The main courses, apart from a forceful rack of lamb with a cooling antipode of smoked yogurt, are more obvious and less exciting, like a diffident halibut or heavy ricotta-and-spinach gnudi.
Writing in The Oregonian, Steve Duin commented that he appreciated the lists published in the magazine: "Because I'm addicted to lists – and the bigger the better – the best part of my month is the morning that copy of Portland Monthly lands like a wounded halibut on my desk".
Although asked how we would like our halibut, duck breast, pork chop and salmon, our selections arrived seriously overcooked.
Top with a halibut fillet, seared-side up.
The first entree listed was a halibut with mashed potatoes.
For a halibut ceviche, firm, buttery cubes of halibut are marinated in fresh lemon juice.
The musky, penetrating flavor of licorice root is a like a sexy perfume, applied with a delicate touch to a pristine block of East Coast halibut.
Franco liked his grilled halibut, which was encased in a sort of pesto ("soft herb crust") on bacon and scallion cakes, the main ingredient, potatoes, being understood.
More straightforward fare, like roasted halibut on a bed of potatoes, is included, and there are sidebars on sangria, paella and how to plan a tapas party.
It's all a little too much for a timid fish like halibut, but bite after bite, I kept wanting to give the experiment a second chance.
