Blueplate Diner: Comfort Lunch

Blueplate Diner, in downtown Portland at SW 3rd and Washington, is novelty in this city. They don't do breakfast. They don't do dinner. They don't do brunch and, in fact, aren't open on the weekend at all. Because of the limited parking and the fact they are only open from 11am-4pm on weekdays they have decided to cater specifically to those working downtown who want a comforting lunch. And it works. Oh, does it work.

Peruse the menu and you'll see what I mean. This is not health food, but it's food made from excellent ingredients that will stick to your ribs - in a good way. In addition to the food Blueplate is an old school soda fountain with all sorts of flavored milkshakes, sodas and some throwback combinations. Just check out these menus:

The diner itself is small, seating around 25 people at a fountain bar and a few small tables. Check out the fountain.

And this where the cooking happens. Everything is cooked to order at a couple small stations.

Normally this isn't a place I'd ever be able to get to for lunch since it's a long, long walk from my work and only open during the week, but a coworker and I went while attending a conference nearby. I ordered the Northwest Sliders with Tillamook cheddar and basil spread. Tomato and bacon are complimentary additions, so yes, absolutely I ordered those as well. As if that wasn't enough it comes with a side Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. All that for $10.

Everything was perfect. The potatoes were moist and buttery, like they should be. The burgers meaty and cooked well, dripping with cheese, and the tomatoes crisp. The buns were soft and held together well.

Besides, look at that thing!

Wifey and I will have to return on a vacation day because so many items on the menu sound good. Stroganoff? Meatloaf? Sloppy Joes? Pot roast? Yes, please. And we definitely need to try a housemade soda. Or shake. Or both.

Dog-friendly? No outdoor seating.

I Paid $17 For A Burger And Would Do It Again

We aren't huge on holidays around here and usually choose to celebrate them in our own way. When Valentine's Day comes most years we just stay home and cook, avoiding the mess of traffic and packed restaurants, but sometimes we just decide to move the day. February 15th is a fantastic day to celebrate because most of the time restaurants are much less busy. This year we decided to spend our annual obligatory Hallmark celebration of love at Paley's Place on 21st and Northrup in NW Portland.

This was our second trip to Paley's, the first being part of Dining Month Portland last June. We went specifically for two reasons: desserts created by amazing pastry chef Kristen Murray and to try out the burger. This burger is only on the bistro and bar menu (why I still am not sure - not fancy enough for the main dining room?) - which really means bar and bistro area, plus the porch area visible in the picture below - so I made a reservation for the bistro at 7:30pm. Paley's is one of the few places in Portland a reservation is just about a necessity, no matter what day of the year.

Front of the restaurant. It's the main part, up the short stairs. Beneath is a spa of some kind.

The restaurant was full like it is every night. You know what I said earlier about the day after Valentine's being generally less busy? That doesn't apply to Paley's. Continually regarded as one of the best restaurants in Portland it's a destination spot for out of towners as well as locals because of the great service that goes with the great food.

After being seated we were brought some bread (from Ken's Artisan Bakery just down the street and one of the few things not made completely in house) and an amuse bouche. It's hard to tell from the picture, but these tiny squares of a layered potato dish topped with romesco were on six-inch metal stands. And tasty.

Considering one of our entrees was going to be the burger I thought it a good idea to order a vegetable side dish, so I chose Brussels sprouts cooked with bacon and creme fraiche for $8. I tried to be healthy. Really.

All of the flavors were excellent. We typically prefer smaller sprouts because then the core is smaller, but these were very well cooked and the bacon pieces (more on that later) provided wonder punches of smoky flavor.

For my entree I ordered the winter vegetable cassoulet. It comes served in a stone pot (Le Creuset or something similar) and is HOT. It's not much to look at, but included large white heirloom beans, Brussels sprouts, beets, and a couple other vegetables for $18.

At first glance it seems small, but spoon some of that out onto your plate and see the size of the beans and you realize it's quite hearty. In fact, this came home and was part of three more meals. That makes the price tag seem dirt cheap.

