By Samantha Lockwood, NEAT contributor

We love the holidays and the neat treats that accompany them! Halloween’s just behind the dungeon door, and while we know costumes are fun and parties are a spooky blast, we’re most excited that Halloween marks the beginning (and the best!) of seasonal treats.  A whole day — or really a whole weekend — in which the demand for candy skyrockets over and above the witch on her broomstick soaring across the moon.

Local sweet shops Pix Patisserie, with all its quirky charm, and Moonstruck Chocolate, which captures the essence of autumn and immerses it into gourmet chocolate, are two frighteningly good favorites for Halloween concoctions that give candy corn a run for the money.

If you’re not already a regular or somehow haven’t visited one of Portland’s two Pix Patisserie locations, we suggest you use this sugar-fueled occasion as inspiration. Trick or treat for chocolate ganache-covered pecans draped in marzipan with a marshmallow Jack-O-Lantern, available through Halloween day. Or maybe an Ichabod Crème — a crisp crust filled with spiced almond crème and pecans, golden caramel and topped off with pumpkin crème brulee. More options are chocolate port fig tarts, nutcrackers and, le tigre d’epice… oooh, my!

At Pix, you can also wash these sweet dreams down with one of the largest champagne selections in the nation, including sections of the menu for Special Club Champagne — basically the producers best of the best! Pix offers two rotating glass pours of grower champagne at both locations, which is definitely a more sophisticated approach to Halloween than cramming Kit Kats in your mouth on the living room floor. (Ok, we like doing that, too.)

Over at Moonstruck, they’re celebrating Owl-o-ween with a haunting holiday collection that’s almost too cute to eat. The precious owl truffles (top) will hoot hoot right into your hearts. Or enjoy the entire Halloween truffle gang andpurchase blood orange bats, extra-bittersweet pumpkin, peanut butter & jelly eyeballs and popping Frankenstein truffles. These ghostly treats will scoot little trick-0r-treaters right off your stoop or delightfully surprise your party guests.

‘Tis the season to indulge your taste buds — not only with Halloween treats, but with gourmet sweets to celebrate all the holidays. Find ‘em at Pix Patisserie and Moonstruck, where they always serve up the holidays sweet.

Pix Pâtisserie
3901 N. Williams Ave.; 503-282-6539
3402 S.E. Division St.; 503-232-4407
www.pixpatisserie.com

Moonstruck Chocolate Café (Six area locations)
526 N.W. 23rd Ave.; 503-542-3400
www.moonstruckchocolate.com

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By Erin Flesch, NEAT contributor

Now that we’re done celebrating our nation’s independence by blowing up a chunk of it (we hope we never have to give up our classic “Simpson’s” quotes, but we know the cultural relevance is uh, waning), it is time for La Fête Nationale, France’s national holiday to commemorate the storming of Bastille. While certain people who haven’t been to a history class in a while might forget this date, local yum-factory Pix Pâtisserie has not. And luckily for us, they’ve got an entire day-long Bastille Day block party planned full of Frenchie-themed delights starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 17.

The party will be held outside Pix Pâtisserie’s North Williams street location, and judging from the list of activities, attendees are in for some oooh la las. There will be a Mini Médoc Marathon, which translates to a 5K fun run through the streets of Portland, in which the runners will be able to stop and taste various local wines and win prizes on their journey. Costumes are encouraged (would you expect anything else?) and the best-dressed will receive a $100 gift certificate to Pix.

Other highlights include a Tour de Portland Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, macaroon madness where you can sample new flavors and learn how to make your own, a lesson on the art of sabering (slicing open the top of a champagne bottle with a knife), a grape stomp and a waiter race, in which participants run an obstacle with trays of food and drinks. Spillage causes you to lose points and the winner will receive a goodie box of sweet treats.

The evening events cap off (not bloody likely!) with an 8 p.m. dance-off competition, but the party will continue into midnight with a dance party featuring live music and DJ Erick Beats. In fact, there will be live music playing all day long, and prizes will be given out regularly. Admission is FREE, but you’ll want to raid your pantry beforehand because there is a donation of two food items to get in and many of the activities require three can donation as well, all of which will go to the Oregon Food Bank.

