Bluehour

and I .... am the paying customer. a customer whom finds this establishment overrated. that is unless you are what they consider ""someone"" ?? more

We just moved from San Francisco to Portland and decided to celebrate our move at Bluehour (08/25/07), to our entire disappointment things went wrong, from the wine list to the unspeakable ungenuine manager, she was very untrue to this type of business and it did not feel very natural at all. Let me say that being a restaurateur for 14 years allows me to see things that customers will pick on. \r On another hand I command Chef Kenny for his food, really amazing but unfortunately other aspects of the business lacks immensely.\r more

I've been to couple swanky restaurants in bigger metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and New York City and I was surprised to find a restaurant of this caliber in P-town. I love the techno music and atmosphere of this restaurant! The executive chef, Kenny, at this restaurant did a fantastic job of creating a mediterranean inspired fusion food. The pasta of the day was very good. The french fries with bone marrow was to die for!!! This place would be a great place to take an out of town friend or company for a special night out. more

my recent trip to bluehour was a treat as always. nothing is better that a post-work hangout on that deck, a glass of rose in one hand and an oyster in the other. you don't have to be fancy, in fact the crowd and the menu is really diverse. you just have to want to treat yourself. \r \r the other night we started with some brut rose, then on to oysters, then totally splurged on the almost ridiculous caviar tea sandwich- which after we got over the fact that it was the size of a postage stamp - was so simple and artful and delicious. then after much debate, we settled into dinner - we had the chicken with bread salad, normally i follow the golden rule- NEVER pay for chicken when dining out- but- this was the perfect summer evening meal, crispy- smokey and tender on top of an extra fresh basil tomato and bread salad. my friend had the pork - which i was instantly jealous of, it say atop a pool of creamed corn that managed to keep its kernels crisp and cream sweet and light. lovely. The service was as always both personable and professional, although they are constantly and magically whisking crumbs off your tablecloth- they also somehow manage to smile and chat (but not too much). The dining room was packed and alive. Thank god for bluehour, in a town that bathes itself in mediocrity, bluehour continues to be a standout. Pros: classic, classy, happy hour, the deck, the staff Cons: packed friday nights more

Bluehour never lets me down. I have been dining there for almost 7 years and the food is always amazing. To beat summer's heat have a bottle of champagne (or try a selection by the glass) and order oysters. You will not be disappointed. Pros: Great Service, Delicious Food and attractive staff more

My husband and I just went to Bluehour for the first time. Right off the bat, we had some misgivings. They had a very extensive wine list, but there were many bottles marked as ""Sold Out"". When we reailzed that this was included almost all bottles below $100, we were a little leary. We finally settled on their only Austrailian wine, which took them 15 minutes to find in the back. Our waiter apologized for the wait, but you can't help hearing ominous horns at that point. From there, we were very pleased with the appetizers. My husband had the salmon tartar, while I had the gnocchi with truffle oil, and both were excellent. We were beginning to think that the wine list was an anomoly and looked forward to the rest of the meal. For the main course, my husband had a very poor steak dish, while I had a barely passable veal chop. Considering they each cost over $40 each, we were expecting much better quality. The desserts were passable, with a servicable chocolate cake and peach galotte. The service overall was not very attentive, and we generally poured our own wine. The table next to us waited 10 minutes after being seated before they went to the maitre d station to get someone to take their drink order. With the bill, we learned that the ""free"" valet parking noted on this site was not free after all. They just stuck the $6 on the bill. Overall, not a great experience, and it is highly unlikely that we will ever go back. Pros: Appetizers, location, nice ambiance Cons: Main courses, price, wine list more

My parents were visiting from New York with another couple and we decided to try Bluehour as it is reputed to be one of the best restaurants in Portland. Warning: do not believe the hype! We were sorely disappointed. On a Friday night, they had run out of two of the five entrees which is unacceptable. Especially considering that one of the entrees was steak. How do you run out of steak on a Friday night? When the food finally did arrive, it was completely sub par. The veal was mealy--$42 dollars for a hunk of mealy veal! My skate was soggy with butter and adorned with some unimpressive yucon potatos that had the consistency and flavor of cardboard. My mother's chicken was so bad she didn't even finish it. I can't remember what the others had because it was so disappointing that everyone sat there in silence--not wanting to ruin the mood of the affair until we could gripe about it later. The waitress was very nice, but the service as a whole was completely disorganized. We ordered champagne with our cheese plate but it arrived so late that we had to cancel the order. After a $600 dollar bill, we were less than impressed. I heard a rumour that the restaurant is under new management but that is absolutely no excuse for such poor performance. Don't go to this restaurant unless you feel that the decor and hype of a trendy restaurant are enough to compensate for terrible food and flakey service. Pros: nothing Cons: everything more

