Ten01

Anyone who missed the Ed Hamilton rum tastings at Ten-01 last month might want to see their blog post:

http://www.ten-01.com/wordpress/?p=357

My evening at Ten01 started off with a French 75, which has become my summer cocktail of choice. Bartender Kelley Swenson had just returned from the bourbon (and barbecue) trip to Kentucky, and I'm eager to try out the new Lucky Tiger barrel of Elmer T Lee that they selected.

After that, I moved on to a Seelbach Cocktail, named after the Sellbach Hotel in Louisville that was featured in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. It's got a bit of bourbon and a whole lot of bitters, to the point where I thought it needed a bit more citrus to help cut through it all. But as the drink warmed up, some more of the tropical, banana notes came through from the Old Forester bourbon, balancing the drink.

I was so intrigued by the Old Forester that I asked if it could be made into a Last Word. I think the nuance of the bourbon might have been a bit lost thanks to the chartreuse, but it did work into a delicious cocktail, further proving the versatility of the drink.

The only thing I had to eat was the arugula salad, a delicious collection of arugula and mizuna along with a wonderful guanciale and nice meaty chunks of duck. Haven't had dinner there yet under the new regime, but if the kitchen can produce dishes similar in balance and execution, then I know I'll be in good hands.

French 75 is my favorite drink and Kelley's are the best.

There's a terrific drink on the menu at the moment, and I'm hoping that goodist and polarbear can chime in, too. It's the Pistache, combining Jamaican rum, a pistachio cordial and lime.

I've always enjoyed rabble-rousing at the bar here, as the atmosphere is sophisticated but I'm never afraid to be a tad bit vulgar, reminiscent of a nice clubhouse.

Didn't take any pics, but I will take this opportunity to repost an old photo I have of their chorizo burger which is still on the menu. Fans of Office Space are surely familiar with the notion of an O-Face. I've been saying that the burgers here (chorizo or otherwise) have given rise to a new level of joy that goes beyond showing your O-Face; you can show 'em your Ten01-Face.

we didn't like the pistache so much. Wy thought it was too sweet and I couldn't catch the pistachio flavor though wy could.

I have to agree that the Pistache was pretty damn remarkable. I'm not big into rum cocktails, but the pistachio/rum combo was really clever and satisfying. The chorizo burger might be the first drunken burger that's actually left me MORE intoxicated instead of less - dangerous stuff.

Sauce - I had a similar revelation about the bar feeling debauchery friendly despite it's appearance, a great place to get too drunk with class, although you have to admit we walked in wearing it last night.

Just noticed this tweet from a couple of weeks ago.

A second Lucky Tiger release (of Elmer T Lee bourbon) should be coming in a few weeks. There was still some of the Buffalo Trace 157 left here at Ten01; the only other place that I know that has a bottle still is Park Kitchen.

I'm with Dragondazd on the Pistache cocktail question. Love the concept, though.

The cocktail list seems to have doubled in size. Also, it seems as though all of the spirits they have at the bar are now available as a smaller "taste" pour, perfect for putting together your own liquor flight if you so choose.

The power lunch is now $18. Still a great deal, though. The main lunch menu features sandwiches now which I don't recall seeing before. And a salmon quiche does sound delicious right about now.

The dinner menu is slowly morphing as well. The grilled sardine app caught my eye as well as two different beef tartare preparations. Fava beans are everywhere, as you would expect this time of year. An astute observer would note that, of the nine dinner entrees, four of them are seafood (three of the ten apps, as well). In other words, just as much as other restaurants that label themselves as "seafood" restaurants. I've been quite critical of the seafood in Portland, and Ten01 looks poised to separate itself from the pack.

celeriac - gin, lemon, pineapple, egg whites, celery bitters ... 9

I am gathering ingredients to make a big batch of celery bitters this week. I love them and they're hard to find. I'll most likely have such a quantity that if anyone wants some, just let me know.

OO, let us know how your celery bitters turn out.

eta: look, another thread doing this already. delete if needed, mods.

I wanted to celebrate Bastille Day with a French 75 and the best bar I've had that cocktail is Ten01. The menu is slowly evolving under the new chef, so I thought I'd try out one of the appetizers, a grilled sardine dish.

The sardines were boned and filleted and served with I thought was a tapenade. Turns out to just be a tomato puree whose striking deep color comes from the addition of squid ink.

Eventually, others would join me, and wouldn't you know it but a couple of burgers were ordered, both regular and the chorizo burger. I prefer the chorizo because of its more aggressive seasoning, combined with the other-worldly richness imparted by the fried egg. That's not to take anything away from the regular Ten01 burger, and if I were to frankenstein together my favorite burger components all over town, I'd take Ten01's beef patty, Clyde's bacon and Toro Bravo's pickles.

http://www.thegoodist.com/the_goodist/2009/07/review-ten01-happy-hour.html

With a classy ambiance that paradoxically seems to lead to rapid inhibition and some of the best staff in town it's easy to be comfortable here when you're looking to unwind. If I still worked banker's hours downtown I'd be tempted daily by a smooth quencher and a burger with enough bite to wipe my mind of the day's drudgery.

