Wildwood Restaurant (by Maxine)

We had the best dinner last night.

We went to Wildwood, one of the restaurants that pioneered Northwest-style cuisine – very fresh, local ingredients with interesting flavor combinations. Wonderful service and a great eating experience. This is a place that cares about the food and the staff shared the enthusiasm. http://www.wildwoodrestaurant.com/

Highlights were the fresh veggies (asparagus, spring onions and cardoons, which have stems like celery) with a light tempura-like crust, and served with an aioli dipping sauce and the raviolo (a huge ravioli) stuffed with cheese in a brown butter sauce with many fresh vegetables. I also loved the honey ice cream (delicate and better as it melted a little) and the rhubarb sorbet (never had this flavor before). It was tangy and a little bit sweet and made me think of spring. More dishes to try to make at home.

Everything tasted fresh, clean, with clearly identifiable flavors. We loved it. And, to cap off the experience, the waiter realized we were from out of town and gave us a list of restaurants to try while we’re in Portland. All in all, a great dinner!