Simpatica Catering and Dining Hall

Well, we're in the final stretch before Thanksgiving... one more week to plan what is for most people the biggest feast of the year. The phone at Viande has been steadily ringing; the turkeys are being claimed and people are placing their orders for hams, roasts, chicken stock, etc. It's pretty exciting, as it really kicks off the Holiday season for us. Thanksgiving is really just a warm up for Christmas, which is (for everyone in retail) totally insane. But it is WAY too early to even mention Christmas - sorry.

Just another reminder, we are preparing a variety of fantastic accoutrements for Thanksgiving over at Simpatica this year. The deadline for ordering is this Friday, so be sure to get your orders in soon. The menu is at the bottom of the email if you need to peruse it one more time.

While we're talking deadlines, I just want to mention holiday parties at Simpatica one last time. If you are thinking of having a company party or just want to throw a sweet holiday party for friends and family, there are a few dates still available. We had a cancellation today which reopens Saturday, December 20th. In fact that whole week starting December 14th and continuing through the 20th is fairly open. Otherwise, we are fairly well booked. It never hurts to check, though if you are looking for something outside that window. Also, the 8th and 9th of December are still pretty light. Just something for some of you to think about.

Okay, let's see... we will be having dinners the weekend following Thanksgiving, so if you are having family in from out of town, this would be a good opportunity to show them one of the things that makes Portland special (Simpatica Dining Hall). We'll probably do something fairly simple for the Friday dinner (Burger and Fries night?), and something a little less simple for the Saturday dinner. Anyways, just keep us in mind.

As for this weekend, we've got two menus lined up. Friday is straight up comfort food. Pot Roast, anyone? I'll tell you, when it's cold and rainy out there's not much better than a nice Pot Roast. MM-MMM. And on Saturday, something a bit more fancy, but equally delicious. Check it out:

Friday, November 21st

Louisiana-Style Crawfish Pies

Radicchio Salad with Apples, Dried Cherries, Candied Nuts and Blue Cheese

Fork Tender Pot Roast with Shallots, Root Vegetables and Potatoes

Classic Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting and Vanilla Frosting

Price is $30 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 PM. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

Saturday, November 22nd

Pancetta-Wrapped Prawns with Baby Fennel and Aioli

Roast Beets with Preserved Meyer Lemon, Mizuna and Herbed Goat's Cheese

Italian Sausage and Prune Stuffed Pork Loin with Braised Savoy Cabbage

Apple and Quince Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream

Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Now, let's talk Turkey. This year we will be selling all natural, local fresh Northwest Heritage Turkeys. These are the same farmers who were producing Turkeys for Draper Valley farms, which is where we currently get our chickens. They are raised in Washington and are a really nice product - hormone free, antibiotic free, free range. They will be available for pickup the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving. We will have all sizes, from 8lbs to 20lbs and up, and the price will be $3.50 per lb. To reserve one, give us a call at Viande at (503)221-3012. We are open every day from 9:30am to 7pm. We can also get any sort of other special thing you might want for Thanksgivingtoo like roasts, game birds, etc. You might even want to reserve some things like chicken stock, bacon, sausageor anything else you think you might need from us that week. That way you can just swing in and we'll have everything ready for you. Just something to think about.

Or maybe you love Thanksgiving but don't want to cook at all? Or maybe you've got family coming over and don't want the hassle of preparing food for that many people, or maybe you found out you have friends coming over, but don't actually like them enough to go through the trouble of cooking? Maybe you just want something especially awesome this year? Simpatica will be preparing Thanksgiving food, ready for pickup the day before Thanksgiving and ready to just reheat and serve.

Ok, here's the Thanksgiving Prepared Food Menu. Basically how it works is like this: it is priced per person, you select which entrees or sides you want and how many portions you want, then we prepare it all, put it right into oven-safe containers, and all you need to do is reheat it following the provided directions. The meal will be ready for pickup from Simpatica any time on Wednesday the 26th. We will also deliver it anywhere in the Portland Metropolitan area for a fee of $25. Reservations for the food must be made by Friday, November 21st and secured with a credit card. There is a 4 person minimum order.