Then came the burger. It's not cheap - $15, plus $1 each more for bacon or cheese (blue or gruyere) - but it does also come with a simple green salad with a citrus vinaigrette, house-made ketchup and pickled vegetables. The meat is ground to order, the buns baked in house, the mustard aioli is also made by Paley's, and the $1 piece of (yes, house-made) bacon is closer to a slab of ham than a strip of bacon you get most places. Heck, Burger King charges more to put bacon on a burger (I think - been awhile). Besides, if you are willing to pay $15, why not $17? We chose the gruyere this time.

And would you look at this thing? Are you drooling yet? Unless specified it's served medium-rare; we asked for medium.

The meat is loosely packed, not a tight patty, and is a well seasoned burger. The aioli, a little ketchup, the grilled onion, the cheese, the slab of bacon/ham...it's perfect. This may very well be the best burger we've ever had and regardless of anything else at the restaurant we would return just for this. We didn't order the side of fries but should have - the couple at the next table did and they looked fantastic, matching up with other reports we've read online. Next time.

Now it was time for dessert. Kristen Murray is one of the highest regarded pastry chefs in the region, but unfortunately for Paley's she is leaving at the end of the month to strike out on her own and open her own place, one at a location as yet unchosen on a timeframe as yet undefined, though supposedly she wants to open by fall of this year. Of course we were getting dessert.

Wifey chose the creme brulee (all desserts are $9).

The crust was very evenly toasted, easy to crack with a spoon without being so thick as to cause issues. Inside was thick, creamy, Tahitian vanilla yumminess. Is this one or the one at Le Pigeon better? Might be whichever one we've had last. I'm not really sure why they all seem to use Tahitian vanilla beans, rather than Madagascar ones. Is there a cost issue? I'd love to try this made with Madagascar beans. Or, better yet, I want a tasting flight of creme brulees made with Madagascar, Tahitian, Hawaiian and Mexican vanilla.Yum!

I chose a passionfruit creme caramel, which came with cara cara oranges and churros.

The passionfruit added a nice balance to the creme caramel, while the acid in the oranges complemented the entire thing quite well. One bite with churro, orange, and creme caramel was sublime.

All in all it really wasn't that bad of a deal, $61 for two entrees, two desserts and a side. When considering this meal really is one of the best we've ever had I'd call it a steal. Plus, the staff is extremely friendly without being overbearing and Paley's obviously puts a lot of emphasis on this aspect, something far too few restaurants in Portland seem to care about at all. Front of the house is run by Kimberly Paley while Vitaly (an Iron Chef America winner) runs the kitchen. Each of them, even on a night when the restaurant is packed, take the time to come out and talk to diners and always have a ready smile. The pair have also penned a book that is part stories of how they got to where they are and part recipes; we picked it up at the library to see what it's about and plan on buying a copy (hey, it has the burger recipe...).

If it's not clear by now, we can't recommend Paley's Place enough. The food and presentation is fine dining, but the people are down to earth. We can't wait to return.

December Tasting Notes

EAT!

Lardo (food cart) - porchetta sandwich, pork belly and farm egg sandwich, lardo fries: I have to say, these sandwiches were flat-out fantastic. The fries were good, the pork on each sandwich fatty and moist, and the bread held up against the meat and toppings very, very well. Both sandwiches were also good the next day. Taste-wise I could eat this all the time. Unfortunately, doing so would probably kill a person in less than a month. Great, great food, but this is a once-a-year type place, unless you really are focused on gaining weight and clogging your arteries. We'll go back. In 2012.

Sweet Pea's Brulee (food cart) - creme brulee, vanilla marshmallows, s'mores, rice krispie treat w/chocolate: We stopped at this cart because it caught our eye while eating at Lardo. Everything looked so good...and ended up being disappointing. The creme brulee had a decent flavor, but was a little lumpy and had a faint taste of just burnt, rather than crisped sugar. This could be because it was melted with a medium duty propane torch - I don't know. The rice krispies were stale, so that was not good at all. The graham crackers of the s'mores were supposedly housemade, but they looked a lot like Nabisco to us. The marshmallows were average, but despite saying vanilla they were actually orange, which isn't the greatest of suprises. We won't be going back.

