Stumptown Vegans

Red & Black Café Benefit : Vegan Family Style Dinner
Date: July 21, 2007

On Saturday, July 21, 2007, Red & Black Café held its first of four Vegan Family Style Dinner as a benefit for their upcoming move and hopeful building purchase. You can read more about their forced move here. The posted menu featured four courses which included an appetizer, soup, main course, side dishes and dessert. The vegan chef was Aaron Adams, formerly of Junior’s Café’s vegan family style dinners.
I attended with a few friends, and sat at a long table, eating the fresh, craftily prepared food by candle light for 3 lovely hours. The courses were well spaced out, and served courteously and all garnished remarkably. There was complimentary herbal tea and coffee.
The first course was a simple and soul warming corona bean soup. The broth was clear, the greens were in nice, short pieces and the beans were gigantic and starchy. I could see myself eating this soup once a week, in my secret Italian village, during cooler months. My partner actually thought it was a bit bland, and some commented on exceptionally peppery bites, but I didn’t notice anyone putting their spoon down.

Salad was up next, an heirloom tomato, yellow watermelon, basil, and avocado mix with a light lemon viniagarette. I couldn’t taste the lemon, but the chunky bites were a nice step in the night, again nothing too fancy, but certainly more unique than your average salad. The sweet watermelon and basil pair up alone was impressive. The next course was a pissaldiere, – a moist whole wheat flat bread with fennel, delicious amaranth greens and olives, an excellent flavor combination, even if I’m guilty of picking off the fennel. I had never had amaranth greens before and am officially an admirer. When a second plate came around during the main course, eyes were lit.
This was followed by what was listed beforehand as spicy polenta crisps with red onion jam, and what was actually on the menu as polenta with red onion jam. The polenta came as reliable, creamy cornmeal squares, and the jam was extremely well received by my fellow diners.

The main course of stuffed zucchini arrived cozily in a small casserole dish. I like zucchini, but as you can buy enormous zucchinis for 50 cents at local farmers markets throughout the summer, I can’t say I was excited beforehand. However, with the previous, well-proportioned courses whetting and partially satisfying my appetite, the small, stuffed, succulent zucchinis were a tasty and not too heavy of a main course. The flavor was not as complex as the presentation, but that was really also a positive thing.The zucchinis were stuffed with a light tasting tomato/zucchini concoction and topped with a baked oregano cashew ricotta that everyone seemed to want more of. I liked it so much I’ve made it at home twice since then!
Athough a berry crisp was listed as dessert on the listing I had read beforehand, when we arrived only different dessert options were available for purchase on the menu. Eyeing the dessert choices throughout the meal, I was thrilled when we were told after the main course that dessert would be our choice and complimentary. I chose the dark chocolate cake with fresh fruit . Beautifully garnished with blueberries ad peaches, as well as being one heck of a large slice, I must say that between two of us, it wasn’t finished. It was honestly quite dense and somewhat dry, though overall edible. However, the other desserts at the table: the almond tart with fresh fruit and almond cream, and the espresso affogato with naked coconut ice cream, were both finished. The espresso affogato looking and tasting, according to my partner, like perfection.

I’m already signed up for next month’s dinner, on August 18th and hope you can make it as well.

Corona white bean soup with kale and collards

Heirloom tomato & avocado salad with watermelon and fresh basil, served with a lemon vinegarette.

Pissaldiere with fennel, olives & amaranth greens.

Polenta with red onion jam.

Stuffed zucchini with tomato and orengano cashew ricotta

Dark chocolate cake with fresh fruit

Shaun’s Almond tart with fresh cut fruit and almond cream filling

Thomas’ Espresso Affogato - a shot of espresso with naked coconut milk ice cream

Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Address: 2138 SE Division St. Portland, OR 97202
Next Dinner: August 18, 2007

Update 3/13/2008: The Bambino Bowl is now $5 and the Large is $5.50

Times Visited: Many

The Whole Bowl is a food cart downtown that I often passed over because it seemed too simple and small of a meal for $5. However, the specific vegetarian menu and long line intrigued me enough to give it a shot.

