Olympia Provisions

We went to this place tonight with friends and family. The location is in the industrial area. Not very difficult to get to. Parking was easy and free along the street. First we started with the cheer tray. Cheese were explained well and were divine, with some compost. A 5 star there. We ordered 4 small plates and one large chicken thigh plate. My favorite small plate were the scallops. Seasoned really well and placed on olive oil. Then the oysters dish was surprisingly good as well with some fresh delicious greens. The rice small plate was good, nothing special. The tuna plate was fresh. At last we had an amazing blueberry dessert. Service was ok. Waitress was fair, not very warm. Overall a 4 star

Honestly I came here because I saw it on one of the episodes of Portlandia… you know, that show that everyone in Portland says they don’t watch, yet can recall things that happened in different episodes just as easily as I can –_–
Loved the décor. Came in when it first opened on a Friday and had no problem getting a table, but by 1pm the place was pretty crowded. Great tasting food (great selection of meats!) and drinks, although the lunch menu was limited and could use a few more options. The waitresses were attentive and kind enough to charge my phone for me behind the counter while I ate.
And yeah. The dream of the 1890s is alive in Portland.

Came here around 5pm on a Monday, and the place was not very crowded, so we got some seats at the bar. The outside of the place is very unassuming and you can almost miss it if you don’t look closely enough. The inside looks like your typical hipster bar, with a grey concrete floor, and old-​looking metal stools, chairs and tables. The host was very warm, and we were able to get some really good recommendations as to what was good, and what they were known for.
Ordered the Spanish charcuterie plate, which featured two Spanish salamis, lomo, sweetheart ham, fresh chorizo, Miticaña (a type of goat cheese), fried almonds, piquillo pepper salad, and some bread for the Miticaña. My favorites were the two salamis, as well as the goat cheese. The salamis had really good fattiness and chew, and were pretty spicy without being too salty. The goat cheese wasn’t too sharp, and eaten with the sweetheart ham, the combination proved to be very formidable. As for drinks, my old-​fashioned didn’t seem to be too carefully crafted, but it was at least strong. That being said, I would primarily stick to wine and other spirits, rather than the cocktails.
Service was very attentive, and drinks/​water were always refilled promptly. Prices are easily on the more expensive side, especially for the large plates, but I can get on board with it with the fresh, local ingredients, and in-​house meat-​curing and pickling processes.
The dream of the 1890’s truly is alive in Portland (although I did expect to see more beards, and I didn’t see that many). It’s really just impressive that most everything is done in-​house, and seriously, more power to them. Curing your own meats, pickling your own vegetables, what a time to be alive.

This is one of my favorite restaurants. We came here for a little Portland getaway and automatically noticed all the great reviews so decided to stop by.
First of all, this is a butcher shop and a restaurant. There is hanging cured meat so beware to those that might be scared of that sort of thing. We ordered the best cut of steak there was, medium rare of course, and I ordered a salmon dish. My goodness, the two plates were heavenly! Seriously the best steak and fish I ever had, cooked to perfection. The chef really knows what he is doing.
We ended up ordering some dessert that was also good but I forget what it was :(
The drinks here were also delicious. Overall, such a great experience!

I ordered the Randy and subbed a salad for the chips that usually come with sandwiches. The salad comes with a delicious mustard vinaigrette with a good portion of greens. The sandwich is very good. The Randy comes on ciabatta with slices of cheese, apple, ham, and blue cheese with hazelnuts. The sandwich spread is an aioli and the bread is freshly grilled. The ingredients tasted fresh and in perfect proportion. The ham is very good!!! So, I highly suggest it if those flavors sound good to you. I liked that I got an entire bottle/​carafe of water since that’s all I was drinking.
I went during the usual busy lunch hours that can make a place crowded, but the food quality did not suffer as far as I could tell. The service was pretty standard. I think after you get your food the server should check that everything is tasting good and to see if you need anything else. That didn’t really happen in my experience. But, I know how it goes when a place is busy and if the food is great I don’t really care. I’m a pretty low maintenance customer. Some people are different though, so if the management really wants to dial the place in I would look at addressing details with service.
I would definitely go again though no question. With more people preferably, so we all can try more of the food!

