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If something can be made at micro scale, chances are McMenamins does it.
The family-owned chain of pubs, theaters and hotels not only makes beer, wine and spirits, but also roasts coffee beans for distribution to its properties, which spread across the state of Oregon and up to Seattle.
Most McMenamins serve the same Cajun tots and Reubens, but the Black Rabbit is something else entirely. Situated in the main building of the sprawling 74-acre former county poor farm that's now the Edgefield hotel and concert venue, McMenamins' culinary showpiece does unstuffy semi-fine dining using mainly produce grown on the property.
Go deep on the salad. We had a pitch-perfect caprese ($11), with gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and fresh lemon basil from the garden, dressed in white balsamic with a few rough twists of black pepper and a wedge that used little bits of crunchy, spicy, fried Spanish chorizo as croutons. Both the main courses and the desserts are large and rich in the way you'd expect of a Caddyshack-era clubhouse restaurant, in our case including wild boar over polenta with a blackberry gastrique ($28) and cupcake-sized Key lime pie topped with a mini-cupcake of whipped cream.
Pro Tip: If you're going to see a concert at Edgefield, try making a reservation for the Rabbit and ask the guys working the main gate to let you park in the paved hotel lot instead of out in the field. I can't promise this will work for you, but it did for me.
GO: 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale, 669-8610, mcmenamins.com. 7 am-2:30 pm, 5-10 pm daily. $$.
Willamette Week