When Woodford Food and Beverage opened last year I, along with half the city, went there in droves. And I dined there three times before even writing my first review. But it wasn’t until yesterday, Sunday, that I had brunch there for the first time.
It’s a great looking room with its wall of windows and the attractive bar for extra dining
Besides the restaurant’s high energy (translate: a noisy room but not in a bad way), the food by chef Courtney Loreg is exceedingly good–very competently prepared classic dishes. It’s not the kind of cooking that will ever garner a James Beard award. That’s because it’s meant to be a neighborhood eatery to serve locals great roast chicken, classic steak frites, a mounding burger, delicious deviled eggs and lots of other dishes that define the culinary nomenclature of inspired American cooking. However, a year later and the restaurant’s menu remains virtually unchanged. That’s a slippery hole that many restaurants dig for themselves. It basically put Roustabout, among other factors, out of business. But I don’t think the same will happen at WFB because the menu is so likable and approachable. To wit–it was packed at brunch, and on recent attempts to have dinner there I was met with the SRO of a successful, popular restaurant.
A great bloody Mary at WFB with pickled vegetables and spicy brew
With the same old menu still in effect (with minor tweaks) I stopped going. Yet, I admit, I would like to have that chicken again. Or the big bowl of Quahog chowder that’s only served one day a week.
Still, there are some 5 restaurants in town that make great roast chicken and WFB is one of them. In the same way, countless Portland brunch restaurants serve sausage gravy over biscuits and eggs. And that’s what I went to have on Sunday.
A fresh fruit dish comes with the prix fixe main course; the bloody Mary’s pickled vegetables are delicious
There’s more to this dish than meets the eye. It’s all about how it’s put together. The gravy cannot be sticky-gooey like Gorilla clue and the sausage meat should have some oomph, preferably house-made. Using good quality eggs, perfectly cooked sunny-side up and it all adds up to deliciousness. Those elements are achieved at WFB. As for the biscuit, Woodford makes theirs with Bakewell Cream as the rising agent in the dough. For my biscuits, I use Bakewell, too, but make up my own baking powder mix using a ratio of 2 parts Bakewell to 1 part baking soda. I also use soft-wheat southern flour, which produces, with good technique (a gentle touch), a feather-light, ultra-flaky biscuit. Northern biscuits tend to be heavier, cakey and dense.
Even though the biscuits are heavy, it’s classic sausage gravy and eggs
The $20 prix fixe brunch special is not a bad deal. You get endless coffee refills, a cocktail and an entrée of your choice. On its own the sausage gravy plate is $12 a la carte. Add the drink ($8 to $12)—in this case an excellent bloody Mary– coffee and the special shaves about 10 percent off the all-inclusive tab.
The gravy had just the right consistency—creamy rather than cloying–and the big chunks of sausage meat were nicely flavored–peppery and salty.
What kept it from being a sure-fire winner was the biscuit. These were leaden and tough without the finesse of displaying a flaky, tender texture. That needs fixing. And a few daily specials wouldn’t hurt either.
