Belly Timber

I have been trying to wrap my mind around that radish&strawberry dish for a couple days now, and I just cant do it! seriously, I dont see it working flavor or texturally and strikes me as flailing........

but hey, if it somehow worked, more power to 'em!

We killed the bottle of Belly Timber's housemade cynar last night, but rest assured that there's plenty more going on from the mad scientist behind the bar.

After starting off with a BT Collins (featuring a savory component thanks to the preserved oranges, salt and allspice), I moved on to my favorite cocktail of the evening, an old-fashioned made with the Krogstad aquavit. No food for me, but Goodist was on hand to continue his cocktail-burger tour of Portland, so that post should be coming soon.

Alright, I did grab a few fries. That bone marrow aioli that it's served with is too good to pass up.

http://www.thegoodist.com/the_goodist/2009/08/review-belly-timber---happ...

Nobody has to go through the effort of putting marrow in their aioli, striving after almost perfect fries, sourcing produce from micro urban growers, crafting a near perfect burger, or making their own amari - but Belly Timber does.

Belly Timber is continuing their Whole Hog menu, featuring standard items like terrines and rillettes, as well as rarer items such as one of my favorite all time dishes (ham hocks) as well as something I've never had before that I totally want (crispy fried tail).

I do want a taste of their housemade steak sauce (they're calling it B-Two sauce, of course) but really if I'm having a steak I'd just need some of their bone marrow aioli and I'm good.

Pigstrami

Brussels sprouts, corona beans, corned beef tongue, caraway and dijon

Crispy fried tail

BT Burger with blue cheese, house made fries, and bone marrow aioli

Pan roasted cod, fennel puree, octopus, blood orange and pepperoncini

Ham hock hot pot

Sylvan, Joy and I had dinner at Belly Timber the other night, mostly to partake of the Whole Hog appetizers. I had been eyeing the crispy pig tail app for a while now, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The crispy portion comes from the fried batter, which easily breaks away in a flaky manner reminiscent of a fried pie. (Do I see a Whole Hog Whiffies pie in the future? I think I do...)

Of course, my OCD kicked in and I took it upon myself to tear all the meat off of the tail (which is a bone, or rather, a chain of bones) to be consumed by the table.

The pigstrami app was also very delicious, served playfully with pickles and mustard, which had me craving a big ol' sandwich form of it rather then small bite.

The ham hock hot pot was a particularly interesting dish. Noodles formed the starch base at the bottom of the pot, with chick peas and cabbage acting in a supporting role. A great dish all around, though the Southern boy in me really prefers ham hocks served with rice, trumping the Asian noodle fan in me.

The rest of the dinner menu is still shining bright. The salad of sliced brussel sprouts has a slab of beef tongue (corned, in the same manner as the sliders at Cassidy's) which, when combined with the corona beans, keeps the salad light but still big on flavor. And of course the BT burger, winner of a recent Best Burger In Portland Poll is a delicious treat, especially when paired with the French fries and a hollowed-out bone filled with marrow aioli.

Because of the big flavors all around, the pan roasted cod couldn't stand out. The texture was amazing but sadly it doesn't stand up well when others around you are sharing their plates of porcine pleasure. This dish deserves revisiting, and truly there's still plenty more on the Belly Timber menu to try out as well.

I recently had a very disappointing brunch at BT that marred an otherwise great track record with this place. Granted, it was primarily service issues, and some of the worst I've experienced in years, but the food really was mediocre at best. It was my first brunch adventure there. Has anyone else noticed a disconnect between the quality of dinner and brunch here?

Went to the Northwest Food&Wine show last night and Belly Timber was there serving the fried piggy tails that Sauce mentioned upthread. I will say, it was one of the best dishes there. If that single dish is representative of the overall quality of dishes there recently, I need to give them another shot.

Mostly Running, That is very sad to hear. I admit I've had some slow service at Belly Timber for brunch. But it's always super nice and well intentioned. For what that's worth.
But what makes my ears perk up the most is the mention that the food was only mediocre. I have brunched there a LOT of times and it's always been 100% consistent, and pretty darn near perfect. The egg cook that works brunch is absolutely the best / most consistent in town. And the other items are really excellent with attention to every detail. The hollandaise is unique, but fantastic, never broken. The burger and accoutrement are always flawless. The waffle and chicken is about a hundred times better than even Screen Door.

I mean, this is all lip service. You, after all, where the one the eat there today. Not me. So it is certainly possible that something went randomly wrong today. But I can't help but wonder if your bad service tainted your view of the food. I'd understand that.

But to answer your main question, I feel the brunch is a highlight here. But the dinner options have gotten better and better with time (especially if you like pickled items and pork fat). And it's downright CHEAP to dine here. Especially if you take advantage of the half portion options. Wish more places would do that (Paley's and Pigeon do).
But I fear you just may not like the food there at all if brunch failed. So perhaps just avoid it for dinner as well. The space is echo-y and the service always endearing, but slow. So, at least expect that when you go.

I hope you have a better experience there if you go back. It's a place with soul and heart and good intentions.

Regards,
Vic / Oatmeal (not concrete) / me

PTH-

I completely agree that the service issues might have influenced my perception of the food, and I've taken that into account. I have had amazing experiences there in the past and hope that this was a fluke.

[Edited by author]

I will always send back burnt bacon.

http://underthetablewithjen.com/blog/belly-timbers-david-siegel-talks-po...

‘What five essential ingredients should any kitchen have?’ Everybody else spoke about olive oil and butter and whatnot, but I took a different approach to that, it sums up perfectly how I feel. “Patience, humility, strong work ethic, personal pride, and salt.”

Had their happy hour burger. It is all that it's been billed to be. REALLY enjoyed it. I do like Foster Burger's better (partly because of the bun and partly because Foster's burgers are more tender) but I would go for Belly Timber's any day.

Closed. Sorry to see it.

Bummer. That building is cursed, seems like it's almost impossible for anyone to make a run in that space. Belly Timber lasted more than most, had a great burger but that building is brutal for making money.

Honestly with the loss of Siegel, it was only a matter of time.