Roasted NW Heritage Turkey $5

Stuffed Roasted Carlton Farms Pork Loin $5

Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes $3

Cornbread and Andouille Stuffing $4

Cranberry Relish $2

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta $4

and Sage Cream

Yeast Rolls$1

Viridian Farms' Squash and Brie Gratin $4

Braised Greens with Ham Hock $4

Cippollini Onions

Poultry Gravy $5/Pint

$9/Quart

Mel's Famous Apple Pie$18 each

Mel's Famous Pumpkin Pie $18 each

The Works: Turkey or Pork, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberry Relish, Brussels Sprouts, Rolls, Gratin, Greens and Gravy: $25 per person

To make an order, please call the Dining Hall at (503)235-1600 or email inquiries@simpaticacatering.com by Friday, November 21st. If necessary, please inquire regarding vegetarian options.

Have a great weekend, everyone. You'll hear from me next Tuesday, right before the Feast. Take care, all.

Hey there! Well, it is certainly Autumn outside. Cold, windy and rainy. I have to admit, there's a certain part of me that really cherishes this time of year. I guess that's the part of me that has become an Oregonian. Funny, huh? Growing up in Hawaii, I never thought I would feel so strongly about the cold and rainy weather (in a positive fashion), but it has really become a part of me. If you've been following these emails for any length of time (over a year), then you've heard my spiel about the changing of the seasons and what that means as a cook, and how much I've come to appreciate and value that change. I'll expound on it, I'm sure, at a later date. Something to look forward to, eh?

I don't have a whole lot of news this week, just a continuation of the same stuff I mentioned last week:Turkeys and our Simpatica Thanksgiving To-Go menu. What IS new are the menus for the week. Two more ultra-fine offerings from our boy Scott Ketterman. I love that guy. Definitely check them out.

First the menus, then read ahead for the info. Thanks, all.

Friday, November 14th

Savory Galeaux d’Eysienes Squash and Leek Soup

Forest Mushroom Tart with Manchego, Roasted Cipollini Onions and Frisée Salad

Moulard Duck Breast with Tender Young Turnips and Smoked Consommé

Dessert by Mel Pincolini

Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 PM. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

Saturday, November 15th

Cider Glazed Quail Stuffed with Quince, Apple and Chestnut

Gathering Together Farms' Greens, Shaved Radish, Bleu Cheese and Herb Vinaigrette

Braised Short Ribs with Parsnips, Carrots and Späetzle

Poached Pear Tart with Whipped Crème Fraiche

Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Now, let's talk Turkey. This year we will be selling all natural, local fresh Northwest Heritage Turkeys. These are the same farmers who were producing Turkeys for Draper Valley farms, which is where we currently get our chickens. They are raised in Washington and are a really nice product - hormone free, antibiotic free, free range. They will be available for pickup the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving. We will have all sizes, from 8lbs to 20lbs and up, and the price will be $3.50 per lb. To reserve one, give us a call at Viande at (503)221-3012. We are open every day from 9:30am to 7pm. We can also get any sort of other special thing you might want for Thanksgivingtoo like roasts, game birds, etc. You might even want to reserve some things like chicken stock, bacon, sausageor anything else you think you might need from us that week. That way you can just swing in and we'll have everything ready for you. Just something to think about.

Or maybe you love Thanksgiving but don't want to cook at all? Or maybe you've got family coming over and don't want the hassle of preparing food for that many people, or maybe you found out you have friends coming over, but don't actually like them enough to go through the trouble of cooking? Maybe you just want something especially awesome this year? Simpatica will be preparing Thanksgiving food, ready for pickup the day before Thanksgiving and ready to just reheat and serve.

Ok, here's the Thanksgiving Prepared Food Menu. Basically how it works is like this: it is priced per person, you select which entrees or sides you want and how many portions you want, then we prepare it all, put it right into oven-safe containers, and all you need to do is reheat it following the provided directions. The meal will be ready for pickup from Simpatica any time on Wednesday the 26th. We will also deliver it anywhere in the Portland Metropolitan area for a fee of $25. Reservations for the food must be made by Friday, November 21st and secured with a credit card. There is a 4 person minimum order.

