Eat,
Drink and Be Merry
BY CARYN
B. BROOKS
cbrooks@wweek.com
IF IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR CHURCHILL...
If there was ever a time to give the very best bubbly,
this is it. As millennium madness crescendos into either
death and destruction or boredom and futility, the dilemma
of which bottle to buy and when grows, too. Ease your New
Year's Eve anxiety a bit and trust in the
Pol Roger Champagne
Brut 1990 ($60, E&R Wine Shop, 6141 SW Macadam Ave.,
246-6101). Ed Paladino, who co-owns the recently hatched
E&R emporium with Richard Elden (chosen by
WW
as best wine steward in 1998), says this French champagne
was the favorite sparkling wine of Sir Winston Churchill.
We can only assume that when the big guy once boasted, "I
have taken more good from alcohol than alcohol has taken
from me," the Pol Roger figured significantly. After all,
he had a lot to celebrate.
MUSKRAT LOVE
This one may not appeal to Aunt Pauline
in Darien, but Cousin Eddie in Mississippi will be pleased
as punch. Bring the wilds into someone's urban wilderness
with the gift of mouth-watering, smoked wild game from
John Kolakowski, a.k.a. The Muskrat King. Seems Mr. King,
who owns America's Premier Smokehouse in Riverview, Mich.,
fought the law for the right to serve the lovable little
rodents--and won. Now he offers a Meal of the Month
Club ($499 for one year, $230 for six months, 800-490-3905),
sending your grateful gift recipient a different "sportsman's
delight" each month. The heat-and-serve movable feasts
range from a whole goose (marinated in wild ginger, garlic
and soy sauce, then smoked) to buffalo prime rib (dry-cured
in Cajun spice, then slow-cooked to medium rare).
JUICY FRUIT
Traditionally, stockings were filled
with vibrant oranges, polished pennies and shiny tin cups--at
least on Little House on the Prairie, anyway. Compared
with Pikachu game cards, baby G-shock watches and designer
lip balm, fruit as a stocking stuffer seems a little too
quaint, but in large quantities, nature's goodness can
be quite impressive. Go to the experts for the juicy goods:
Since 1945 the Sheridan Fruit Company (408 SE 3rd Ave.,
236-2113) has been bundling up the best apples, pears
and pineapples for all the nice boys and girls. You can
arrange to send a $58 basket--which includes 25
to 27 pounds of seasonal fruit beautifully nestled in
wicker--anywhere in Portland for an additional $10. Gift
boxes, like the 22-piece for $39.25 deal, can be
sent anywhere in the United States; shipping cost varies.
WHAT A LITTLE MOONLIGHT CAN DO
If there were such
a thing as chocolate porn, the poster on the wall at Moonstruck
Chocolatier (608 SW Alder St., 241-0955) would qualify.
The row of little Moonstruck ladies--curvy, cocoa-rich
gems resplendent in swirls, gooey centers oozing cream--can
only be saying "come hither." And guess what, buddy: They
can be yours, or your best friend's or even your mother-in-law's.
All it takes is a little cash. This local specialty shop
creates candies that are as unfalteringly delicious as
they are attractive. Holiday keepsake collections include
the Choco-Lit Series Vol. VI, a 15-piece bounty
housed in a decorative book box, complete with index ($38),
and the Millennium Memory set in a package that
could double as a jewelry box ($58 for 30 pieces). Espresso,
raspberry chambourd, Clear Creek apple brandy, cinnamon
roll and almond tower are some of the fanciful flavors
you'll find in these handsome editions. Thank God something
this good is still legal--no matter how old you are.
ESCHEW THE BEAN FOR THE LEAF
You wouldn't have
this paper in your hands if it weren't for caffeine, but
sometimes we all want some relief from the hyper, Starbucks-studded
world. At The Tao of Tea, candles flicker and mandolins
hum inside a room where the complicated scents of jasmine
and spices tickle your nose hairs. With Dragon Phoenix
Jasmine Pearls ($68 per pound, The Tao of Tea, 3430
SE Belmont St., 736-0119), you can balance yin and yang
for months to come. This is no ordinary loose-leaf: Small
jasmine balls slowly unfurl as they steep. The shop is
stocked with a variety of tins, black boxes and handmade
pottery to give the premium loose-leaf teas an elegant
presentation. The owner, Veerinder Chawla, also suggests
mixing it up a little and giving the tea lover in your
life a sampling from his abundant inventory. (Deborah
Rossiter)
TRUNK SHOW
There's nothing quite like carving a
few hours out of your weekend to stroll through Elephants
Delicatessen (13 NW 23rd Place, 224-3955), a local gourmet
paradise since 1978. The luscious freebies--a nice slice
of prosciutto and melon, a dollop of creamy chevre--are
a big draw. And the exquisite aromas and piles upon stacks
of imported delicacies in Elephants' cramped quarters
leave you yearning for a little earthquake: It would be
heavenly trying to dig yourself out from under all those
fragrant cheeses and spot-on salads. This very culinary
chaos can be bridled and shipped in a Hearty Harvest
Basket for $139. Snuggling together in the fully
loaded wicker package are ham, rye bread, a loaf of one
of Elephants' specialty breads, oven-roasted veggies,
potato-artichoke dauphin, cranberry and apple salad, seasonal
chocolates, mixed-berry fruit crisp and French sparkling
cider. Tip: Order this for the workplace so you can get
in on the action.
