Initially, the discreet charms of the Drifters Wife—so highly touted in media reports –eluded me on my first visit for dinner last week. Still, I sensed that the food could be very good, enticed by such starters as potatoes in mackerel aioli or mustard greens in lemon and clothbound cheddar. That and chef Ben Jackson is nothing less than a miracle worker to be able to produce such sophisticated dishes â la minute in a miniscule kitchen: To wit–two induction burners barely bigger than a YMCA-room hot plate and a mini convection oven, which chef Jackson admitted to me is not all that satisfying to use. And that’s the rub. I’d love to experience what this chef could do in a proper kitchen. Still, what’s there is a tapestry of exotic small plates (a few brilliantly devised) unlike the more complex, broader dishes created by small-plate citadels Sur-Lie, Lolita or Central Provisions.
Drifters Wife, Washington Avenue, Portland
The menu is not large, but I’m thrilled that I chose the radicchio salad as a starter. Jackson dresses these bitter leaves with an earthy, sweet bacon vinaigrette that was wholly satisfying (more on this later).