Mine! Mine! Mine! I want to hoard Olympia Provisions all to myself. I want a helicopter to drop me off whenever I want, a private table, and endless cash in which to spend there. Olympia Provisions is the restaurant of my soul. Is this Italian food at its creative core? You bet. My last meal on earth will be here even if they have to wheel me in on my deathbed, IV bag and all.
All of their creations are their own. Handcrafted meats and entrees. Oh, the cheese… A plethora of those cheeses that you dream about at night. They even have Taleggio, the king of foul smelling cheeses that you have to pull yourself away from before devouring the entire wedge. The Charcuterie is authentic and mouthwatering. They make sure to offer plenty of sample boards, you don’t have to choose just one. We ordered a few plates on our first visit. The place was packed, but I didn’t care. Feed me these foods!
It does not matter what you order. It will be a winning dish. Everything that I tried off of the menu excited me and made me feel that special kind of foodie happiness. I could see that same look on every other patrons face. I left swooning and aching for one, two, three more bites of whatever scraps they may have given me. I could have dug through their dumpsters for a better meal than most restaurants can provide for my specific snobbery.
Dishes we chose this visit are pictured below. Steak Tartare, Roasted Rapini (eat this!), and Creamed Mushrooms. No need to analyze taste. They were all perfect. Prices? Who cares? Take the title to my car.

³⁄₅ solid stars
Food was OK
Ambiance was very hipster and reminds me of a butcher shop
Service was OK too
Ordered:
1) Braised short ribs: ⁴⁄₅ Melted off the bone and into my mouth – probably my favorite dish of the night
2) Octopus salad: ²⁄₅ This dish was a disappointment
3) The French Board: ³⁄₅ eh, okay and slightly overpriced to be honest
4) Creamed Mushrooms: ⁵⁄₅ YUM, my favorite dish of the night!

Looking at the pictures prior to coming here, I knew I would have to do something to earn this meal. After a 13 mile hike, I decided I definitely earned my meats in Portland. From the get go, the subway tile, Edison bulbs, reclaimed wood, exposed brick, library ladder made my heart skip a beat. Then we moved onto cocktails. We got a round of Old Fashioned’s, followed by some whiskey-​based grapefruit-​something thing. Bourbon/​whisky-​citrus drinks are bae I’m pretty sure I used that right.
The service was also excellent. We asked about which large plates were gluten free, and our server also insisted on having the charcuterie board sanitized to prevent cross-​contamination. Also, she offered us chips instead of bread with our meat plate. Anyway, the food left nothing to be desired. We started with the mixed greens: a simple mixed green salad for a balsamic-​whole grain mustard dressing. Simple and delicious. AND THEN, the Spanish board. I’m a sucker for chorizo. It’s probably the most effective way to lure me into an unmarked van. There were three dried Spanish sausages, fresh chorizo, and a Spanish version of prosciutto. The meats were not alone; it also came with Spanish goat cheese (the name of which I cannot recall, nor do I have the will to Google it), piquillo peppers, and almonds. We didn’t try any of the other boards but I don’t see how you can go wrong. We rounded out the night with the short rib (gluten free!) that literally fell off the bone. I appreciated that all of their dishes were simple and made clear what the true star of the plate was. Also, there is a large lit-​up sign that says MEAT on the back wall in case you’re need of some décor inspiration.

If you like in house made charcuterie and meats in general, you should try this place!
I had the fish of the day, and it was a lovely preparation grilled and on a bed of roasted vegetables. Portions are what we should all be eating, but if you have extra hungry eaters /​skip this place.

