Does anyone have a copy of that Chef's card for restaurants?

[sherahtaylor]

For Valentine's Day, DH & I are meeting his brother & sister (all three eat the SAD) at an expensive restaurant that sits on the top floor of a 30 story building overlooking the city. I'm looking forward to it - but - could use some help planning my meal. Here's a link to the menu:

http://www.portlandcitygrill.com/media/PCG%20Dinner.pdf

Obviously I'll probably get a salad & it looks like they have some interesting things, but I would love to get creative with it. Does anyone have that card for chefs that you can send back with the waiter, asking for a specially made salad?

[Rawkinlocs]

Here are a couple of threads that had what I believe you are looking for...not an actual card, per se, but the info that many use ON the card they make themselves:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4097&highlight=chef+card

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23667&highlight=chef+card

[Cinnamon]

Hi Sherah, I'd sure make up a card using the examples that Rawkinlocs posted but using the menu from the restaurant too. Going through the salad selections I made up a great salad in my mind requesting all the fresh goodies that were listed in various menu items. Include the cooked food dishes when looking at what you'd like to request, some of their seasonal veggies could most likely be served raw in your most special dinner salad!

Have fun and let us know how it goes!

[pdx kris]

Sherah,

Portland City Grill is awesome about accomodating anything you need. I wouldn't guess that you need to carry a card, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, by all means carry one!

I've eaten there many times and have always gotten exactly what I wanted with all of my additions, deletions, and substitutions. :) Their salads are fresh, full of delicious raw vegetables, and fabulous!

Also, their dressings aren't raw, but they are homemade.

[pdx kris]

Oh yeah, and they will make any of their salads into big, entree size salads for you.

[Apasaraw]

The spring rolls sans the chicken sound pretty good!

Looks like the menu features tropical fruits so they must have some raw in the back to make you a fruity concoction. Maybe a salad without the cheese and croutons too...some of the dressings look amazing! You'll be eating better than anyone in the house!

Have fun...give us a review. :)

[aubrey]

I made labels that I stick on a note card, and I keep a few in my purse. It reads,

"Dear Chef,
Hi, I am a raw vegan. I eat raw, uncooked and unprocessed fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. I don't eat anything marinated, roasted, or grilled. I was wondering if you could pretty please make me a big salad with all the uncooked veggies, nuts, and seeds you have back there? All I need is a little lemon and olive oil on the side for dressing!

Thanks so much for helping me to meet my dietary needs off menu! Have a great day!"

I also have some blank cards where I can just write in the ingredients I want in a salad from stuff on the menu, too, if the environment is more conducive to that. I have had great success with this.

[sherahtaylor]

Thanks - you guys have been a HUGE help!! The spring rolls DO sound yummy, but wouldn't they be deep fried, probably? I guess I could just ask. Thanks for all the tips - and especially PDX Kris - thanks a ton, I'm really looking forward to going now!! :D Is there something you found to be especially good? I went to McGraths' and had them make me a salad out of everything they had, and it tasted kind of bland. I suppose I could bring my own dressing, though.

[Rawkinlocs]

Not necessarily...sometimes spring rolls are just veggies, etc. wrapped either in thinly sliced cucumbers or in rice paper (probably not raw) fresh and not fried.

[pdx kris]

The last time I was there, I asked if they could make me an entree sized version of the baby greens salad, and add an assortment of any veggies that weren't grilled to it. I also mentioned that I would be happy to pay whatever they thought was a fair price. I think they ended up charging me 11 or 12 dollars.

I ended up with this huge, gorgeous salad with a big bed of greens and lots of beautifully prepared veggies on it - carrots, cucumbers, baby tomatos, and a few others that I am not recalling at the moment. :) I did have one of their vinegrettes which was delicious, though I don't think raw. If it's important to you to be raw down to the dressing, I can't imagine that they wouldn't bring you a side of olive oil and some lemon wedges, but their dressings are really delicious and prepared fresh daily in their kitchen. (Though it's doubtful their any olive oil you'd get in any restaurant would be raw, to be honest).

You'll definitely have to let me know how it goes! Bon apetit! :)

[sherahtaylor]

We're home! I wanted to share how my evening went, food-wise. I ordered the spring rolls as suggested and they were just okay - the Thai sauce was the best part, and probably wasn't raw. Oh well.

Then I gave them the little card I made up from reading on here - and I got the most delicious salad! I'm totally going ot make this more often, especially in the summer; I think it's my new favorite. :D

Baby greens, with mangos, strawberries, avocado - that's it! YUM - and I put a few drops of the balsamic vinaigerette dressing mixed with a macadamia nut/mango dressing they made up for me. Wish I could duplicate that one; it was yummy.

Then for dessert I asked for a bowl of strawberries and they sent out strawberries, blueberries, and marionberries - the strawberries were absolutely delicious. Then my brother in law said he's had them before, they put a little sugar on the tops and that's how they get so sweet. HUH?!! :eek: I hope not - they didn't taste THAT sweet to me, more like fresh strawberries straight from the field. Right now the ones we get in the store are like carbon copy clones of berries or something - lots of color, but no taste.

So I took part of my salad home with me and am finishing it now - I didn't feel deprived at all! Especially not with the others eating their filet mignon that was practically dripping blood - :eek: pretty gross. The only thing I was remotely tempted to eat was the good 'ol bread, but it really helps when your stomach is full.

[pdx kris]

Yay :) Happy Valentine's Day. :)