I've been to bluehour a dozen times and every time they out do themselves. The coffee is amazingly good, and the omelets are incredible. Also be sure to give the baked goods a try, their pastry chef is in a league of her own. For a special occassion I would pick no other resturaunt. Pros: everything more

I am from Los Angeles and even though we have great food here my dinner at blue hour was better. Since my first bite, I have been back evry 6 months or so for another dinner. Great food, great service, great drinks, and great setting. The prices are high but not comparable to how high they are in other cities. more

Pricey but large delicious portions! Gnocchi, ommelettes - delicious. good service, lovely ambience. Pros: the food Cons: nope more

This place is sooo together. I hadn't been there for awhile, but it hasn't lost its luster. The food is outstanding, especially the scallops and the duck. Well, the lamb chops are more than outstanding. The servers really know what they are serving and are very attentive without overdoing it. The wines by the glass are really good, if you don't have a big enough party for a bottle. Be careful about the bread. It is just the best in town and my tendency is to fill up on it while waiting for my soup. The bar is fun and has the best drinks and bar menu. The Negroni is my favorite and they do it so well. I am looking for a way to go back soon. Pros: ambience, food Cons: parking more

We had dinner on a Wednesday night and the place was full of energy and very lively. Even with a packed restaurant, the ceilings are so high that you can still have a pleasant conversation without having to yell across the table. The food, for the most part, was excellent and the service was superb. My duck was a bit on the chewy side but was very flavorfull and had relatively little fat. I probably would not recommend the duck, however. The other dinners had seafood (salmon or seabass), that was superbly cooked. We had froi gras as an appetizer which was well prepared. The desserts (chocolate layer cake and a frozen bananas foster) were dilicious. The red wine prices, as usual for a high end restaurant, were rediciously expensive. We had a medium priced Zin (about $60) which was fine. I would recommend you bring your own wine. Besides trying to find a parking spot, I would return to this restaurant and try something other than the duck. more

I was privileged to have worked under Pastry Chef Nerissa three years ago. Not knowing what Bluehour was all about, and only finding the name on a web site, I applied and was accepted as an extern. What an experience! What food!! I haven't left the place, I still love all the chefs and bartenders (Marc!) and the atmosphere is what its all about. Kenny's burger is plump and just right. The steak is nice and meaty (rare is the best). The fries are to die for. Their new Pastry Chef is working wonders in the kitchen with all the breads and desserts. I had loved my time there and continue to love my time coming in on evenings that most people wouldn't want to be out. The service is fast, efficient and always friendly; the restaurant is always spit-shine clean (even the restrooms are polished!) and ready to serve - I would recommend this place to just about anyone who loves a good steak, seafood is good (I can't eat it) but those who have, have said its very fresh and very tasty. Welcome back Kenny and all I can say...on with the show! more

If you are not aware of Bluehour on a Sunday evening, let me recommend it to you. It has a more casual vibe. The staff was just as attentive as they were on Wednesday night when I was there prior to Sunday. The swordfish was perfect and my companion had the roasted vegetable pie. They must be using really quality ingredients. Everyting is very simple yet It has so much flavor. Yum! more