Man did I love this place! It rocks on every level. Food: stellar, service: the best, atmosphere: cool, inviting, and does the old school meat/​butcher shop right!
My friend and I came during happy hour which I highly recommend. We ordered a ton of stuff and there was not a single thing we got that was anything less than great. So great in fact, that we kept ordering more and more. In terms of charcuterie, I can’t think of any that I’ve had better anywhere else in the world. Their cheese was fantastic too as was the cocktail I had. They have an extensive wine list as well as beer too.
Cheese and meat plates are nothing new, but I find a lot of hipster cities (Portland, Austin, Brooklyn) seem to be all up on it, but my experience is that few do it right. I can all but guarantee that no one is doing it better or tastier than Olympia Provisions. These are f#&$ing professionals!
There is no question I’ll be back here whenever in Portland. Oh, try everything here, but do not miss out on their cheese sausage.
P. S. My only gripe comes weeks later. I loved everything so much here I wanted to bring some stuff back with me. I bought a couple salamis after being told they would be the only thing they have that I could transport back home and did not need to be refrigerated. I was saving them for a special occasion and after a few weeks it was time to break them out. Unfortunately they were super moldy and could not be eaten. Because they told me they did not need refrigeration I didn’t refrigerate them. After researching into this, refrigeration prolongs the life of salami so maybe had I done this as soon as I got home they would have been ok. Just wish they had told me that. More than the money that went out the window, I’m much much much more disappointed that I couldn’t eat that delicious salami.

Came here on a Sunday night at 7 pm last minute with a friend and even though we had no reservations, we were seated at the bar immediately. Cozy atmosphere, restaurant tucked away in a warehouse section of Portland. You wouldn’t have guessed such a fine dining was tucked was inside this inconspicuous building.
We were recommended the charcuterie plate to sample the meats they cured in house, we had the chef’s pick and I loved the sausage. The meats tasted good and wholesome, the pickled vegetables were refreshing. Not crazy about the cheese, though. Then we split a shrimp & mussels stew and the step blew our mind away. Delicious, creamy, savory… we could’ve licked the bowl clean if it wasn’t frowned upon!

This place was pretty awesome. We came to Olympia Provisions about a week ago on a Saturday. The whole atmosphere was great. Not too large of a space, which is fine with me. I don’t like too crowded of a spot. I’ve been wanting to swing by this restaurant for some time, literally, it’s been on my Unilocal bookmark since last year. When we first walked in, we were pleasantly surprised with how nice the place was. You’re instantly greeted by a giant «meat» sign hanging towards the back. Our waiter was bubbly, super nice and knowledgable about the menu. The drinks were great, food was great and so was the service. Not over priced either, which is a plus. There wasn’t a super long line wrapped around the corner of the building; which if you’re a major Portland foodie, you know the tends to happen at these local joints. We will for sure be back. It’s definitely a gem!

Really good steak tartare. I would’ve preferred less yolk (I like the quail egg) as it lets the steak itself shine more but I think that’s personal preference. As everyone else has mentioned it’s in a very random place but it’s kind of nice because the crowd is very intentional and they certainly aren’t lacking in patrons. Old fashioned and house punch (tastes like a sangria) were both great drinks, well balanced. Overall great atmosphere and a great stop. Will definitely be back on future visit to Portland. Fun fact they changed from Olympic provisions to Olympia provision because the Olympic commission threatened legal action!

Olympia’s in an industrial area in a pretty nondescript building with blink-​and-​you-​miss-​it signage. Luddite me made a lap around the entire block before figuring out where the entrance was.
Once inside, however, I was greeted with a hip, airy interior and a large, lit-​up sign declaring the singular word, MEAT. No arguing with that.
I sat at the bar, which provided a great view of the open kitchen. Watching the guy making the sandwiches was like watching a well-​oiled machine – mesmerizing.
The cubano was bomb, and the chocolate chip pecan cookie I bought for later was soft and delicious.
Probably best not to bring your vegetarian friends here, but if you’re a fan of anything pig or cow-​related, this place is for you!

We’re no strangers to Olympia Provisions as we’ve had the luxury of having tried a number of their well-​known salumis at the annual Good Food Awards that are held here in San Francisco. Coming to their restaurant was certainly a must-​try spot for us, and we left our stomachs in the hands of the chef with the charcuterie plate. Two salumis, a summer sausage, a chicken pâté, liver mousse, and pickled vegetables later, we split their house-​made mortadella sandwich that had me feeling nostalgic for a New Orleans muffuletta. The olive tapenade and pickled cauliflower made this unique! Service wise, we didn’t have lunch reservations so we didn’t have to wait long, but the lunch crowd was in full force by the time we left. The chef’s choice charcuterie is something you cannot miss — pick up a few of their salumis and sausages to go at the front too!