Roasted NW Heritage Turkey $5

Stuffed Roasted Carlton Farms Pork Loin $5

Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes $3

Cornbread and Andouille Stuffing $4

Cranberry Relish $2

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta $4

and Sage Cream

Yeast Rolls$1

Viridian Farms' Squash and Brie Gratin $4

Braised Greens with Ham Hock $4

Cippollini Onions

Poultry Gravy $5/Pint

$9/Quart

Mel's Famous Apple Pie$18 each

Mel's Famous Pumpkin Pie $18 each

The Works: Turkey or Pork, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberry Relish, Brussels Sprouts, Rolls, Gratin, Greens and Gravy: $25 per person

To make an order, please call the Dining Hall at (503)235-1600 or email inquiries@simpaticacatering.com by Friday, November 21st. If necessary, please inquire regarding vegetarian options.

C'est bien? Take care, friends, talk soon.

-Benjamin Dyer

It is Super Tuesday today, which is sooo exciting. No matter which candidate you are voting for today, be it John McCain or Barack Obama, I think we can all agree that no matter who wins, George Bush is finally out. Hallelujah! I wish this country the best of luck, and I send all my prayers to our new president; they will be inheriting a super-sized mess. Yeesh! I might send this email out tomorrow, so it doesn't get lost in all of the post-election night email flurry. While the election is very important, February is still months away, and we can't forget the next few months. And Simpatica.

Quick note:I wanted to wish us a happy anniversary. On November 1st, 2003, we took ownership of Viande Meats & Sausage. The following summer we started Simpatica, and here we all are today! So happy 5th anniversary to us! Nice.

I've got a lot of business to go over with you this week. I'll be spending quite a bit of time talking about Thanksgiving with you, and some of the things we'll be offering this year. As usual, we'll have Turkeys, but we'll also be offering something new this year: prepared holiday dinners. If this is something even remotely interesting to you, read to the bottom of this email where I'll really go into some depth into what I'm talking about. And let's not forget this week's dinners, too.

First off, I would like to send a heartfelt congratulations to Rachel Hightower, one of our catering coordinators. Rachel has taken a job with the Jupiter Hotel / Doug Fir as their new Event Coordinator. Rachel has been with us for a few years now, and we wish her the best of luck in her new venture.

Now, let's talk Turkey. This year we will be selling all natural, local fresh Northwest Heritage Turkeys. These are the same farmers who were producing Turkeys for Draper Valley farms, which is where we currently get our chickens. They are raised in Washington and are a really nice product - hormone free, antibiotic free, free range. They will be available for pickup the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving. We will have all sizes, from 8lbs to 20lbs and up, and the price will be $3.50 per lb. To reserve one, give us a call at Viande at (503)221-3012. We are open every day from 9:30am to 7pm. We can also get any sort of other special thing you might want for Thanksgiving, too like roasts, game birds, etc. You might even want to reserve some things like chicken stock, bacon, sausageor anything else you think you might need from us that week. That way you can just swing in and we'll have everything ready for you. Just something to think about.

Or maybe you love Thanksgiving but don't want to cook at all? Or maybe you've got family coming over and don't want the hassle of preparing food for that many people, or maybe you found out you have friends coming over, but don't actually like them enough to go through the trouble of cooking? Maybe you just want something especially awesome this year? Simpatica will be preparing Thanksgiving food, ready for pickup the day before Thanksgiving and ready to just reheat and serve. Check out the menu at the bottom of this email for more information.

Okay... two really nice looking menus for this week. Remember, you may have something to celebrate after today. Or, you may just want to drown that misery in some delicious food and copious amounts of wine. Either, way, we'd love to see you.

