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Morton’s The Steakhouse

I hadn’t been to Morton’s in at least eight years when I pulled up to the valet a few weeks ago. The last time my experience had been pretty good. On this warm Thursday evening, I was expecting a meal that would be close to the quality of El Gaucho. Morton’s was founded in 1978 by Arnie Morton and Klaus
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Ringside Steakhouse

In 1994, I had my first dinner at Ringside, yet I remember the night like it was yesterday. It was a cool, crisp winter evening. I wanted to impress a date, and knowing nothing about the Portland food scene, was told it would be a safe bet. Going inside was like stepping into a steakhouse circa 1960. It was dark and clubby with deep padded booths. A large fireplace took

Which is it, Safeway?

Last week, Safeway started boasting in its NE Broadway store that it was now supplying LOCALLY GROWN fruit. A poster showed where the farms in Oregon were. They even added special “I’m Local!” tags on one fruit display. But the fruit next to those tags were plums and peaches – each had a sticker on them saying they came from
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ASOBG R.I.P., etc.

Rumor on the street is, Alberta Oyster Bar and Grill has closed closes Sunday, June 28th. It will reopen as a “whiskey tavern” in a few weeks, with Andrew Finkelman, currently of 50 Plates, and the current ASOBG chef. The only thing that surprises me about this news, is that the restaurant lasted as long as it did. Once it
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El Gaucho

To many, El Gaucho epitomizes what a steakhouse should be. It feels sophisticated. The atmosphere is formal, the lighting dim and romantic, and lots of dark wood provides a backdrop to tinkling stemware and white linens. Live jazz wafts from the background as tuxedo-clad waiters scurry by with carts for tableside Caesar salads, the darkness punctuated by an occasional burst of flame from a bananas Foster in the making. To many people, this type of ambience is it, as fancy as they will ever dine, a place

Restaurant Wine Lists: Getting the most for your dollar

I have been meaning to put my thoughts about how to maximize your restaurant wine buying dollars to print for a long time. I was finally motivated by a similar article in the Wall Street Journal that just came out where they listed their top ten ways to get the most drink for your dollar. It was pretty informative, but from being in the wine biz for almost…ack…20 years

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

Ruth’s Chris is the largest steakhouse chain in the United States. As such, it was the first major restaurant of that type to give the Portland institution Ringside Steakhouse any real competition. After it opened, I used to go now and then to experience something a bit more upscale. I enjoyed the cleanly modern, yet clubby feel. However, as I’ve
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