The good:
— the food
— items to purchase
The bad:
— unfriendly, indifferent service
— super limited lunch menu
— parking is limited and not near transit
On our final day in Portland, the wife and I ditched the car and explored the city on foot, mainly shopping around town. We weren’t all that hungry around lunch, but decided to eat something. We ended up at Olympia Provisions Southeast for both a bite to eat and to buy stuff to bring home.
When we arrived boy was the host unfriendly. She gave off a vibe that we were an incredible nuisance… Our server was equally cold and unfriendly… She kept giving us strange looks, and I really have no idea why. It’s not like we were dressed trashy or anything.
Not being all that hungry, the wife and I settled on the Italian Board ($ 18), which had two Italian Salamis, Mortadella, Capiccola, Italian Sauage, Taleggio, fennel-​parsley salad, and olives. The board was served with bread that came with an interesting dried fruit compote on the side. The two salamis were the Nola (black pepper, chili pepper, allspice) and Finocchiona (fennel seed + garlic). Both salamis were good, though a little fattier than I’m used to. Well, everything was good really! A very nicely balance board. We liked it so much, we bought some of the salamis to bring back with us!
Next up we also ordered the Seared Chorizo Sandwich ($ 11). It was delicious, though a bit spicy for me. The sandwich consisted of chorizo, spicy aioli, greens (arugula this time), manchego, piquillo peppers, and shallots on a chibatta bun with a side of chips.
We’ll have to come back here sometime, as I hear dinner is quite good. Parking looked a little poor, and the walk from the bus stop was kind of far. Bus fare for 2 was $ 5, so I said what the heck and ordered an Über back to the hotel… That ended up costing just $ 7, so my suggestions is go with Über unless traffic is heavy or you’re in surge pricing!

Awesome. We were only in Portland for 2 days and ate here twice. Best breakfast ever. Also the cheese and charcuterie options are fantastic.

Olympia Provisions is tucked away in an industrial area. I was confused in the beginning walking around the area but it is a very nice space with simple decorations.
We ordered the special bloody mary and loved it! I love that they are aggressive with the seasonings and added the pickles and salami on top. This is probably my highlight. We already had a pretty big breakfast so we did not order actual food. The special meat charcuterie was ok but definitely not up to my expectation. I thought some of the meat were too salty and all I could really taste was salt. I love charcuterie and thought this was just «ok.» I would come back to give it another try and hopefully try other food

I’m a huge fan of Olympic Provisions meats and have been looking forward to visiting the restaurant while in portland.
For a Friday afternoon, the place was rather slow so we had full attention from our server. We shared a plate of chef’s choice charcuterie as a mid-​afternoon snack. It was an ordinary assortment of items but in hindsight, wish we tried something else on the menu or skipped the food and bought the meats to-​go directly from their full salumi selection.
Extra 1 star as they offer a monthly club that delivers up to 3 salami to your door. I look forward to the package arrival every month. It is well packaged, fresh, something new every month and comes with a small informal card on the meat. Totally worth it.

This place is badass… as an out of towner, I make sure to squeeze in a visit every time I’m in Portland. Not a single complaint so far, don’t know what else to say. Just go, eat, shop… repeat.

The steak sandwich changed my life.
Okay. Maybe it didn’t change my LIFE… but it did make me really, REALLY, really happy. Between the arugula, spicy aoili, perfectly textured ciabatta roll, and provolone, you just can’t go wrong. My husband gets The Randy and he loves it.
I don’t think this restaurant is capable of serving anything that’s not top shelf. And yes, there is a category for top shelf sandwiches.
The outside of Olympia is deceiving, located in the industrial neighborhood of SE Portland, but as soon as you walk in, the atmosphere is warm, welcoming and the smells make your stomach growl in anticipation.
If you’re in the neighborhood and you’re hungry (actually, even if you’re NOT), stop by and munch on one of their sandies.

