PDX Salon

I have always been fond of the idea of a salon. Having missed the opportunity to kick off the modern age with Gertrude Stein, I haven't had the chance to attend anything like this. But earlier this week I came across a small news item for PDX Salon. I figured it could be good or just marginal, but I signed up. So check this out: along with 25 other various attendees (I met a sommelier, a civil rights attorney, a concert producer, a mom on a night out, a wine grower) I was treated to a very amazing 4 course menu with wine parings. Each ingredient of menu was painstakingly sourced to within 100 miles of Portland and listed in the program. The cooking was put on by a small catering company called Din-Din, and roughly what we had was a sorrel mousse, a really amazing salad with snow bank morels (??), clams in broth, and a cheese course that came with a grapefruit and tarragon thing. Right on. The conversation was great, i met some very lovely people, AND the night incorporated some art and music. Both at the beginning and end of the evening, Nick Jaina and Sean Flinn played mini-sets. My favorite moment was at the end when those fellas swapped sets across the dining room from each other while standing on chairs, and then at one point, accompanied each other from across the room. Anyways, this salon thing was brilliant and I hope everyone gets to do it because it is a blast. Or you should start one...