1859 Sept | Oct 2012_opt

Around Oregon
1859 ine
Smithfields
36 S 2nd Street, Ashland
smithfieldsashland.com
P
R ****
On the hillside of South 2nd Street just off the buzzing plaza that is the heart of
downtown Ashland, Smithfield’s, of British descent, is worth the jaunt. Inside this
quaint-house-turned-restaurant, there is ample seating for a quiet date or larger tables
to share with friends. Local growers are listed on a chalkboard wall that is the face of
the kitchen. We ventured in at lunchtime, and started with the Kettle Chips and roasted
garlic aioli ($4). Smithfield’s offers many British brews, local wines, and some intriguing
house cocktails. There’s the “SOHO,” made with in-house strawberry infused gin, lemon
juice, Cointreau, Prosecco float and a lemon twist. Worth going back for the drink alone.
The Flat Iron steak sandwich with a cup of the house cod chowder ($14) and the shrimp
po’ boy sandwich accompanied by a cup of carrot lemon verbena soup ($14). All were
delicious and portioned relative to their price. For dessert, we opted salted caramel ice
cream with bacon beignets. It was magical to say the least.
Laurelhurst Market
3155 E Burnside Street, Portland
laurelmarket.com
P
R ****
Laurelhurst Market Restaurant and Butcher Shop is casual fare with local flair. Atypical
to most steakhouses, the atmosphere is light and whimsical, with a butcher shop in
the front and a bar in the back. Try the ‘Six in One Hand’ with grapefruit and camomile
grappa ($9). For a starter, try the housemade mozzarella, pulled to order with strawberries
and spiced pistachios ($9). The grilled Painted Hills ribeye with melted blue
cheese butter and fried sweet onion rings ($38) gives all other steakhouses a red ribbon
for second place. It is simply the best ribeye in the city. The Teres Major ($23) with
bearnaise, arugula and pickled red onion is a tender and aromatic alternative to the
ribeye. Side options include fried cauliflower with lemon and caper ($6) and roasted
Viridian Farms’ asparagus with Portland Creamery goat cheese ($7). For dessert, experience
the dulce de leche cheesecake with pistachio and orange blossom syrup ($8.) If
you’re in the market for delectable steak served simply, Laurelhurst Market is a must.
Ox & Fin
105 Oakway Center, Eugene
oxandfin.com
P
R **
The first question Ox & Fin’s friendly waitstaff poses is one not often heard outside of
Europe: “Sparkling or still water?” It’s a classy touch that fits right in with the restaurant’s
upscale vibe and stylish interior. Ox & Fin is the new incarnation of popular
Eugene restaurant, Osteria Sfizio. Rather than focusing exclusively on Italian food,
the owners are offering Northwest cuisine with an Italian twist. The appetizers got
the meal off to a great start. The buratta ($10), a soft, hand-stretched mozzarella, had
amazing texture and wasn’t too heavy. The scallops ($13) were served with a tasty
hazelnut romesco. The wine lists offered quality selections from the Northwest and
all over the world. The rest of the meal, however, didn’t hold up to the promise of the
first course. The short ribs ($21) came with polenta, and the combination was too
heavy. The petit filet ($26) was ordered medium rare and came less than rare. Perhaps
the lamb steak ($21), or the torchio ($18), homemade trumpet-shaped pasta served
with fennel sausage, would have played more to the restaurant’s core strengths. Dessert
needs tweaking, too. The cookie crust of the lemon curd tartlet ($8) was too hard
to get a fork through, and the fruit in the peach and raspberry cobbler ($7) was undercooked.
No doubt, Ox & Fin will work out the kinks over time. The sophisticated
setting and focus on local, organic and GMO-free food could make it a real favorite.
44 1859 oregon's mAgAzine SEPT OCT 2012