ELEPHANTS ON PARADE

[August 10th, 2005] In the beginning, there was Elephants.

No, in the beginning there was sliced turkey from the Fred Meyer deli case. But when Elaine and Jake Tanzer opened Elephants Delicatessen in 1979 in the Uptown Shopping Center, takeout food underwent a revolution. Suddenly there were chicken verde enchiladas, Italian bread salad, and wild rice laced with corn and red peppers, all travel-ready. Stove-challenged bachelors and housewives could seem like stars of the table thanks to Elephants' delicacies.

In those early days Portland's idea of cheese comprised, if not Velveeta, then Swiss, cheddar and maybe a daring Brie; "espresso" was merely a word, confused with a fast train; for mustards the choice was Gulden or Coleman. Elephants helped change all that, and for 26 years the store flourished in its rented shop. When the restaurant Il Fornaio closed its doors last year, Elephants bought the building and moved a few blocks into that space, celebrating last March with a parade of marching bands, buskers and a two-story pachyderm float with drag queen Darcelle aboard.

The new store is a commodious, colorful display of goods with takeout salads, an immense selection of cheeses, excellent breads, and baked goods at the center. It boasts such new attractions as a pizza oven, an "antipasto bar" for snacking on polenta with Gorgonzola and grilled vegetables, and another counter offering calamari, hamburgers, and fish 'n chips. A bar features cocktails designed by Mint drink mistress Lucy Brennan.

Elephants never innovates for its own sake, and loyal fans will recognize old favorites, especially its signature teriyaki chicken drumettes; they've sold over 100,000 at 60 cents per limb. Few of the prepared dishes are scintillating or cutting-edge, but almost everything is solid, fresh and worth trying. The only disappointment I've found is the tomato tarte, really a baked tomato casserole with little interesting flavor and a soggy biscuit crust. But the soups are splendid, especially Mama Leone's spicy chicken soup ($3.80 a pint).

Elephants has long been a supplier of celebratory fare. Jewish holiday dishes like matzoh balls come straight from Grandma Tanzer. Other items also originate with Tanzer family recipes, including the best single taste in the store: marionberry strudel. The filo dough is flaky and flavorful, and the filling is jammy-just the right balance of sweet and tart.

Is Elephants Portland's Dean & DeLuca? Not really, since it lacks a butcher shop, a fish vendor and a produce section; but at least you don't have to contemplate chanterelles at the New York price of $35 a pound. As was true from the beginning, all of the prepared food at Elephants is made in their own kitchens, where Portlanders were first introduced to the concept of home-cooking on the hoof.