Wonderful salumi
Pickled eggs were perfect
Sandwiches amazing
Wine by the glass selection great
Would go back again and again
Sitting at the counter was a great show

Benedicts are my jam. My favorite breakfast food. This place does it right. The wait was worth it if you’re coming for brunch. I got the trout Benedict and ate every little crumb on that plate. The laser potatoes are to die for. The pancakes were pretty good too. Service was mediocre.

First, I want to say how awesome I think it is that charcuterie is catching on in the US. That there is actually a cult-​following in a town like Portland, and Salt Lake City for that matter, for these cured meat shops is pretty radical.
So this place looks cool. And as a Unilocaler, one looks cool when they’ve checked in so others can see that they’re dining here, but I don’t really get what all the hype is about other than being a remodeled factory-​turn-​restaurant in the newly gentrified SE neighborhood. The wine selection is good, but the food is mediocre, and the service was scarce, but good when she did attend to us.
A little background: Our household LOVES Olympia Provisions saucisson. Ever since it was first introduced to us by a savvy cheese-​monger at Liberty Heights Fresh (that in SLC, for all of you Porland people reading this), it’s been stocked in our fridge at home. Planning a trip to Portland, I was also stoked to see an Olympia Provisions restaurant in this month’s Sunset Magazine (yes, I subscribe to old people travel magazines) as the #1 must-​do while in PDX.
Dining there is another story… We arrived ahead of the lunch rush and were seated promptly. We ordered the French Board because, duh, and each had a sandwich. The sandwiches were forgettable. My partner had the steak sandwich, which I thought was good, but he felt the cheese selection was the wrong pairing and too strong. When I said «forgettable» earlier, I mean I actually forgot what I had to eat… The best thing we had was the dessert. In the future we would probably opt to share a board, get some extra bread, then skip right to dessert.
Being someone of French dissent and my partner also being French, we have a few points of constructive criticism for the restaurant exclusively regarding the French Board:
1. Rillettes were too salty. As in, way too salty. We’re salty/​savory appreciative people, but trust us, this was overboard. And Rillettes are my partner’s favorite thing in a French deli case, so this was a bit of a disappointment.
2. Saucisson on the French Board was not refrigerated, giving it a sticky and soft texture when consuming. It is a personal preference to serve this way, but sticky and soft are not my personal preference.
3. Saucisson were not peeled or «unwrapped.» This is a basic courtesy they will preform for you at any good restaurant in France (and even in some not so good ones). At home or in a public setting, they remove the peels from the slices of saucisson before presenting it to you. A little surprising they didn’t take this extra step at Olympia Provisions.
In the end, we are glad we got enjoy lunch at such a trendy restaurant, but most likely will not return. We will, however, continue to buy Olympia Provisions saucisson to enjoy at home. Lots of lots of saucisson.

Wowza!
Felt like a homecoming (though I’ve never set foot in that house.) We were warmly greeted at the door by a bubbly woman who sat us at the counter because we arrived crazy early for our reservation, hence our table wasn’t ready. This was a great fortune on our part! I LOVE sitting at the counter watching the kitchen action. Seeing the prep that goes into everything and watching the actual cooking I always learn something new.
We ordered a few plates… I ordered the delightful steak tartare, excellently seasoned. Mr. Otherhalf got some kind of salad with finely sliced meats on it, I know he was happy because he gobbled it down without speaking in less than three minutes. The white Piedmont wine I ordered paired well with the food to boot!
For the second act I ordered the spãtzle, and Mr. Man got the roasted garlic sausage with white bean purée. Yum!!! The spãtzle had quite a kick since it’s loaded with red pepper flakes & I asked them to tone down the sauce to accommodate a lactose intolerance. But that white bean purée was amazing!!! Love! Too bad we were sitting right under a vent that cooled our food immediately! lol
Dessert? Yes please! Valrhona chocolate ice cream sundae with this nifty little wafer underneath. I strongly recommend it!
My regret is that I didn’t get the name of the lovely lady who helped us there at OLYMPIC PROVISIONS. (hehe~) she was delightful and funny. Tom in the kitchen is a mad genius with his tweezers. I’m already looking forward to our next visit!

