Avignon is a small city in France with a long, rich history. Bar Avignon a small restaurant in Portland with a long wine list that includes many French wines. The food, fortunately, is fresh, local Northwest, which is much more to my liking than French food. I suppose that’s why the owners named it Bar Avignon and not Restaurant Avignon.
On this chilly, black November night, Bar Avignon’s warm, soft lighting welcomed diners. The wall of wine bottles and the chalkboard admonition -- “I will not drink bad wine. I will not drink bad wine. . . . [a la Bart Simpson] –- make patrons forget that BA serves liquor, too. Background music remained in the background, and did not force loud conversation. The long bar transects almost the entire space and with tables along the edge. The clientele consisted mostly of nice-looking people in their 30s through 50s.
The food menu, although somewhat short, made our choices difficult, especially after we had a chance to see what others were eating. The delicious-sounding “Autumn vegetables with fig-hazelnut salsa” did not disappoint. The seared tuna with white bean puree was very tasty, but, even for a small plate, was VERY small. The entrees, however, are full-portioned and all looked good. BA offers one of each basic category: chicken, pork, pasta, beef, and seafood. We shared the chicken, which was moist and flavorful.
A thumbs up for Bar Avignon.
No comments:
Post a Comment