St. Jack's - smoked salmon tartine, madeleines, chocolate caramel tart, ham and gruyere croissant: We stopped in here just before the full opening of the restaurant, when just the cafe/bakery part was open, for breakfast. The tartine was magnificent, topped with capers, greens, a generous amount of smoked salmon, radish, and cucumber - very light and full of flavor. The baguettes come from Little T, so of course they are good. The croissant was excellent - one of the best I've ever had. (See pictures here.) The chocolate tart had a very light crust and a rich, full chocolate flavor, one I could eat daily (though shouldn't). The madeleines are baked to order and while they were definitely tasty little bits of baked dough, they didn't do anything special for me. Can't wait to go back now that the restaurant is open.

Little T American Baker - apple danish, baguette: I'll just leave it at nothing I have ever had at Little T has been bad. Just go there, see what's in the case, and buy it. And take home some bread. You will be happy. We go back often.

Foster Burger - Kiwi Burger, Foster Road Pileup: In the neverending quest to try all the best burgers in Portland Foster Burger, a newer place, finally made an appearance in my stomach. The Kiwi burger, supposedly #4 on the list, was an excellent burger, but I thought the lamb lacked a strength of meaty flavor to stand up to all the other toppings. It seemed to have good seasoning on it's own, just not enough of "it" for me to say it's really great. Very good, just not great. The Pileup was kind of a big mess, as one can expect. What was not expected was the insertion of super damn hot peppers, which aren't on the online menu but apparently are on the menu at the restaurant. If those peppers hadn't have been there, it probably would have been sufficiently awesome, but I'm not a fan of the hot. The fries were a solid offering as a side; the cole slaw was horrible. I went here for lunch and was one of two tables with patrons. Sure, it was the week before Christmas and this location isn't near offices (best for a lunch crowd), but it was sad. Can't see it justifying lunch hours if that's typical. Also ordered a pint of Black Butte Porter. BBP was typically yummy, but Foster Burger serves it literally ice cold. That's way, way, way too damn cold for a porter - the vast majority of the beer didn't get touched until the burger was gone. Service was fine, nothing special. We'll go back.

Lucy's Original (food cart) - Jucy Lucy, Bistro Burger: In Minneapolis there are a couple places who claim to have created the Jucy Lucy, which is a burger with the cheese actually inside the burger, placed there before it's cooked up. Up until now this wasn't available in Portland, but the wonderful people who previously ran the Little Red Bike Cafe have started a new food truck specializing in just these kinds of burgers. And they are awesome, very awesome. The Jucy Lucy, with American cheese inside the patty, comes with housemade sweet pickles, which I loved even though I'm not normal a sweet pickle fan - they provided a nice balance to the rest of the flavors. The Bistro Burger comes with blue cheese inside the patty, bacon on top, and a spot of fig jam for a striking contrast of sweetness to the meatiness of the bacon and beef and the robust flavor of the cheese. The wheat buns are also tasty and hold up well under the drippings of the burger, making a napking almost unnecessary. Almost. Will definitely be going back.

LATE ADDITION!

Nostrana - Olio Nuovo small plates, gnocchi in tomato butter sauce, bistecca alla Fiorentina, tiramisu: Nostrana had some special dishes for their Olio Nuovo 2010, which celebrates the new crop of olive oil from Italy. We ordered a special set of three small plates: Manila clams and zolfino beans - clams aren't usually my thing but this was excellent; purees of carrot, lentil, and potato - the oil drizzled over the top made this heavenly; and zuppa alla frantoiana - basically a vegetable soup with a piece of toast and oil mixed in, which was perfect. It really was a very nice set of appetizers and showcased the flavor of the olive oil as well as showed some fun ways to use it. The gnocchi was light and fluffy as gnocchi should be, but the tomato butter sauce - while excellent - may not be the right fit. I should point out this was our choice, so perhaps choosing the pesto would have been a better complement. We also tried a wine flight of reds made from Sangiovese grapes in Tuscany which were supposed to really show off the regions terroir, plus go well with pasta and grilled meat. All three (Dei Rosso di Montepulciano 2007, Pian dell'Orino 'Piandorino' 2006, and Felsina Chianti Classico 2007) did complement the dishes well with notes of leather and some berry. One in particular, the Dei glass, had a soft, buttery aftertaste as well. Not sure I'd buy a bottle of any of them, but we enjoyed them. And then there was the bistecca all Fiorentina. A 50-day aged, two-inch think, one-kilo beast of a steak smothered in Italian herbs and garlic and cooked to the rare side of medium rare before being sliced and arrange on the plate with a side of lemon slices, the steak was a masterpiece. I had seen pictures and this steak lived up to all my expectations. Of course, at $60 (check the dinner menu on the site link above - it's always on there) it better, right? Thankfully we had a certificate for $25 off when you spend $35 or more from Restaurant.com (which I paid $2 for), so that lessened the blow a little bit, but this was still a spendy meal by any stretch. And you know what? I was okay with that - I feel like I got my money's worth. I won't be spluring again for that steak anytime soon, but it was definitely a great meal - and there were leftovers! Oh, and the tiramisu was excellent. We split the dessert and it wasn't all that big, but it packed plenty of flavor. The ladyfingers were still spongy, instead of being a sodden group. To me that speaks of it being fresh, which is a rarity. Of course we'll go back...one of our favorite places in Portland.

