Celebrate the Holidays New Orleans-Style at Acadia in Portland

 

Located in the Sabin/Irvington neighborhood of Portland, Acadia has been serving modern American cuisine rooted in Louisiana food traditions since 2001.  The restaurant uses locally-grown fruits, vegetables and meats, as well as exclusively wild caught seafood from the Gulf coast and Pacific Northwest. 

Once again, Acadia Bistro chef/owner Seamus Foran is continuing the restaurant’s long-standing tradition of hosting Christmas Eve Réveillion Dinner and a rousing New Year’s Eve.  Derived from the 18^th century Creole tradition, “réveillon” comes from the French word for “awakening” and refers to a late night/early morning meal served after midnight mass on Christmas Eve.  Hungry families returning from church services would feast on a sumptuous meal that had been laid out in advance.  Acadia has been hosting a Réveillion Dinner since 2004 and remains a popular option for diners who want to enjoy time out with family and friends, without getting the kitchen dirty.

For both evenings, the set menus consist of four courses of traditional Cajun and Creole dishes, as well as updated classics.  Acadia’s Réveillion Dinner will be served from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 24^th.  The cost is $70 per guest, and reservations are strongly recommended. 

Save room for Bread Pudding!

Acadia’s Réveillion Dinner 

Menu:

Lagniappe
Crawfish Deviled Egg

First Course (choice of):


Hushpuppies with orange horseradish marmalade

Louisiana style BBQ shrimp

Local Chanterelle Mushroom Toast with smoked onion relish and fresh herbs

Cornmeal Fried Willapa Bay Oysters with miso-remoulade 

Second Course (choice of):


Field Greens Salad with creole mustard vinaigrette and crumbled egg

Apple Salad with frisee, feta, roasted beets and orange bourbon vinaigrette

Acadian Gumbo with andouille, blue crab, gulf shrimps, crawfish and okra

Louisiana Snappin’ Turtle Soup with sherry and hard cooked egg 

Entrée Course (choice of):


Grilled NY Striploin with horseradish whipped potatoes, truffle butter, and jus de veau

Confit Duck Leg with cornmeal waffle, winter chicories and red chili honey

Gulf Shrimp Madeleine with watercress and fried onion

Almond Crusted Seabream with delicata squash, blue crab, mandarins and brown butter vinaigrette

Goat Cheese Gnocchi with brown butter fried sage, chanterelle mushrooms, toasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted carrot puree 

Dessert Course (choice of):


Vanilla Bean Bread pudding with toasted pecans and salted whiskey caramel sauce

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with brown butter sea salt ice cream and ganache

Rainbow Carrot Cake with sweet cinnamon chèvre, and candied pepitas

New Year's Eve at Acadia

On Sunday, December 31st, the little Bistro starts rocking again with a special New Year’s Eve multi-course dinner commencing at 5:00 p.m. until the ball drops.  The cost is $60 per guest, reservations strongly recommended.  Menu:

Lagniappe

Smoked Tomato Soup

First (choice of):

Hush Puppies orange-horseradish marmalade

Louisiana BBQ Shrimp lemon, butter, black pepper and rosemary

Chanterelle Mushroom & Onion Toast balsamic charred cipollini, fresh herbs

Cornmeal Fried Willapa Bay Oysters with red curry cream and cucumbers

Second (choice of):

Field Greens Salad crumbled egg and creole mustard vinaigrette

Roasted Beet Salad arugula, baby kale, pomegranate seeds, lemon vinaigrette and whipped chèvre

Cajun Country Gumbo with chicken and andouille sausage

Third (choice of):

Braised Beef Brisket with “round-up” beans and smoked onion relish

Fried Louisiana Catfish with spinach Madeleine dressing, ginger-orange aioli, watercress

Smoked Pork Cheeks with white cheddar grits, bourbon peach jam, and mint gremolata

Louisiana Gulf Shrimp with crawfish stuffing, smoked tomato butter, and celery root remoulade

Goat Cheese Gnocchi with apples, sage, chanterelle mushrooms, pecans and roasted carrot puree

Dessert (choice of):

Bread Pudding with bourbon caramel sauce, pecans, whipped cream

Chocolate Pot de Crème

Carrot Cake with sweet-cinnamon chèvre, pepitas

As the restaurant will be serving only the set menus on these evenings and seating is limited, reservations are recommended.  Call (503) 249-5001 to reserve seats.

About Acadia

Acadia is located at 1303 NE Fremont St. in Portland.  For reservations, please call (503) 249-5001.  www.acadiapdx.com.

Note: Information provided by Heather Jones Consulting and posted as a courtesy.

Taxes done? Head to Portland's Acadia Bistro for Cheap Eats

Louisiana White Shrimp Creole ~ image by Charles Campos

To ease the pain that the Tax Man brings every April 15th, Acadia Bistro chef/owner Seamus Foran will be offering his “Cheap Eats” menu on Friday, April 15th and Saturday, April 16th.

