Joel Palmer House

Flawless! Our group of 4 discriminating foodies all agreed that this was an excellent dinner. We did the Mushroom Madness tasting menu. ($80 per person) The menu was slightly different then on the website. (The restaurant prints a new menu almost everyday.) The restaurant allows you to substitute other menu options from the main menu onto the tasting menu as long as the entire table gets the same course. This option helps you customize the menu for your table. Superior 5 star service! Each course was introduced and explained. Servers hovering discretely making sure that warm bread magically appeared on our bread plates and our dishes were cleared only when we were done and the next course would gently materialize. Before the meal was over, the owner and chef, Christopher Czarnecki came to our table and personally checked on how our meal was going and talked about our meal and the family history of the restaurant. The Sommelier was excellent. I only had to describe what I was looking for and my price range and she picked the perfect bottle that the entire table shared and loved. Noteworthy is the house special mushroom martini, made with candy cap mushrooms which actually gives the vodka a very pleasant earthy light molasses flavor. The tasting menu is small portions, so regard this as a series of amazing tapas and don't expect to leave stuffed like you would from a steakhouse. This is however very typical for a meal like this, and actually the portion sizes were bigger than the chef's menu servings at Le Cirque. Some highlights: Joe's Wild Mushroom Soup followed by Heidi's Three Mushroom Tart - the soup and the tart are house standard's since the restaurant opened and will always be menu features. Just a really nice way to enjoy the wild mushrooms that even folks that don't know anything about mushrooms will enjoy. Scallop Quenelles with lobster-tarragon cream sauce. This was one of the standouts of the night because it was so unusual and just fabulous in every way. The scallops are pureed and served as a small molded mound of what can only be described as light and fluffy like an airy custard. The flavors are unique, not anything like eating a traditional scallop although the essence was there and very inviting. I have never had anything like this before and the uniqueness of this dish was almost worth the trip alone. Sorbet - Concord Grape with Rosemary: Something plain and simply yet fantastic. We were all impressed how the grape and rosemary were perfectly balanced so neither flavor dominated - it was just this please not too sweet frozen delight that seemed to carry the summer essence of the grapes grown on the property to our table in the middle of December. Marinated Sturgeon - over quinoa with chanterelle duxelle and cayenne aioli. Sturgeon is tricky because it must be very fresh so there is not the fishy smell or taste and not over cooked because it can dry out very quickly. Ours was perfect - fresh and moist. Tip: Ask for the aioli to be served on the side. This will allow you to savor the flavors without the aioli but also sample it with the aioli, which is a bit spicy. Elk Strip Loin - with Pinot Noir demi. This was our substitution for the Filet Mignon that was on the tasting menu. All I can say is that it was perfect in every way. The meat was sublime, moist but not tough, not over cooked, and the Pinot reduction was done perfectly and complimented the Elk. more

I am an employee at JPH and just wanted to let you know our employees are treated very well. The gratuity is added in on the bill, but we all are compensated, front and back of house. We also have medical and other benefits available to us. So please, don't avoid trying us out based on someone's impression the employees aren't treated well. The fact is this is just not true. more

Just FYI the service change they add on instead of tip does not go to the servers or the kitchen staff (unless you include the owners). They do pay a bit more than minimum wage to servers but still. Pros: Nice house. Cons: The service charge does not go to the staff! more

I have eaten here several times , each time everything was great . The cost of the meal is high .After reading the other reviews which were negative ,somehow it dosent fit. I have sent a lot of people there and no one has a bad experence. Pros: Great example of Oregon Food Cons: Little Pricy more

We really had high expectations of this restaurant but were sorely disappointed. After a day of wine tasting we were both hungry, we both opted for the mushroom madness menu being foragers ourselves. Here the mushrooms did not disappoint but the menu did. The first course of ""risotto"" was like over cooked Mexican rice with truffle flavor, every time i have had a good risotto it is creamy and runny with the flavors of the broth and essence of mushrooms, this was so thick the chef was able to plate it in a quenelle, I don't even think they used arborio rice. The soup was a stunner, matsutake mushrooms and nori; very good. The other soup, wild mushroom kind of blah. We had the tasting menu and these bowls of soup were like 12 oz. both creamy and filling. Filet was good in concept but this thing was like 10 oz. how am I suppose to eat this hunk of meat after 3 full size app courses? It only gets better, my wife had the stroganoff, the beef tasted old (slightly sour), the mushrooms were gritty with sand and there was a tree leaf in her dish... yes a full sized partially decomposed leaf from the forest floor, she actually pulled it out of here mouth and lost her appetite. We relayed out complaint to the server and they took it off the bill. dessert was forgettable, with raspberry coulis, whipped cream and a mint leaf (never seen that before). The craziest thing was that as soon as our plates were picked up the next one came out immediately, just back there keeping warm under the heat lamp, we felt rushed, no time for conversation or any time between all these rich courses. Like other reviewers we thought the food was good but too rich, portions too large, too tired and not refined enough for the price. At the end you don't even have to worry about calculating a tip, it is automatically included in the tab at 18% and added to the bill. We didn't feel like fighting any more we just wanted out. Its too much of my time and $175 I will never see again. Pros: Cute house, good mushrooms Cons: Tired food, overpriced, not really a tasting menu but 5 full plates more

