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Review This (Or, Is All Press Good Press?)
September 28, 2007

To be honest, I feel a bit angry, frustrated and somewhat betrayed. More than 18 months of hard work, money, blood, sweat and a loss of a more than few pounds and I get a “B-minus”? Working literally 70-plus hours a week, tasting everything—and I mean everything: food, wine, you name it—as it leaves the window, and I get a B-minus? Come on.

A review of Terroir came out in The Oregonian, the major daily newspaper here in Portland. Overall it was positive and it offered some helpful insights (as well as some bizarre comments), but its bottom-line rating for us was a B-minus.

Let’s cut to the chase. The good:

“The flavors can be a lot bigger than the plates.”

“The menu at Terroir is covered with numbers you don't usually see on upscale menus in Portland, numbers such as $5, $6 and $7. They're connected to dishes small in size but not in ambition.”

“The salmon pastrami flashes strong, smoky flavors, and two pâtés (game and chicken/rabbit) are meaty and inviting, benefiting from a rich and imaginative porcini mustard.”

“A couple of happy selections, labeled ‘Braised, Steamed and Fried,’ are manila clams steamed in white wine with fennel, lamb sausage, cilantro, chili and dried tomato, and Oregon ling cod fritters, which are crunchy outside and soft and inviting inside.”

“In ‘Innards, Offals and the Unexpected’—anything too unexpected in that context might be a veterinary concern--lamb sweetbreads with house-cured bacon is indeed unexpected. The sweetbreads are rich and faintly crisp, with a little edge from the bacon.”

“The setting is an inviting building and space, stone and glass making statements from the outside seating to the open kitchen. Terrior also may have the most dramatic restrooms around, with hand dryers of hurricane strength and Julia Child piped in through the ceiling.”

Yes, you read that right: They spelled the word “Terrior” instead of “Terroir.” Good thing they didn’t compare my attention to detail to their own editing expertise!

And now, the bad:

“... ambitions that sometimes hit and sometimes don't. When they don't--which happens more often than it should--you can tell yourself that it's only $7.”

“A section using a hot Spanish griddle called a plancha has more mixed results. Potato-crusted sablefish is rich and melting; it may be near impossible to mangle sablefish. But seared skate wing had a strange, discouraging aftertaste, and a chunk of top sirloin on corn-tomato salsa couldn't manage to be more than an unenhanced hunk of grilled beef.”

Impossible to mangle sablefish? Oh, and I guess a 100% pasture-raised, organic piece of beef needs added enhancement?

To be fair, they did “get it.” They did understand the what, why and how. They have motivated me to somehow get my passion and my staff’s expertise not only into the dinning room but also onto the plate, more.

All that being said, the interesting thing is that, as you might have expected, we were busy over the weekend. Yes, I care more about what my customers think and about their happiness than what a reviewer or blogger says. I had a guest come up to me over the weekend and say, “You are a lot better than a B-minus. I think I’ll write a letter.” More power to you, and you go, girlfriend!

Will the review help? Will it hurt? Does anyone really care? I don’t have the answers to any of those questions. I can only tell you how I feel, concentrate on the details and reiterate what I said a few postings back: “I do think the one key is flexibility. Know when to bob, when to weave, when to back off and when to make the gutsy move.”

And the journey continues.

Cheers!

Stu

Comments or questions? E-mail Chef Stu at StuStein@rimag.com.

Posted by Stu Stein on September 28, 2007 | Comments (0)