My original idea for tentop was not to create a thematic supper club. I knew when I took the kitchen manager job at KitchenCru that i would need a creative outlet, a venue where I could experiment with food and write about it. I also thought I might be able to create a place for buddies of mine to cook; sous chefs or line cooks. Talented people who wanted to cook their own food, but worked under another Chef, so couldn’t. Not another venue to give the reach around to the usual suspects of the Portland food scene, but a place for the talented up and comers who make those Chefs’ celebrity possible. As noble as that all sounds, I also saw it as a chance to continue learning new techniques and biting ideas, the foundation of my culinary prowess. And the obvious benefit of doing half the work and receiving the same amount of glory was not unappealing, truth be told.
So, proud to say; our latest dinner showcased talented Chef Mark Dunleavy of Tabla on NE 28th. I met Mark at Ten-01, and I’ve written about him before on this blog. He picked a menu direction that turned out to be a hard sell: offal. I was a bit disappointed and surprised by this in Portland, with everyone preaching the whole “nose to tail” eating and all that farm to table shit. I figured people would be tripping over themselves to eat this stuff, but we didn’t fill the seats until the last minute. Chef Dunleavy created a menu both interesting and accessible, for the veterans of organ meats and noobs alike. The guests who attended were blown away, we had one couple tell us they wanted to buy a season pass to tentop; and they were visiting from DC.
After posting the pictures from this dinner on facebook, I’ve been inundated with requests from cook buddies in Portland who want to get in here and do a dinner with tentop; and I couldn’t be happier. Upcoming dinners will include themes like “Fusion,” because love it or hate it, it’s where innovation in food comes from. Also “Molecular,” because I know a talented Chef who can teach me some cool shit. And what about straight up Mexican? Everybody loves that shit, and I’ve got a guy for that. So stay tuned faithful readers, if there is still any of you out there. Here’s Mark’s menu, I handled the dessert, of course. I’ll be bugging him to hook me up with some recipes to post.
Offal Good
Chef Mark Dunleavy
foie gras mousse
“ants on a log”
pig heart rueben
house made rye, heart pastrami
confit lamb tongue
beets, watercress, horseradish
raviolo
pig’s head, marinated mushrooms, pickled mustard seeds
veal kidneys
deviled with potatoes, grilled hanger steak and parsley sauce
sweetbreads
in the style of pastilla with carrot ice cream
“squeal”
“pig tail,” blood caramel, milk chocolate mousse
My fav part about the menu is that you used the proper singular form “raviolo.” I hate the over-misused plural form of this treat
Love you guys and hate I missed it!
shouldn’t have any trouble selling seats now that people realize it’s just two studs cooking, getting drunk and getting loose.
@mark - that’s an excellent point, Chef. I should probably post the ’shirts off’ pictures to really bring in the crowds.
@Jessica Lemons - we hate improper grammar at tentop, too. Except of course when we need to exercise a little cheek. We just get cheeky sometimes.