Pitxi

We don't often treat ourselves to dinner out but, when we do, we like to go to places that offer local, sustainable and organic fare.  Our favorite restaurant is Scratch in Lake Oswego.  So, when we saw a Groupon to Pitxi, we thought it would be our style and that we should check it out.  

We had 6 o'clock dinner reservations and we were the first table seated in the dining room...  I guess they must get more of a later crowd on a Friday.  Once seated, Ty order a nice Pinot from McMinnville (where our alma mater is located) and I had the Laurelwood IPA.  While they did have a nice wine menu, there were only three beers on the menu - which, IMO, ought to be illegal.  We were a little disappointed to see that the menu that we'd looked at online was not the same as the menu that we were given.  We then decided to start with the cheese plate mostly because it had received several positive mentions on Yelp.  It came with four cheeses and each one was paired with a little yummy tidbit like pistachios or chocolate.  Each bite was thoughtfully prepared and very delicious but I should mention that the portions were on the very skimpy side.  

For entrees, Ty ordered a seafood stew of sorts (sorry, I can't remember the exact name) and I ordered the duck.  Each type of seafood in Ty's dish was perfectly cooked to be its most flavorful and tender.  I've never had duck before so I wasn't sure what to expect and I was very surprised that it was so rich, moist and tender.  It was served with a baked apple, grapes and a delicate crepe filled with an apple stuffing.  The entire combination was perfect, especially if you like entrees that lean toward the sweet side, and left a comforting taste of fall in my mouth.

Service the entire evening was outstanding.  The timing of the courses was just right and they were quick to put another slice of bread on our bread plate every time it was empty.  The portion sizes on the entrees were spot on.  Overall, we'd highly recommend Pitxi and, if it weren't all the way in St. John's (which we didn't realize when we bought the Groupon), we'd probably be semi-regulars!