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Anyone been going to the place in NW on a Monday? I live right next door to the soon to open restaurant on SE 28th.
Ken's Artisan Pizza MERGED
#3
ExtraMSG 
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Posted 27 January 2006 - 03:05 PM
Welcome to the site.
Check out this thread:
http://www.portlandfood.org/modules.php?na...viewtopic&t=249
Check out this thread:
http://www.portlandfood.org/modules.php?na...viewtopic&t=249
The greatest service chemistry has rendered to alimentary science, is the discovery of osmazome, or rather the determination of what it was. ~Brillat-Savarin
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
#7
Perkeo
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Posted 11 June 2006 - 11:20 AM
Howdy all, brand new here though I've been checking out this sight for awhile. Anyway, was just wondering if anyone had any info on the new Ken's Artisan Pizza which looks like it'll be opening soon on the corner of 28th and SE Pine - they've got what looks to be a wood burning oven in there and it all seems just about ready to go. Anyone heard anything?
#8
Perkeo
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Posted 11 June 2006 - 12:08 PM
Perkeo, on Jun 11 2006, 12:20 PM, said:
Howdy all, brand new here though I've been checking out this sight for awhile. Anyway, was just wondering if anyone had any info on the new Ken's Artisan Pizza which looks like it'll be opening soon on the corner of 28th and SE Pine - they've got what looks to be a wood burning oven in there and it all seems just about ready to go. Anyone heard anything?
Just noticed the info on Ken's in the pizza discussion thread, oops
. Still, if anyone knows an opening date I'm all ears, or eyes, or...something.
#9
ExtraMSG
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Posted 11 June 2006 - 04:40 PM
Welcome to the site, Perkeo. I'd suggest just calling Ken's Artisan Bakery up and asking them. Then you can tell us. From the way it looks, my guess is sometime in July. It's definitely coming along quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if they got it going this month, but there's always red tape and hoops that have to be jumped through after all the construction is finished.
From the way it looks, my guess is sometime in July. It's definitely coming along quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if they got it going this month, but there's always red tape and hoops that have to be jumped through after all the construction is finished.
The greatest service chemistry has rendered to alimentary science, is the discovery of osmazome, or rather the determination of what it was. ~Brillat-Savarin
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
#10
Leonardo
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Posted 01 July 2006 - 01:21 PM
I can't wait! SE 28th & Pine.
However, I never did make it to pizza night at his NW 21st location. Any impressions, anyone?
However, I never did make it to pizza night at his NW 21st location. Any impressions, anyone?
Homer, upon seeing an ear of corn at a market: "Interesting...it reminds me of a corndog, only without the dog!"
Thanks to http://kawaiinot.com/icons.php for the avatar.
Thanks to http://kawaiinot.com/icons.php for the avatar.
#11
John DePaula
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Posted 01 July 2006 - 03:01 PM
Leonardo, on Jul 1 2006, 02:21 PM, said:
I can't wait! SE 28th & Pine.
However, I never did make it to pizza night at his NW 21st location. Any impressions, anyone?
However, I never did make it to pizza night at his NW 21st location. Any impressions, anyone?
Some impressions here--> Ken's Artisan Pizza
--------------------
You cannot legislate compassion into your fellow man (or woman, as the case may be), but we should at least attempt to create a society in which each individual has the opportunity to realize his or her potential. If we meet our citizens' needs for Health Care and Education, everything else will take care of itself. --Me
You cannot legislate compassion into your fellow man (or woman, as the case may be), but we should at least attempt to create a society in which each individual has the opportunity to realize his or her potential. If we meet our citizens' needs for Health Care and Education, everything else will take care of itself. --Me
#12
ExtraMSG
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Posted 01 July 2006 - 03:03 PM
Thanks for the heads up. I guess the question is should I get in early and see how they're doing with the new oven or wait until they've gone through a baptism of wood fire.
The greatest service chemistry has rendered to alimentary science, is the discovery of osmazome, or rather the determination of what it was. ~Brillat-Savarin
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
#13
ExtraMSG
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Posted 06 July 2006 - 12:27 AM
Was in town already so decided to go for the opening tonight. Got there about 5:15pm and were the third table seated. By six the place was packed, but I never saw a line.
It's a very nice open room with the wood oven in the center right, a bar perfect for single diners across from that serving beer and wine. The wood oven is truly wood, logs burning in a tall pile in the back.
We ordered a trio of roasted veggies ($12): asparagus, lemon and forestini olive oil; zucchini, mint, and grana padano; walla walla onions, agrodolce, and baby greens. Only the zucchini were warm at all (by design). They all tasted excellent. Lots of flavor, but simple and balanced. The asparagus were perfectly cooked, although we did get one bad end, seemed accidental, among the full spears. They were accented nicely with the lemon, slightly salted, and enriched by the olive oil. The zucchini was probably our favorite. The mint added such an interesting flavor that I wouldn't have expected to be so good with the pungent, salty cheese. The onions were drizzled heavily with the agrodolce, providing an intense sweet and sour flavor that worked really well with the slightly bitter greens and slightly sweet onions. Not a giant portion at $12, but fair. If you're looking for a value, the caesar, which I've had several times at Ken's bakery, is pretty big, especially for only $7.
