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Although the bar is dubbed "savage" in French, nothing at Sauvage (537 SE Ash St., No. 102, 971-258-5829, sauvagepdx.com)
falls below perfectly refined—except maybe the taxidermied goose
imposingly perched on a stack of wine barrels. Hardly identifiable from
the street, the entryway is marked by a chalkboard wall with "#102
Sauvage" scrawled next to a veiled door. The wine nook's interior is as
pretentious as the welcome suggests: Hanging glass orbs and candles make
the mahogany tables glow, a mixture of fine art and wine barrels are
against the walls, and the owners employees (appropriately named Nicolas Vernon
Duff and Chris Vandersloot) prattle off varietals with tongue-twisting
dexterity. This is oenogeek turf and don't forget it, says the large
glass door showing off Sauvage's on-site winery, Fausse Piste. But after
a whiff of Kobe beef carpaccio and a few glasses from the extensive
wine list (try the flight of orange wines, $19, for something
different), that taxidermied goose looks a lot more welcoming.
WWeek 2015