Former Ten01 chef Jack Yoss has a post about street food in Thailand. I thought the Ten01 thread would be the best place to put this link.

http://www.foodandbeverageunderground.com/thai-street-food.html

I have waited my whole adult life and traveled twenty-four hours and almost nine thousand miles to be here. I am in Bangkok at the Khoa San Road night market, and from pad thai to dried bugs, I am eager to sample it all. If they sell it from a street cart, I will eat it.

Ten01 has some new cocktails on the menu, while still keeping favorites like the Pistache.

The gammal krogstad cocktail is an early favorite, while classics like the seelbach and paloma are always welcome pours. The bar program is continuing something they started late last spring, pouring "tasting" portions of various spirits for a reduced price than a standard full pour. This is a great way to do a flight of, say, amare or eaux de vie at a good price.

http://www.portlandfoodanddrink.com/2009/11/15/rumor-ten-01-benjamin-par...

I used to think that Ten01 was the bellwether for upscale dining trends here in Portland, but lately it feels like sister restaurant Tabla has taken over that title. I know there were a few fans of Chef Parks here on Plate, but the lesson learned here should be that silently supporting a guy counts for nothing.

Making money on high-end cuisine in a small-sized city with casual tendencies in the middle of a recession is going to be difficult for any restaurant. There's only so many upscale diners on a given night, and frankly I just didn't see Ten01 as separating itself from the pack.

Unsolicited SauceSupreme Advice^tm for Ten01 is twofold: 1) Play into its strengths, which is the wine and spirits program. Wine and cocktail pairings, wine flights, and spirit tastings should not be isolated to just the bar area. Kelley and Erica have built a tremendous bar and cellar and it would be wise for the menu to reflect it. 2) Distinguish the food from Portland's other high end options not in terms of approach but in terms of ingredients. This will ultimately be dictated by the proclivities of the next chef, but if it were up to me, I think Ten-01 would be perfect as a seafood-driven restaurant like Le Bernardin in New York or Providence in Los Angeles.

Hell yeah, a seafood focus would be great!

Upscale dining yes, dining trends no. I think it sets the trend for what "upscale" means in Portland right now as far as feel and decor. The menus have always been well executed, but uninspired. I kept waiting for Benjamin's touch to "kick in" but it never seemed to. Maybe he was hampered and hence the reason for leaving. I'm anxious about what the new chef will do, but putting trout and roast chicken on the menu is not a bold new start.

I disagree with the suggestion to go in a seafood driven direction. I don't think Portland could get the quality of seafood needed at a price point that would be Portland. To go back to the trout, unless it is super fresh wild trout, I don't think it is worth eating. It shouldn't be on the menu. However, I do agree that a fried egg on top (as another restaurant serves it) helps make up for freshness

As far as playing to the strengths of the wine and spirits program, there are plans to expand spirit events and tasting opportunities very soon.

The Ten01 blog has posted a love-letter to pork, along with a couple of pork recipes (loin and belly) and this video of the pork belly getting basted in the Ten01 kitchen.

http://www.ten-01.com/wordpress/?p=626

Our latest pork dish at ten01 has solidified pig as prince of palatable protein, as champion of choice cuts for carnivores. Here we have our friend the pig plated in two preparations; luscious loin and beautiful belly, both handled with care to cater to your tongue’s taste for pig.

Took a couple friends from Seattle here Saturday night. We sat in the bar and enjoyed:

* Glazed pork belly with red wine braised cabbage
* Charred octopus with sofrito and nicoise-lemon-gremolata
* House-smoked andouille with polenta, caramelized cabbage and fried egg
* Burger with Pt. Reyes blue cheese (we upgraded to the truffle fries - best fries in town)
* Grilled skirt steak with gnocchi, creamed kale, and shallot jus

Everything was spot on in terms of execution and presentation. One of the better meals I've had recently. Friends from Seattle were impressed and satisfied.

Ten01 is now open seven days a week.

I'm often critical of the city's poor selection of Capital-S Broad Definition "Seafood", and so it's only right that I also point out when restaurants showcase dishes beyond the usual salmon and halibut. The current dinner menu has a rotating selection of fish that appear as entrees(always a great sign), ranging from sturgeon, cod, and petrale sole in addition to standbys like day boat scallops and steelhead. Octopus also appears on the app and bar menu.

Of course, the rest of the menu looks great, too, from the black pepper fettucine to the smoked beef carpaccio. The cocktail list looks as strong as ever, and what fan of The Wire wouldn't immediately be drawn to a drink called Stringer's Bell (featuring bourbon and cherry heering). I can't wait to drop in.