It’s a simple menu: 1 item: the whole bowl; two sizes: 12 oz. and 16 oz. The Bowl consists of: signature Tali sauce, short-grain brown rice, red and black beans, salsa, black olives, avocado, cilantro, and the option of sour cream and cheese for the dairy lovers. The bowl is very simple and reminds me of Cafe Yumm - It’s an ordinary meal of beans and rice dressed up with a secret sauce. When I inquired about the ingredients I was told it was a lemon, garlic secret sauce, but it is vegan, wheat-free, and dairy-free.

I optioned for the 12 oz with a size of chips for $5.25. I was prepared to find a bit more food elsewhere because the bowl looked small. I was wrong. 12 oz. of beans and rice really fills you up. Overall, it was a great, simple, filling meal. my only complaint is the use of Pace salsa over a house-made or local product. With that being my only complaint, I think The Whole Bowl chain is a great place for a wholesome lunch. (WB)

Now that I’ve experienced The Whole Bowl, I feel silly for overlooking it for so long. Sometimes I just crave an outright nourishing meal and think of beans for lunch. Personally I’m not much of a burrito fan, so no Shelley’s Honkin’ Huge for me, and Blossoming Lotus‘ bowls are a bit far for an everyday lunch. The Whole Bowl’s uncomplicated cup of goodness really hit the spot, and the 12 oz. was absolutely satisfying. I had also purchased a side of chips, but they weren’t necessary. Scooping the mixture on a chip didn’t do that much for me, anyway. Word is that the sauce is addictive, while I enjoyed it, I didn’t quite think so, but now, one day later, I already want it slathered on brown rice, beans, avocado and olives for lunch again. (JD)

Bambino 12 oz. Bowl

Rating: 4 out of 5
Hours: Monday - Friday 11am-3pm
Locations: SW 9th and Alder Portland, OR; 4409 SE Hawthorne;1100 NW Glisan Street

Date: July 6, 2007
Times Visited: 1

Wildwood is an upscale restaurant with Northwest cuisine. This is the place to go when you miss going out for steak or lobster and want a vegan version. Or, maybe you just want to eat art in the form of food.

We held a party of 15 with mixed eating habits and Wildwood couldn’t have been more accommodating. We were given the choice of two omni meals and one vegan meal and it wasn’t just any choice. We were given meal options and were allowed to make changes to the main dishes before it appeared on the menu.

As I said before, this is an upscale restaurant so if we were going to be charged $55 per person, whether they were eating meat or not, I wanted them to work to create a quality vegan meal. A $55 vegan meal without fancy mushrooms can be hard to craft. The options we were given for a vegan meal were: risotto, lasagna or ravioli. Risotto and lasagna were things I could make at home with a little extra time – ravioli, on the other hand, was something I was not a fan of making at home but loved consuming.

As for the soup and salads, we were only told there would be one vegan version of each, but weren’t given a choice in the decision. The salad would be mixed greens with a balsamic vinaigrette.

When we arrived to our private dining room I started to understand what “Northwest cuisine” really is – local and seasonal. Wine, hazelnuts, bing cherries, sliced salmon and breads and probably some cheeses were waiting for us as hor’dourves.

The vegan items on the menu were: Chilled cucumber soup with mint, Mixed green salad with hazelnuts and currants, Roasted carrot ravioli with pesto and sorbet with seasonal berries.

First, I opted for the cucumber soup, something I wouldn’t normally order being cucumber and a chilled soup. It was soothing and mild. The mint was a nice touch, though I would prefer the mint chopped smaller to extend into more spoonfuls. A bit of fresh ground salt and pepper (yes, they had spice grinders for both) was a nice touch to a cold soup. The dairy loving attendees opted for a spiral of cream added to their soup.

The salad option was beautiful! Tossed baby mixed greens with the perfect amount of balsamic dressing. Fresh herbs (dill, parsley and cilantro), dried currants and roasted hazelnuts also added to the salad. The omnis received fresh grated cheese.

For the main course: Roasted carrot ravioli with pesto and watercress. If I am ever on death row, this may be the main course I request as my last dish, minus the greenery and triple the ravioli. The ravioli itself was sweet and smooth with the warm roasted carrot and the pesto was a wonderful touch with the basil and garlic to bring it all together. The sauce also enveloped roasted shallots and baby turnips sweet and warm on their own.