Normally a part of the Monday night menu, the Cheap Eats entrées are $12 each and consist of:

Cornmeal-Fried Louisiana Catfish with black eyed pea stew and jicama-salsify slaw

Cajun Jambalaya with smoked chicken, andouille sausage, house-made Tasso and smoked tomato relish


Louisiana White Shrimp Creole with black kale, button mushrooms, spinach and English peas


Slow Simmered Red Beans & Rice with choice of house andouille sausage –OR–smoked chicken Cup of Red Beans and Rice, Cup of Gumbo and a Cup of Jambalaya

All entrees can be made into a 3-course dinner with a house salad and bread pudding for $25.  The regular a la carte dinner menu will also be available. 

Whether guests in a mood to drown financial sorrows or spend their refund on an extra round, bar director Charles Campos will complement the fare with some new spring cocktails such as “Suzy Q,” a gin-based concoction spiked with the sweet-tartness of rhubarb marmalade.

Dinner service is from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. and reservations are recommended.  Call (503) 249-5001 to reserve seats.

1303 NE Fremont St

Portland, Oregon

Portland's Acadia New Orleans Bistro: Warm up with Amazing Gumbos

Acadia New Orleans Bistro
Warm destination on a rainy evening

How about a little Cajun/Creole comfort food? As our weather starts to migrate into chillier temperatures, Acadia chef/owner Seamus Foran’s mind turns to gumbo.  In honor of the famous Treme Gumbo Festival that takes place in New Orleans this time of year, Seamus has created a flight of gumbos for November 13-14th.  The flight will include:

Seafood Gumbo – Acadia’s "go-to" gumbo, made with a dark roux, which provides a depth of flavor that gumbo is known for, balanced out by a combination of shellfish and chicken stock. This is THE New Orleans gumbo.  Acadia will serve its seafood gumbo with shrimp, crawfish and Louisiana blue crab.

Cajun Gumbo – This is a style of gumbo popular in the southwestern region of Louisiana, which is more of a thick tomato-based stew. Occasionally seafood will be included but more a more typical recipe (and the one chef Seamus will use) will feature chicken and Andouille sausage.

Gumbo Z'herbs – This was a version of gumbo that grew in popularity with the Catholic population of southern Louisiana. Served during the Lent, this version traditionally contained no meat, though ironically it did involve a stock made from smoked ham hocks. Z'herbs is made with any kind of green leaf-like vegetable one can find: kale, mustard greens, collards, chards, turnip/carrot/beet/radish tops, cabbage, lettuces and spinach can all be used. As Lenten restrictions lightened in the past few generations, this dish lost popularity. But they are bringing it back!

We stopped in to Acadia on NE Fremont to see if these gumbos lived up to the luscious descriptions. It was my first visit to Acadia, a pleasant neighborhood restaurant with a contemporary vibe. It was raining and we ducked in the door and sat by the window enjoying the last light of day. We perused the wine list which offered both local and international wines.

I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a full tasting menu starting with Acadia’s Louisiana BBQ Shrimp, luscious large head-on shrimp swimming in a Cajun pepper sauce. No wonder this shrimp dish has such a following! We enjoyed a glass of Oregon wine and warmed up with the zesty shrimp and ample French bread to take care of any remaining sauce!

When the second course arrived… an arugula salad with mustard greens, thinly sliced gala apples, kohlrabi, pecans and Portland Creamery goat cheese… I was developing admiration for Chef Seamus’ dedication to out-of-the-garden fresh and locally sourced creations.

When the Gumbo Flight was served I reminisced about my times on the Gulf Coast and the hole-in-the-wall local seafood places, often near the shrimp boat docks, where we found gumbos and jambalayas with a spicy red sauce. The Cajun Country Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo brought me right back to those days. That was my favorite of the three gumbos we tasted. However, all were excellent with multiple layers of flavors.

When we were served the dessert, a hearty, sweet vanilla bean bread pudding with salted whiskey caramel sauce, I knew Acadia was the type of place that took great care with their offerings and their service.

It was a great first experience.  We left the restaurant to return to the damp night air feeling warm inside and marveling at the cuisine we had encountered… perfect for a rainy Portland day.

Whether you are in the mood for a taste of the Gulf Coast or just want to experience a special Portland neighborhood restaurant, a visit to Acadia should be in your plans this season.

Their Gumbo Weekend is a great excuse to make that reservation for November 13^th and 14^th , Friday or Saturday.  The Gumbo Flight will be available for $16, and a la carte portions for $10 each. And, if you miss this fun event, you’ll always find some gumbos on the menu. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

More Information
Acadia: A New Orleans Bistro
1303 NE Fremont St. Portland, OR

503.249.5001

Note: As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with a meal for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.