Field Trip!

On Tuesday, Nov 11th, class was in session. Tyler (head server), Spence (madman in the kitchen), Dave (bottle shop lead) and I (the short one) headed down 84 towards a distant view of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. We were on our way to Hood River to one of our favorite Oregon breweries which captures the scenic drive in its name...Double Mountain. We also were yearning for some tasty pizza.

Matt, the brewer, and his sidekick Charlie, couldn't have been more hosipitable.
We received a very engaging tour of the brewery and then feasted on pizza. And don't forget the beer....

Interesting facts about Double Mountain:
- Many of Double Mtn's ales are made with a Rochefort yeast!
- Most of their equipment came from fellow breweriers (Full Sail and Bridgeport to name a few).
- Matt and Charlie deck out the brewery with a pretty rockin' breweriana collection.
- They use 90% organic grain. How many breweries go organic and don't tell anyone?? The beer sells itself, no marketing hype here...
-These guys are genuinly nice people that are obviously passionate about their beer.

If you're in the mood for a great view - check out an imperial pint at Double Moutain's Tap Room. Its super cozy and inviting (LOVE the amber lighting..)

Thanks to Charlie, Matt and the staff for such a nice trip!
Look for Double Mountains Fa La La La Winter Seasonal on draft at Saraveza in early December!

SPENCE!

Good beer tastes better with good food. That’s a fact.

Finding good beer in a town like Portland aint no thing. But finding someone to make a mean pasty dough and turn humble beer-drinking food into a savory, loving yet economical menu for the food and beer savvy alike – is no easy task. My dream with Saraveza was to have good fresh beer coupled with simple fresh beer-drinking food in a comfy setting.

I told my dad last summer that in order to make Saraveza work like I need it to – I need a gift. Well…you’ll find my pretty little package in the kitchen (sans bows and ribbons). His name is Spence Lack. Spence has a love for classic humble foods, like the way a seasoned grandmother cooks. Its Spence’s goal to emulate that grandmotherly love into every plate he makes. Spence cuts to the chase when cooking and believes fine food doesn’t always need fine dining.

Spence comes to Saraveza straight off the farm…. After years in the world of fine food, he went to the root of cooking (pun totally intended) and built Meriweather’s farm from the ground up. With his bare hands Spence built the fence, the greenhouses, tilled the soil and turned a five acre vacant lot into a plethora of sprouting edibles that were passed onto then Meriweather Chef/ brother-in-law/cooking partner, Tommy Habetz. (Look for Tommy’s new sandwich shop Bunk Sandwiches coming soon on SE Morrison!!!)

Prior to the farm, Spence’s time in the kitchen spans over a decade and a half working in restaurants. Out of college, he worked in a North Virginian B&B that was run by a horticulturalist. It was there he excitedly witnessed a restaurant that grew, picked, cooked and served seasonal foods. Thus started an intimate relationship with food as well as a passionate career. With many experiences to note, Spence reflects on those that allowed him to depart from fine dining, yet smothered every dish with that grandmotherly love. He reminisces at his time at a teahouse in Boulder, CO where he was able to focus on wholesome world foods as well as his work during the inception of Portland’s Ripe Supper Club, where family dining was king and “Naomi (Hebberoy) was really good at pulling from farms.”

Spence has also spent time teaching at Caprial and John’s Kitchen here in Portland. There he was able to not only teach but surround himself with chefs that inspired and influenced his current day cooking style. Amelia Hard, Kathy Whims, Pascal Suton, Cory Schriber…to name a few.

With these experiences in his backpocket, a non-stop upbeat personality, a desire to work in a nice root cellar and a love for beer (yes, he IS that guy you recognize from the Green Dragon), Spence is such a gift for Saraveza. My dad and my stomach approve!

Come on in!!!

Saraveza has opened its doors! From 5 pm - 12 midnight (closed Tuesdays) you can choose from 130 bottled beers, 5 well poured drafts, 3 belly-filling pasties, 2 insanely tasty soups and the decisions don't stop there! Want your beer and pasty for here or to go? Take your pick.
Coming soon:
~ OPEN EARLY (11 am - midnight)
~ LUNCH SPECIAL: Special pasty "Shake of the Day"
~ TAKE-N-BAKE PASTIES
~ 2 MORE DRAFTS
And if you're a PACKER fan, join us on Sunday, November 2 when the Pack takes on the Tennesee Titans! Cheese and meat plates passed at kick-off (10am)!!!! Game specials include:
~ CHILIQUILES (even if you don't like the Pack - its worth coming just for this baked fresh salsa, egg, tortilla and queso fresco dish!)
~DIRTY BEERS
~ RED BEERS
~ MIMOSAS

Hope to see you soon!!!

Prost,
Sarah, Spence, Dave, Tyler, Lori, Kyle, Veronica, Leigh & Renae

Coming soon...

Saraveza is starting to pull together. With walls up and painted, paneling adhered, coolers being refurbished and bottle caps glued down, the shop is starting to take form. There's at least a month of work left. I'll be posting some pictures soon!

Thanks to all my family and friends that have been so helpful ~ I would not have been able to get this far without you! - Sarah

CHEF WANTED!!!