Wifey and I also said a goodbye to one of our favorite places, Alba Osteria. That took up it's own post.

DRINK!

BEER

Southern Tier Brewing's Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout: I think the milk stout (milk because it has lactose sugar) part of this beer was very good. The creme brulee part, not so much. The flavoring used, although supposedly brewed with vanilla beans, wasn't up to my vanilla standards. I admit to being a bit of a Madagascar vanilla snob, but this tasted literally like that fake vanilla extract made with "vanillin" - whatever that is. I would try another stout, even a milk stout, from Southern Tier, but not this one.

New Belgium's 2 Below: Many people love New Belgium, but admittedly I have only tried Fat Tire and not been that impressed. This winter offering from them, though, I really enjoyed. It has a nice spicy and somewhat sweet flavor, is nice and light, and smells very good actually. I'd drink more of this.

Deschutes 2010 Abyss: I really enjoyed last year's Abyss and have one of the 2009's I plan on cracking open on January 10th for a certain football game on TV. Personally, I didn't get the feeling the 2010 lived quite up to that standard, though it was still a very good drink and I did buy an extra bottle for saving until the Best After date. Since trying the 2010 Abyss on my own, I've read various reviewers with much more refined beer palattes than I say the 2009 was the worst Abyss and 2010 seems like it could be the best, especially after a little aging. Obviously it's still up to the individual drinker, but I just thought that was interesting. Still, definitely a recommend...and maybe I'll get to the Portland pub to try the Abyss on nitro.

Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws: This is one of the most well balanced beers I've had in a long time. The hops and malt are in perfect harmony and the resulting taste is excellent, with a tiny bit of fruit and a nice sweetness. Supposedly this is a barleywine (11.5% alcohol!) that should age nicely, so I picked up a couple more to save. What's the bonus? It comes in 12 ounce bottles - more special beers should come in 12 ounce bottles.

COFFEE

Batdorf and Bronson's French Roast, Holiday Blend, and Guatemala Antigua Finca El Valle: We wanted to try something new earlier this month and Whole Foods was out of the Dancing Goats and Holiday blends, so we opted for French Roast and the Guatemalan. The French was a rich, dark coffee, but too dark for Wifey and not as strong as Stumptown's Hairbender for me in the morning, so we drank it but it doesn't seem to have a fit for us (we liked it, just not better than our other staples). Holiday is an excellent blend we both liked - smooth, balanced, with nice chocolate notes. The Guatemalan was also well balanced but a little too light for me - not enough caffeine. It's a good afternoon coffee, giving just a little bit of a pick-me-up for the after work writing. As usual Batdorf and Bronson make excellent coffee - haven't had one we didn't like.

WINE

Andrew Rich 2007 Pinot Noir: Wifey and I both really liked this wine. We got the bottle on sale at New Seasons, then used most of it to make French Onion soup. The soup was excellent, if a bit wine-heavy, but the wine also drank very well on it's own. A little fruitiness, a hint of leather, and just a tiny bit of spice for balance. Of course when we went back to New Seasons and wanted more it was sold out and probably not returning. Damn. Rich's wines are at the Winemaker's Studio in Carlton, a place we have been wanting to go anyway, so it might be time to make that trip.

Adelsheim 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris: This wine was supposed to be light, crisp, and bright. It was those things, but it also wasn't very good. We drank it because we can't throw it out (just would be wrong), but definitely wouldn't get again. To me a pinot gris should have at least a note of sweetness in there, preferably something of the peach/pear/citrus category, but this had none of that. Not for us.