Friday, November 7th

Fresh Porcini Mushroom, Fennel and Arugula Salad

Handmade Pappardelle with Rabbit Sugo

Herbed Roast Leg of Lamb with Braised Cavolo Nero and Natural Jus

DESSERT (TBA)

Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

Saturday, November 8th

Seared Diver Scallops on a Squash and Apple Puree with Lentil Demi-Glace

Butter Lettuce with Gruyere Cheese, Rye Croutons and Dijon Vinaigrette

Mesquite-Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Sweet Potato and Chestnut Griddle Cakes and Brown Butter Savoy Cabbage

Warm Chocolate-Hazelnut Torte with Roasted Pear Gelato

Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Ok, here's the Thanksgiving Prepared Food Menu. Basically how it works is like this: it is priced per person, you select which entrees or sides you want and how many portions you want, then we prepare it all, put it right into oven-safe containers, and all you need to do is reheat it following the provided directions. The meal will be ready for pickup from Simpatica any time on Wednesday the 26th. We will also deliver it anywhere in the Portland Metropolitan area for a fee of $25. Reservations for the food must be made by Friday, November 21st and secured with a credit card. There is a 4 person minimum order.

Roasted NW Heritage Turkey $5

Stuffed Roasted Carlton Farms Pork Loin $5

Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes $3

Cornbread and Andouille Stuffing $4

Cranberry Relish $2

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta $4

and Sage Cream

Yeast Rolls$1

Viridian Farms' Squash and Brie Gratin $4

Braised Greens with Ham Hock $4

Cippollini Onions

Poultry Gravy $5/Pint

$9/Quart

Mel's Famous Apple Pie$18 each

Mel's Famous Pumpkin Pie $18 each

The Works: Turkey or Pork, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Cranberry Relish, Brussels Sprouts, Rolls, Gratin, Greens and Gravy: $25 per person

To make an order, please call the Dining Hall at (503)235-1600 or email inquiries@simpaticacatering.com by Friday, November 21st. If necessary, please inquire regarding vegetarian options.

That should do it. Good luck to everyone today. It's a very exciting time in our country, and I look forward to a new administration. Have a good day, everyone.

Boo! Halloween's just a few short days away (by short I mean that it is dark soooo late in the morning and gets dark again soooo early. And just think! As of Sunday it will get dark even earlier! Yippee! Can you tell how excited I am? Awesome. Sorry if I'm a bit acerbic, I just got back from taking my kids to not one, but two successive pizza parties, one for Bjorn's soccer team and the other a 6-year old's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. I'm a little spun.

Pay attention to next week's email, I'll be discussing Thanksgiving in depth, talking Turkey, some foodstuffs we'll be preparing this year, and how to get your hands on some of it. Important stuff.

For this week, we've got TWO, yes two, dinners available in the dining hall. It's been a long time coming, but here we are. I'm not going to waste too much time, I'm just going to get right into the menus. Have a great Halloween, everyone, I hope you all stay safe and I hope you kids out there get enough candy to fill a wheelbarrow.

Here's the menus for this week:

Friday, October 31st

Chicken Liver and Sage Crostini with Frisee, Lemon and Green Olives

Risotto Con Funghi with Forest Mushrooms and Pecorino Romano

Roast Chicken "Porchetta" with Red Wine-Braised Chicories

Chocolate Upside Down Pear Cake with Mascarpone Mousse

Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

Saturday, November 1st

Tomato, Fennel and Viridian Farms' White Bean Soup

Gathering Together Farms' Fall Lettuces with Celery Root, Prosciutto and Black Truffle Vinaigrette

Wood-Grilled Pork Loin with Provencal Squash Gratin

Pippen Apple and Puff Pastry Tart with Walnut Ice Cream

Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Have a great weekend, everyone. Don't forget to turn your clocks back on Saturday night if you live in an area with Daylight Savings time. Until next week, take care.

-Benjamin Dyer

Hi! Another week down, it's hard to believe the holidays are creeping up already. My kids have been all-aflutter over their Halloween costumes. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, what does it mean that my 6-year old boy wants to be a zombie- chef for Halloween? Should I be flattered, or just weirded out? I'm going with flattered. And my 8-year old daughter is staying the course, as usual... if you dress as an angel, and you have a wand and wings, does that make you really all that different from a fairy, or a princess, or a fairy princess? And I know that the American Dental Association CLAIMS to be against all that sugar and hard candy, but don't you think there's a few dentists out there who see Halloween as the opportunity to finally get that new Beemer or plunk down the down payment on that sweet tropical getaway bungalow? I'm just musing aloud here, pay me no mind.

