Park Kitchen sits unobtrusively in the middle of a block in the North Park Blocks in Portland, near the corner of NW Glisan and 8th. It has been an incubator for great Portland chefs since 2003 when it was one of the pioneers of the farm to table movement.
The tradition continues with Chef David Sapp at the helm of the kitchen, bringing Southern nuances to the flavors, as owner Scott Dolich continues innovations such as the tip-free One House service.
But let’s talk the expanded 14-dish Happy Hour menu, available every day from 5 pm until 6 pm. Yes, that means weekends as well as weeknights. The menu includes some of the favorites from the dinner menu at a steal of a deal, especially when you factor in the gratuity-free pricing.
If you’re eating gluten-free, 10 of the 14 happy hour offerings are gluten-free. Meanwhile there is Ken’s Artisan bread with Bee Local honey for those of us who still do gluten.
Who wouldn’t want to stop in for one of the city’s best steak salads and a side of chickpea fries with a glass of wine or one of their excellent beer selections? Or the beets with lamb pastrami and a side of the best pimento arancini you’ve ever had. Or the pork terrine slider at the low price of $5, perfect to steel you for the commute home.
I also appreciate the cozy atmosphere at Park Kitchen. You can enjoy the long bar as a solo diner or for two, with table seating also available. The dining room seats 40 and there is a patio for 20 and a private dining room. You can hear your fellow diners, a feature that is getting more and more rare in Portland.
Of course, the drinks are also stellar. The happy hour pricing is appreciated. I was happy to see their IPA choice was Good Life Descender, one of my favorites.
HAPPY HOUR DRINKS
Rotating Tap Beer 5
Call Me Old Fashioned 6
Gimlet 6
Park Martini 6
Champagne Cocktail 6
House Red, White, Rose, or Sparkling 6
Whether you work downtown or you find yourself traveling through any day of the week, stop by and sample this excellent menu.
HAPPY HOUR SNACKS
Grilled pork terrine slider, secret sauce 5
Jimmy Nardello peppers, peanuts, scallions 4
Pimento arancini, green tomato chow chow 3ea
Salmon & beet tartare, beet chicharron, kombu 6
Ken’s bread, our crackers, ricotta, Bee Local honey 5
HAPPY HOUR SMALL PLATES
Salt cod fritters, agedashi style 11
Chickpea fries with roasted squash ketchup 7
Charred Brussels, fried wild rice, soft egg, young ginger 9
Bob Richard’s biscuits, shave country ham, sorghum butter 9
Lonesome Whistle barley,smoked beets, pomegranate, chevre 10
Boquerones, castelvetrano olive, potato chips, salsa verde aioli 11
Kiyokawa pear salad, curried lentils, yogurt, pistachio, papadam 11
Heirloom squash soup, savory marshmallow, pickled mustard seed 13
Sheldon’s beets, lamb pastrami, pumpernickel, celery, sour cream 11
Carman Ranch flank steak, blue cheese, parsley, sherried onions 13
The One House concept means that the person bringing you the plate may be the chef. By going gratuity-free and pricing accordingly, Scott Dolich is able to give his staff full-time hours, a decent wage and benefits. You can feel good about how the people preparing and serving your food are treated while enjoying some of Portland’s best cuisine. We’ve been able to feel great about how the produce, meat, and seafood has been sustainable raised and humanely harvested. Now we can be assured the restaurant staff are also sustainably employed.