A TASTE OF OREGON
So all your East Coast friends think you're insane
for packing everything you once squeezed into a tiny East
Village apartment and moving clear across the country
to Ory-gone? Ship 'em The Gorge Box ($81.95, Made
in Oregon Stores, various locations; catalog orders
273-8719) to give them a taste of what they're missing.
After sampling the gastronomic goodies that help to make
this region so livable, your friends may begin to doubt
their faith in Dean & Deluca. Four different Tillamook
cheeses share space with a box of JaCiva's truffles and
hazelnuts, smoked salmon, salmon pâté, sausage
and mustard. Chocolate-coated cranberries round out the
pig-out package. Afterwards, if your uptown friends start
thinking maybe the Northwest ain't so provincial after
all, be sure to tell them how patrons dress for the ballet.
They'll take Manhattan, no question.
HOMESICKNESS REMEDY
OK, but let's say one of your Soho pals does move
to town. The two of you explore the city's epicurean delights
in decadent proportions, but come Saturday morning, the
transplant feels terribly empty. That's when the moaning
for that bagelry beacon on far-away Broadway and 80th
commences. "Zabar's, Zabar's," he says in a dry pant.
Noah's will only appease him for so long. Sure, Portland
is filled to the gills with salmon, but nothing here quite
compares to the deluxe Nova and Scottish lox at Zabar's.
For 65 years, Zabar's has delighted New Yorkers and drooling
tourists alike; now, thanks to the wonders of overnight
delivery, anyone anywhere can dig in. Cure your transplanted
friend's blues with the Sunday Morning in New York
gift box ($119 includes next-day delivery fee; Zabar's,
800-697-6301, www.zabars.com).
Of course, it can't be delivered on a Sunday, and it'll
cost $10 extra if you want it to arrive on a Saturday,
but with said salmon, a dozen bagels, cream cheese, coffee
and French rugelach included in the mix, we doubt you'll
hear any complaints.
VINTAGE, NOT RETRO
Vintage duds and geegaws may be all the rage (still),
but wine connoisseurs looking for true quality always
go for a sensual vintage port. Tuck a bottle of 1985
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Porto ($124.95, Martinotti's
Cafe & Deli, 404 SW 10th Ave., 224-9028) into your
loved one's stocking, and he or she won't mind when Old
Man Winter rattles against the windowpanes. With a bottle
of port in the larder, ice storms and northern winds are
just excuses to build a fire, curl your toes and sip the
deep blend of dark fruits and spices in this smooth, rich
wine. The versatile aperitif, imported from Portugal,
is made by one of the top wine producers of the region.
"Bottom line," says wine collector and store owner Armand
Martinotti, "is that many wine connoisseurs feel you get
more from a good port than from any other wine." (Deborah
Rossiter)
ALL PURPOSE
Vinegar...wasn't that the horrible-smelling stuff
mom used to rinse your hair out with to make it shine?
and to vanquish pet stains? Well, this ain't your mother's
vinegar. This is Traditional Costium Pier Luigi Serini
Balsamic Vinegar ($70.99 for 100 ml, Pastaworks at
City Market Northwest, 735 NW 21st Ave., 221-3002). Made
from the cooked juice of Trebbiano grapes, the sour elixir
undergoes a long and complicated process in chestnut,
mulberry, oak, cherry, acacia, ash and juniper casks to
develop its distinctive flavor. To be called a true, traditional
balsamic, the vinegar must pass the discerning tongues
of a special tasting consortium. A little goes a long
way; the picky cook on your list can sprinkle it on everything
from grilled meats to strawberries, or use it blended
with olive oil as the perfect dunk for good bread. (Deborah
Rossiter)