Down to business. As some of you may have noticed, we've been a little light on dining hall dinners. The reason for this is that people have been renting out the dining hall fairly often recently. While we do try to discourage this (we really enjoy doing our dinners), some people are very persuasive (see: dollar bills). To make up for it, we will be hosting an extra special bonus dinner this week, as we are wont to do when these situations arise. Be sure to check out Thursday night's menu... also be sure to check out how inexpensive it is. Then, be sure to make reservations. It's that easy. It should come as no surprise thenthat Friday we will not be doing a dinner due to a private party in the dining hall, but we will be back on Saturday with another fine menu (see: Mesquite-Grilled Ribeyes - Yum).

Real quickly before I detail this week's menus, I wanted to give a shout out to my good friends at Nicky USA who hosted the 2008 Wild About Game event. They were gracious enough to invite me to do a demo, and treated me quite nicely. Thank you all very much. Also, congratulations to my old friend John Gorham who took first prize in the Game Cook-Off competition.

Oh! One more thing. The holidays are fast approaching and we are quickly scheduling special events and holiday parties. If you are interested in having us cater an event for you or hosting a private dinner in the Dining Hall, give us a call soon at (503)235-1600 or email inquiries@simpaticacatering.com.

Ok, here's the menus for the week:

Thursday, October 23rd

Potato Leek Soup with Creme Fraiche and Chives

Roast Chicken and Collard Greens with Housemade Bacon

Warm Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Price is $25 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

Saturday, October 25th

Caramelized Cauliflower Soup

Treviso Salad with Roasted Pears and Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette

Mesquite-Grilled Piedmontese Beef Ribeye with Potatoes Robuchon and Red Wine Sauce

Chocolate Pots de Creme with Anise Shortbread Cookies

Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Take care, everyone. I look forward to talking to you all again next week. Much love.

-Benjamin Dyer

Good evening, folks. I hope this missive finds all of you well. It was a nice sunny day today, wasn't it? Too bad it's supposed to drop into freezing temps tonight. But as my wife Megan was kind enough to point out, "At least the trees are going to turn pretty colors." True enough, thanks for the dose of optimism. I'll try not to distract all of you from thoughts of pretty leaves and figuring out what to wear for Halloween, so I'll keep this email short.

We only have one dinner this weekend, on Saturday. But, we've tried to come up with something extra special for all of you who get into this week's dinner. The folks in the kitchen were thinking Alsatian, which is perfect for this time of year. We've got a bunch of goodies in the works for the dinner, including our housemade sauerkraut, some Boudin Blanc and some smoked pork sausages. Actually, this menu could either be a celebration of Alsatian cuisine, or it could just be a celebration of the miracle animal know as Pig. Pig really is the magical fruit... check out the menu and you'll see what I mean.

Saturday, October 18th

Warm Housemade Pretzels with Emmenthal Fondue and Spicy Mustard

Heirloom Beets and Endive with Hard Boiled Egg, Pickled Onions and Parsley

Alsation Choucroute Garnie with Viande Meats' Boudin Blanc, Smoked Pork Sausage, Braised Pork Belly, Smoked Pork Shoulder, Housemade Sauerkraut and Potatoes

Apple Strudel with Creme Anglaise

Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Man, that menu is nice. If I wasn't spending the weekend at the Wild About Game event, I would be there. Maybe I'll see some of you up at the Inn at The Mountain, though. If so, I look forward to seeing you there. Have a great week, I'll have more for you next week. Much love.

-Benjamin Dyer

Howdy. First off, I want to thank all of you so much for the outpouring of support for our new project that I was talking about inlast week's email. I really appreciate the good wishes and extensions of assistance. As I said last week, we would be nowhere without all of you who have supported us for the past five years, and look we look forward to embarking upon the next stage of our business with all of youalongside us. As promised, I will divulge more info as time goes on. I'll havemore for you ina month or two.