Went here for Sunday brunch and the food was super tasty. I was always a fan of their cured meats and heard about them when I saw them at the PSU Farmers Market. I like that they make their own cured meats and pickles. You can even buy their cured meats at the restaurant to take home.
We started off with some charcuterie (since it’s their specialty) and went with the Italian Board. We got to sample a variety of cured meats (salami, mortadella, capicola), Taleggio cheese, fennel parsley salad, and olives. They certainly know what they are doing because all the cured meats were super tasty and it was a great dish to whet our appetites.
I ordered their Hash which was very hearty and stuck to my ribs. Large chunks of savory kielbasa, breakfast links, lardons and Yukon potatoes served on a bed of frisée with cheese and topped with a poached egg. The egg added an extra layer of rich creaminess to the dish. Although just slightly too aggressively seasoned, this was still a delicious and satisfying dish.
I also got to try the Brunch Board which came with a plethora of goodies such as sweetheart ham, smoked trout, pickled veggies and local cheeses. Each component of the dish were very tasty.
Portion sizes were very generous. Overall the food was delicious. I would have given a higher score, but service was mediocre at best. Our server kept forgetting things that we asked her to bring and we had to wave her down a few times to remind her. They do not have their own parking lot so be prepared to find street parking.

We are visiting Portland for a few weeks and came upon Olympia Provisions meats at the Portland Farmer’s Market this past Wednesday. We tried the frankfurters, which were deliciously, and we ultimately bought some kielbasa to cook some meals with at home. Unbeknownst to me, DH had already built into our schedule a lunch at Olympia Provisions. With a quick glance at their menu before we headed out for the day, I thought to myself «yeah, this is way too fancy schmancy stuff for me. I don’t know that I’ll find anything I want to eat here…» but by the time we arrived, I was starving. After another look at the menu, I opted to try to the steak sandwich and DH ordered the frankfurter with sauerkraut and the sausage soup.
I hate to say, that sandwich was probably the best damn sandwich I have ever had in my life. Holy wow… the flavor combinations of the perfectly cooked tender steak with the arugula, onions and peppers, spicy aioli, etc was out of this world. Heaven in my mouth. DH liked his frankfurter but wish he hadn’t paid $ 1.00 extra for the sauerkraut. I hate sauerkraut so I didn’t try it, but he said it was still super crunchy and lacking the proper flavor — I dunno, not my jam. The sausage soup was very tasty with lots of yummy sausage.
Customer service was on point. Everyone was very friendly and attentive. For $ 25 + tip, I feel like we got a great deal for lunch here. Absolutely worth the stop in if you have a chance.

Great dinning experience.
Their focus on meat is evident, but they know how to compliment it well with vegetables.
The highlight would the the house made pickles, lol, yes, they were delicious, that really cut the fattiness of the amount of meat we ate.
Get the Charcuterie plate, you get sample on a wide range of things. We got a octopus salad, really good as well.
The service was very on point, check in on the right time, casual but making sure you get enough food and drinks coming.
Their cocktails is also very good, not too sweet, and good selection on local beer and cider.

