Tonight, Kobe Bryant will play his final game in Portland. The Trail Blazers will likely send him off with some sort of commemorative video and, I don’t know, maybe some Oregon wine. We here at DIME believe he deserves something more. From now on, every time Kobe plays in a city for the last time, we’ll have suggestions for where he can get the food that best allows him to appreciate the city for the last time as a player. After all, to truly a savor a city, one must eat it. Introducing: Bon Voyage, Bon Appetit: Kobe Bryant’s Culinary Farewell Tour. First stop: Portland, Oregon.
Ava Gene’s
Kobe spent part of his childhood in Italy thanks to his father’s professional basketball career. His time spent there imbued him with a love of all things Italian – I mean, come on, he gave himself the nickname “Vino.” To satisfy his cravings for Italian cuisine, we’re sending him to Ava Gene’s. The restaurant sources from some of the highest-quality producers around the state, and features a Roman-inspired menu sure to placate even Italian natives.
We suggest Kobe get a platter of salumi and formagi to start, then move to a plate of the “Tagliatelle, lamb ragu in bianco,” if he’s craving pasta, or the “pork, burdock, almonds, dates, marmellata squash, citrus” if he’s not. With a nice glass of grappa to end the evening, it’ll be a meal Kobe won’t soon forget.
Alternative: Castagna
Maybe Kobe wants something a bit more experimental and unique than his tried and true Italian favorites. For that, we’re suggesting another top-flight Portland spot, Castagna. The restaurant’s executive chef, Justin Woodward, is a rising star in the culinary world, so it makes sense he was nominated for the 2013 James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star award. He also worked at two of the most famous restaurants in the world – “Noma” in Denmark and “Mugaritz” in San Sebastian, Spain – before moving to New York and then, ultimately, Portland.
Castagna’s menu is full of simple, yet singular dishes, such as Kurbota Pork with aromatic cream, and the canoe harvested wild rice with hedgehog mushrooms featured on their winter menu. But we think Kobe will truly appreciate Castagna’s wine pairing. Both the normal menu, and chef’s tasting menu, feature a wine pairing with each dish. For the aforementioned pork, the house suggests the Occhinpinti ‘SP68’ Nero d’Avola/Frappato, a 2014 wine from Sicily.
Viking Soul Food
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Another signature of Portland’s culinary scene is, of course, its many, many food trucks. You want falafels? There’s a truck for that. Food prepared from a Cordon Bleu-trained chef? No problem. Southern comfort food in the Pacific Northwest? You got it. Since Kobe has decided to go out in a prolonged blaze of glory (or, you know, missed shots, whatever), it’s only fitting we send him to a place fit for such a viking funeral: Viking Soul Food.
The Norwegian food truck specializes in “lefse,” a traditional Scandinavian potato flatbread that can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients. Kobe, we know you treat your body like a temple, but it’s all right to indulge every once in a while. At Viking Soul Food, don’t limit yourself to just one lefse, why not get three? Try the Norwegian meatballs, the fiskekaker (which might be the best word ever) and, for desert, the lingonberry lefse. We’re sure you’ll burn those calories off in no time.
Breakside Brewery
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Of course, no trip to Portland is complete without a trip to a brewery. The Portland metropolitan area is home to 84 breweries and counting, according to Oregoncraftbeer.org. Breakside is relatively new, it opened in 2010, but it’s wasted no time establishing itself as one of the top breweries in the United States. Brewmaster Ben Edmunds has done a terrific job balancing fun, experimental beers with standard (though no less delicious) IPAs, Pale Ales and the like. They were named Oregon’s brewery of the year in 2015, while their Breakside IPA has won numerous national awards, including a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival. That’s as good of a place to start as any, Vino.