November Eating/Drinking Notes

It was a relatively light month out for us in November. With the Thanksgiving holiday and us having various study requirements, we actually stayed home a lot.

Maki - buta kaku (braised pork belly), gyoza, Philadelphia roll, ten don donburi: This little izakaya in Tigard is a neat little find. Very clean, modern lines inside and the service was very good. The braised pork belly was nicely tender with not too much fat and the Philadelphia roll - which they claim to hold close to their heart - was quite tasty. The gyoza was a new flavor for me, filled with shrimp and nira. Nira is like green onion but different, if that makes sense. A Japanese-English dictionary will tell you it's green onion; a native Japanese person will tell you it's different. Either way this was yummy. The ten don donburi had all sorts of items: onion, shrimp, carrot, potato, kabocha (squash), lotus root...and a hot pepper. That was unexpected. There should be some kind of warning... We'd absolutely go back, they have a very extensive menu.

Little Big Burger - cheeseburger with cheddar, cheeseburger with bleu cheese, fries: LBB, as the foodies in the know refer to it, serves up a pretty good burger. It's a good size, perfect for a meal on the go without filling you up. The fries were excellent, the service was quick, the burger cooked and seasoned well, the toppings fresh, and the bun perfect. Now, all of that said...I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to head to the Pearl District just to hit up LBB, like I might other places. If I was down there and wanted a quick bite, this would make me happy. If the rumors are true and Micah Camden does open one out in Beaverton, we'll probably hit it up every so often, since Beaverton is a culinary wasteland. Camden's ketchup, which will be available in stores in early spring, was interesting. At first I didn't like it all that much with the sweetness and alternating spicy kick, but it grows on you fast. They sell it at the shop, and if it's in stores the next time I need ketchup I might get it instead of Heinz. I can't believe I'm saying that.

Ate-Oh-Ate - Korean chicken: Went back to Ate Oh Ate with my dad and sister for lunch. This time I opted for the Korean fried chicken, which is deep-fried hot wings slathered with a spicy sauce. It actually was excellent, better than I thought it would be. Unfortunately I ate the entire plate and that probably wasn't the best of choices. By the way, this dish is quite messy - plan accordingly if you want to order it. Sister got the teriyaki steak which she thought was salty; after a taste I had to agree. Dad had no complaints about his teriyaki chicken, and both really liked the macaroni salad. While I liked what I ate, I don't necessarily think Ate-Oh-Ate is a place I'll be going to back to super often...though I do still want the loco moco.

Bunk Bar - meatball parmigiano hero, fries: Wifey and I were in the area, hungry, and wanted fries. We had heard they had fantastic fries, so we popped in and got them and the hero to go. Now, the fries were fantastic - I'd put them ahead of LBB - but if you eat in you get gravy and cheese on them (poutine! but not called that). To go we didn't get that - sad. Still, excellent fries, the meatball hero was awesome as always, and we will be going back - and eating in - very soon.

Public Domain Coffee - mocha, Kona "Cloud Forest" pourover: Wifey and I had some time to kill downtown last weekend so we stopped by here. I've been wanting to check it out for awhile. It's a very clean, bright, modern space, but not necessarily comfortable. This is a coffee shop that doesn't really seem to encourage you to linger. The mocha wasn't anything to write home about, but the Kona was good. Might have to go back and buy a bag of these beans, but probably won't get any more drinks there.

Blue Kangaroo Coffee - mocha: This little shop in Sellwood, by contrast, begs to be lingered in. Not that I did, but it seems like the kind of place I could sit down and do some writing. Unfortunately the mocha was not pleasing at all. It had cinnamon in it - or, as Wifey said, something that tasted more like Red Hots - which simply isn't acceptable to me at all. Mochas with that flavor in them better come with a warning, so I know not to get them. Honestly, it's a little nauseating when you are expecting chocolatey goodness.

