Lauro Newsletter :: Summer 2007

We are living the life!

As chefs and folks who simply love food, we enjoy spending time at Farmers Markets throughout the region. We relish the opportunity to mingle with the farmers and their families and to see them gathered together with all their beautiful and seasonal offerings. We also love choosing a favorite recipe and leading a Chef in the Market cooking demonstration.

Here are chef de cuisine Jennifer Buehler and her assistant Drew Jacobs as they ready their favorite fava bean recipes. (Thanks to our friend, Frank DiMarco of DiMarco Images for this great shot). Here’s to summer!

Summer menu highlights include Chilled Gazpacho with Serano Ham and Hard Boiled Egg, Roasted Pancetta-Wrapped Peaches Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Heirloom Melon Salad with Grilled Onions, Feta Olives, Pine Nuts and Mint, Portuguese-Style Pork Loin with Roasted Peppers and Cilantro, Copper River Salmon with Farro, Black Rice and Lemon Almond Tarator and Roasted Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Pizza. Seasonal dessert highlights include Chocolate Midnight Cake with Crème Anglaise, Nectarine Crisp with Honey Vanilla Ice Cream and Panna Cotta with Seasonal Berries and Shortbread.

view our summer menu

Meet Julie Chambers

The next time you're at Lauro take a few moments to introduce yourself and to welcome Julie Chambers. Julie is our new General Manager. She joined us this June to replace our friend and business partner Daren Hamilton. Julie is well known to many in the hospitality business, having started her restaurant career as a server at Pazzo Ristorante. In 2002, Julie made a leap of faith, leaving her native Portland to take on New York City. She landed at Mario Batali’s famed Roman-style Trattoria Lupa, moving from Senior Server to Assistant GM. Five years at Lupa taught Julie a lot and we’re thrilled she’s bringing those skills back to Portland. Ready to return to family and friends, Julie moved back at the end of 2006. Her appetite for hard work, good humor and grace under pressure will serve her well. What are Julie’s favorites on the menu so far? Easy – Calamari, Melon Salad and Linguine with Prawns in White Wine, Garlic, Parsley and Chile. Julie enjoys this meal with a cherry pink glass of Chiaretto rosé.

Thank You Daren

Having worked together at both Pazzo Ristorante and The Heathman Group, Daren Hamilton and I have been friends and collaborators for more than 12 years. Together we conceived of and opened Lauro Kitchen in 2003 to critical and popular acclaim. Daren has decided to leave Lauro and take some time off to spend the summer with his family. He’ll be practicing blues changes and the pentatonic scale during his weekly guitar lessons at Cadenza Academy, whizzing by on his blue Triumph chopper, and cheering from the sidelines as his kids play soccer. Daren’s wit, charm and expertise will be missed by all who have worked with him, sold him product, or been escorted to a table. On behalf of everyone at Lauro we wish Daren all the best in his next adventure.

Homage to the Divine Hamburger & Cataplana Camping

Curl up with the Summer 2007 issue of Edible Portland and read what Edible Expert David Machado has to say about the Divine Hamburger. The article is a fun and lip-smacking romp through edible history as well as some of David’s best hamburger moments from Fall River, Mass., to the City by the Bay and a few words on the future of american chow. Also included is the recipe for the venerable Lauro cheeseburger and accompanying frites.

Editor and food maven, Martha Holmberg recently did a great cover piece in The Oregonian’s FoodDay Grilling Issue that featured Lauro’s signature dish "Mussels in Cataplana". Martha’s adventurous version relied on heavy-duty foil and a hot grill – noting that "the method is really a modified hobo pack - Girl Scouts go to the Algarve.” Thank you Martha - nicely done.

Be Cool

Our wine list has always set out to offer great pours at a great price. We offer a unique selection of Mediterranean wines, some of which have been featured on our list since we opened. The 2005 Lugana, from Tenuta Maiolo, in Provenza, Italy is one such white. This Italian beauty is a table wine made from the Trebbiano grape and is produced in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy near Lake Garda.

Smooth and easy to drink, especially at this time of year, this Lugana compares favorably to a pinot gris in terms of flavor profile. Enjoy the light and refreshing quality of this wine paired with spicy dishes, seafood or lighter fare. The flavor is bright, with grassy notes, hints of pear and kiwi and opens up nicely as you relax and drink it in. Lugana is offered by the glass, half pitcher and pitcher.

view our wine list

School’s Out for Summer

In March of this year we launched a special dining event called Hungry for Knowledge created specifically to directly benefit the public schools in our community. This formalized approach means that kids, parents, neighbors and teachers can count on our support. From March through June four Southeast schools were featured - Abernethy, Sunnyside, Buckman and Winterhaven. On a monthly schedule, each enjoyed their own special evening at Lauro Kitchen where 20% of the dining proceeds went directly to schools. More than $3,000 was raised as classmates, families and neighbors gathered together for a delicious supper out and to bolster their much-loved schools and programs. Hungry for Knowledge is on summer break and will return in September to rally around 3 more Southeast schools. Stay tuned for details and please join us when Hungry for Knowledge is back in session!

Lauro Kitchen is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Complimentary parking is available in our private lot on the west side of the building. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please try to arrive early to insure a table for you and your party.

Salud,

David Machado Chef and Owner Lauro Kitchen