When you're in Portland, eat at Willow

If you live here and haven't eaten at Willow, what are you waiting for?  Make a reservation now, and enjoy one of Portland's smallest and finest restaurants.  If you're visiting or planning to visit the area, be sure to set aside a few hours one evening for a meal there.

Chefs and owners Doug Weiler, who mostly stays in the kitchen cooking, and John Pickett, who emcees your meal, do everything at Willow.  They hustle every second you're there--and most certainly for hours beforehand.  They create and cook the food, clean the dishes, serve the food and drinks, and literally do everything else. 

The experience is intimate and interesting, but most importantly, the food is delicious.  Earlier tonight, a group of five us from PT enjoyed dinner at Willow, and every dish wowed us.  Every single bite I had was a treat--and one of the dishes featured squash, an ingredient I generally dislike.

I hope to eat many more dinners at Willow, so I encourage everyone here or visiting here to support Doug and John.  Eat at Willow, and when John greets you as you come up the stairs, tell him I sent you. 

Willow continues to excel

The dinners in Portland this time have been nothing short of spectacular.  That trend continued tonight with my meal at what has rapidly become another area favorite, Willow.  Chefs John Pickett and Doug Weiler were in tremendous form tonight, turning out one exceptional dish after another as part of their six-course tasting menu.

Due to the hour, I'm keeping this short, so by way of proof of how great this meal was, let me make a statement I am surprised to ever say:  their "eggplant parmesan" dish was superb.  Understand that I normally dislike eggplant and really dislike this particular dish, and you will see what high praise this is.

Of course, their playful take on this dish had little to do with the classic.  Instead of a flattened piece of eggplant smothered in red sauce, their version used a block of Italian eggplant and some cheese and a very light amount of sauce that had us all trying to lick the bowls clean.

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The green block of eggplant sitting under the snowfall of cheese was the best eggplant I've ever tasted.

I must sound like a broken record by now, but as I've said about other restaurants this trip:  do not miss Willow.

Wonderful Willow wows

Sorry about that headline, but I couldn't resist the temptation, because it's true.  Willow, a small (11-seat) Portland restaurant, wowed me again tonight with its delicious, thoughtful, and playful food.  Though only four of us sat at the counter tonight, this place deserves to be sold out every day and have waiting lists; it really is that good.

It's late, and I'm tired, so I'm going to cut this short by summarizing the quality of the dishes in the following way.  I strongly dislike beets, squash, and Brussels sprouts, with my dislike increasing as you read from left to right in that list.  Three of tonight's six courses at Willow, all in a row, featured first beets, then squash, and finally Brussels sprouts.  I absolutely loved them all, and my favorite of the trio was the Brussels sprouts dish.

Yes, the Willow chefs created a Brussels sprouts dish that I adored.

Yes, these guys are that good.  Check 'em out.

Willow joins Portland's restaurant elite

I visit here about four times a year, so it's a bit cheeky of me to declare a restaurant one of the city's elite, much less to do so after only a single visit to the place.

I don't care.  I'm doing it anyway.  Willow deserves the praise.

Tonight's menu featured six courses.

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I also opted for the four non-alcoholic drink pairings.

Willow's dining room is a single L-shaped counter; tonight, seven of us ate at chairs spaced around it.

Three people do all the work, from preparing the food, to serving it, to washing the dishes.  Two are owners, and one is the sous chef.  They hustled the whole time we were there, but they were always on top of their game.  Everything I tasted was inventive, attractive, and, most importantly, delicious.  I didn't encounter a single misstep.  The meal was top-drawer.

One dish, the mushroom tart, stood out as absolutely perfect, a true world-class preparation.

I could go on and on, but it's late, and I'm tired, so let me just say that Willow has joined Le Pigeon on my must-eat list anytime I'm in Portland.

If you possibly can, check it out.