there were highs, there were lows, but there was pool!. i acknowledge that i am a strongly opinionated person who wants what i want, and who wants it to be a good experience. as such, i am always hesitant to go to any dining establishment where the chef is selecting my food and courses in a prix fixe situation. when you are such a personality type, and have a spouse that does not eat meat, it is nearly impossible to pull off this type of eating adventure with positive overall results.
having said this, we were enticed by friend to dine at the uptown billiard club (ubc) for their recent tasting menu of regional cuisines of mexico. we gave in because we felt we could swap around some of the dishes and make the whole thing work. ubc also has a complete menu of other food items. if you have never been there before, you should note that the upstairs dining establishment has a very nice physical setting, with very energetic, polite, and helpful reception and waiting staff. there is a positive, "happening" vibe from the bar and billiard/pool table area. the adjacent dining area is more subdued and suited to the 'grey beards" such as yours truly. the tasting course effort is adventurous and reflects the kitchen staff's clearly expressed desire to be unique, impress, and put out good food. as expected, there were some home runs, some base hits, and some strike 3's! the cost of the tasting menu this night was $30.00 per person, or $44.00 per person with alcohol pairings. there are no substitutions allowed, so you eat through the menu as the chef decrees. i begin to tense a bit upon this imparted knowledge.
the tasting affair commenced with a first course of ceviche de vera cruz, a cold dish of citrus cooked snapper and bay shrimp, surrounded and topped by avocado, radishes, plantain chips and a dash of chili oil. this was a sound dish that effectively got the meal rolling. it was very fresh and clean tasting. it was matched with a margarita de kentucky club, that had more to do with a bar with kentucky in the name than bourbon, as we originally speculated. tasty drink! the second course of a northern mexican tamale had us heading back to the dug out after striking out. this dish was the weakest of the evening. the masa was not just right. unusually crispy on the outside and pasty, raw dough on the inside, accompanied by two sauces that honestly didn't seem to heighten the overall flavor profile. there was no fluffy, meat stuffed goodness of a properly steamed, husk wrapped tamale. the devil garden cocktail was on point with a slightly spicy tequila-ness. at this point, i ordered the non-meat eater some of the crab cakes off the regular menu. they appeared to be more like fried crab meatballs, but they were absolutely delicious regardless of their shape. this was a fine appetizer dish.
the third course was a chile relleno de pueblo, which probably would not be found in mexico. it was a tasty, fried bit of stuffed mild chile, that did not have the cheesy, pepper kick of the battered, saucy chile rellenos we have come to love. but, if these morsals were on a party platter being passed around, you would probably dip back for seconds... or even thirds. the pomegrante sangrita was the best drink of the evening, and a few extras of this beverage were ordered. the fourth or main course was tres platos (3 plates), and was all over the ballpark. the bean tosada was pretty banal, the carne asada was very good, but devoid of the typical mexican spice and citrus application, and the veggies surrounding were nicely done. the scary part of the dish was the chicken mole, which our very capable server proudly indicated was made by the chef in just 10 minutes! really! a great mole sauce has around 30 ingredients that are toasted, roasted, bashed, chopped, combined, strained, and simmered for hours and hours. if you want a short cut, buy a jar. as expected, the mole sauce was just ok, and tasted way short of the complex, delicate sauce that is the treasure from southwest mexico. the sauce enveloped dark meat chicken legs and/or thighs that certainly were past their moist period. a negra modela beer was served here, and if you haven't tasted this beer, run out and get a 6 pack...you will be hooked! the final dessert course was little baby churros nuggets dusted with sugar and cinnamon (outstanding), flan with a strangely bitter dulce de leche sauce (acquired taste), and a shot of horchata, a sweet, rice drink (can i say, yummo!). a further shot of kahlua was provided as the pairing drink (always good).
the dining process took a couple of hours and was an enjoyable way to spend time dining and conversing with friends. there was no feel of the usual portland saturday night crush, with lines of people waiting to take your table. after much analysis, i felt ubc was on balance a positive dining experience, but that i would probably not go back very soon for one of their continual tasting menus dedicated to a particular ingredient or theme. i want the selection power back in my grubby, little hands. drinks and a game of pool would certainly be a stronger draw for me.