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Old Pal, the new vegetable-focused bistro at Southeast Morrison Street and 34th Avenue, is a solid cocktail and snack bar.
Opened by Ken’s Artisan Pizza and DOC alum Jeremy Larter and Emily Bixler, owner of jewelry and sculpture line Boet, the interior design is spacious and welcoming. Much of the food, however, is only fine, which will perhaps disappoint those hoping for a new neighborhood spot that really takes advantage of Oregon’s exceptional bounty of produce. Fortunately, with its evolving seasonal menu, things can always change for the better.
Let’s start with the positives: The clarified milk punch, with rum, pineapple and citrus ($14), tastes like tropical fruit ice cream, and is one of the best and smoothest new cocktails I’ve sampled this year. The Hockney ($13), the house gin and tonic, comes garnished with fresh herbs and flowers from the chef’s own garden—it’s lovely, mood-boosting elderflower reminds one of a day at the spa.
Market radishes with lemon butter ($7) usually make a fresh and tasty crudité plate, but the roots were unsalted and clumsily presented, placed on top of the butter, causing them to slip off the plate. Another challenge to eat were the salt-and-vinegar fingerling potatoes ($15) served with a bowl of smoked yogurt, an anonymous green herb oil (theoretically basil), and trout roe. The roe contributes most of the flavor to this dish, which really makes no sense since the potatoes—little hunks that aren’t crispy but are oddly sweet and dusty—are not cut or served in a way that encourages dipping or topping.
Old Pal’s burrata appetizer ($15) is part of a larger burrata appetizer issue—this one, like many others in the city, is not served with bread to help you attack that massive cheese ball. Served with nice end-of-summer peaches and dressed with chile, lemon zest, and a lot of fennel, it’s dessertlike and pleasant when polished off with a side order of Little T Baker bread ($7). But you might still be distracted by more of that green oil as well as pickled blueberries that don’t contribute additional acidity and have a mushy texture, like fruit that’s been frozen and thawed.
The pole bean salad ($15) is a mess of many elements: barely blanched, squeaky green beans and halved cherry tomatoes in a creamy dill dressing give off big potato salad vibes. The dish is then topped with a flavor-bomb sprinkle of turmeric, cumin and sesame seeds, plus shavings of Belper Knolle cheese so thin they get lost in the jumble. The ricotta gnocchi ($28) was perhaps the biggest letdown. Expecting little pillowy puffs of dough that melt in your mouth, these were instead large and glutenous. The sauce, made of sungold tomatoes, summer squash, basil, grana, and pickled ramp butter, was criminally lacking in salt or acidity.
Luckily, the food menu did include some high points, like the gougères ($8)—herby cheese puffs with a punchy green garlic aioli—and herbed fries ($8), which are thin and crispy, like a gussied-up McDonald’s fry, sprinkled with dill and served with preserved lemon mayo. And the housemade ice creams ($10) soar. During a recent visit, offerings included popcorn, which tasted just like Corn Pops cereal and milk, and chocolate malt—essentially a concentrated version of a classic dessert from the Archie-style soda shop of your dreams.
Old Pal is a solid spot for a nice cocktail and some choice snacks and dessert, but may need a moment to find its footing before I attempt another full dinner.
DRINK: Old Pal, 3350 SE Morrison St., 503-477-9663, oldpalpdx.com. 4-10 pm Wednesday-Sunday.
