Finally dinner is not from a sheet pan. Thank you Scales Restaurant. By this I mean if I’m bombarded anymore by the constellation of sheet pan cookery from the New York Times cooking app, it might be time to put my subscription on hold. That’s not to say that I haven’t experienced good recipes there–and I refer to them often–but there’s’ more to cooking at home than throwing everything together on a sheet pan. I even went so far as to get one of those super-sized sheet pans to ease that nightly barrage of home cooking, interrupted by the occasional take-out meal.
Scales opened a few weeks ago after their winter break, and the place is as good as ever. The hustle and bustle vibe of dining out was great to experience. Tables are far enough apart to maintain pandemic distance rules. And go there and other places too as soon as we all get vaxxed up and life begins to resume to normal.
The food was as good as ever. The service was seriously superb. And the entire experience was nearly flawless. I’m always surprised, however, that Scales isn’t lauded in the same way in the national press clippings that hang over our city like Christmas tinsels. The executive chef who oversees all of Dana Street’s restaurants, Fred Elliot, is one of the most accomplished chefs in Portland.
Scallop crudo served on the shell
