‘Restaurant News’ Category
Next Page »Spanish Wine Tasting Dinner
on Thursday, March 8, 2012And now a trip to sunny Spain!
Spain is the third-largest producer of wine in the world. Winemaking is an essential part of Spanish history, as archaeologists have dated vines as far back as 4000 BC. However, it was not until recently that it became an important part of Spain’s economy and reputation. Since the 1950s, Spain’s economic independence has steadily increased, encouraging the development and exportation of wine. In 1996, restrictions on irrigation were lifted, further opening the industry for innovation and development.
Spain has a rigorous classification structure very similar to France’s. The classifications are (from most … Read the rest »
Spanish Wine Flight
on Tuesday, March 6, 2012Last month, in addition to bringing back wine tasting dinners, we introduced wine flights to our regular routine. The trial run, with Rhone-style wines, proved a success. It gave us a chance to share new wines with both our staff and our customers, and create a fun and educational conversation about those wines.
This month, we are continuing our exploration of traditional and contemporary European wines, but are heading to Spain! Spain is one of the oldest wine-growing countries in the world. Historians believe that varietals have been cultivated there for close to 3,000 years. In the late 19th century, … Read the rest »
Rhone Winetasting Dinner
on Monday, February 6, 2012
Four Courses – Four Wines $50
(and a real good time)
French Rhone wines come predominantly from two areas. The Northern Rhone begins just south of Lyon at Vienne and continues southerly to Valence. The northern tip of the much larger Southern Rhone is located around Montelimar and reaches down to Avignon before it forks westerly to Nimes and easterly to Cavaillon. Between the two is Clairette de Die. Janet and I will be vacationing in the region this spring and are yet to decide on the details of our trip so we decided to begin our adventure with you … Read the rest »
Marriage and the Art of Restaurant Management
on Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Many of you know our story, how we purchased a failing meal assembly business just before the onset of the “great recession”, fumbled our way through various iterations and then began the work of creating a restaurant where there was none, even though our cash had already run out and the economy was as bleak as it’s been since the ‘30s. Boy oh boy was it dicey. Janet and I were like two endurance horses pushing each other to – and sometimes past – our limits. Janet could not have done it without David. And David certainly could not have … Read the rest »
Service v. Hospitality
on Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Janet and I were recently pondering the philosophical underpinnings that distinguish us in the marketplace of Washington County restaurants. We concluded that a big piece of this is the extent to which our focus is on hospitality, and not just service. Service is typically an essential component of hospitality, but the inverse is not necessarily true. Hospitality is an art. Service is more of a science.
Restaurants usually define the realms of their operations as front-of-house (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH). I believe that you would be able to consistently distinguish those restaurants whose focus is on hospitality by looking at … Read the rest »
Mid-Week Wine Flights!
on Wednesday, January 11, 2012Wine tasting returns to Bethany’s Table!
We are now offering Mid-Week Wine Flights Tuesday through Thursday all day. You may select 3 of 4 wines to taste for $14. It’s a fun way to try some new wines!
This month’s theme is “Local Vines” and includes a Bergstrom Riesling, an Elk Cove Pinot Noir, a Cana’s Feast red blend, and a Seven Hills Syrah. These are all from the Willamette, Columbia, or Walla Walla Valley, giving you a chance to sample something from each region.
We hope you’ll join us for this fun, ongoing event!… Read the rest »
Feeling The Love!
on Saturday, November 5, 2011
Willamette Week, Portland’s authority on all things cool, released their 2011 Restaurant Guide last week. In it they named 101 of the best restaurants in Portland, and we’re on the list!
Here you can read the bulk of the review, but more details can be found here on Willamette Week’s site.
Janet O’Connor and David Bowles jokingly refer to their Northwest bistro and wine bar as a “gem in the culinary desert of Washington County.” They’re right. If Bethany’s Table were jammed in along one of the eastside’s restaurant rows, its simple, tasty cuisine would get lost in the shuffle. … Read the rest »
Autumn Has Arrived!
on Monday, October 17, 2011
Though summer clung to Oregon well through September, the leaves are beginning to turn and the air is crisp. Gourds have taken the place of figs as our centerpiece, and pumpkins grace the stoops of neighborhood homes.
Fall has arrived! Season changes are busy times for the kitchen, and even though Janet loves hot weather, she admits that fall is one of her favorite “food times.”Produce deliveries are looking less like strawberries and more like butternut squash, wild huckelberries, and chanterelles.
The butternut squash pannini is back!
Comfort foods are back! The panini grill has come down off its lonely … Read the rest »
What’s in Season: Quince
on Saturday, October 15, 2011It’s ancient, oddly-shaped, and vibrant. It’s shockingly tannic- biting into one immediately sucks all the moisture from your mouth. Quince is widely believed to be more ancient than the apple, and many have speculated that Eve’s forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was not an apple, but a quince. In Greek mythology as well, Aphrodite’s “golden apple” is thought to be a quince, crowning it the “fruit of love.”
Most commonly, quince is used in marmalades or jellies. It contains a lot of natural pectin, which encourages a jam-like consistency, plus the addition of sugar brings out the flavor … Read the rest »
Ken Wright Wines Added To Our Fantastic Wine un-List!
on Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Ken Wright has been making wine in Oregon for twenty-six years. Over this period of time, the Wrights have established a reputation for creating exceptionally beautiful Pinot Noirs. They have mastered the art and science of winemaking, and as a result their fan base is vast and well-informed.
We are thrilled to be offering the following four of Ken’s wines on our wine list, all of which scored over 90 in Wine Spectator:
Abbott Claim Vineyard 2007 Pinot Noir: This vineyard is in the Carlton-Yamhill AVA. Here soils are high in sand and therefore offer the excellent drainage necessary for pinot … Read the rest »