Well, it looks like we've got some fans of Spanish food in our community; the dinner we're doing on this coming Saturday with Viridian Farms was met with resounding enthusiasm. We are currently full, with a small waiting list. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, call or email us. Things happen, a few spots usually open up, but I can't make any guarantees. All I can say is, if you haven't yet made reservations, good luck to you. Apparently we'll have to do this thing again sometime. Here's the full menu for Saturday:

Saturday, October 11th
Basque Dinner with Viridian Farms

Pintxo Duo of Piquillo Pepper Stuffed with Oxtail

and

Savory Dungeness Crab Crepe

Alubias de Tolosa (Basque Beans) with House-Cured Chorizo and Piparras

Simple Greens with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Pacific Cod a la Vizcaina with Braised Fennel and Potatoes

Cream-Filled Almond Pastel Vasco with Apple Compota

Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Thanks again, everyone. I hope you have a great week. I'm pretty excited to be going to the first Blazers' pre-season game tonight. I'll finally be able to see some of these new guys in action (Great Oden's Raven!)

-Benjamin Dyer

Last week, I promised I would have more to talk about in the next email. Well, I wasn't lying. I've got some very exciting news to share, and I wanted to let you folks hear it from me first.

As of tonight at midnight, Jason, Dave and I will be the proud owners of a building on East Burnside. It's definitely a diamond in the rough, emphasis on the rough, but we're hoping to turn it into something beautiful. We're thinking restaurant. And butcher shop. We're thinking restaurant with a butcher shop inside of it. How does that tickle your fancy? I'm tickled pink. But before you go running for the reservation line, take a deep breath... it's not going to be open for a while. Spring-ish. But I wanted to let you folks know what's up. Right now that's all we're comfortable divulging, so no emails or phone calls asking for more details (you won't get any). And for those of you who do know more, please keep that privileged info to yourselves, we would appreciate it. No leaks, please. We'll let all of you know more as we're ready to let loose. Oh, and to answer a few more questions, Simpatica will stay exactly the same. We will continue doing our weekly dinners, Sunday Brunch isn't going anywhere (what, start a riot? No way). We'll just be adding on another phase of our business. It's all part of our plan for total global domination, one small step at a time.

Thanks for all of the support, everyone, you continually to make me feel abashedly grateful for the love and continued affection. We couldn't do any of it without you, and we hope the next part of our expansion will be providing you with something you need (like Simpatica every day).

But as easy as it is to get sucked into the excitement of tomorrow, let's not lose sight of the today. We've got two really nice menus this week (Cassoulet, anyone?), I think you'll really like both of them. Also, I want to give a little teaser about a special dinner next week.

Viridian Farms is a name that should be familiar to those of you who actually read our weekly menus. Or go to the farmer's market. Or eat at any of the finer restaurants in town. Manuel and Leslie are two of our favorite folks for two reasons. First, they are just really nice people, always a pleasure to do business with, armed with ready smiles and conucopiae that overfloweth. Second, they grow some of the most fantastic produce around, and that's saying a lot. They grow a variety of regional Spanish peppers and beans, many of which are from the Basque region of Spain, so we thought, Basque Dinner? On Saturday, October 11th, we will be doing a dinner featuring their fineries and the culinary talents of our man-in-much-demand, Scott Ketterman. I don't have a final menu, but here's a few highlights/ideas: Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Braised Oxtail, Alubias de Tolosa with House-Cured Chorizo and Piparras and Cream-Filled Almond Pastel Vascos with Apple Compota. How's that sound? To make reservations today, call the Dining Hall at (503)235-1600 or email rsvp@simpaticacatering .com.

Here's the menus for this weekend:

Friday,October 3rd

Viande's Venison Pate with Chanterelle and Baby Carrot Pickles

Frisee, Heirloom Apple, Red Potato and Soft-Boiled Egg with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Cassoulet with Duck Confit, Toulouse Sausage and Viridian Farms' Fresh Tarbais Beans

Chocolate-Hazelnut Gateau with Vanilla Ice Cream

Price is $40 per person plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

Saturday, October 4th

Tomato Confit with Camembert Gallettes

Olive Oil-Poached Shrimp with Housemade Guanciale, Late Corn, Chanterelle Mushrooms and Polenta

Milk Braised Carlton Farms Pork Shoulder and Red Russian Kale with Lemon and Piment d'Espillette

Oven-Roasted Figs with Honey Ice Cream

Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

That's the short of it. I promise that as the project progresses I'll share more of the facts with you. Talk to you next week, have a great weekend. Much love.

