Eem — Smoked Meats and Vacation Drinks
written by Jen Stevenson It’s hard to argue with a restaurant concept that promises “smoked meats and vacation drinks,” and that’s just what you’ll get (with a side of tamarind-spiked Thai BBQ fried rice) at North Portland’s Eem, a boozy, boisterous, funk and fire-kissed collaboration between James Beard Award-nominated restaurateur Earl Ninsom (Langbaan, Hat Yai), Matt’s BBQ pitmaster Matt Vicedomini and acclaimed bartender Eric Nelson (Shipwreck). Start the night with a long look at Nelson’s cocktail list—it’s hard to resist the siren call of the Nocturnal Worker, made with Thai rice liquor, Oaxacan rum, banana, soursop and cardamom, and bearing a provocative “limit two per guest” warning label. Tiki mug in hand, dive into fish sauce-doused fried cauliflower and roasted beets topped with fresh herbs and puffed jasmine rice, followed by the sweet-and-sour fried chicken, soy-honey-glazed baby back ribs and sliced pork steak served with crisp greens and spicy nahm…