Portland Butch: Laurelhurst Market
July 29th, 2009
Dreaming of charcoal...
I met up with Ben Dyer of Laurelhurst Market mid-day on a weekday late last month. I was working on a story all about Portland’s new wave of meatmen for the local alt. weekly Willamette Week and I did double duty asking him questions about his newest meaty venture for my book as well. Laurelhurst Market opened this spring and business has been booming for the butcher shop/restaurant since. Ben and his partners formerly owned Viande Meat Market in City Market in Northwest Portland and are the current owners of Simpatica Catering and Dining Hall.
I felt kind of bad when I joined him at the bar because he’d just sat down for lunch and hadn’t yet taken a bite of his sandwich. I asked him to please eat but he wouldn’t and so during the entire interview we both eyed his housemade roast beef, pickled red onion, zuke pickle, butter lettuce, cheddar and fresh grated horseradish sandwich on Fleur de Lis multi-grain that he’d made. It was difficult.
It was kind of like when you look at something in the bright sun and then look away and the image of that object imprints itself on everything you look at. As I drove home that afternoon I saw roast beef sandwiches with fresh grated horseradish on Music Millenium’s door, the Laurelhurst Theater marquee, at the entrance to Foti’s Greek Deli and walking with some sort of death wish right down the middle of the road.
During the day the butcher shop sells sandwiches — choose your own fillings as well as several daily specials. Most sandwich ingredients are prepared in house including from scratch deli meats, pickled vegetables and soon-to-be housemade cheeses. Although you can’t eat them in the dining room (dinner service only) there are a few covered tables in front of the building.
With four full time employees the butcher shop also sells housemade pates and rillettes, pancettas, foie gras torchon, bacon, andouille, tasso, deli meats, and sausages. In the case whole meats usually include Piedmontese air cured beef and local pork (two of the biggest sellers) chicken, rabbit, buffalo and lamb. There’s also usually one or two items made somewhere else such as hot or sweet sopressata from Claudio’s in Philadelphia.
There’s so much going on at LM that’s it’s hard to know what to include. Some of my favorite things include this…
The case may be small but it packs a lot in.
This…
Air cured, grass fed Piedmontese beef from Montana
And this…
Look up and you'll see what you've been missing on the board. Sorry it's a little blurry.
My favorites from the restaurant so far are the marrow bones and the steak frites.
Laurelhurst Market
3155 East Burnside
503.206.3097
www.laurelhurstmarket.com
August 4th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
They are just the greatest over at LM. We were just in on Friday and had the Crispy Pork Belly sandwich with a side of Mac N’ Cheese. Next time you are in LM, it is absolutely divine.
August 4th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
That sounds like a Portland food dream come true! Next time I go to LM I know what I’m getting.
I still haven’t been by your renovated space. I ate at Genies the other day and wanted to stop by after but lunch ran too late. Next time. What Foxfire Teas are amazing right now? I’ve been cutting back on coffee and drinking more tea lately.
August 5th, 2009 at 9:30 am
I’ve been drinking a ton of Kama Black Assam tea lately. It is a XXL leaf assam which you don’t see very often. It is nice hot and iced.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Sounds great! I’ll be by soon. Thanks Quinn.
August 19th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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