Food Round-Up: Mami, Local 188, The Treehouse

It's been quiet around these parts—I haven't been eating out much and haven't even had a recent restaurant opening to bring you! But there's still a few tidbits to share, so here's what I've been up to lately in food.

I always think of Mami on Fore Street as a lunch spot. Maybe it's due to its origins as a food truck, but since I don't work in Portland, I don't go out to for lunch often. But when I was passing through town after a program, I stopped in and grabbed A. from East End Cupcakes and we checked Mami out. 

She had a salmon poké bowl ($13) (but Big Fin Poké still has our hearts) and I had pork buns ($5) and okonomiyake ($12). Both dishes were rich and contained mayonnaise—I should have skipped the savory pancake and ordered some shishito peppers. But I loved Mami's counter service, making it a quick option for lunch or a great happy hour where you won't have to wait for a beer refill. 

Original Roomie A. and I went to the farmers' market bright and early on a Saturday for some plants, then found ourselves considering "brunch" (meaning we wanted a sit-down experience) options at the decidedly non-brunch hour of 9am. We thought of Local 188 and it was a stroke of genius. 

We had the place to ourselves, our bartender was so friendly and attentive, and the food came out quickly and was perfect. I've experienced some lackluster brunches at Local, probably due to the fact that they were slammed, and so going early was a fantastic experience. A. and I both had the scramble ($11), which that day was with mushrooms, herbs, and goat cheese. We shared a fruit plate ($6), and I really felt like I'd reached peak adulting. 

For a dinner out with friends to celebrate their engagement, we went to The Treehouse, formerly Pat's Café, on Stevens Ave. I'd never been before, so I don't know the history of the place... but they certainly ran with the treehouse motif! It's on the second floor of Pat's Meat Market and is decorated with fairy lights, flowers, and I guess tree branches. It's partitioned off into cozy little spaces and I loved it. I look forward to going back to sit on the outdoor deck in the treetops. 

The menu featured a lot of repeating elements, like phyllo dough and dishes served "over fettuccine." I had the gulf shrimp saffron sauté ($30) with mussels, bacon, red peppers, tomatoes, shallots, and a saffron cream sauce. There was also half a zucchini—surprise! It was a good meal at a cozy spot, but its prices mean I'll probably stick to drinks and apps when I visit again. 

Finally, I attended a Full Plates, Full Potential benefit dinner at Oxbow, where Rob Evans of Duckfat and his crew cooked. The Duckfat/Oxbow beergarden is nearly ready which allows Evans to cater special events at Oxbow like this one. 

We enjoyed a three course spring-themed dinner, from scrambled duck eggs eaten out of the shell to a spring-dug parsnip soup topped with burnt marshmallow. The entree was a collection of poultry, from duck meatballs to turkey boudin, prepared on the grill, served with farrow and roasted carrots, and dessert was a sabayon with poached rhubarb and citrus olive oil.