Beast

"If we aren't supposed to eat animals, then why are they made of meat?" This is scrawled on the back wall of Beast, which I have wanted to check out ever since I moved to Portland. Finally got the chance last night for a little Veteran's Day special somethingorother. So here's the deal: The chef, Naomi Pomeroy, decides what she'll be cooking. It's two big tables and one big prix fixe, no substitutions and big on the creative use of meats. And then with very well thought out vegetables too. Paired with wine if you'd like. We did. The menu went something like this: delicata squash soup with something, maybe fried prosciutto in the middle and a green herbed olive oil bit of float on top and then this very amazing charcuterie plate with all manner of little meat treats and a gummy bear looking sauterne gel square atop foie gras. Then a little sorbet, and then a beet salad of some variety and then slow cooked pork with spicy russian kale greens. And then a cheese course. And then dessert. Something with quince. Between the wine and the good music and then nice company I was delirious in foodie heaven and everything after the sauce that came with the pork is a bit of a glazed over fuzzy/happy/faulty recollection. It was the late seating on a Wednesday night and we seemed to be surrounded by people in the food business: a pastry chef to the left, a sommelier across. Carnivore dividends.

P.S. The great picture above was taken by Alicia J. Rose, who let me gank this image of Naomi and pig. Thanks.