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| Ambience: Kokanee Cafe is the epitome of quaint and rustic. Nestled amongst the pine trees and near the Metolius river it is a serene and quiet setting. With seating both inside and outside on an enclosed patio they can accomodate around sixty people. They are open May thru October, but weather permitting they are looking to extend their season thru the holidays. Service: Greg was our host for the evening. When he saw that we had brought a bottle of wine he immediately offered to decant it and upgraded our stemware. His suggestions from the menu were right on target. The best thing is that once we were settled in he let us enjoy our evening without over serving us yet staying attentive. The Food: The menu at Kokanee Cafe is divided into Small Plates ($5-$13) and Large Plates ($22-$32). This is enhanced by specials that are based on availability of fresh seafood, meats and produce. From the Small Plate menu we tried the "Kokanee Charcuterie Plate" (house cured meats paired with local cheeses), the "Washington Mussels" (pan-roasted mussels, white wine, shallots, Spanish chorizo lime butter, tomato, cilantro and served with grilled rosemary bread) and the "Wild Mushroom Tart" (Juniper Grove chevre, wild mushrooms, asparagus, grain mustard, candied peppers, crisp pastry with porcini oil and sea salt). All were delightful. The mussels were done just right. You can always tell how good a broth is when you run out of bread sopping it up. The consensus favorite amongst the four of us though was the Wild Mushroom Tart. What a wonderful and delicate yet complex dish. Carolyn is not a chevre fan but this knocked her (and our) socks off! Our entrees from the Large Plate menu included "Ahi Tuna Nicoise" (tomato powder crust, pan seared over warm fingerling potatoes, haricot vert, cured tomatoes, golden beets, spinach, capers, olive aioli and crispy shallots). A wonderful presentation done rare to medium rare with vegetables that were as good as the tuna. The other seafood dish we ordered was one of the specials, "Grilled Escolar" (with mint-citrus sauce served over jasmine rice and broccolini). Escolar is one of my favorite seafoods and this was rich in taste and moist (not dry). One of Carolyn's favorites is duck so it was no surprise when she ordered the "Roasted Duck" (duck medallions, oranges, lavender and honey in a cognac jus, local mushrooms and potato gratin). Lovely dish, pink center duck medallions with a exquisite sauce. We all wanted to steal her potato gratin (they were just that good). For my entree I chose the "Elk Osso bucco" (braised in stock and red wine, morel mushroom hunters sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, broccolini and hazlenut gremolata. What an experience! I have never had Osso bucco so good. The Elk shank was tender, but with a firmer texture and flavor than veal. The morel mushroom sauce was a perfect match for this delight of a dish and the plate presentation just wowed you. An amazing dinner set in a beautiful wilderness area. A great job by our host Greg, proprietor Paul Mercer and all of his staff. Wine Menu: Glasses of wine range from $7 to $9 with bottles ranging from $24 to $145. Excellent choices available including Ken Wright, Archery Summit, Owen Roe and Basel Cellars. Wine Service: The food is the big attraction at Kokanee Cafe but I would have to say that the wine service was excellent also. We brought a bottle of Owen Roe Pinot Noir, Cummin's Vineyard 2003. Greg immediately offered to decant the wine and upgraded our stemware. The stemware was good and enhanced our enjoyment. Overall Impression: Kokanee Cafe is a treasure hidden away in Central Oregon. It is about 45 minutes from Bend, but is worth the trip out to Camp Sherman. We recommend going early before your reservations and explore the Metolius River recreation area before dining. Go! |
| Northwest Wine Fan Visits Kokanee Cafe |
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| Kokanee Cafe Serving Local Northwest Cuisine at the Metolius River Resort Camp Sherman, OR 97730 541-595-6420 Website: metoliusriverresort.com/kokanee.htm Serving Dinner Tuesday thru Sunday 2006 Holiday Schedule (November, December): Thursday thru Sunday Proprietor: Paul Mercer Food Prices: Moderate Wine Prices: Moderate Corkage: $15 Reviewed by: Tim and Carolyn Sinniger August 2006 |
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| Tim Sinniger |
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