We overdid it with a pizza each ($10 for my wife's, $12 for mine). I got the soppressata and my wife got the margherita. Mine came out 5 or 10 minutes earlier, a minor mistake by the kitchen that our primary server noticed and made extra effort to rectify. I think it would be a mistake to let the pizzas wait. Every second out of the oven their fabulousness diminishes. But the interesting thing was that the quality of the crusts were meaningfully different. Mine, which was one of the earliest pies cooked at the restaurant, was damned near perfect. It had a nice mild char around the edges and a nice crispness with charred spots underneath. Not soggy or doughy at all. The flavors were very balanced, though note they are light with the toppings so those that prefer a more American pie with more cheese and stuff and find the pizzas at Nostrana too sparse may want to go elsewhere. The crust had a nice smokiness to it and a bit of tang. The light toppings allow this to come through. btw, I think the sauce was milder than what I've had at the bakery. It seems less sweet and intense. Given the quality of the crust, I think that's a good thing.
My wife's pizza was good as well, but the crust wasn't as cooked. It was still charred nicely around the edges, but the bottom wasn't done as much as it should be and was too soft and almost doughy. It made the pizza much floppier and soggier, too. Looking around, it seemed like a lot of the pizzas were coming out that way. My wife didn't mind, but I was much happier with mine. You can see comparisons:
MINE
HERS
The desserts sounded really nice, so we each got one. I got the trio of gelato/sorbetto: cherry, vanilla, raspberry. All three had great flavors, very intense and not overly sweet. In fact, the raspberry probably could be sweeter. The vanilla was a little grainy, but not icy at all. The cherry was a little stiff, maybe. I'm being really picky here, though.
My wife got the roasted apricots with pistachios, honey, moscato, and mascarpone. (Each of these were $6.) This probably sounded better than it came out. The apricots were served room temperature, which we were told when we ordered them. But they didn't seem roasted enough, no caramelization, not very soft. They were also really tart. Too tart, probably not fully ripe. This could have been balanced by the honey, but the liquid coating the plate was pretty thin. Some straight honey drizzled over the top could have improved the dish a lot. The mascarpone wasn't sweetened at all, I don't think, so with the honey being really light, the apricots tart, and the cream unsweetened, the dish needed more sweetness for balance. Taking a bit of everything you really got hit with the apricot's tartness up front and then were left with the nutty, slight bitterness of the pistachios. A very good concept, but it just didn't quite come together.
A very good meal overall, though, and if they can get the pizza to come out like mine every time they'll be arguably even, I think, in quality to Apizza Scholls, just with a different style. Then it's just a matter of palate which you prefer. I'd sure like to know how many other cities west of the Appalachians are so lucky.
A couple pictures:
It's a very nice open room with the wood oven in the center right, a bar perfect for single diners across from that serving beer and wine. The wood oven is truly wood, logs burning in a tall pile in the back.
We ordered a trio of roasted veggies ($12): asparagus, lemon and forestini olive oil; zucchini, mint, and grana padano; walla walla onions, agrodolce, and baby greens. Only the zucchini were warm at all (by design). They all tasted excellent. Lots of flavor, but simple and balanced. The asparagus were perfectly cooked, although we did get one bad end, seemed accidental, among the full spears. They were accented nicely with the lemon, slightly salted, and enriched by the olive oil. The zucchini was probably our favorite. The mint added such an interesting flavor that I wouldn't have expected to be so good with the pungent, salty cheese. The onions were drizzled heavily with the agrodolce, providing an intense sweet and sour flavor that worked really well with the slightly bitter greens and slightly sweet onions. Not a giant portion at $12, but fair. If you're looking for a value, the caesar, which I've had several times at Ken's bakery, is pretty big, especially for only $7.
We overdid it with a pizza each ($10 for my wife's, $12 for mine). I got the soppressata and my wife got the margherita. Mine came out 5 or 10 minutes earlier, a minor mistake by the kitchen that our primary server noticed and made extra effort to rectify. I think it would be a mistake to let the pizzas wait. Every second out of the oven their fabulousness diminishes. But the interesting thing was that the quality of the crusts were meaningfully different. Mine, which was one of the earliest pies cooked at the restaurant, was damned near perfect. It had a nice mild char around the edges and a nice crispness with charred spots underneath. Not soggy or doughy at all. The flavors were very balanced, though note they are light with the toppings so those that prefer a more American pie with more cheese and stuff and find the pizzas at Nostrana too sparse may want to go elsewhere. The crust had a nice smokiness to it and a bit of tang. The light toppings allow this to come through. btw, I think the sauce was milder than what I've had at the bakery. It seems less sweet and intense. Given the quality of the crust, I think that's a good thing.