Dessert was a berry sorbet with raspberries, marionberries, blueberries and nasturtiums. Like most all Northwest berries, it was perfectly sweet on it’s own. The nasturtiums were a beautiful visual addition to the dish; however their spicy nature didn’t mix as well as I would have wished with the sweet berries.

Overall, Wildwood was a fantastic venue for a large, fancy dinner party and did a surprisingly amazing job catering to vegans. Because of the price it’s not somewhere I would visit often, but would love to because of the quality of the food. I still have a hard time thinking our food, including the extra preparation, was worth $55. However, the private dining room, private wait-person atmosphere and being with good friends and family surpasses any price paid for such an experience. If you’re planning a fancy party, do not cross Wildwood off your list of choices. If you’re looking for a delectable, intimate vegan meal, call ahead to see what they can offer for a smaller group.

This is what fine vegan cuisine is.

Dinner Salad

Cucumber Soup

Roasted Carrot Ravioli

Sorbet

Rating: 5 out of 5
Hours: Lunch: Monday-Saturday 11:30-2:30pm
Dinner: Monday-Thursday 5:30-9:00pm, Friday and Saturday 5:30-10:00pm, Family Style Sunday Supper: 5-8:30pm
Address: 1221 NW 21st Avenue

1/11/2008 NOTE: The Red & Black Cafe has re-opened at 400 SE 12th Ave @ Oak St. with an all vegan food menu.

Date: January 17, 2008
Times Visited: Too Many To Count

Best. sandwich. in town.

There, I said it. The Red & Black Cafe makes a mean tempeh, lettuce and roasted pepper sandwich. I’d take $6.00 out of my wallet for that any day. In fact, it’s hard to go to there and pass up on it. But, if you’re not feeling a sandwich, Red & Black also has a few salad, bagels with non-hydrogenated Tofutti, daily specials featuring vegan soup & chili, special plates and Sweetpea Bakery pastries. On top of that, they offer beers on tap - and at least one will be vegan, real juice, house brewed iced teas and everything else a local coffee bar tends to offer. Oh, and other vegan sandwiches. In fact, their entire menu is veg*n. Beat that, other local coffeehouses!

The TLP consist of lightly toasted Grand Central rye, sourdough or potato bread -or- a spelt roll for an additional 50 cents, herbed Vegenaise, lettuce, roasted red pepper and my favorite marinated tempeh in town. The lettuce is big and leafy, and organic tomato or avocado is available for an extra dollar. They keep those two on a bowl with a sign on the counter, and I find that so homey, even if it’s for sale. Their tempeh bacon is the epitome of vegan smokyness. The sandwich also comes with a large side of potato chips and a pickle, in case you weren’t content enough already. The pictured TLP actually contains the darkest tempeh I’d ever had there, but fear not, it was still delicious.

I’ve found the average wait to be 15 minutes, as Red & Black is often quite bustling, both indoors and out. The vibe is laid back Southeast Portland, so sit back and read a local paper while you wait. A stage area is set aside at night for intimate acts, featuring improv, singer-songwriters, experimental music and more throughout the week. Red & Black also places an emphasis on local, organic produce and vendors.

Did I say best sandwich in town? Let me add best local cafe. Well, at least to me. -JD

The Black Dragon Noodle Bowl is a huge bowl, about the size of my head, filled with noodles smothered in a spicy peanut sauce, topped with tofu and peanut. Let me first say that the dish was worth my money for the amount of food received. Then, let me say that I won’t be ordering this again unless there are vegetables involved next time. There were too many noodles and sauce and not enough ginger tofu bites to make it through half the bowl. If I didn’t leave the left overs in a friend’s fridge I would have surely brightened up the dish at home with some broccoli, carrots, zucchini and other fresh vegetables.
This is the dish to order when you’re low on cash and need a lot of food fast. -WB

Lentil Soup

Black Dragon Noodle Bowl

TLP with chips

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Address: 400 SE 12th Ave @ Oak St. Starting January 14th, 9am - 9pm until further notice