Portland News to Chew: October 2015

Clyde Common's Carlo Lamagna
Image: Benjamin Tepler
- Portland chefs took home top honors at Nicky USA’s Wild About Game cook-off. Eight different Seattle and Portland restaurants were represented, facing off in their preparations of water buffalo, rabbit, quail, and wild Hawaiian venison—all provided by Nicky’s USA. Carlo Lamagna of Clyde Common won best overall with his Rabbit Arroz Caldo, a dish featuring smoked rabbit leg, rabbit confit, lumpia, offal cracklin’, pickled ramp relish, garlic chips, and Valencia rice porridge. Le Pigeon’s Andrew Mace took home the People’s Choice award for his Chicken-Fried Quail with Smoked Foie Gras Pumpkin Pie.
- Throwing its hat in the ring with the likes of Delivery Dudes, Postmates, and Square’s Caviar, Amazon announced a food delivery service through its Amazon Prime Now app, available immediately. For now, Amazon’s PDX deliver zone is limited to the following zip codes: 97204, 97208, 97209, 97212, 97214, and 97232. Participating restaurants and groceries include Pok Pok, Sizzle Pie, New Seasons, Uwajimaya, and dozens more. Amazon guarantees delivery in under an hour, claiming they average 40 minutes in Seattle, Amazon’s test city. Just wait until they start using drones.
- The latest tenant has been announced for the soon-to-open Pine Street Market, and it’s a doozy: John Gorham (Toro Bravo, Tasty N’ Sons) will open Pollo Bravo, a tapas bar and rotisserie chicken shack, slated to open before the year is out. Expect a 17-seat cocktail bar, and whole, roasted chickens bathed in Spanish and Mexican seasonings. Gorham is the latest chef to dive into the Latin American roadside chicken shack concept, joining Pollo Norte and Hawthorne’s Chicken and Guns.
- Via Eater: Ken Norris, owner of Clutch Prime Sausagery and former chef at Riffle NW, has opened a new downtown food cart at the SW 9th and Alder pod. The mini Clutch Sausagery outpost serves a shortened list of his Timberland Town Center menu, offering stuffed dogs from "bacon cheeseburger" to "hot smoked rib." It's unclear whether his original location will continue to operate.