New Bird Box Menu Alert!
Introducing not one, but two, brand new menus from the Le Pigeon kitchen! The first is our weekly Bird Box for two meal kits, available for pickup on Saturday, January 30th anytime between 12 and 5 p.m. The second is our special Feast of Saint Valentine Bird Box. More on that meal for two below…
Starting this week we are also adding a weekly special cocktail available for pick up along with your Bird Box. This week features a Brandy Crusta, one of the original cocktails from New Orleans.
Our January 30th menu features a Savory Pimento Cheese Tart; Roasted Pork Short Rib; Sweet Pepper Shrimp & Grits; Lemon & Garlic Roasted Kale Florets; and Key Lime Pie for dessert ($80 for two people).
The Bird Boxes will open for ordering beginning this Sunday at noon (available until sold out) for a Saturday, January 30th pickup, between 12 and 5 p.m. at Le Pigeon.
Andy’s Wine Pairings
Add a bottle (or two) of handpicked wines from our wine director to your Bird Box meal.
Hárslevelü, Lónyai Dülö, Kikelet, 2017, Tokaji, $26
Hárslevelű (HARSH-lehveh-LOO) means “linden leaf.” It is used as a minor blending component in the sweet wines of Tokaji as it is treasured for its perfume and high-toned fruit. The potential of Hárslevelű as a stand-alone dry wine is beginning to be explored and people are taking notice! Stéphanie Berecz is a French native who eventually settled with her husband in the village of Tarcal where his family has lived for over 200 years. Stéphanie always manages to bring out the mineral character in her white wines which helps to balance the floral notes and intense aromas of lime and orchard fruits. The dry wine is unctuous at first with ripe pear and spice. The palate shows a lovely minerality and balancing lift and brightness.
Régnié, Grain & Granit, Charly Thévenet, 2017, Beaujolais, $30
Régnié is one of the ‘Cru’ of Beaujolais. (Confusingly the broader village areas for wine in Beaujolais are referred to as Crus when that term is often used in other parts of France for smaller areas or individual vineyards). Régnié is small, it is just one square mile of hillsides almost on pink granite soils (yes, in Beaujolais they differentiate the different types of granite soils). Charly Thévenet is the son of Jean-Paul Thévenet, a very respected grower who helped usher in the renaissance of terroir driven Gamay 30 years ago. This wine from a 1.5-acre parcel of vines planted 80 years ago is farmed biodynamically. The grapes are whole cluster pressed and fermented and aged in concrete tanks. The nose is redolent of raspberry and cherry with a dark floral tone and hints of peppercorn dust. The palate is alive with the fruit, but with some good tannic backbone to hold it together.
Feast Of Saint Valentine Bird Box – On Sale Now
Announcing a very special Feast of Saint Valentine Bird Box! This two person box has everything you need to celebrate in style, plus some extra special add ons to bring your meal to the next level including wines, flower bouquets, and caviar kits. You can order yours for pick up on February 13th from 12 to 5 p.m.
Special add ons include:
> Coy & Co small flower bouquets, $30
> Caviar Kits, make your own at home blinis! $105
> “Make Their Dinner an Oscar”, add Truffle Crab Salad to your steak dinner, add $25
This festive spread features a Chicory Salad; 28 oz (prepare at home) Ribeye For Two; Lobster Mac & Cheese; Meyer Lemon Roasted Cauliflower; and Sweet Matt’s Chocolate Layer Cake for dessert ($200 for two sweethearts).
And, don’t forget wines! We have a few options from Wine Director Andy Fortgang for you & yours…
An evening of 1/2 Bottles, $105 (for all 3)
We’ve selected three 1/2 bottles to pair along with our Valentine’s Day Bird Box. The Champagne will be good with the Chicory Salad, great if you add on the Caviar, and of course makes a grand aperitif. The Pinot Blanc is gorgeous and should be a great match for the salad, and a killer Barolo that is perfect for the Rib Eye and Lobster Mac & Cheese.