Dinner was a scrumptious finish to our tour of Oregon Wine Country. The mushroom tart is divine, and the pork loin was the perfect fall dinner. I also recommend the white chocolate and cherry bread pudding. The only problem with dinner was that I ate too much. But, I'd do it again. Service was attentive. The wines are quite expensive compared to retail, so it may be worth paying the corkage fee. Pros: If you love mushrooms, you will love the food here. Cons: Great wine prices, but expect to pay double retail. more

Tried making reservations on the net, never received a reply. Had to make reservation by phone. more

Four of us dined at Palmer's last night (July 06) and had wonderful entrees - my husband raved about his pork tenderloin, the sea scallops were delicious and the crusty copper river salmon was also ranked highly. The mushroom risotto was wonderful - maybe some truffles in there - and mushrooms added to entrees added delightful aromatic flavors. We sat outside which was very comfortable with nice garden views. The service was very good. The home made blueberry ice cream and peach tart were a treat. The mushroom tart was a bit salty I thought. Pros: Delicious food with interesting sauces and ingredients, easy to find, good service Cons: a distance for most of us more

After an hour drive from Portland, we were escorted to a table right by the front door. It was cold and cramped. The service by the young waitstaff was very attentive and personable . The menu was at least 30% more than the website pricing indicated, which would not have been bad had the food been up to snuff. The sauces had too much salt and the mushrooms specialties were just buried in the food instead of being highlighted and embellished. The food in and of itself was only mediocre. The unanimous vote from our party was way over-priced and way underdelivered.Save your money and the gas. We won't be back! Pros: waitstaff, home-like ambience Cons: Food, Distance, Cost/Value more

Cuisine very rudimentary. Mushroom and meat dishes were of a ""Sizzler"" quality - Filet ordered med-rare sent back twice as it was med-well. No appology, in fact server disdainful and rude. 6 disappointed people - Do yourself a favor -- dine elsewhere Pros: understaffed, mediocre-poor cuisine Cons: poor service, overpriced, servers bad attitude more

After dining there on a Saturday night for my wives 50th b-day, we were appalled. There were so many ""shortcuts"" that seemed to be taken in the cuisine. The ""faux gras"" was an insult to any duck or goose who have gracioulsy given up their livers for our dining pleasure. Nothing more than a chicken liver pate with some soggy field greens. When my wife recieved her scallops, we questioned there doneness. black and charred on the outside but raw and cold inside. We asked politely if we could have them cooked a little more. ""there is no way that my dad will cook them again"", as he took away the plate leaving my wife with no dinner, and very disapointed. wet soupy mashed potatoes, over cooked broccoli, boiled rice, and a starter that they called risotto was dry and crumbly with some cheese. WHAT A JOKE THE FOOD IS. Pros: Nice Patio, Attentive staff Cons: , TERRIBLE VALUE more

Only a remarkable restaurant will lure Portlanders out of the city. Wanting to try this place for a long time, we were greatly disappointed. The wine list is remarkable, but the food is far from remarkable. We suggest the chef spend less time on the wine list and coming up with ways to see how many different mushrooms can be featured on the menu, and more time practicing his culinary skills, of which there were few. Recently we learned from a server that the waitstaff do not receive the 18% mandatory service charge that customers must pay. Make your own judgement. Cons: price, uncreative, limited menu more

Wow, I have been to the Palmer House three times now, and every experience has been memorable. The food is fantastic, the service is attentive, the wine list is extraordinary and is every bit worth the drive. We are planning to go back again and again! The Palmer House is Northwest cuisine at it's finest!!! Pros: Food, Wine, Service more

I've read some reviews here by people who had complaints about Joel Palmer House, but they are just wrong. Why? Because my wife and I had one memorable meal there! The food was impressive! The fois gras was ""melt in your mouth"" and the filet mignon was done perfectly. The dessert chocolate galois cake with butter cream frosting was simply unbelievable! As for the staff - they were friendly and very attentive, without being intrusive. What more can you ask for? Jack comes out of his kitchen and says hello - something I wish more chef's would do. The Cuneo Cellars wine blew me away! I should have bought the bottle. If you are looking for a comfortable, cozy place to eat just outside of town where the food and staff are great - you've got to try this place out! My wife and I will definitely be back! JLD Pros: Great Food, Good Wine, Attentive Staff more

Ditto with the review below. To drive this far in the ""hope"" they will actually be open was a waste of my time. Also, don't depend on what they tell you over the phone. We called to confire they were open before we drove out on a Saturday afternoon but I guess they decided to close early. Is 7:30 early to close a restaurant in wine country? Cons: the drive, hours of operation more

We had a wonderful Valentines dinner here, the drive and surrounding scenery definitely add to the experience. Be sure to have dishes with a truffle base, their specialty. Soup was excellent and so were the chicken and seafood entree, unfortunately I dont remember the name. The service was wonderful at this hidden gem. Pros: ambiance, soup more

after 3 unsuccesful attempts of dining at this establishment, i strongly urge you to call ahead to see if they are even open. these attempts were made during what they call their ""open hours"". this is truly a destination restaurant and a waste of time to find they are closed, especially driving from portland. i have never experienced this before and will very unlikely make another attempt. very dissapointing! more

My girlfriend and I went for the third time on Saturday night, food was great, service was great, attitude was poor. Don't go if you might look a little ""different"". My girlfriend and I have tattoos, yet we have good jobs and make good money. For some reason, the staff kept rushing us to get out as soon as we could. I don't know if our looks had anything to do with it, but there was definitely a funny vibe. Pros: food Cons: expensive, bad parking, attitude more