-Benjamin Dyer

Hey all. Kind of a hectic week around here at the ol' Simpatica Dining Hall. There's been a flurry of activity which seems to be pushing us all into a bunch of different directions, so I apologize if this week's email seems a bit scattered. I'm going to try to keep itbrief; next week I'll definitely have more to talk about, I promise.

Before I dive into the menus for this week, I wanted to mention that I'll be down at the PSU Farmer's Market this Saturday doing a cooking demo. I haven't nailed down what I'm doing just yet, but I'm working on it... either way, however, it would be great to see you folks down there. There's a ton of great produce still working it's way to the markets, and because of the late summer, we're still seeing produce that should have pooped out a few weeks ago.

For this weekend, two really nice menus. On Friday, Scott Ketterman wanted to squeeze one last batch of Paella in before the summer ends. Good stuff. And for Saturday, our man Nick has crafted another one of his fine menus, featuring some of those awesome piquillo peppers from Viridian Farms (love those things!).

Friday,September 26th

Basque Style Porrusalda - Savory Squash, Potato and Leek Soup

Butter Lettuce Salad with Creamy Tarragon Vinaigrette, Shaved Ham and Ossau-Iraty Cheese

Wood Fired Paella Valenciana with Rabbit, Chicken, Viridian Farms' Garrafon Shell Beans, Red Peppers and Saffron

Glazed Gravenstein Apple Tart with Caramel Ice Cream

Price is $40 per person plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

Saturday,September 27th

Goat Cheese-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers with Beets and Mizuna

Rock Shrimp Risotto with Corn and Basil

Roast Pork with Summer Beans and Tomatoes

Lemon Pudding Cake with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream and Mint

Price is $30 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Okay, gotta go. I look forward to having more to chat about next week. Take care, everyone.

-Benjamin Dyer

Hello to all of my good friends. And my bad ones, too. Hello everyone! I hope this email finds all of you well (even you bad friends...).

It's been a time of transition, recently, that seems to have affected the city in general. The kids are back in school, which always seems to have a huge impact: everyone is getting back into their school routines. The city has seemed odd recently, like a ghost town. I think everyone goes through a period of catharsis, hunkering down for a few weeks while they adjust. Or maybe it's just the back-to-school colds all the kids come home with that's just forced everyone to take to their beds. I know I've got one... thanks kids! Well, I'm ready to come back out in full force, spreading my butterfly wings for all to see. (What the heck am I talking about? Must be the congestion has put too much pressure on my brain, lowering my intellectual capacity to just above nil...)

Back to business. I wanted to mention some brunch notes. The boys wanted me to let you know that they've just finished their annual batch of Italian Plum Syrup, which will be gracing our famous Belgian Waffles (you can see a picture of them on our website...), and that you need to come and get some of this late summer deliciousness. 'Nuf said.

Two dinners this weekend, with some great looking menus. Scott Ketterman has put together another one of his top notch menus this week, bringing back a crowd favorite - Marmitako (Basque Fisherman's Stew). If you haven't had Scott's cooking yet, you owe it to yourself to come down and get some. And on Saturday, our old friend Nick Wood will be sharing some of his talents with all of us. The menu speaks for itself, so I'm just gonna shut the heck up. Here's the goods:

Friday,September 19th

Seared Scallop, Fresh Viridian Farms Pocha Beans and Mixed Peppers

Leafy Greens, Your Kitchen Garden Heirloom Tomatoes and Cracked Green Olive Vinaigrette

Marmitako - Basque Seafood Stew with Oregon Albacore, Sauvie Island Organics New Potatoes and Choricero Chilies

Italian Plum Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream

Price is $35 per person plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

Saturday,September 20th

Fried Chicken Livers on Toast with Pepper Jam and Arugula

Summer Melon with Country Ham and Mint

BC Clams with Viridian Farms Pocha Beans, Housemade Andouille Sausage, Your Kitchen Garden Tomatoes and Fennel

Sweet Grits with Bourbon Roasted Baird Family Farms Peaches

Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.

If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.

Sunday

Done. I hope everyone enjoys their week and this fantastic weather we've been having. Take care, everyone.

-Benjamin Dyer

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