Bastille Day Celebration and summer block party
11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, July 17
Pix Pâtisserie, 3901 N. Williams Ave.; 503-282-6539
www.pixpatisserie.com

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Crafty Portlanders are always doing it themselves when it comes to the arts, but now’s your chance for some sweet do-it-yourself action in the food arts. Portland’s charming East Side Pix Patisserie will offer some decadent DIY indulgence at the Pix Patisserie Concoct Your Own Dessert Night, 7 p.m. to midnight this Wednesday, May 26.

Stop by the Pix location on Southeast Division Street to unleash your inner pastry chef, choosing from more than 30 ingredients and decorations to create your own ultimate Neat TREAT. You can choose from edible elements including lemon curd, gold leaf, puff pastry and the Pix version of “Nutella,” or you can let the pastry chef choose your ingredients for you by ordering a mysterious “Black Box” of goodies. The best part? All this decadent do-it-yourself desserting will set you back just $8 per concoction.

If you haven’t yet experienced the quirky charms of Pix, which has a second location on North Williams Avenue, it’s the perfect night to come see and taste what all the fuss is about. Since opening her first location in 2005, owner and pastry chef Cheryl Wakerhauser has established almost a cult-like following in Portland – not only for her artful and inventive pastries, French macarons and handmade chocolates, but also for the playfully eccentric spirit of what can only be described as “dessert boutiques.”

Check the Pix Patisserie news + events page for details on all the fun happenings at both locations. From Monday Movie Nights and Sunday Tea, to special events like Dessert Dim Sum or the annual Bastille Day party, Pix Patisserie always serves it up sweet – or lets you do it yourself.

Pix Patisserie
3901 N. Williams Avenue; 503-282-6539
and 3402 S.E. Division St.; 503-232-4407
www.pixpatisserie.com

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By Erin Flesch, NEAT contributor

Distinguished Pearl District eatery Bluehour is standing up to Mother Nature and celebrating the arrival of spring by hosting a five-course “May Flowers” tasting dinner inspired by the sights, smells and tastes of this (soon to be) happy, warm season. Regardless of crummy weather reports, spring can be found in all its glory at Bluehour at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 11.

If you’ve only been to Bluehour’s famously fabulous happy hour, which granted is one of the best deals in town in terms of atmosphere and expertly prepared cuisine, you might want to throw caution to the wind and jump in for the full-on restaurant experience. Maybe you can work some voodoo magic while you’re there and bring spring home to the rest of us.

The price tag for May Flowers is fixed at $75 per person for the private chef’s tasting. A decent hunk of change for sure, but once you get a taste of the rose honey panna cotta with thyme poached rhubarb and the grilled leg of spring lamb with garlic confit paired with flower-inspired artisan cocktails and perfectly fragrant wine, it will be the best money you’ve spent all week. Trust.

Bluehour’s elegant, five-course dinner will also feature some stunningly beautiful spring flower arrangements by Sammy’s Flowers alongside the freshest, most distinctive and flavorful spring dishes Portland has to offer. Seating is limited, of course, so nab your spot soon!

See the full five-course tasting menu with drink pairings here.

“May Flowers” Chef’s Tasting Dinner
6:30 p.m., Tuesday May 11
Bluehour, 250 N.W. 13th Ave.; 503-226-3394
www.bluehouronline.com

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By Karen Vitt, NEAT editor in chief

D’oh! Nuts, someone should have introduced gourmet doughnut desserts to Portland years ago!

Hot and fresh and timed to put a twist on the designer doughnut trend sweeping the nation, a few inventive local chefs have now decided it’s time to make the doughnuts – but to make them fancy, and serve them for dessert.

Drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with chocolate or ice cream, the sophisticated doughnut desserts we’re seeing take the designer doughnut trend one step further. First there was the cupcake craze, then there was the “weird” doughnut phase a la Voodoo Doughnut’s Bacon Maple Bars or Fruit Loop-studded discs, and then came designer doughnuts.

But while doughnut shops across the country are dishing up fun flavors like Orange Cranberry, Mocha Cake with Latte Glaze, Pomegranate Thyme and Lemon Chamomile Crème Custard, it would seem Portland is skipping right over the designer doughnut fad to create entire gourmet doughnut desserts. (Other than Voodoo, the only other offbeat doughnuts we found locally are the Banana Pudding and Banana Caramel Cake doughnuts at Krispy Kreme through April 18.)

