! Hashcapades

I’m honored to introduce Mary Rarick, one of my dear friends and the person who introduced me to Twitter! In her “nano-bio” Mary describes herself as “a Twitterholic and foodie who abides in the ‘burbs’ with her family. She can be found hawking books at SMObooks.com or cultivating social media conversations at BcauseMedia.com.” I just call her ÜberMary because she is exactly that and more! >>>

The first thing we noticed as we approached Besaw’s Sunday morning was a cluster of chatty people sipping steaming hot coffee from white porcelain cups, eagerly waiting for their names to be called. Fortunately, we didn’t linger in the crisp air long enough to sample from the complimentary coffee cart (a genius move by Besaw’s). Instead, our group of fifteen was quickly whisked past the waiting masses outside, through the main restaurant and into an enclosed, heated garden patio. Score!

No sooner were we comfortably seated around the equivalent of a family holiday table, than the cheerful, enthusiastic and could-have-been-a-Portlandia-extra “Mags” began taking our order. First the libations – mimosas, Bloody Marys and Besaw’s seasonal version of the mimosa, a house-made pear reduction and Champagne.  Yum!

Lively chatter ensued and the next thing we knew, heaping plates of steaming decadence were being placed in front of us. We attacked with much enthusiasm.

My place at the end of the large table means that, sadly, I have no idea what was ordered at the other end or how it was received. I can, however, speak for the diners at my end of the table.

The vast combination of colors and textures of Lindsay’s house-smoked wild salmon platter–which included salmon, bagel, beet-pickled egg, pickled vegetables, red onion, cream cheese and capers–made it one the two best-presented plates on the table.

The other, my friend Lizzy’s Croque Madame, was such a glorious sight to behold that I couldn’t stop gawking. Succulent layers of shaved ham between crunchy buttered Pullman brioche, drenched in Gruyère cheese sauce, and crowned with two over-medium eggs. What’s not to love?

The Prosciutto Scramble, a concoction of eggs, prosciutto di Parma, roasted garlic and Asiago cheese, was described as “perfect.”

When asked about her Eggs Benedict, Mari stated unequivocally, “They had me at prosciutto and sage. Perfect combo, perfect hollandaise, and perfect gluten-free buns. Two thumbs up.”

While I’ve enjoyed flakier homemade biscuits, I’ve never tasted a more savory sausage gravy.

Three members of the table ordered the pièce de résistance, the Farmer’s Hash – three eggs scrambled with rosemary potatoes, bacon, roasted garlic cloves, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, arugula and cheddar cheese. In Clark’s words: “I loved the roasted cloves of garlic and the arugula– very smart use of typically strong ingredients. The caramelized onions were sublime. Bits of bacon popped through to amp up the hash and complement the cheddar cheese.”

Besaw’s clearly lives up to their simple yet elegant ethos: providing delicious, seasonal and local food and drink, with genuine warmth of heart. >>>

Thanks, Über Mary! I couldn’t agree more with the “genuine warmth of heart” ethos, certainly the product of Cana Flug, Besaw’s owner. I had the extremely good fortune to meet her as we left the cozy patio, completely sated. I told her what a marvelous experience we had and to thank Taylor for accommodating us as the number of guests expanded almost daily! Finally, to Mags – you rock!

Happy Hashcapades,
Clark