Portland is awash with special, one-off meals (some notable, others overreaching or just not offering true value) but there are two coming up that are worth seeking out. Tomorrow night, Aviary hosts another one of their vegetarian dinners—in the past chef Sarah Pliner has offered thoughtful dishes that are great value for money (seven courses for $45). This time round, the menu features chanterelle mushroom mousse with quince, a slow roasted onion flan with winter squash, quinoa and Asian pear tapenade, as well as their famed silken tofu.

Then, next week, Scott Snyder of Levant and Johanna Ware of Smallwares are joining forces to offer a fusion of their distinct culinary styles. The menu is a mash up of Snyder’s North African/Middle Eastern-influenced cooking with Ware’s miscellany of Asian-inspired dishes—the result intriguingly veers from a meze that includes hummus with Japanese seasoning and herbs, to a seafood dish of octopus terrine with lamb’s tongue salad, to a main of lamb ssam four ways (note: there’s a lot of lamb on the menu). Diners can also choose a wine pairing from either restaurant (or a bit from both)—I’m a big fan of Levant sommelier Brent Braun, who manages a wine list that is refreshingly off beat.

Aviary vegetarian dinner, 1733 NE Alberta, November 12, 5-10 pm, $45, reservations 287-2400
Synder/Ware dinner, Levant, 2448 E Burnside, November 17, 5-9 pm, $60 with $45 wine pairing option, reservations 954-2322


A dish from Aviarys summer vegetable dinner
  • Carly Diaz
  • A dish from Aviary's summer vegetable dinner