I am looking for a chef that can produce yummy traditional Cornish pasties as well as other savory pasties in a variety of flavors. The focus of the food is fresh and big with an emphasis and on seasonal availability.

I am looking for someone with culinary experience. I need someone that can work 40 hrs a week, aid in creating the menu, develop recipes, manage the kitchen and commit to min. one year of employment. I am NOT looking for someone to make bar food, rather I want pasties that are memorable and meet Portland's standards for a delicious, cheap and unique food experience.

Lastly, this person has to have an interest in beer.

I would like start meeting with interested parties ASAP and hope to have a chef hired and ready to start by early Sept.

If you know anyone (or know anyone who might know anyone) please pass this along.

I am happy to give more detail about Saraveza, myself and the position. So interested inquiries, please email sarah@saraveza.com.

Thank you!!!!!

- Sarah Pederson
www.saraveza.com

FAQs

I'm starting to get inquiries about Saraveza. I thought I'd take a moment to answer some questions I've been getting. I'm happy to add it to it, keep the questions coming..... -sarita

- WHERE'S THE LOVE FOR OREGON BEER? I love Oregon beer - A LOT. Oregon beer gets all the credit for turning my tastebuds on to malt and hops. I am so happy to be living in Beervania where we are spoiled with so much fresh, versatile and tasty beers on any given neighborhood corner. I just talk about Wisconsin beer on this blog a lot because I started this for all my friends and family back home. Actually - I love AMERICAN beer. Anywhere I visit, the local beer is the beer I want to try.

- WHAT'S YOUR BEER CREDENTIALS?: I'm not a beer expert. Just an enthusiast that likes to sit down and catch one with friends and strangers alike. I've done my share of reading on beer and have taken the American Brewers Certification Class. I've done a short internship at Hair of Dog, worked in the cellar at the New Old Lompoc and dabbled in homebrewing. I've done a lot of beer pairing, purchasing and employee instruction when I worked at Pix Patisserie. Even with all that experience, I know that this town is full of beer heads that know SO much more about beer than I could pretend to. I hope to meet all those people, learn from them and give them an excuse to leave the house.

- HOW COME YOU DON'T REVIEW BEER IN YOUR BLOG?: I'm not planning on posting a lot of descriptions of beer tastings. At least not on my website. So many people do this and do it much better than me. BUT, I am happy to crack one open and talk shop - I'd much rather spend my time evaluating beer with you in person than alone with my laptop.

- HOW MANY TYPES OF BEER WILL YOU HAVE AT SARAVEZA?: Details continue to work themselves out. I hope to open with a selection big enough to fill the two coolers I recently bought. I figure that will bring me up to about 150 types of beer. There will also be a decent tap selection at the bar. Eventually, I hope to have additional cooling; my dream is to have 500 types of beer.

- DON'T YOU THINK THAT PORTLAND HAS ENOUGH BEER BARS?: Ummm, aparently I do not. That would be a pretty stupid business move for me if I did believe that. I lived in Humboldt since '02 and know that there's a need for a friendly, neighborhood hangout.

Potosi shines, Baumgartners rules! Will Brett Favre stay or go?? A very excellent trip to Wisconsin...

Just off the plane from Wisc. and back to business right away. Saraveza is starting to look real with actual walls up. This next week is full of inspections, getting ready to do the floors and digging a hole in the basement floor for the walk-in. I've started to drop hours at Cava (the awesome gastro-pub on Foster I serve at) as my early/mid October target date nears. I'm starting to feel the heat.

My short week at home really got me ready for the month ahead. We ate Cornish pasties in Madison and Mineral Point. The Red Rooster Cafe in Mineral Point really emulates what I want Saraveza's pasties to be. I think the miners of the past would have been proud! I'm really ready to start exploring the menu side of the business with someone who loves to cook, eat and drink beer. (If you know anyone, shoot me an email!)


Potosi, popultion 711, the ultimate destination of my trip, was such an unsuspected gem. Six Wisconsinites accompanied me and no one had heard of the Potosi's National Breweriana Museum. You don't have to be a breweriana junkie to fall in love with this museum - the often colorful and humorous artifacts on display are true pieces of Americana. It's also important to note that Potosi's Brewery and a beautiful dining area are attached to the museum, I recommend all beer enthusiasts venture to Potosi!

My father and Uncle Jim insisted that I visit Baumgartner's in Monroe. Here, I felt at home. With a cheese shop in front and a tavern in back, this place spoke to me like no other. Apparently, Baumgartner's is Wisconsin's first cheese shop. You can order a Limburger cheese and red onion sandwich for $2.95. What a deal! Especially since it stays with you all day! (For real, it stinks up your mouth, your hands, your face, your car.....) The staff is kooky and delightful. The food is simple and oh-so Wisconsin. The customers and laughing and drinking. I miss this place......

The remaining part of the trip was spent picking up bottle caps, going to the flea market, checking out taverns, talking about what was going to happen with Brett Favre and spending time with family. I've posted pictures of it all on Saraveza's MySpace (www.myspace.com/schlitzburger) All in all, this worthwhile visit really helped me pull together some final ideas for the shop. Speaking of Saraveza, I need to get back to work!

Prost!
- sarita