Beast PDX: A Look Back at a Perfect Brunch

Chef Naomi Pomeroy was a finalist for the James Beard Award: Best Chef: Pacific Northwest in 2010, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, she was the recipient of this prestigious award.  Dan and I were lucky to snag a reservation at her restaurant Beast in June 2014, but I never had a chance to blog about it and time got away from me. To right this wrong, I am going back in time and putting the spotlight on a lovely brunch in Portland, Oregon. Welcome to Beast.

We were seated in the front window, at a farm table full of happy patrons. Dan and I hit it off with a young couple who had traveled up from California to enjoy Portland and visit Beast. They were foodies too, who had seen Naomi Pomeroy on Top Chef Masters and were excited, as we were, to have a culinary memory. One young man was a teacher and his partner loved gardens, so in addition to oohing and ahhing over each bite, we enjoyed talking about the joy and beauty of living in the Pacific Northwest. 

Brunch started as we all had hoped...with bacon. This is a strawberry clafoutis (a warm baked custard-like cake) served with vanilla bean whipped cream and maple-glazed house bacon. The cake was rich with a brownie-like chew to the edge and the bacon made me wonder why I wasn't experimenting more with maple syrup. This sticky sweet accent was a star.

Next was a plate with crispy pork belly, snap peas, romanesco, sun gold tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, summer squash, confit purple potatoes and a perfectly poached duck egg accented with a whole grain mustard hollandaise.
This dish was rich and fresh and satisfying. And substantial, I was relieved that the portions were hearty enough for Dan.

This taste of summer greens was dressed in a Sauvignon Blanc vinaigrette and was served with cheese from the Cheese Bar and a macerated prune.

The restaurant has an open kitchen, so you can watch as the magic happens.

The sweet bite at the end was a bete noire (chocolate beast) with creme Chantilly. It was dense and the flavor was rich and coffee-like. The cocoa nibs were dusted in gold lustre - an extravagant touch that I loved.

Our brunch at Beast PDX was delicious. I appreciated the time spent on preparation and presentation - it was worth every penny. 

Let me join in the chiming bells: Chef Naomi Pomeroy!