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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2006)
42 iustout FFRRUARV 3 out out out eatingout out out out 3551 SE Division Street 503-236-6890 FEATURING Stumptown coffee, Gabriel’s Bakery & vegan goodies VISIT www.havencoffee.com for events calendar Will Eat for Love ine restaurants come and go, hut true love comes hut once (more if you’re lucky). This Valentine’s Day, indulge your beloved in one of these lavish eateries—one for old flames, one for new crushes and one for noncommittal good times—and enjoy not one hut two of life’s greater pleasures. F Castagna • 1752 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. This beautiful sliver-shaped building dishes some of the city’s most impeccably crafted menus. Roast chicken, pan-seared fluke and flatiron steak are sheer perfection without masquerading sauces or cliché preparations. Flammebüchen pizza is sim ple and rich; thin olive oil crust, crème fraiche base, sweet onions and bacon awaken your mouth like love’s first kiss. Even the $11 burger can cause rousing palpitations that’ll have your stomach aflutter in anticipation. Castagna is perfect for two—an elegant dinner in the main room or a warm and lively feast in the cafe. 704 NW 21 Ave, Portland, Oregon 97209 * Open at 5pm Monday-Saturday 503-226-6126 for reservations • www.lucystable.com Fenouil • 900 N.W. 11th Ave. Fresh • Simple American 4 Café > 8051 SE 17th • 503-239-1177 featuring original paper collage by elizabeth brigham FOR A GREAT STEAK, LOOK FOR _THE REVOLVI NG ^STEAKSIGN OU COUNTRY KITCHEN northwest cuisine with asian influence. lunch & dinner everyday breakfast sat & sun at 9am happy hour everyday 4-7pm 503.287.5400 • 3449 ne 24th and fremont reservations taken, but not required Our revolving steak sign has become a landmark in Portland. A sign of quality. Where you know you can get a great steak dinner at a fair price. 105th & S.E. Stark • (503) 252-4171 Come on dozen to Russell Street for home-style scratch cooking and all-naturally raised meats Fenouil (pronounced “fen-wee”) means fen nel, but at this new French brasserie, it could just as easily translate to “the spread.” Upon entering, pick up your jaw from the overly decorative hotel-lobby entryway. Pillars, multistyle chairs and garage door windows sound like a gaudy clash but hit the mark regardless. Every detail is attended to, and it shows both on the floor and in the kitchen. An old-school menu sporting wonderful renditions of foie gras with lavender, Kobe beef tartare with quail egg, escargot and cuisses de grenouilles (perfectly crisp frog legs) completes the package. For those with tastes that stray, some Italian dishes are also offered. Keep in mind two things: First, no entree exceeds $30, so don’t fret about breaking the bank. Second, there’s always room for Fenouil’s desserts, which prove that some good things can come in small packages. Trust me. Balvo • 529 N.W. 23rd Ave. Taking up the spacious void of Coffee People on the cramped/stylish strip of Northwest 23rd is this sparkling new place by Bluehour chef Kenny Giambalvo (hence the name Balvo). The sunken bar and lofty dining room paired with sleek artlike deco make for a stunning backdrop to an otherwise dull menu. Tired standbys of spaghetti, linguini and the like get a brief kick start from fresh seafixxl and herbs, but risotto proved less than acclaimed. Although the food was nothing worth noting, the atmosphere of black suits for an after-hours drink, classy couples for an after-shopping bite and restau rant snobs getting their schmooze on is definitely something to see. Go for the very fine martinis, for the clientele and to sport that new hottie attached to your hip. © OPEN: I I-9: 7 days n week 325 NE Russell Street • take-out available www.riixsellstreetbb<|.com • 50.3.528.3221 JENNY N guyen is a free'lance writer and omnivore. She needs your input ; write her at jenny0080@hi itmail. com.