After fantastic dining experiences at Andina, Genoa, Clark Louis, Hurleys, Le Pigeon, Lucy?s Table and Grolla, we were ready to try Bluehour inviting some friends to join us for another eagerly anticipated dinner. While the decor and food were excellent, we felt more than a little ignored by the service staff.\r \r Our reservation was 7:00 pm on a Wednesday, and there were several open tables around us, so it didn't seem that they should have been understaffed. The first half hour we were tended to nicely, receiving our first within 30 minutes. Our second courses were not served until almost 9:00 pm (yes - 2 hours after we arrived), and we were beginning to wonder if something had happened. At a table next to us, a man was waving an empty wine bottle in the air, trying to flag down his waiter, and so it seemed as if we were not the only ones experiencing a noticeable lapse in service. \r \r As we had a concert to go to after dinner - the main act going on around 10:00 pm - we were quite concerned that we wouldn?t even be able to enjoy our third course. At around 9:30 it finally came and we hurriedly ate it. I had anticipated that 3 hours would be ample time to eat a leisurely dinner and afterwards walk to the venue a few minutes away. Evidently it wasn't. I was more than a little frustrated that I had less than 30 minutes to eat a fabulous lamb dish and drink a bottle of wine I had looked forward to savoring over longer. \r \r When our friends asked if we could skip desert - one of our favorite ways to end a fantastic dinner - I immediately agreed, and we asked for our check with a few minutes to spare before 10:00. \r \r I may come back to Bluehour for drinks, but I won't come back for dinner. I really wanted to love Bluehour. The decor and lighting were fantastic, food was very good, and the waitstaff generally courteous. However, I have experienced far better service in much lesser restaurants. more

Absolutely amazing from start to finish. Our waiter was Allen and he was an absolute GEM! Very knowledgable and attentive without hovering. He made astute recommendations about the menu and steered us in the right direction at every course. The space is fabulous: modern and airy but not cold. The food was delicious....the wild salmon with Cippolinis was to die for, as was the praline profiteroles. The staff was warm and friendly at every turn. A perfect evening! Thank you Bluehour.....and Allen! more

Blue... what to say about Blue Hour. Someone mentioned the recent ,can I give these comments credibility at all, by calling them reviews.. I don't know. But what I will say is that you get what you give. And after reading these pompous ridiculous statements and not wanting to give them any more play time- but christ people, \r I've been going to Blue Hour for years and years. The past 6 months, I've spent quite a bit of time there, enjoying the crowd, friends and people watching. Yes, people watching. If you look around, they are there, the ones who think they should be worshipped since they are spending a couple of hundred on dinner. The ones who disdain people in the service industry as if they are a lower class of person. You're not going to have a great time anywhere you go with that attitude.\r And I'm sorry, if you look at all of the other people who come back, week after week, mid week or for lunch. You see happy people who love this place- it is truly a destination. \r So, if it was SO AWFUL for you, I find that hard to believe, by all means don't go back! It will make more room for the rest of us who love to be there, love the amazing food, inventive, fresh cocktails, service, management, and love to have a good time. \r I highly recommend ignoring the 'bad reviews' go in with a light heart and a smile on your face - you'll have a great meal, amazing service and a wonderful time.\r \r just my 2 cents- and most certainly not a 'review'. Pros: amazing valet service, great staff, great food in the bar or dining room more

Bluhour has the best martini called The Diva. It is a fruity concotion that is sweet and tangy and its like a party in my mouth! The servers are always pleasent and I esspecially like to take advantage of complimentry valet parking, because finding parking can be crazy otherwise more

My husband I were wowed by the arty and tasteful decor (long blue curtains, grey cut out panels, large dramatic flower sprays), the very courteous service and the remarkable food. We were on time and our table was not ready due to lingering guests ahead of us. No one forgot about us -- they brought us a drink, checked in often, and were truly welcoming. Once seated our tastebuds were blown away by the wonderful chewy bread, my husband's chicken with mint, so fresh it tasted like spring itself, and my wonderful rich warm lamb and Israeli couscous dish. We had dessert, very nice, but next time would do appetizer and entree only. Oh, and loved my glass of Oregon pinot noir. more

My sweetie brought me to Bluehour for our Valentine's dinner. I was a little nervous about how busy they were- but the nice french man at the door assured me we would have privacy at our table. \r He was right! Once we sat down everyone else in the room disappeared and our amazing night began. The oysters are the best I have ever had and the veal was prepared to perfection. Our server was smart, sincere and gave us great service! The wine we recieved help choosing was fantastic and the meal was memorable. The whole evening was wonderful. I was really impressed and can't wait to go back again! Pros: The Wine List, Food, Ambiance Cons: Hard to get parking in the Pearl sometimes more