My soon to be mother in law was in town recently; a week of wedding planning and sight-seeing and dining out.   She had to try Ten-01.  I knocked off work around 6:30 or so, and as our reservation wasn’t until 7:30, I saw a perfect opportunity to sample some of Kelley’s new cocktails.  I started with a Seelbach, an old recipe from the southern hotel of the same name; crisp and refreshing.  Enjoying this and further perusing the drink menu, I realized I had never had a Negroni before.  I had no clue what I was missing!  When Kate and Carol arrived I felt a familiar groaning pang: hunger!  We sat down at table one amongst the tingling of glassware and the splashing of bubbling wine.  I knew as we toasted that this was going to be a meal to remember.  The ladies and I looked over the menu, but I knew Chef was going to throw down some dishes for us, regardless of our order.  We picked out a few things and told or server Chris to let the Chef do his thing: cook us up a multi-course menu of all his best.  Sommelier  Erica Landon uncorked us a bottle of dry Reisling; we drank and talked as the first dishes started to arrive.  Deep fried Piquillo peppers smothered in parmesan needed nothing else, a sumptuous start.  Next was clams and mussels in a rich buttery garlic broth, a duck confit and arugula salad, Heirloom tomato salad with Ancient Heritage Feta.  We caught our breath briefly, then a chilled gazpacho with a nice subtle bite.  Talk faded to sounds of smacking lips and scraping flatware.  Next a huge platter of steak tartare, two preparations.  I was in heaven.  Looking around the table, I knew my guests were, too.  Raw hand diced beef and fixings with toasted brioche, I can still taste it if I close my eyes.  Chef Benjamin popped over to check on us before our entrees, he was laughing and joking, excited we were having such a good time.  Our main courses arrived as we cracked yet another (third?) bottle.  As the lamb dish landed in front of me, the first thing that got me was the smell.  The gamey lamb mingling with the spicy merguez sausage and corn/farro.  I picked up the merguez and took a bite before I even snapped a picture; very unlike me, the aroma overcame me.  Looking to my left I smiled at Carol; deep into enjoying her scallops, and across the table Kate was wide eyed, mouth agape with a huge forkful of halibut.  Little was said over the next few moments as I recall; conversation gave way to deep sighs and glazed eyes.  Still to come, dessert!!  I’m always a little nervous when people I know eat my desserts, but I really believe in this menu.  I also knew Chef would be plating them to the letter with his expert hands.  We had everything on the dessert menu (except cheese,) and enjoyed them all.  Chef plated the napoleon better than I could have, the simple smear of sauce taking on a life it’s own.  I didn’t even get to taste the chocolate and peanut, Kate and her mom had made short work of it.  As an employee of this restaurant I can proudly say this was a truly amazing meal.  Start to finish, every detail of food and service was exceptional.  It’s very important as someone who works in a restaurant to experience the product, to know first hand the goal of all the hard, monotonous, behind the scenes work.  It serves to remind and encourage why we do what we do.  Sure, I probably got a bit of special treatment because I work there. Looking around that dining room that night however, I saw we weren’t the only ones.  Everyone there was made to feel like VIP’s.  Check out all the pictures from our meal on the Ten-01 facebook page.

Anyone reading this blog knows of the talented activities of our bar manager Kelley Swenson.  Here’s some excerpts from some recent press:

“…cocktail from Kelley Swenson, head bartender at Ten 01 (in Portland, Oregon). It’s been on and off the drink card at Ten 01 over the past year, depending on the season, and remains a favorite of mine. Two different amaros seems surprising, but the result displays Kelley’s deft hand with bitters.”  -from the blog BLOTTO-Journal of the North American Booze Council.

and:

“With his gap-toothed grin and crisp black button-down shirt, Ten-01’s 25-year-old bar manager, Kelley Swenson, straddles the line between geek chic and Tom Cruise razzmatazz. Though his signature concoctions ($8-$10) often feature distinguished ingredients such as homemade grenadine, celery bitters and Ramazzotti amaro, Swenson’s bar-side manner is affable and humble. He describes his drinks simply, revealing that many are named for racehorses just because they have cool monikers, then steps aside to shake cocktails two at a time. It’s an impressive bit of theater, but it’s not overdone. The resulting elixirs, a gemlike collection of amber, citrine and ruby hues, stand out for their surprising but balanced flavor profiles. Anise-punctuated aquavit with lemon and kaffir lime may not seem like natural collaborators, but the earthy, fresh-spring taste of Turn to the Prince makes a convincing argument that they belong together.”  from OregonLive.com

If you haven’t been in to experience Kelley and his talented staff, what are you waiting for?  Come enjoy intelligent cocktails prepared by a passionate practitioner and his crew.

Kelley likes to be called a bartender.  His aversion to terms like “bar chef” or “mixologist” is testament to his humble respect for the age-old traditions of pouring.  His cocktails are unique but familiar; smart and clean.  He holds a reverence for spirits, and stocks his bar accordingly. It’s not just about having unusual bottles, but having the tools with which the bar staff can provide a positive and unique experience for our guests.  His bar holds many products from local artisan distillers, as well as those from the far reaches of the globe.  With an extensive collection of unique whiskey from Jim Beam to Rittenhouse 23yr Old Rye; rums from around the world,  plus European herbals and bitters, he’s got the means to pour a great drink.  Not forgotten are the other important elements of a well made drink, like fresh juice and hand made purees.  Proper technique is always observed, and taught to his loyal staff. He does’t stop at the bar either.  He often hosts classes at the restaurant, showcasing a specific sprit or a variety of cocktail.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on various dinners as well, where cocktail pairings are offered with each course.  His knowledge and passion about what he does has inspired me time and again.  Sometimes with exhaustive knowledge of an obscure spirit; sometimes with subtle english spun upon a highball glass, crisp with frost.