What a great place to devour fresh and filling food *and* what a wonderful spot to dine with friends! Located inside what appeared to be a former barn house and/​or factory, Olympia Provisions on a Friday night was buzzing with lively diners doing the damn thing: living life! And why not, when the food is giving ME life!
I recently came in with four friends. We ordered several small plates and larger portion proteins. Well, first off, their charcuterie looked fantastic. They have several options: Chef’s Choice, Spanish Board, French Board & Italian Board. I typically prefer French meats, cheeses, and patés so thank goodness my friends didn’t mind my request. The board was served with sliced baguette. The board consisted of two French saucissons, a lovely paté, pork rillettes, a small garlic sausage, Brie Fermier, pickled vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, cucumber), and grain mustard. We also ordered a Fuji Apple salad which was mixed with shaved fennel, frisee (always makes my throat tickle!), bleu cheese, and a honey vinaigrette. The braised octopus salad was also stunning: perfectly prepared octopus, potatoes, wonderfully reddish-​orange chorizo, greens, and a smoked paprika vinaigrette. We also ordered fresh oysters because… well because Friday (ha!). However, I’m not a big oyster eater so I didn’t try it. Rest assured, my friends devoured them and praised its freshness.
One of the highlight dishes of the night was the Roasted Thicken Thighs. The thighs had a fantastic crispy skin and the succulent pieces sat on top of a fantastic savory white cheddar bread pudding which absorbed the chicken juices. The mushroom ragout on the side was just lovely. The sautéed whole wheat spaetzle was also exceptional. It featured the flavors of savoy cabbage, garlic cream, golden raisins, lemon zest, and grana padano cheese. The golden raisins were fantastic in this. I suspect this is quite traditional since it seems some German dishes (especially food prepared near the French border) often feature golden raisins. Anyway, the spaetzle was on point and it was especially delectable with the loads of cheese and lemon zest coating the spaetzle.
Overall, the food, the service (we had a friendly and attentive server who was quite spunky — and had a lovely dress on!), the ambiance, and the company (dear friends is always the most important feature of a weekend meal!)… combined, they made for a wonderful dining experience at Olympia Provisions.

/​/​PDX Sweetheart Foodie Trip: Aug 21 – 23, 2015– Stop 3 of 7//
Hubs and I made our first out-​of-​town «entire weekend» getaway since the l’il miss arrived 5.5 years ago. Cue the music! But seriously, hubby was a good sport and I ratcheted my normal foodie weekend levels WAY down.
It’s become something of a tradition that when I go on one of my foodie trips, I bring home some charcuterie for those at home. Since we had last-​minute family visiting from out of town back in Seattle, we decided to pick up provisions to have for Sunday dinner after returning home from our getaway. Since we were picking up on Saturday morning before lunch, we had to stick to the cured meats since our hotel did not have a fridge.
We choose a selection of 6 traditional dry-​cured salami sticks: Saucisson d’alsace (French style w/​cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg), Saucisson aux noisettes (French style w/​sea salt and hazelnuts), Finocchiona (Italian style w/​fennel seed and garlic), Cacciatore (Italian style w/​caraway and coriander), Chorizo Rioja (Spanish style w/​smoked paprika, garlic, and oregano), and Loukanika (Greek style w/​cumin, garlic, and orange zest).
We rounded out our dinner with bread, cheeses, fresh herbs & a salad. I was somehow disappointed in the taste/​quality of the charcuterie but it’s possible we just sliced the pieces too thick.
I noticed when we arrived at around noon on a Sat, the place was packed with a short wait for a table. Everyone looked thoroughly happy and the brunch items folks were tucking into — those famous charcuterie boards and the like– looked pretty appealing. So I am totally willing to return to eat brunch/​lunch or dinner in-​house and compare with my less than expected take-​away experience. After all, this place must be legendary for a reason, right?

The customer service was great but the food was just «A-​OK»
FOOD
SPANISH BOARD (Two Spanish salamis, lomo, jamón york, fresh chorizo, Miticaña, fried almonds, piquillo pepper salad): All of the components were tasty but the most notable was the lomo which the server said is part of the pork shoulder. it had a delicate flavor that had us asking if we could buy it to go.
MIXED GREENS, grain mustard vinaigrette: We got this on accident because the kitchen sent us this instead of the below salad. It was a pleasant mix of greens dressed perfectly.
CATALONIAN CHICORIES, frisée, croutons, Grana Padano vinaigrette: This dish was wonderfully pleasant and like above, dressed perfectly. on top included some type of what seemed like a harder cheese and it was recommended that we order an anchovie-​like fish. I would order this again!
BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB, roasted potatoes, olives, lardons: This dish was absolutely tender and fell off the bone. it had a very strong flavor to each component of the dish including the olives which were colorful and pungent.
PAN ROASTED HALIBUT, pea jus, Manila clams, lardons, lemon, mint: the halibut was cooked well but the crust from pan frying it was not particularly delectable. I did not think there was anything special or bad about the dish.