My wife's pizza was good as well, but the crust wasn't as cooked. It was still charred nicely around the edges, but the bottom wasn't done as much as it should be and was too soft and almost doughy. It made the pizza much floppier and soggier, too. Looking around, it seemed like a lot of the pizzas were coming out that way. My wife didn't mind, but I was much happier with mine. You can see comparisons:
MINE
HERS
The desserts sounded really nice, so we each got one. I got the trio of gelato/sorbetto: cherry, vanilla, raspberry. All three had great flavors, very intense and not overly sweet. In fact, the raspberry probably could be sweeter. The vanilla was a little grainy, but not icy at all. The cherry was a little stiff, maybe. I'm being really picky here, though.
My wife got the roasted apricots with pistachios, honey, moscato, and mascarpone. (Each of these were $6.) This probably sounded better than it came out. The apricots were served room temperature, which we were told when we ordered them. But they didn't seem roasted enough, no caramelization, not very soft. They were also really tart. Too tart, probably not fully ripe. This could have been balanced by the honey, but the liquid coating the plate was pretty thin. Some straight honey drizzled over the top could have improved the dish a lot. The mascarpone wasn't sweetened at all, I don't think, so with the honey being really light, the apricots tart, and the cream unsweetened, the dish needed more sweetness for balance. Taking a bit of everything you really got hit with the apricot's tartness up front and then were left with the nutty, slight bitterness of the pistachios. A very good concept, but it just didn't quite come together.
A very good meal overall, though, and if they can get the pizza to come out like mine every time they'll be arguably even, I think, in quality to Apizza Scholls, just with a different style. Then it's just a matter of palate which you prefer. I'd sure like to know how many other cities west of the Appalachians are so lucky.
A couple pictures:
The greatest service chemistry has rendered to alimentary science, is the discovery of osmazome, or rather the determination of what it was. ~Brillat-Savarin
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
#14
Amanda
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Posted 06 July 2006 - 05:47 AM
Looks wonderful. We'll have to give it a try sometime. Do you know if the bakery on 21st will still have pizza on Monday nights or has pizza now moved completely to this new location?
Best regards,
Amanda
Best regards,
Amanda
#15
sfspanky
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Posted 06 July 2006 - 07:46 AM
It is my understanding that they will continue to make Pizza at the bakery on Monday nights.
Thanks for the report, Nick. I am looking forward to trying the pizza at Ken's sometime soon, I hope.
Thanks for the report, Nick. I am looking forward to trying the pizza at Ken's sometime soon, I hope.
Brian Spangler
Apizza Scholls
Apizza Scholls
#16
wrapitinproscuitto
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Posted 06 July 2006 - 08:11 AM
does anyone know the hours?
thanks
thanks
#17
ExtraMSG
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Posted 06 July 2006 - 08:19 AM
Yes, we asked about the bakery and they will continue to do pizza Monday nights. The Ken's Artisan Pizza will be closed Mondays only and opens at 5pm, I believe. No lunch.
The greatest service chemistry has rendered to alimentary science, is the discovery of osmazome, or rather the determination of what it was. ~Brillat-Savarin
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
#19
ExtraMSG
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Posted 06 July 2006 - 10:33 AM
I'd be totally guessing. Perhaps all those pizzas on the stone made it lose heat so that while there was still enough ambient heat to cook the pie on top, the bottoms came out a bit undercooked? Perhaps they need to heat the oven for longer so the stones have more captured heat? I imagine this is the first time they've put that many pizzas through it that quickly.
btw, I did see a pizza or two go in the garbage. I wanted to scream, "Noooooooooo!" But it shows they do have a commitment to quality.
Also, while we didn't get them, maybe because our veggies came out really quickly, some other tables got bread which was essentially crusts cooked alone and nicely charred. I was jealous of the table next to us.
btw, I did see a pizza or two go in the garbage. I wanted to scream, "Noooooooooo!" But it shows they do have a commitment to quality.
Also, while we didn't get them, maybe because our veggies came out really quickly, some other tables got bread which was essentially crusts cooked alone and nicely charred. I was jealous of the table next to us.
The greatest service chemistry has rendered to alimentary science, is the discovery of osmazome, or rather the determination of what it was. ~Brillat-Savarin
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
Nick Zukin, Mi Mero Mole & Kenny & Zuke's
#20
sfspanky
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Posted 06 July 2006 - 10:49 AM
ExtraMSG, on Jul 6 2006, 11:33 AM, said:
I'd be totally guessing. Perhaps all those pizzas on the stone made it lose heat so that while there was still enough ambient heat to cook the pie on top, the bottoms came out a bit undercooked?
You hit the nail on the head, Nick. The hearth is going to be the toughest aspect for Ken's Artisan Pizza. Since you are relying on mostly ambient heat to reheat the hearth, it takes time to build the heat back up to proper temp. When it gets busy and you keep throwing pizza after pizza on the hearth, the hearth temp will plumet. We notice our hearth temp drop about 80º-100º F when we bake a pizza, but we have elements underneath the hearth that heat it back up quickly.
Brian Spangler
Apizza Scholls
Apizza Scholls