My heart raced, hand on the oven door. The servers figgited in my periphery, but I was eyeballing the clock. One more minute, I thought. One more minute and these doughnuts would be hot. Five minutes more, and they’d be plated, whisked away, and devoured by contented upstairs diners. The seconds stretched slowly outward, my eyes pounded the clock. Click. Click. The sound was in my head; the digital number on the microwave finally changed, from nineteen to twenty; and I was overtaken by a rhythmic calm. The plates were already sauced and waiting so Molten Biegnets were soon ferried quickly out and up the stairs. The days events swirled around me in my new found serenity, my mind finally catching up with my body after a long days work. After a long day prepping, then doing a cooking demo in the dining room, events were starting to come into focus. We cooked and plated our five course chocolate themed tasting menu. I had watched Chef do his demo; cooking scallops and cocoa-coffee foam while wearing an attention-getting hat. Then me, shouting out instructions across the mezzanine, over the clamor of a busy downstairs dinner service. Kelley, our bartender; and Matt from House Spirits poured cocktails, and Jason from Chehalem poured the wines to pare with our chocolate themed menu. Gourmands gathered to eat and drink, and benefit kids. The Cooking for Kids event is one of great import for Portland and it’s denizens. In a city packed full of foodies, Morrison has found a great way to raise money for its many important programs. It was fun for me to cook the food, and do the demo, of course. Collaborating with local wine and spirit makers to create an amazing, chocolate themed dinner: Exceptional! But in the happy, up-turned faces thanking me for a great dessert, I saw the benefactors of a truly helpful program. I was proud to be a part of it.

I watched Kelley strut from end to end of the banquette, projecting his voice over the heads of his class and out above to mingle with the sounds of a busy Happy Hour service.  Sixteen students gathered on the mezzanine to assemble cocktails and learn a brief history of rum this past Tuesday night.  Two rums were sampled straight up: Clement VSOP and Bacardi 8; one made from sugar and one, molasses.  Every four students had a complete mini-bar mixing station,  and under Kelley’s instruction assembled such cocktails as the Daiquiri, The Hemingway Daiquiri, and the Mary Pickford, and El Presidente.  The kitchen sent up some truffle fries to snack on, and I caught some delighted looks cast by low-light dappled faces.  I lingered for a bit and watched the class.  I felt slightly envious of those students, but lucky to work with Kelley daily, to have him as a friend, coworker, resource; to have enjoyed him speaking and teaching about a topic that is his passion.  Comforted by the assurance of future inspiration.

This past Monday I plated hors d’oeuvres for a whiskey tasting in the mezzanine.  I readied a charcuterie board and heated up butternut squash soup.  People started piling in the front door, pausing briefly at the host post, drifting their way upstairs.  I began frying off the scallop lollipops Miguel had ready for me.  The next two hours were a blur of steaming soup shots and crispy-fried scallops on sticks.  Ingrid was on the pantry station, frying off multiple orders of truffle fries. The line was cooking Happy Hour for our regulars, and the service staff was bustling plates of food into the dining room and up the stairs whiskey revelers.  I sent out the last of the appetizers and cleaned up quickly.   Once clocked out and changed, I got with Kelley to find out the scoop.  In partnership with four other Portland restaurants, Ten-01 is now proudly pouring Buffalo Trace Lucky Tiger single barrel bourbon.  Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley was in house to unveil the limited edition whiskey that will be available only at Victory, Clyde Common, Beaker and Flask, Park Kitchen and here at Ten-01.  Uptown Liquor in Portland’s northwest will carry it for retail consumption.  Over a hundred bourbon lovers congregated; our mezzanine was packed with cheersing patrons.  My first taste was scrumptious, rich and buttery with a gentle bite.  Smooth and flavorful; a subtle personality.   Once again Ten-01 offers up something special, a hand crafted product delivered via time honored technique and poured by appreiciative hands.  The Lucky Tiger Club of bars and restaurants plans to continue this practice, this union of skilled artisan and lover of fine spirit.  I left the restaurant with a smile, I wondered about having my own custom cask.   Later in the week I read an article from Ben Waterhouse at the Willamette Week, rounding out my knowledge of the nights’ events.

In a collaborative series with Ryan Magarian of House Spirits, our own Kelley Swenson poured over two hundred five dollar cocktails in two hours this past Wednesday.  An exceptional kick-off to a run of affordable happy hours across town, this event had the restaurant buzzing with activity.  The affordable cocktails included a timeless variety, with The Old Fashioned Gin Cocktail dating back to 1806, and The Cloister Cocktail to 1977.  Also featured were The Corleone, Botticelli, and The Trident, all with descriptions that surely tasted as good as they sound.  Read the full menu here. Special thanks to Heather Hawksford for her incredible photos.