Bone Marrow and Barrels of Wine

Last week Jeremy came home from a very long trip to the Gulf Coast. He was given orders to report to Mobile, Alabama for two months to help inspect the ships coming back into the port from out in the oily waters. Although the two months felt pretty endless at times, I am happy to report he is home now...happy and healthy :) Of course, one of the very first things we did to celebrate was go out to dinner with our friends! We decided to try out this restaurant in the Pearl called Irving Street Kitchen.

Restaurant Spotlight: Irving Street Kitchen

Located on NW 13th Street, this restaurant is absolutely beautiful inside. It has a great vibe to it, lots of wood and a pretty fireplace. Our group of 6 didn't have a reservation, but showed up at 7 and didn't have any trouble getting a table. Our waitress was wonderful, she was able to explain in great detail every wine and entree on the menu in great detail (which is helpful because there are some pretty "out there" options!). I had heard prior to trying out ISK that it was known for serving gourmet southern comfort food, but I would definitely argue it has more of a French influenced menu.

One of the major "pros" about this restaurant is the wine. They had a great selection and all of the wine comes directly from barrels. Meaning instead of ordering by the bottle, you are served the wine in carafes. Our group shared a delicious Riesling from Kings Ridge, in the Willamette Valley, and a Pinot Nior from the Stoller Vineyards in Dundee Hills. We also shared a number of appetizers (Warning: They were not for the faint of heart). The boys in our group were gung-ho about trying the Herb Roasted Bone Marrow. Served with toasted bread, the marrow is spreadable. The boys and Lauren loved it (she was very brave!). I did taste it, but couldn't get past the idea of eating bone marrow. So I stuck with Dani and tried the Meatballs and Marinated Olives.

When it came time to order half our group had the "Cacciucco" Seafood Stew...absolutely delicious. Dani sampled the Draper Valley Fried Chicken (probably the only safe thing on the menu for picky eaters), which was also phenomenal. I don't remember exactly what Jared and Tyler had, but I think Jared tried some sort of Hare and Tyler had the Fillet. I know they both enjoyed their meal. Last but not least, dessert. We tried three different desserts and by far the best was the Lemon Tart. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but the flavor was incredible. Definitely worth saving room for dessert.

All in all, this restaurant was a fun experience, but overall probably not worth the cost. I would go back, but only for drinks or happy hour. It was a great night with friends, but we could of had three dinners at Bridgeport for the cost of this one meal.

Irving Street Kitchen - 701 NW 13th St. Portland