Portland Restaurants, Hotels, Nightclubs, Caterers & Banquet Halls

The main thing about the food at Hurley's is this: It's really, really good. Better than good--call it amazing. There's thoughtful attention paid to flavor, texture and appearance. Each dish is gorgeously displayed, with every tiny accompaniment carefully thought out. For a small restaurant to maintain such a vast menu must involve planning of the sort that keeps small countries running.

Tom Hurley, big-built retired firefighter turned haute cuisine chef, has always seemed a little bigger than life, and his restaurant is rising to his size. His cuisine, heavy on foie gras, truffles, scallops and chanterelles, is intricately impressive and almost unique in these naturalistic times; the verbal description of each dish when it's presented -- "served" seems inadequate -- can take a while and run to phrases such as "microchervil" and "verjus." But there's also an excellent chance that at least one of those dishes -- maybe a cream of chanterelle soup pulsing with truffle oil, distilling an Oregon forest into a bowl -- will startle if not stun you. A tiny circle of spiced Oregon blue cheese on a walnut crust with a fruit syrup is not just a cheesecake you've never experienced: It's unlike anything you've imagined. The atmosphere has equally eased; for the moment, at least, Hurley seems to have won his battle with foie gras activists, and he now works the dining room less like a bouncer and more like a bride's father.

The Definition of  NuevoLatino: "at ¡Oba!  we begin with the cultures and cuisines of the Caribbean and Cuba, go through South and Central America, up through Mexico to my roots in the American Southwest, interpreting these foods so that they may be enjoyed by people in the Northwest. Here you will find food that is authentic as well as creative.

The food at ¡OBA! mirrors the exuberance of the South American marketplace, the Mexican hacienda, and with Cuban sizzle. Vibrant color, dancing light, spicy undertones and the rich history of long-held family traditions serve as a framework for a truly transformational dining experience. While trying to interpret and define the cuisine, it is impossible to ignore the local bounty of Oregon products, from salmon to chanterelles.  We also try to support our local organic farmers as much as possible, always striving for the highest quality and the most unique products available.

This is the kind of comfort food you'd find on a sultry Cuban plantation in the 1950's, or in a spacious South American hacienda today."--Scott Neuman, Executive Chef, Oba Restaurante.