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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 2016)
FORT GEORGE The Fort George’s recent “Cheddar Stuf ed” burg- er for Burger Wednes- day was just about the model for a bistro bacon burger. The side of kettle chips, however, wanted. BREWERY Upstairs wood-i red oven sends out fl avorful burgers, specials E Every Wednesday, around 3 or 4 p.m., I start checking Twitter. There — and across other social networks — Fort George Brewery announces the Burger Wednesday special. The lovingly staged SKRWRJUDSKRIWHQÀDQNHGE\WKHZRRG¿UHGRYHQ from which it’s just emerged, leads to one of two options: changing dinner plans or lamenting an XQEUHDNDEOHHQJDJHPHQW While hemming mostly close to a traditional ELVWUREXUJHUWKHYDULDWLRQVRYHUWKHODVWWZRSOXV years have run the gamut. Besides pizza, that 9:YDQVL]HGRDNEXUQLQJGHJUHHIXUQDFH has cranked out everything from elk, salmon, SRUWREHOOR PXVKURRP EODFN EHDQ EXUJHUV DQG EH\RQG%XWPRVWO\%XUJHU:HGQHVGD\LVDEHHI SDWW\ZLWKÀRXULVKLQJDFFRXWHUPHQWVOLNHUHGFXU U\SHDQXWEXWWHUVDXFHSLQHDSSOHDQGKDPSXOOHG pork and, of course, a melange of cheeses and the HYHUUHTXLVLWHEDFRQ Such it was on my most recent trip, when ,ZDVODVVRHGLQE\D³&KHGGDU6WXIIHG´EXUJHU ZLWKEDFRQFDUDPHOL]HGRQLRQVWRPD toes, romaine lettuce and pepperjack cheese. The ³VWXIIHG´GHVFULSWLRQKDGPHKRSLQJIRUD-XLF\ /XF\ WKH 0LQQHDSROLVEDVHG FRQFRFWLRQ WKDW SDFNVDSRFNHWRIPROWHQOLTXLGFKHHVHLQVLGHWKH EHHISDWW\WKDW¶VXQOHDVKHGDV\RXELWHLQ 7KDWZDVQ¶WTXLWHWKHFDVH7KHFKHHVHZKLOH ZRXQG VRPHZKDW WKURXJK WKH EHHI ZDV ¿[HG not dripping. Nevertheless, it was marvelous. The 3DLQWHG+LOOVEHHIIURP&HQWUDO2UHJRQZDVZHOO seasoned and cooked to a perfect medium rare, SLQN LQ WKH FHQWHU 7KH EDFRQ ZDV VDOW\ VZHHW and succulent, the garlic aioli creamy, the veggies FULVS DQG ZHOOFXW WKH FKHHVH SOHQWLIXO EXW QRW RYHUZKHOPLQJ,QGHHGLWZDVMXVWDERXWWKHPRG HOIRUDELVWUREDFRQEXUJHU7KHVLGHKRZHYHU² a handful of kettle chips — was a lackadaisical EXPPHUWKDWPDGHWKHEXUJHUIHHOODYLVKO\SULFHG Each week the accompaniments change WRR 7KHUH KDYH EHHQ OLJKW IUHVK DFLGLF VDODGV D :DOGRUI ZHOOGUHVVHG EDNHG SRWDWRHV SDVWDV and macaronis, and even a slider — that’s right: D EXUJHU DORQJVLGH D WLQ\ RQH VRPHWKLQJ OLNH D father and son. There’s wide variance here, and LW¶VQRWDOZD\VPDGHFOHDUE\WKHVRFLDOPHGLDDQ nouncement. :KHQ,ZHQWLQIRUWKH-DODSHxR%LVRQ%XUJ HU,ZDVQRQSOXVVHGE\WKHEODQGVWDUFK\SDVWD %XWP\JRRGQHVVWKHEDUUHOFKHVWHGEXUJHUZDV H[TXLVLWH$VLWLVZRQWWREHWKHELVRQZDVOHDQ MXLF\ ÀDYRUIXO DQG DJDLQ ZHOOVHDVRQHG 7KH FHQWHUZDVEORRG\ZKLFK,OLNHG7KHGHHSIU\LQJ RIWKHMDODSHxRFKLSVWRRNWKHLUVSLFHGRZQDWDG 14 | March 10, 2016 | coastweekend.com EXWVWLOOP\FKHHNVZHOOHGXS,GLGQ¶WKRZHYHU notice much — if any — of the dijon. 