For 3 decades Genoa was the best prixe fix dining option in Portland. Similar to my drinking and drug use, Genoa resisted and feared change while looking for a solution on a daily basis based on how they did things in the past. Ultimately, this strategy or lack thereof resulted in Genoa closing and my ass in rehab.
Change for Genoa came in they way of a couple that decided they couldn’t let Genoa die. Subsequently they spent A LOT of money forming Accanto (a modern yet comfortable glass front neighborhood Italian cafe) and beautifully renovated Genoa. They decided on Dave Andersen who had a vision for both restaurants. Dave, originally from Alaska, worked under Dave Machado for years at Lauro and most recently was the chef at Vindalho.
Genoa is the nicest room to dine in the city. They did a wonderful job on the remodel allowing for more light yet kept the intimacy that preceded it. Moreover, they were able to add a modern sophistication without a pretentious air. I notice the patrons and overall mood was more relaxed then pre-remodel dining.
In order to stay competitive in the market place Genoa offers a 5 course tasting menu that changes every month for $55. This menu was deemed ‘Abruzzo e Molise’ reflecting the northern part of southern Italy known as the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. We were greeted with a delightful spoonful of house-cured bacon with a pickled cherry relish. The caramelization and saltiness of the pork was a perfect juxtaposition to the sweet and sour local compote. This was the best bite of the night.
The first course was a pan seared rosemary skewered scamorza cheese with marinated baby artichokes and Dulce’s pickled asparagus. As to be expected, the fried cheese was tasty. It had a smokey caramelized crust that gave way to an oozing creamy delight, however, with every bit I was reminded that a huge inedible stem ran the length of the cheese. The artichokes and pickled asparagus were edible, but the artichokes didn’t add anything to the plate and the asparagus were extremely acidic and sour. I guess I just didn’t get it.
Next was a choice of the following the pasta:
Pasta alla chitarra con e fave- hand-made ‘guitar’ pasta tossed in a savory San Marzano tomato sauce with tender Viridian Farms peas, fava beans, lemon zest and fresh sheep’s milk ricotta or Pasta alla tagine con ragu d’agnello- fresh egg and semolina tossed with a classic ragu of Cattail Creek lamb and sweet peppers.
Both pastas were very al dente yet well seasoned. The tomato sauces tasted oddly similar which worked well with the lamb but overpowered the delicate nature of the peas and favas. The lamb ragout was tasty but when I envision a ragout I picture meat that is flaky and tender with a buttery mouth-feel from slow braising . This version, however, consisted of thumbnail size balls of lamb meat that had a strong tooth to the bite.
The salad was next :
Scapece di salmone alla vastese- a salad of wild Oregon Sockeye salmon that has been marinated in champagne vinegar, white verjus, saffron and aromatic vegetables served over baby spinach, sweet basil and Yukon gold potatoes.
Again a very lengthy description for an average salad lacking in imagination and presentation. The salmon were in the form of little chunks that appeared to be scrap meat. Upon taking a few bites I got hit upfront with a strong sting of acid then fishiness then bland boiled potato then aromatic basil. The flavors seemed uniquely separate not unified. With such bold flavors at stake I was yearning for more of a composed salad to fit the creative backdrop of the restaurant.
The first entree was seared rockfish with a calamari in a chile spiked white wine tomato sauce with local broccoli. My first thought was what do broccoli and Genoa have in common? The fish had caramelized corners but the skin was soft and mushy. The stewed calamari was well seasoned with a spicy bite and sweet onion finish. The broccoli was a tad overcooked but had a pleasant kick. Again the presentation was lacking and the broccoli was laying on the plate like a set of railroad tracks.
The mix grill rabbit was a nice combination of a skewered loin, with a kidney rabbit farce sausage, caramelized fennel, and a potato croquette. The loin was well cooked and seasoned but couldn’t get past the wooden skewer. The sausage was perfectly cooked in a cool mound spiked with a rich kidney but as my dining partner pointed out was very salty. The quartered fennel was a nice accent and the potato cake was more of an after thought. It was garnished with a black olive tapenade that put the salt over the top and would have been better suited with the green varietal.
The strip loin was flamed table-side with a strega liquor and served with a risotto stuffed pepper and a raw zucchini mint salad. It was a nice chunk of meat that was served rare and the risotto and raw salad were a nice juxtaposition but the three items seemed to be on an island on the plate.
All of the desserts were delicious. The cherry was interesting and fun , the Amaretto Souffle was light, tasty and well executed, and the chocolate espresso semifreddo was creamy and satisfying. The service was great and my fellow diners stated that the wines were spot on.
I understand the beauty of Italian food is the simplicity, however, this means that proper seasoning, technique and execution is essential. There is a level of sophistication to the room I couldn’t find in the food. Some things were too acidic or over seasoned and the presentations were uninspired. Moreover, I found technique lacking in the searing of the fish, inedible garnishes, a skewer, and under braised lamb. Plus, I yearned for more complex techniques to incorporate items such as broccoli, risotto, or a roasted pepper. In essence, the food and presentation lacked a level of sophistication I would expect from such an elegant setting.
The scariest words I was told in early recovery was that I would have to change EVERYTHING in order to stay sober and be happy. Im still a chef, husband and live in the same house, but my perspective on people places and things has completely changed. This change evolved from working the 12-steps and looking deep into myself by tackling the tough crap and self centered opinionated fear that was my life. In turn I revealed my true identity. Genoa has done a lot of surface work and the foundation is there but appears lost and unable to dig into the core and find it’s true self. This could just be a hiccup in the road, perhaps a challenging region. I certainly don’t do every step in the 12-steps perfect (especially the 4th and 10th steps). It is a constant journey. With this in mind I look forward to trying a new menu. In cooking and recovery misteps are a large part of growing.
Notes From The Culinary Addict:
Yogism from Iyengar (from Tree of Yoga): “Strive to find a thoughtfulness thoughtlessness in your practice .”
Recent 12-step Meeting Quote: “You want to drink whiskey at work instead of Vodka because you want your customers to know your drunk not stupid.”
-I couldn’t help commenting at dinner when I ordered the “The Mixed Grill” rabbit that this was code at a kitchen I worked at which referred to snorting a line of Oxycontin mixed with Cocaine.
-Genoa has some top notch people running the front of the house.
-Our kitchen is recovering from feeding 2500 mouths in 4 days.
-My bread delivery guy was fired a few months back. Allegedly he called a fellow driver for help on the side of a busy road. Once the driver arrived he asked the stranded driver if he was high b/c he smelled pot. Apparently fear and panic struck my past delivery man. Without saying a word he bolted in the opposite direction against traffic abandoning his truck, keys, and bread.
Kitchen Quotes:
-Ron:”Chef something is just not right in this office and I think some form of fish is to blame.”
-Jamie: “I’m telling you she wants to get freaky b/c she has a tattoo on the side of her neck.”
Me: “So let me get this straight, b/c a woman has some ink on the side of her neck that means she’s a dirty bird.”
Jamie: “Chef, that is so painful which tells me pain is her answer to happiness.”
-Me: “Ron, Did you get any of what I just said?”
Ron: “No I couldn’t get past her ass.”
-Me: “Chris, he has special needs.”
Chris: “Special needs!?! He’s on Paxil or some kind of goofball isn’t he? I mean I need to be on it but I dont have insurance or cash since 1/2 of my wages are garnished by the FEDS. Anyway, if he’s not he should be to level out his craziness when he gets all fired up. Shit my mind goes a mile a minute but his ass in on another level.”
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Band Name of The Week: The Red Fat
Present Kitchen Pandora Selection: M Ward
