bit heavy handed with the accompanying syrup – I don’t want my cheese sitting in a pool of honey, wildflower or not. One night we were served a delicate Piemontese tomini cow and sheep’s milk cheese from Italy, a gabicton raw cow and sheep cheese from France, and a surprisingly mild blue del monviso raw cow milk variety from Italy. This was accompanied with cracked black pepper shortbread, mars-venus grapes and wonderful champagne-poached apricots.

As with many things in life, desserts at Beast tend to be best when they are kept simple. Chocolate pots de crème with spot on coconut sorbet was a match made in heaven, though an additional almond Florentine was slightly oily. Another winner were blackberry, peach and brown butter tarts that spoke of late summer, while a brown butter crepe with local rhubarb, vanilla bean ice cream and pistachio praline whipped cream all folded together had too many flavors fighting for attention.

While it may sound like I am being hard on Beast, it is easy to find fault with a six course meal. I have been seven times, and regretted my decision only once – and that was shortly after they opened. Overall, I think the experience of eating with a convivial group of strangers, all being served the same dishes at the same time is quite entertaining and enlightening. There is nothing like a love of food and wine to bring people together. For the most part, my quibbles with the food are minor. Though the prices are a bit high, you are paying for more than dinner – your ticket includes meeting new people and watching the kitchen.  Service is always professional and gracious, without a flaw over all of my visits. I like Beast, and will continue to dine there.

Thanks to Lauren Coleman Photography for the photographs!

• Address: 5425 NE 30th Ave, Portland OR. 97211 Google Map
• Phone: 503-841-6968
• Hours: Wed-Sun, 2 seatings 6pm or 8:45pm. Brunch on Sunday 10am or 12pm
• Website: BeastPDX.com