the goodist

Review: Paradox Macallan - the $1/ounce beer

Long have you tempted me twelve dollar beer, those teasing glances from your black chalkboard, daring me to explore your dark depths, I can't resist any longer, I must taste you. And so it went as I finally mustered up the courage to abandon thrift the other night at the Moon & Sixpence - my favorite neighborhood brew joint. I walked the gold-gilded beer and three glasses through the rain and out to the patio like a soldier returning with the spoils of war. Amy, Erin and I proceeded to ceremoniously explore what lies within this heart of darkness.

Manhattan Project: The Best Manhattan Revealed!

What's the best rye or bourbon for a Manhattan? I thought this would be a quick and easy question, but it's spun out into weeks of testing, reading, drinking and drinking (poor me). Alas, today, we have the answers to the burning questions that keep you up at night - rye or bourbon? does pricier vermouth matter? can you do a 4-way rye tasting and 6-way Manhattan tasting in the same evening?

Read on for some unexpected answers...

What Am I Drinking?

With the Manhattan Project just about wrapped up (the final tasting is done and I'm just polishing up the thrilling final post), I figured I'd celebrate with something a little different, a little nola, a classic. First person to figure out what I'm drinking in the comments is invited to come by and drink too many of em on the house!

Note: if the winner is in Thailand or Saudi Arabia (I see you in my google analytics!), raincheck ok?

Manhattan Project: Rye Reviews

Rye oh rye do things always have to get complicated? (let me get it out of my system in the first line then I promise to stop)

After deciding on Bulleit as the spirit of choice for our little Manhattan project, I of course start hearing about rye whiskeys being the likely choice during the invention of the cocktail in the mid-1800's, but bourbon gaining popularity post prohibition. Some purists insists that bourbon shouldn't even be allowed in a Manhattan. I know nothing of you rye, but you're a whiskey, I'm a man, lets meet and greet.

Harvest

It is time. 117 days after planting, I'm now about to enjoy the first fruits of my indoor cherry tomato plant. Ritually sliced with trembling hand and adorned with basil leaves picked at the moment, garnished with only a small amount of fleur de sel, fresh ground Tellicherry pepper, a grassy green olive oil and the best balsamic I could salvage from the cupboard - all elements undeserving of the privilege. This might all sound overly dramatic to you, but I have a love for tomatoes that borders on worship. I've come home to the harsh beam of their grow light for the past 4 months, watered and pruned every day, lifted them up when they've fallen completely over (twice) and trellised them with yarn. Now it's time for the payoff. My first effort at such a thing, I've made some mistakes - most importantly - as much as I love Portland's tap water, these tomato plants hate it, hence leaves browning far before their time and a bounty from the 2 plants I estimate at less than 40 (half of what I was expecting). But no matter, as I write this I'm enjoying tomatoes and basil fresh off the vine...in April...and it's heaven.

Icons of my devotion below the break...

Pu-erh Tea Fired in Bamboo

After yesterday's intoxicating sun the clouds today feel extra moody - a perfect afternoon to enjoy an earthy pu-erh tea fired and aged in bamboo right? Steeped for ~2min the brew is opaque enough to resemble weak coffee, which usually portends a really bitter cup of tea, but I'm taken aback by it's mellow earthiness and strangely smooth tannins. Maybe wood mellows tea in the same way it mellows spirits like whiskey, rum, tequila, etc? Just like the wild orange, the bamboo purfectly nuances the character of the tea without adding a bunch of obnoxious new flavors that would upset finicky tea nerds such as myself. Another wonderfully unique cup from Silk Road Teas.

Impressions: Kenny & Zuke's Sandwichworks

Yet another afternoon in the sandwich pasture yesterday, this time at Kenny & Zuke's brand spankin' new Sandwichworks on NW 24th and Thurman. Kenny & Zuke's already have a fantastic deli churning out their own house pastrami sammies with great success, so it only made sense that they'd open up a dedicated sandwich joint considering ptown's new obsession with said establishments.

So how does Sandwichworks differ from the likes of Bunk, MCB, and the like? Well seeing as how they're less than a month old and I've only been in once, I'm not going to write a full on review - that wouldn't seem a bit unsporting - so instead I'll provide you with my early impressions.

1000 Page Views

Here at The Goodist we know that many booze drenched web-musings compete for your precious slack-time at work, which is why we're pleased that so many of you have chosen to follow Tim Don's stumbling prose up a mountain of consumables to the tune of 1,000 page views. 1,000 views isn't much of a milestone for a blog wearily approaching it's first year, but considering most of that time has been full of awkward silences littered with a grand total of 20 posts it seems a round is in order nonetheless.

Our lucky 1,000th took a look at the front page and likely left disappointed that I still haven't figured out how to make a Manhattan (this week, promise!), while number 999 was looking to put some CO2 in their gin, which is in fact the most popular article on this site - note to self: carbonate everything. Well over 1/10th of these hits have landed over the last 7 days, proving to me once again that writing leads to reading. No more awkward silences, we're pals now.

By spirited glass a toast to you - thank you for reading and supporting The Goodist

Tim Don

Tea Stuffed in a Wild Yunnan Orange

Well looky here, a tiny little wild orange from the Yunnan province stuffed with a smoky aged pu-erh tea and left to dry, don't you look unpleasantly delicious. I usually don't go for gimmicky teas like this, but I just couldn't resist given the source - Silk Road Teas - David Lee Hoffman's legendary tea catalog. This guy spends months trekking around China every year to personally find quality tea, and he's been doing it for 16 years. There's even a well received documentary about what this guy does. Anyway, it's great tea, and this strange shriveled orange is no exception - surprisingly sweet candied orange aromas and deep smokey flavors that remind me of camp fire and smores of all things. The Goodist likes this.

I also ended up with a piece of bamboo filled with tea and then fired...next time friends, next time...

Another Harvest from Bunk's Sandwich Tree

(This is just a an update on a few sandwiches recently consumed, full review is here)

The Meatball Sub - breakfast of champions. Amy and I headed to Bunk today to try the last two sandys on our list. The meatball sandwich is the first item on the menu and always seems to get raves, so I gave it a go, even though it's not my favorite style and suspiciously absent of pork belly. It was really pretty wonderful, the meatballs were tender while not falling apart, the sauce had just enough bite and deep tomato flavor, while the cheese actually carried a lot of flavor on it's own. My only problem? LOOK AT THE DAMN THING! IT'S A DISASTER! While it was fun to try managing, the bread just can't stand up to all that load and it turns into a mess. I enjoyed it none the less, but again, it's not really my style. If you're a meatball head (is that an insult?) I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Amy enjoyed the breakfast sandwich...