Jake’s Grill - Vintage American Classic

Jake's Grill, 611 S.W. 10th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205

Wherever I go, I search for uniqueness and most often am pleasantly surprised. Our recent visit to USA was no different. Once work got over we hunted for some exceptional place to enjoy a meal and while in Portland, Oregon we landed up at Jake's Grill, set in the style of the early 1900s, and located in the grandiose The Governor hotel on 10th Avenue.

Jake's Grill features ‘Classic American Grill' cuisine infused with north-western verve. One line in explanation would suffice here: entrees such as pot roast, sirloin steak, prime rib, pork chops, meat loaf and gravy and other classics dominate the menu, all complemented with a traditional bar. Here you will find the best steak in that part of northwest America - tender Filet Mignon, USDA Prime Top Sirloin, New York Steak and of course, the best fresh seafood.

As we settled down at our table, we could not but exclaim that the spot packs plenty of appeal, much of which rests on its distinctively classy, turn-of-the-20th-century look that seems to be taken off from the interiors of the plush Titanic!

I could say the ambience at Jake's Grill is stately, especially the dining area with its unique inlaid, mosaic floor. A friendly waiter offered this bit of history when I wondered aloud about the beauty of the mosaic floor. I was informed that when the Governor Hotel was designed in 1909, the architect had embellished it with terracotta and even fixed terracotta figures of men and women on the roof. He installed a mosaic floor and onyx wainscoting in the lobby. In the intervening years, part of the mosaic floor was buried under seven layers of carpet, but then in 1992, when renovations were going on, it was restored and two years later when Jake's Grill was established, this part of the 'restored- to-its-original-brilliance' floor became the floor of Jake's Grill.

We were then handed over the daily menu. And immediately chose to order an appetiser: Angel Thin Onion Rings (thinly sliced onion rings with barbeque sauce) (US$ 5.90), and Jake's Seafood Sampler with shrimp, oysters, crab and crawfish (US$ 8.70). Crayfish, also called crawfish or crawdad, are closely related to the lobster. Of the 500 species of crawfish more than half occur in North America! We followed it up with Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (US$ 4.90) to munch on while we waited for the main course: Double Cut Lamb Chops with Mint Demi-Glace (US$ 29.85). It is interesting to share how demi-glace is made: heat olive oil with trimmings from lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Brown the fat, and add minced garlic, onion, carrots, celery leaves, port, red wine, and chicken broth. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker, and simmer on low for eight hours or overnight to reduce it by one tenth! Strain the mixture and mix in spearmint, rosemary and mint jelly, and let it simmer, adding more port, wine, or broth as needed, until the mixture leaves a syrup-like coating on the back of a spoon. Strain once more, and keep warm while lamb roasts. And we never stopped to think about just a sauce! We were sure about what to order from the seafood section: Northwest Mixed Seafood Grill (US$ 21.85) with salmon, halibut and crab cake. And Alyona preferred to try out the Jake's Grill Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables and Gravy (US$ 10.75) also. Both delivered more than we expected.

And as we were gently ushered out after finishing the meal, the thought stayed with me: I have really tasted something that is timeless, enduring and American Classic.