38 JUSt OUt »
October 21. 2005
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by J enny
N guyen
I vant to dvink your vine
s Hollow’s Eve nears,
rhe dark inner beast
inside us all craves a lit
tle bit of that ruby red
fruit juice. Go ahead, get
dolled up in your best goo and
gobi in and head for any of
Portlands many sultry and
sinful fermented grape palaces.
Here are three samplings from
every creepy creed. Try them
all if you dare.
A
*
Central Cafe
great food served with a side of
Noble Rot • 2724 S.E. Ankeny St.
attitude. Breakfast - Lunch
Open 7 days a week.
503-665-5052
CAFFE
MINGO
SIMPLE ITALIAN COOKING
dinner 7 nights a week
807 NW Twenty First • Portland
503.226.4646
breakfast
lunch
d I n n er
and
late nite
dining
W/lfcJZL J-lAPPIÑC.00 ló CLC.AÑ UÑX.BAVt.AB.
AÑP A PII2.TY MAE-TIÑI. ..
C¡12£.óJjAM'ó ¿2ÑLY Ñ¿2ÑóM^IÑ<. ôTE-AIÇLlT
FE.C.ÑPLY LAUNCH ¿2PLÑ ¿00 P.M- PALY-
503-665-5704
124 ÑL 3I2P ÔT-. ÇI£L.5UAM. OXZ.
a
a fusion of
eclectic
pan-asian
cuisine,
cutting-edge
sushi and
trendy
cocktails
bong your ticket ttub In
after the show for a free
california roll or dessert
with $7 50 purchase.
nee hailed as Restaurant of the Year 2003,
this place still has it going on. Named
after the water-sucking fungus botrytis,
which grows on grapes and makes them sug
ary sweet, Noble Rot can suck the skeptic
out, leaving a synipy devotee. From an
exquisite hand-picked wine list to delicately
executed plates, this dark cavern off the royal
Bumside and 28th strip is a wine lover’s wet
dream. The cheese plate is bare-bone with
four divinely buttery and creamy portions.
Tasting wines by region or varietal is made
simple with five different flights ranging from
$9 to $16 consisting of three two-ounce
pours. The sauteed scallops were plump and
near perfection, as was the delicate, moist
texture of the black cod fillet with zucchini
flan. Noble Rot is first-class, which explains
why you’ll wait an hour and pay top dollar to
have this fungus grow on you.
Every Day Wine •
1520 N.E. Alberta St
K, so they don’t serve food. Big deal. They
have a wall of wine to choose from featur
ing a hearty selection of the local stuff,
tons of artsy things to see...and there’s the
people-watching. Service and atmosphere
(and price) is ultra-casual, making any and
everyone feel at home. Every Day Wine is a
perfect pit stop before that housewarming
party but, better yet, a terrific place to bulk up
yer brain on da vine knowledge. Oh yeah, did
I mention they don’t serve any food?
Vino Paradiso • 417 N.W. 10th Ave.
Parking
Validated/
Æ/assoming Lotus
Veßan WorQi'Fuswn Cuisine
Park Davis & Fron
Casual Dining
Piano Lounge
Open 4pm Daily
Daily chef specials, live food, wraps,
soups, desserts, juices, chai and more
from local organic farms.
OINE IN
TAKE OUT
CUSTOM CATERING
open daily, 7.30am-dosing
www biossominglotus.com
503-228-0048
120 \\\ third Vu-
PotflrtHfl • i;op 224 »28; • www hobospdx coin
f looks could kill, this gay-owned bistro
would be an Uzi. Mod-chic design marries a
glass and steel bar with the world’s most
comfortable leather chairs to create the V.P.
universe. Step inside and right away you resist
the temptation to stare agape at the separate
climate-controlled glass room housing ceiling-
to-floor bottles of el vino. Mad props for a
wine list that’s diverse yet not overwhelming,
and equal shout-out for OG wine-food pair
ings that keep it real. Duck rillette with corni
chons and chicken liver pâté with quince jelly
are like four peas in a pod when paired with
pinots. Arrive between 4 and 6 p.m. and get a
bottle half-off; enough of those combined with
the sex appeal of this NKOTB and it won’t be
the only thing half-off. JM
I
Need a dictionary for all of J'Money's slang? Get
m the know by writing JENNY NGUYEN at
jenny0080@ hotmail. com.