We discovered our first local gourmet doughnut dessert at Red Star Tavern in downtown Portland, where Pastry Chef Jake Mickelson dishes up a doughnut version inspired by red velvet cake. For his first-ever doughnut offering, he serves heaps of Red Velvet Doughnuts, topped with cream cheese flavored ice cream and encircled with chocolate sauce.

“I think restaurants are always trying to make the kind of food that people love to eat,” Mickelson said. “Doughnuts may seem trendy at the moment, but they have real staying power. Every culture had some form of fried dough. It’s something that the whole world craves.”

It’s definitely something Portland craves – Mickelson said the Red Velvet doughnuts became such a popular menu item with customers and staff that they’ve added them to the breakfast menu, too (though without the ice cream, boo).

We also talked to Robert Thomas, chef and owner of Swift Lounge on Northeast Broadway (in the old Colosso restaurant space), and he said he first encountered the joy of doughnuts-with-ice-cream years ago while cooking at restaurants in New York City. Thomas now offers his own upscale rendering of the old-school NYC favorite, serving hot, fresh doughnuts sautéed in butter until crispy, then topped with heavy whipped cream and caramel sauce.

Thomas said his dessert is becoming more and more popular through word of mouth (literally?), and he fondly recalls a gal coming into the restaurant alone on Valentine’s Day to polish off the entire doughnut dessert by herself. “That’s my kind of girl,” he joked. “I should have asked her out.”

Sounds like our kind of girl, too!

Finally, if you’re looking for a simple doughnuts-with-ice-cream dessert fix, Alberta Street is home to everyone’s favorite doughnut-slash-ice cream shop, Tonalli’s Donuts & Cream, where they’ll happily top your homemade doughnut with fresh ice cream – but without the 4-star service.

Red Star Tavern
503 S.W. Alder St.; 503-222-0005
www.redstartavern.com

Swift Lounge
1932 N.E. Broadway; 503-288-3333

Tonalli’s Donuts & Cream
2805 N.E. Alberta St.; 503-284-4510

Voodoo Doughnuts Too
1501 N.E. Davis St.; 503-241-4704
voodoodoughnut.com

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Remember when the word “vegan” used to be kind of synonymous with “ick?” Well, those days are long gone, especially in Portland, where so many talented local chefs embrace local and natural ingredients, and are adept at whipping up scrumptious, sophisticated treats that also happen to be vegan and/or dairy- or gluten-free. More often than not these neat treats taste even better than their unhealthy, old-school predecessors.

Come taste the best of local vegan baked goods for yourself this weekend, when Post Punk Kitchen and People’s Food Co-Op will host a sweet Vegan Bake Sale for Haiti, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 31. Nibble on vegan cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, crumb cakes, macaroons and more, with all proceeds to benefit Portland-based Mercy Corps. They’ll also provide plenty of bags and to-go containers so you can buy extra treats to bring home.

We think “vegan” is now synonymous with “lick,” as in licking every last delicious crumb from your sticky fingers.

Vegan Bake Sale for Haiti
2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31
People’s Food Co-Op
3029 S.E. 21st Ave.; 503-674-2642
www.peoples.coop

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We’re feeling kinda sweet. Between all the bridal fashion shows, the chocolate festival and Valentine’s Day gifts in the local shops, we’ve decided to go on a mission to award one lucky Neat Sheet reader a pretty box of handmade gourmet truffles from Portland’s Missionary Chocolates.

“Chocolate has always been viewed as an expression of love and luxury,” said Vanessa Holden of Missionary Chocolates. “Cacao beans were once used as currency, and in a way it still is one of the most beloved commodities available. Our truffles, which are vegan and gluten free, make a great Valentine’s gift because they’re all unique and one of a kind – just like your sweetheart. Each distinctive flavor is meant to be shared and enjoyed. My sister and I handcraft every batch, and you can definitely taste the love!”

Want to win a beautiful box of handmade Missionary Chocolates for yourself, or to give as a Valentine’s Day gift? (Who are we kidding – you should definitely hoard these goodies for yourself.) We’ll award one lucky Neat Sheet reader an 8-piece box of Missionary Chocolates. Just send an e-mail with the subject title “TRUFFLE” to neatsheet@karenvitt.com or leave a comment on this post. We’ll pick two random winners at noon on Thursday, Feb. 11, and you’ll be notified by e-mail. If you live in the Portland area, we can get your box of chocolates to you in time for Valentine’s Day.