Was in town for Labor Day weekend. The restaurant was very busy but they were able to accommodate us, a table of 6! They have great and quick service.
The environment is very hipster and have a large bookshelf of wine! I first ordered their Bloody Mary. Best Bloody Mary I’ve had in a while! You have to order it! Also ordered the smoked trout eggs Benedict! Eggs Benedict is amazing! I also ordered bacon on the side and they gave us about 6 slices, which is a lot for a side. Delicious. I will definitely recommend this place to other friends :)

Olympia Provisions was probably my favorite restaurant in Portland during my most recent trip.
Whille the salumi isn’t as good as the ones in Italy and France, it’s quite outstanding for American standards. Olympia prides themselves in making their own salumi (they are part meat shop) and even sell them in various Portland grocery stores!
The ambiance was unique — the exterior was very industrial-​like. In fact, we had quite ourselves an adventure walking here from across the bridge and crossing rail road tracks. But once inside — it’s chic but warm and inviting. They have bar seating or table seating — tables appear to be really rustic but comfortable. We had a nice 2-​person table and came here to celebrate my sister’s birthday and they did a phenomenal job — ending the meal with a surprise mini dessert of a cookie with candle which was the cherry on top.
The overall meal was delicious — I had some of the most outstanding dishes I’ve had in a very long time –we shared the French Board ($ 18), the PICKLED EGG ($ 3), the CHERRIES with chevre ($ 7), the Almond Soup ($ 9), & the BRAISED OCTOPUS Salad ($ 15). Everything was amazing and mouth-​watering. Honestly was really impressed with the cherries, almond soup, and octopus — they were better than some chic restaurants we’ve visited back home in San Francisco.
Come here with a date, friend, or family. Great for parties of 2 – 6 people.

This place is the bomb! Since I’m living in another state I can’t eat here every day more like one a year. But if you are a local you should!
Went for the chefs choice charcuterie board AND the chefs choice cheese board. So good! It’s hard to pick what was the best but for me it was the pâté! Creamy mouth watering, give me 5 more pieces pâté!
We added the tomato salad and the steak tartare to make it a meal. And both were incredibly tasty. The tomato salad was sweet and fresh because of the complementing nectarines. The tartar with the fresh yoke… Ultra yummy!
Normally I’m not a cocktail drinker however the «breakfast in bergamot» one caught my eye because I love it in Earl grey tea. It was fresh and not too sweet, exactly what I wanted. My date ordered Ardbeg whisky. Rare on a menu so he was thrilled.
What else? Service was good. Because of the open kitchen you can see how hard everyone works. Our server had an off day. Low energy, not really connecting or available. The food made up for it three fold. See you next year!

Yum! Excellent charcuterie! I had the Italian Plate which had a salami, sopressata, mortadella, capicola, and italian sausage served with pickled veg, bread, olives, and fruity chutney.
If you do like their meats, you can buy their meats there as well. For about 9 dollars you get a half pound stick of their awesome cured meats. You can ask for samples as well. They lasted the day and the plane ride home with me, and I’ve been enjoying them this week! So delcious! Definitely loved their capicola (which doesn’t survive a plane ride) and their sopressata.

Halibut!
Nice little spot in an industrial area. The restaurant itself is very open and airy. I love the fact that they use real silver silverware. I’ve gone through the reviews and found my own experience different than most. I really enjoyed the halibut. The short ribs fell short with me and the customer service just wasn’t there.
Halibut-​4 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. The Halibut was delicious and the accompanying sauce was a delight. This is a very flavorful dish and worth a try.
Short Ribs-2.5 Stars
The short ribs were average at best for me. The meat was very tender but lacking. The salt was overwhelming and pretty much made me regret ordering this dish. Perhaps, the day I was there was just a bad day. but consistency is also a major component of a good eatery.
Hot Dog-​Yum
The little one loved this. I admit, it was pretty darn good.
Customer Service-2.5 Stars
Make reservations! They had our table ready for us with no waiting at all. Basically, there was not much service after that. The restaurant has a great menu and wine selection but the lacking customer service has me regretting the visit. I can cook at home or go elsewhere where I am treated more like a patron. The fact is, I dine out for food and service. Why else do we leave tips for? I talk to my dogs more and see how they like their food.
Overall, AOK for me.