Where: 500 NW Davis Street
When: HH Mon - Fri 4 - 6 pm, Sat & Sun 3 - 5 pm
I wrote a blog post about Davis Street Tavern in March of 2009 that did not properly do it justice. It was before I liked gin. Before I had tried their Champagne Cocktail ($8) and LOVED it. Basically, it was before it had become one of my fav spots in NW Portland.
Since Jen moved to Portland in July I've been talking up DST's happy hour, specifically the mac 'n' cheese. So on Saturday, after checking out the Nordstrom sale and spending sufficient time laying on Jen's couch watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, we finally went to happy hour.
Guess what we ordered first? Cocktails! Jen has never had St. Germaine, so I ordered us the French Pear ($9) with Grey Goose Le Poire, St. Germaine, and lemon, while Jen opted for a Basil Martini ($8) made with Hendrick's gin, basil and lemon. They were just what we needed after our lazy afternoon. Jen tossed around the idea of ordering her martini with vodka, but we were glad she didn't! Hendrick's gin has a cucumber flavor that combined perfectly with the basil and lemon (our waitress described the "flavor profile"). Definitely a drink I would order again!
Choosing HH food was fairly easy. We had already done some pre-HH research and checked out the whole menu online, plus the Velvety Mac 'N' Cheese ($5) with girella pasta and three cheese bechamel was a no brainer.
As mac 'n' cheese lovers we tend to order it a lot, but that's not to say we aren't disappointed from time to time. We do have criteria. I like a mac 'n' cheese that is creamy and not full of extra stuff to make it "fancy," and Jen prefers her's hot. Like steaming, need to blow on it, careful not to burn your tongue, HOT. As expected, this met our standards and maintains it's place as one of my all time favorites.
Sticking with our obvious theme of healthy food we also ordered the Shoe String Fries ($3) served with ketchup and green chili hollandaise and Fish Tacos ($7) with tempura cod, cilantro, lime crema Mexicana. The fries were crispy, salty, and gone by the time we left - yikes! While the fish tacos were fresh and a little spicy.
Following our cocktails we also enjoyed a glass of their Italian White Blend ($5), one of a few HH wine selections. I'd say we made some good decisions! We are already planning to return, hopefully with Jen's mom this weekend!