Can’t wait to win? Shop for Missionary’s neat treats at local stores including 7Planet Green General Store, Food Front Cooperatives and now at Whole Foods on East Burnside at 28th Avenue. (Find all Missionary Chocolate retailers here).

Missionary Chocolates
www.missionarychocolates.com

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Nevermind these chocolates are vegan. The point is they are amazing! (This might be a good place to remind readers The Neat Sheet is a sponsor-free and utterly objective Portland style news source.)

Missionary Chocolates began in the kitchen of chocolatier Melissa Berry a few years back, inspired by the desire to please a gluten- and dairy-free mom. The results were so magnificently mouth-melting that sister Vanessa Holden soon joined the team to go pro, and now the gals are selling their handcrafted vegan truffles in select Portland shops – and in one New York City sweet shop.

“People are in love with our creamy, vanilla salted caramels (right) and our Meyer Lemon truffles, and we created a few new treats especially for the holidays,” said Melissa Berry, Missionary’s master chocolatier. “We have a Pumpkin Pie Spice that was really popular for Thanksgiving, and we’re especially excited about our new peppermint molded Christmas Tree Truffles.”

Want to put these in your mouth? Be among the first 50 guests to arrive at the Russell Street Holiday Festival this Saturday, Dec. 5 and you’ll receive a free gift bag with a complimentary Missionary Chocolate dark chocolate truffle (plus more goodies).

Shop for Missionary’s neat treats at local stores including 7Planet Green General Store, Food Front Cooperatives and now at Whole Foods on East Burnside at 28th Avenue. (Find all Missionary Chocolate retailers here).

Also find Missionary Chocolates at three handmade holiday events this week: The Oscar Albert Holiday Party this Wednesday, Dec. 2; the Portland Saturday Market on Sunday, Dec. 6; and the Handmade Northwest Formal Holiday Artisans Fair at Chelsea Ballroom, also on Sunday, Dec. 6.

Missionary Chocolates
www.missionarychocolates.com

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If you’re ordering up a big batch of Thanksgiving cupcakes, do it today and Cupcake Jones will donate 5 percent to the organization that helps give people with disabilities the opportunity to work.

We promise we’ll try not to write about Cupcake Jones and its buttercream deliciousness every single week – that’s just not good journalism, right? But we thought we should remind you at least once more to keep ‘em in mind for all your holiday occasions. Because isn’t it nice to know your sweet tooth can help sweeten others lives, too?

Cupcake Jones
Cupcakes: Mini, $1.50; Jumbo, $3.25
307 N.W. 10th Ave.; 503-222-4404
www.cupcakejones.net

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We have delicious news for foodies seeking something a little more sophisticated than Granny’s jellied-cranberry-sauce-in-a-can for Thanksgiving. Local favorite Bluehour restaurant will be seating from noon to 9.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26 for it’s first ever Portland Thanksgiving.

Chef Kenny Giambalvo, who opened the popular Pearl District restaurant with co-owner Bruce Carey about nine years ago, says the decision to open for Thanksgiving this year is a combination of being both good for the business (they can count on being busy) and good for the neighborhood.

“Bluehour is a restaurant with two faces,” Giambalvo said. “We’re here for special occasions and business meetings, but we’re also here for the neighborhood. And what better day to be here for the neighborhood than Thanksgiving.”

Fantastic! So, what’s for dinner? Putting his signature twist on tradition, Giambalvo has cooked up a modern menu for the night, highlighted with turkey two ways: brined, slow roasted, smoked turkey breast and legs confit. The bird is paired with apple-chestnut stuffing, jalapeno gravy, string beans with toasted almonds and cranberry relish he swears does not come from a can.

You can also choose luscious, house-made, applewood-smoked and slow roasted ham with braised collard greens and Southern style cornbread-oyster stuffing. Or roasted free-range veal chops or Pacific halibut or beef short ribs or or or. . . Are you ready for dessert?

How about a pumpkin spice ice cream sundae? Chocolate pots de creme? Pecan or Dutch apple pie? We’re working up an appetite reciting the whole menu and we haven’t even talked appetizers! Why not take a look at the Bluehour Thanksgiving menu for yourself and give thanks they’re here for the ‘hood.

Bluehour
250 N.W. 13th Avenue; 503-226-3394
www.bluehouronline.com

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