6WUDQJHDVLWPD\VRXQGWKHEHVWSDUWRIWKH ELVRQ EXUJHU PD\ KDYH EHHQ WKH EULRFKH EXQ Dusted with Parmesan and also cooked in the ZRRG¿UHGRYHQLWPD\KDYHEHHQWKHEHVWGDPQ KDPEXUJHUEXQ,¶YHHYHUKDG,WKDGDEULWWOHÀDN\ top crust that gave way to a whisper. Inside it was HVSHFLDOO\VRIWOLJKWDQGÀXII\ ,QGHHGWKHUH¶VDUHDVRQWKDW)RUW*HRUJH¶VSL] ]DLVVRPHRIWKHEHVWRQWKH1RUWK&RDVW%XWWKDW GHJUHHIXUQDFHLVJRRGIRUPRUHWKDQEUHDG DQGEXUJHUV$VDVHUYHUWROGPHLQ-DQXDU\RI WKHQHZO\KLUHGFKHI³+H¶VG\LQJWRSXWVRPHELJ FKXQNVRIPHDWLQWKHUH´$QGWKRXJKZKDW,KDG ZDVQ¶WWRRELJWKHÀDYRUZDVDOO,FRXOGKDQGOH /LNHWKHEXUJHUVWKHGDLO\ZRRG¿UHGVSHFLDOV XSVWDLUV DUH RQ UHJXODU URWDWLRQ7KH ¿UVW , WULHG ZDV3RUN%HOO\ZLWKDJUHHQWRPDWRPDU malade that made me think of apples — an ideal VZHHWDQGVDYRU\FRPELQDWLRQ7KHVODERISRUN EHOO\ZDVDERXWWKHVL]HRIDQL3KRQHZLWKDZDU ready case. With a thin, crisp crust, the rivers of The Jalapeno Bison Burger was exquisite with juicy bison, deep- fried jalapeno chips and cheese. The accompa- nying pasta was starchy and bland. IDWDQGÀHVKLQVLGHUHQGHUHGPHLQWRDSXGGOH,I WKHUH¶VDULFKHUPRUHGLYLQHÀDYRUIRUXQGHU RQWKH1RUWK&RDVW,KDYH\HWWR¿QGLW,QGHHGWKH SRUNEHOO\ZDVDORYHO\VSHFLDO$QGDVTXLFNO\DV it appeared it was gone. 7RWKDWHQG,ZDVVDG,FRXOGQ¶WDWWHQGWKHHYH QLQJWKH\RIIHUHGWKHERQHLQEHHIVKRUWULEVEUDLVHG ZLWKWKH)RUW¶VRZQ&DYDWLFD6WRXW7KLVRQHZDV FHUWDLQO\DELJFKXQNRIPHDW%XW,GLGPDNHLWIRU WKH%DNHG2\VWHUVZKLFKZHUHFRRNHGLQWKH shell and topped with roasted leeks, ricotta cheese DQGD3HUQRGVSLQDFKSHVWR3HUQRGE\WKHZD\LV DQDQLVHÀDYRUHGVSLULWDNLQWRDEVLQWKH&UHDP\ EXWVWLOOZLWKDKLQWRIEULQHWKHIRXU1HWDUWVR\VWHUV ZHUHDNLQWRWKHSRUNEHOO\LQWKDWWKHLUVWUXFWXUDO LQWHJULW\ZDVDOOEXWREOLWHUDWHGE\WKHZRRG¿UHG mouth OF THE COLUMBIA COAST WEEKEND’S LOCAL RESTAURANT REVIEW Story and photos by THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA • mouth@coastweekend.com Fort George Brewery Burger Wednesday & Upstairs Specials Rating: HOURS: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Burger Wednesday begins at 4:30 p.m. until supplies run out (and they do). PRICE: $$ – Bistro-style burgers priced accordingly. SERVICE: Cheerful, fun-loving, local color. 1483 Duane St., Astoria fortgeorgebrewery.com 503-325-7468 RYHQ 7KH\ PHOWHG DZD\ QR FKHZLQJ UHTXLUHG 7KH\ZHUHDOVRVPDOODQGZKHQLWFRPHVWRR\V WHUVWKDW¶VDJRRGWKLQJ$VWKH\PDWXUHDQGJHW ELJJHUR\VWHUV²ZKLFKGHSHQGRQ¿OWUDWLRQIRU QXWULHQWV²VRDNXSPRUHWR[LQV ,ZRXOGEHGHUHOLFWQRWWRPHQWLRQWKHEHHU,Q -DQXDU\,KDGDVSHFLDO,3$WKDWKDG¿UWLSVDQGLW UHÀHFWHGWKDWVSULWHO\VSULQJ\SRS,Q)HEUXDU\LWZDV 6WRXW0RQWKDIDYRULWHRIWKH*HRUJH¶VEUHZHUV, DVNHGP\VHUYHUZKLFKZDVWKHPRVWZLOGDQGDG YHQWXURXV$VWKH0XUN\3HDUOZKLFKLVUXQWKURXJK R\VWHUVZDVRQO\DYDLODEOHLQWKHWDSKRXVHKHUHF RPPHQGHGWKH7XHVGD\¶V/XQFKEXWDOVREURXJKW PHWZRWDVWHUV2QHWDVWHUWKH'RZQDQG'LUW\IHD tured coffee and almond milk. The North VIII was VLPSO\ D IXOOWKURDWHG PRODVVHVKHDY\ VWRXW WKDW IUDQNO\,KDGWURXEOHWHOOLQJWKHGLIIHUHQFHEHWZHHQ 7XHVGD\¶V /XQFK KRZHYHU ZDV XQPLVWDNDEOH 0RGHOHGDIWHUDSHDQXWEXWWHUDQGMHOO\VDQGZLFK 7XHVGD\¶V/XQFKWUXO\UHVHPEOHGRQH,WZDVXQFDQ Q\$QGZLWKDUHODWLYHO\PLOGELWHLWZDVGHFHSWLYH O\VWURQJDWSHUFHQW$%9 ,QGHHG DV PXFK WKH DGMDFHQW EUHZHU\ KDV EHHQDODERUDWRU\VRWRRLV)RUW*HRUJH¶VFUHDWLY LW\ÀRXULVKLQJLQWKHNLWFKHQ²SDUWLFXODUO\XS VWDLUVLQWKDWZRRG¿UHGRYHQ VEGETARIAN / VEGAN OPTIONS: Occasional. DRINKS: Beer, wine, craft soda, juice, cof ee and tea. KEY TO RATINGS poor below average good & worth returning excellent outstanding, the best in the Columbia-Pacific region
