RSQ's Summer of Love

Hello Everyone!
Your Blogger was hard at work this past summer tending to the new catering operation. RSQ Catering was a fantastic success this summer by dedication, hard work and word of mouth.
Thanks to all who asked us to be a part of their special days and fun picnics. The crew and I always felt welcome at your parties. Also, thank all of you for spreading the word. We will continue to grow RSQ organically; letting the quality of food and service speak for us.
Here's what some of you said about us this summer...

"[RSQ] did a fantastic job. The staff was great and my guests
were very happy. We'd love to book you guys for next 4th of July!"

"Jesse and Val had a completely magical day on Saturday. Your
attention to detail, the food and the top notch service really made the
reception go smoothly."

"[Your staff] were highly skilled, extremely pleasant and one
step ahead of the game at all times."

"Seconds! Thirds! Fourths! My husband who said he was "not
eating" was documented sneaking tastes left and right."

"It goes without saying I would recommend the RSQ experience
without reservation...I'm already wondering how to gin up another party idea so
we can do it all over again."

I'll be uploading some photos of some of the fun we had this summer.

Catering will be available for all of your holiday needs and our Pastry Chef, Tim is hard at work preparing pie crusts as we speak. You can order your holiday pies (including Tim's famous Chocolate Pecan Pie!) with your trusty RSQ server in the restaurant. Our Catering Director, Jana, is always available to answer any of your catering or delivery needs.

The Taste of Portland...

Last Monday, April 27, RSQ was honored to again participate in Taste of the Nation - a fantastic event to benefit Share Our Strength; an organization that strives to end childhood hunger. Each month, more than 200,000 people from our local communities in Oregon and Clark County, Washington, eat meals from an emergency food box. If you attended Taste of the Nation you helped raise money for organizations that feed hungry children and work to solve the causes of childhood hunger. Thank you! Change begins in our communities!

RSQ always tries to do something unique and this year, Chef Santucci's brilliant idea? Frito™ Pie Shooters! First, who doesn't love Frito™ Pie? Frito's™, Chili Con Carne, cheese and onions? Yep, it's just as good as it sounds. Second, everyone loves something small and cute!

Of course we offered Baby Back Pork Ribs because we didn't want to have angry patrons! Also, what's BBQ without a rib or two?

Mark, our Prep Kitchen Manager, had to grill outside this year. Lucky for him the temperature dropped about 10 degrees and the sky opened up and water came out! It began pouring and did so for the rest of the evening! Thanks, Mark - you're a real trooper!

Jana and Sharon feed the masses. We always had a great crowd because we were surrounded by beer and wine! Right across from us was Stella Artois and directly next to us was Sierra Nevada! On the other side were more than 5 wine purveyors! [I never made it that way!]

Chef Diane Santucci and our newest "member of the tribe," Jana, clown around. [Maybe they spent too much time around the beer and wine...] If you all thought Mark was a trooper standing outside in the rain and cold grilling ribs, Diane was hobbling around on a severely sprained ankle. We are glad she is back on the mend. A tip from your blogger, walking forward is always the best course of action... In typical Que fashion, we were out of food by 7:30! I love seeing what some of Portland's best chef's are doing. From Oswaldo Bibiano's Mole Guerrerense to Delilah's Catering's Deviled Crab Salad in Endive Leaf Boats to The Country Cat's Pulled Smoked Duck Legs on Mushroom Crackers with Mascarpone Cream Fava Beans and Nuestra Cocina's Chicharron con Salsa Verde - fried pork rinds with a jalapeno salsa (yeah, you heard me!) I ate some amazing food.

Thanks to all who told me how much they love Russell Street BBQ. It never gets old and it means the world to us to know that all of our hard work is paying off.

Thank you for making us a success!

RSQ will again be participating in Portland's Pride Parade. Come out and help us support equality for all! Here's the fun we had last year!

Hope & Desserts

In the wake of President Obama's historic inauguration, I thought I would share the "Obama Graffiti" we found in the parking lot at RSQ before the election. Here's to hope!

Some of you may have met Tim, our new Pastry Chef, in our e-mail postcard a couple of weeks ago. Tim is hard at work at our new catering kitchen making some amazing desserts. In the past few weeks I've been lucky enough to try some of them. Tim's Banana Praline Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting has to be my favorite. The sweetness of the cake and frosting is perfect and absolutely divine! Tim is baking daily for the BBQ so we always have a fresh, yummy dessert to finish off your lunch or dinner. Ask your server what we're featuring or how you can have Tim make you a pie or cake to take with you.

We love having our new Pastry Chef and hope you do too!

Enjoy!

[Tim hard at work in our new catering kitchen!]

2008 In Review

HeyEveryone!
Since 2008 was such a great year for RSQ, I thought I would take a couple of minutes to let you in on a couple of events that RSQ was involved with last year.

In June we decided to join the festivites at Portland's Annual Gay Pride Parade. We rented a 24 foot flatbed truck and it's just a shame that I didn't have the wits about me to bring the camera as Sharon drove that behemouth all over Portland trying to buy some hay. I must say I was impressed. She was awesome ... we probably only skimmed a couple of trees and things. Only kidding. A lot of our staff, friends and family joined us. Our very own Julia Dawn and her boys joined us to play music as we danced our way through downtown. Here's some pictures of our day. We had a blast and will definitely do it again!

Our Dancers [Miriam, Andrea, Pilar & Hannah]

Julia Dawn & Caryn

Owner, Sharon

All of Us

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You all know we've started Catering in December, but in August we put on our first full-scale catering event out at Pendarvis Farm. A loyal RSQ couple asked us if we could cater their special day - how could we say no? It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. Here's a couple of shots from the farm.

Scenes From A Buffet

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In September we were so excited to help the Community Cycling Center raise money for their annual Holiday Bike Drive with Bikes & BBQ! On September 20, 2008 we stormed Wilshire Park and had a good old fashioned BBQ in the park. Alan Singley & The Pants Machine and The Julia Dawn Band provided some entertainment and Chef Santucci made Pulled Pork, Smoked Turkey and Smoked Tofu Sandwiches. We raised some money for the Community Cycling Center and had some fun in the process. Many thanks to all of you who came out with your appetites, friends, family, dogs and bikes! You also helped the center provide bikes for many children in the neighborhood who might not otherwise be able to have one. Artic Blast 2008 set back actually getting the bikes to the kids, but this weekend they'll complete their drive. Good work, Community Cycling Center! We look forward to seeing you all again at next year's event!

Our Poster [thanks Jenny!]

Johna whips up some Pork

We had a great year and we'd love to thank all of you for making it happen.

Cheers to 2009!

Welcome!

Happy New Year!

We here at Russell Street BBQ (RSQ) hope you survived Arctic Blast 2008 (and a little bit of 2009!) and are back to your normal lives! We appreciate all of you who braved the weather to come eat some que.

We are so excited for the change upon us 2009. RSQ has a acquired a new kitchen and can now offer full-service catering. Chef Diane Santucci has gotten the smoker of her dreams and we are ready to cater your next event! Contact Caryn (caryn@russellstreetbbq.com) for all of your catering needs.