It’s been over a year sine Nosh Kitchen Bar opened its doors to the Portland foodies who had a taste for truffles and pork belly. Invading the White Heart’s space, Nosh seemed to be a cleaned up version of the dive where the late night stragglers of Portland could go and grab drinks and food that was actually quality in comparison to Bill’s and Becky’s Late Night Window. With items such as Banh Mi (vietnamese sandwiches), bacon dusted fries, the apocalypse now burger, and tuna carpaccio, it’s understandable why foodies might be drawn to the flashiness of Nosh. And while I’ve dined there a total of three times, I can’t say that I can follow the Nosh parade. Unfortunately, the food prepared at Nosh is too extravagant, and too heart clogging for me. I’d prefer a plate of lettuce and tofu, over a burger with pate, eggs fried in truffle oil, shaved black truffles, and crispy pork belly. The trend in calorie rich food, with a luxurious flare, has never caught on with me. My own philosophy in regards to extravagant ingredients like truffles, pork belly, and the sort is that they should be used in moderation, only to accentuate the dish you’re opting to serve, and they should never overpower the overall flavor of the focal point of your dish. This is why I don’t get along with the menu at Nosh- it’s just not my style. But I made a sacrifice and ate there about a month ago with my boyfriend who had yet to experience Nosh at it’s full caliber. [disclaimer]: the food at nosh may in fact provoke high cholesterol, heart attacks, and the sort- prepare yourself upon arriving at this local haunt.
We were lucky- seeing as we scored seats in the “lounge”- as all the other seats were full. Sprawling out on the couch, we decided on starting with the NOSHos, with homemade tortilla chips, melty ooey gooey cheese, hamburg, and chives. This proved to be way heavier than I thought it would be. The cheese was overpowering to say the least, and all in all, once we were done, I felt like there was a rock in my stomach. Sam agreed with me- not particularly liking the Noshos himself.
For my entree I opted for just a cheeseburger- I wanted simple, nothing too crazy or luxurious. I wanted to be able to taste the meat. While my burger was not cooked medium, I forgave them, due to the ample amount of lettuce that the provided me with. A few slices of red onions, mayonnaise, and american cheese rounded of the burger, and all in all I was pleased. My only complaint happens to be about the meat itself- which I suppose speaks to the same sentiment I started this review with. They went a bit overboard– in my opinion– when it came to seasoning to the meat. Too much oregano, I suppose, but the flavor of the beef was absent, and I found myself wondering why I had an overwhelming taste of oregano on my palate.
Sam thought that the bacon dusted fries sounded good- but we chose to go with sea salt and pepper instead. All in all, the fries were pretty good, and the aioli they were served with- the chipotle aioli, was delicious. But at this point, I didn’t really want anymore fried food.
Sam went for the namesake burger- Nosh Burger, which was topped with blue cheese, bacon, fried egg, and garlic jam on a grilled brioche roll. In the above picture you can see the egg yolk dripping down the side- perhaps thats the only thing that would ever make me consider getting this. While Sam ate his entire burger, he later told me that he was unimpressed, and that, similar to me, Nosh didn’t seem to offer the type of food which he enjoyed. Let’s just say this shocked me. For him to admit that his burger was too much… is quite a significant feat. Since then, I’ve been toying with the idea of dragging him to the Green Elephant for some vegan fare, but I suppose he’s not at that stage yet!
Sam’s favorite part about Nosh was their Miss Pac-Man game. He played four of five rounds, and though he wasn’t a high scorer, he was pleased. Nosh proves not to be my cup of tea, but for the foodies out there who love truffle oil, pork belly, pate, and the sort, Nosh should be on your list of places to go upon your arrival in Portland. Jason Lorring, the owner of Nosh, is rumored to be opening up a taqueria across the street! I hope he gets over his affair with the ostentatious ingredients and instead opt for a more traditional route with his taqueria! If he goes down that path, I know that I will certainly enjoy the tacos he puts on his menu!!