Brut, Cuvée Le Brut, 1er Cru, A. Margain, NV, Champagne
90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir. It is based on the 2017 harvest (40%) with reserve wines going back to 2011. Fermentation is in a mix of stainless steel and neutral oak, and the wine spends 2 years on lees before being disgorged. The wine is focused, dry, and stony but also has a round mid-palate moment. Lovely notes of orchard fruit, citrus, and flowers.
Pinot Blanc, Freedom Hill Vineyard, St Innocent, 2016, Coast Range, Willamette
Mark Vlosack of St. Innocent has been making wine from the Freedom Hill Vineyard for decades – truly a Willamette Valley vineyard gem. Most famous for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir there is a small amount of Pinot Blanc planted there. Mark’s expression if it truly highlights this under appreciated variety. “Vibrant, mineral-laced citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complemented by subtle jasmine and toasty lees nuances. Juicy, focused and energetic on the palate, offering Meyer lemon, pear and bitter quinine flavors that slowly flesh out through the mid-palate. Finishes with strong, mineral-driven persistence, leaving a suave floral note behind.”
Barolo, Brunate, Francesco Rinaldi, 2012, Piedmont
The winery was established in 1870 in the village of Barolo, and its approach to winemaking is all about tradition. Organic viticulture, long macerations, aging in large Slovenian oak boti (giant barrels), and no new oak ever. The Brunate vineyard, one of the most esteemed of the region, straddles the border between the communes of both Barolo and La Morra. It exemplifies both showing the structure of Barolo and aromatics of La Morra. 1/2 bottles age a little faster than full size ones and that puts this guy in a nice spot for drinking. Dark berry, Alpine herbs, earth and a balsamic note are some of the aromas wafting from the glass. The palate has ripeness with notes of crushed berry, baking spice, and anise alongside firm but refined tannins.
If you just want to keep it simple and order a bottle here are two great options…
Brut Nature, Come des Tallants, Blanc de Noir, Piollot Pere & Fils, 2016 Champagne, $52
Roland Piollot comes from a long grape growing family in the Aube, the southern portion of Champagne that sits midway between Reims and Chablis. He is married to Dominique Moreau of Champagne Marie Courtin who encouraged him to start making wine from the family vines. He makes a number of single vineyard single vintage Champagnes most with little or no dosage. The wines are about vineyard – about terroir. The parcel of land called Come des Tallants is less than one hectare on a hill behind the town of Polisot that has direct southern exposure and scree slopes of Upper Jurassic chalky marls. 100% Pinot Noir picked from 40 year old vines. This Champagne has small but persistent bubbles, a beautiful golden hue, a bracing freshness, and great length that you would be lucky to find in wines of twice the price. It also reflects the care taken with the health of the soil, displaying intense minerality and depth of fruit flavor.
Brunello di Montalcino, Querce Bettina, 2013 Tuscany, $50
Querce Bettina is a family owned and run vineyard on the southwest slopes of Montalcino. Husband and Wife team Sandra Barenghi and Roberto Moretti bought the 29ha estate in 1990, and named it Querce Bettian for an old Tuscan tale (easy to look up, if you are interested). As it must be, the wine is 100% Sangiovese Grosso, AKA Brunello. It is fermented in stainless steel, and then aged for 4 years in neutral oak boti. ’13 is a very good vintage for Brunello. Pipe tobacco, fragrant dark flowers, baking spice, and a whiff of new leather aromas lead the way. On the palate, a network of firm polished tannins and vibrant acidity balances tart sour cherry, strawberry and white pepper. A hint of star anise and earth linger on the close.
All of the meals will include 3-courses, a fancy salad for assembling at home, a protein with sides packed ready for re-heating, and dessert. Each box is designed to be heated at home and will generously feed two humans.
Dishes will vary each week.
All boxes are nut free, but we are unable to accommodate any further dietary restrictions or modifications at this time.
Le Pigeon will be following strict safety procedures, and will offer curbside pickup or will bring the meal to your car.
Please visit www.lepigeon.com or order and follow along on social media for the latest information @lepigeonpdx.
Pick up will occur at Le Pigeon, located at 738 E Burnside St. Portland, OR 97214 on Saturdays between 12 and 4 p.m.
