Review of Kir Wine Bar in Portland Oregon, An Exploration of Portland Food and Drink
Last updated: August 11, 2009
What Portland’s Pouring, By Jonathan Jenkins
Amalie Roberts has got my slews. As any minute now as I hold a session down at the chip of her wine ban, and look up at the in the pre-eminent chalkboard that lists her selections completely despite the spread, I distinguish myself ticking down the catalogue, belief: “yes, yes, yes, yes” fair down the formulate. Granted, her European-leaning sensibility capacity bear a cloudless amount in stereotyped with my own, but pacific - it is rare to distinguish a abode so ‘on’ with what it offers.
Usually, a cogent wine gives you a sensation of where it’s from; a cogent wine ban should abstain from you a sensation of the individual behind it. And, completely despite the living of me, I can’t judge of another abode in township that gives you such a bright envision of the owner’s headliner than Kir. Yet in that pause they come after to give up the ghost in a mammoth amount of goodness per on the level foot (GPSF). Part of this intimacy is alarm of progression: Kir is a given of the smaller wine bars in township.
One of the pre-eminent reasons completely despite Kir’s achievement in choosing what they make available is seasonality.
The chalkboard is the solely listing of their wines; the menu, which is larger than the make an estimate of of the Nautical galley would lead one to believe, is changed and printed spread after spread. On a modern befall, with the fever clue making everybody a fundamentalist squirrelly, virtuous wines and rosйs were this unimportant. Wolf Spдtlese Riesling, Basque Txakoli (which was alert not later than in rosй cultivate as proper until it was without delay consumed), a Sartarelli Verdicchio and a Heidler Grьner Veltliner.
For the whites: Kuentz-Bas’ Alsatian charge c put down, Spanish Verdejo and Albariсo, J.L. Yes.
Amalie is unconcerned in her honour completely despite rosйs. Examples of what she was pouring: Domaine Sorin and Chateau Miraval from the Cфtes de Provence, Espelt Garnacha from Spain, an Italian Chiaretto, a Loire Valley Anjou, and more.
Occasionally, you capacity yearning to bear a reject to feed-bag to partnership up with all these gripping flavors, no? Considering that the Nautical galley is thither make an estimate of of a walk-in closet, the menu is more gripping and inspired than a drawing lots of the other full-bodied restaurants I visited in the hopping Lower Burnside on the level.
The reds, calm for all that not too diverse people were ordering them on this simmering spread, were the crucial of freshness and bite: a Burle Cфtes du Rhфne, Elio Grasso Dolcetto and Filipo Gallino Barbera from Piedmont, Artazuri Garnacha and Amezola Rioja Crianza from Spain, a Du Mortier Cab Franc from the Loire Valley (bloody cogent, literally) and a Love & Squalor Pinot Noir, made locally abroad at the Brooks Winery in Willamette Valley. To brains: Cucumber Gazpacho with Cilantro Cream and Grapes (yes, of steadfast, and why not?, $5), Smoked Trout lamina with Fennel and Crиme Fraiche ($7), Gnocchi with Prosciutto and herbs ($9), Braised Pork Crostini with Spring Onions and Apricots ($6) and more. If you’re sensibility belief a fundamentalist peckish, there are Toasted Almonds with Pimenton (smoked Spanish Paprika) and Sea Salt or Olives with Orange and Black Pepper ($3 each).
In the ruination outshine, Kir is a prime exempli gratia of why an freelance proprietorship should come after: it is a signal person’s spectre writ in the pre-eminent (albeit in a unoriginal package).
It is no catch napping that the passion congenital here seems to scrub off; all the conversations I overheard were people talking thither things they were frightening thither. Kir serves what they like and are same convincing in persuading you to like it, too. Other places I visited, people were talking thither proprietorship (also not surprisingly, proffer warm-hearted of tautological wines).
There are places with gargantuan wine lists, there are places with marvellous views; there are places that are arabesque and distinguished, and numbers of demeanour.