Jade Tea House and Patisserie - raspberry and white chocolate/sea salt macaroons, Vietnamese wedding cake, barbecue pork bahn mi: I stopped here after a haircut to get the cake, which thankfully they had. If you have never had this cake, you need to head over there and get some. Now. The green pandan cake is light and fluffy with wonderfully crunchy layers mixed in. The macaroons were pretty good, but not as good as ones we've had from Pix Patisserie here in Portland or Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle. Then again, at $1.25 each compared to $2 at Pix, maybe it's a good tradeoff. The bahn mi was fantastic. Most of the ones I've had around town the content of the sandwich is pretty weak, but this one had think cuts of tender, juicy barbecue pork and fresh veggies. At $7 it's the most expensive bahn mi I've had, but well worth the price. The bread, which I believe Jade bakes themselves, was much better than many of the others I've had.

Coffeehouse Northwest - egg nog latte: Yes, this is still my favorite coffee place in Portland, and no, nothing has changed. Well, not really. Since it's the holiday season Coffeehouse NW has their egg nog lattes which are just plain awesome. Others try to make them, but once you've had this one nothing else will ever be good enough again. Get it. Thank me later.

Way late update...

After looking at the blog posts for November, it wasn't that light at all. We actually ate out a few more times... Here are some places that merited their own single posts:

Japanese food at Shigezo Izakaya.

Japanese curry at Kale, which I can't recommend highly enough.

Must have been Japanese food month, because we also hit Biwa's late-night menu.

And we tried a highly anticipated Hawaiian place, Ate-Oh-Ate.

Any food goes well with a 2010 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

Ten 01 - Portland

Not too long ago Wifey and I were downtown late in the afternoon on a Saturday and had a craving for burgers. Portland Monthly magazine did an article an issue or two back about the best burgers in Portland - most of which we hadn't tried - so that's been in the back of our mind as we have been planning our food adventures.

I mean, who doesn't love a good burger, right? Sorry vegetarians...I'm not quite as anit-veggie as Anthony Bourdain, but I love me some ground beef on a bun. Over the course of the next year or whenever, we plan to hit everywhere on Portland Monthly's list, as well as some they may have missed (Grilled Cheese Grill?).

So there we were, hungry in the Pearl District, and realized Ten 01 was only about a block away. Now, Ten 01 made the list on the best non-beef burger section, which to me is a little weird, but a chorizo burger sure sounded good.

Later in the afternoon there was no wait, especially since we were fine just sitting at the bar. By the way, is it weird to sit literally at the bar, on a stool watching the bartender make drinks, and not order alcohol? Or, really, anything other than water? Probably, but we had done some wine tasting earlier and really all we wanted was food. They didn't seem to mind. But it's still a little weird - to me at least.

The bar menu has all sorts of interesting looking stuff on it in addition to the chorizo burger, which we already knew we were ordering. We decided what the heck, let's get the regular burger as well, which comes with an option of bacon and your choice of cheddar, feta, or bleu cheese. Bacon and bleu cheese on a burger? Yes. Hell yes.

The chorizo burger also has a fried egg on it and came with fries; the grass fed beef burger did not come with fries. However, we saw other people order fries by themselves - has an option for truffle oil - and they looked pretty dang good. Ours were excellent.

What about the burgers?

The beef burger was good - perfectly cooked. We asked for medium well and that's actually what we got - it seems like that usually means medium or medium rare in most restaurants, so we recommend asking for exactly how you like it. In our case that would be medium, but it was hardly overcooked - it was exactly what we asked for. The bacon strips were thick and not overly fatty. Overall it was an excellent blend of flavors.

It's very difficult to describe the chorizo burger. It definitely had some kick - as chorizo is bound to do - but the egg, pickled shallots, and provolone provided a nice balance so you never really noticed that this burger had the spicy bite. If you are open to your burger being something other than just ground beef, this is where you need to go.

Which one was better? Hard to say - that's like comparing apples and oranges, really. If you want spicy and want to be a tad adventurous, go chorizo. If you want a classic, that was excellent too.

The best in Portland? Ten 01 has to be on the list for sure, but the list is long and we're just getting started.

Vacation: Lovin' PDX Food Carts!

Believe it or not, one of our goals on vacation was to hit some of the food carts around Portland, hopefully ones that are only open during typical work hours during the week. There are something like 400 carts around Portland, so we had do some research (really, we have spreadsheets and stuff - it's very scientific) to determine what would make the cut. I mean, after all, you can only eat so much in a couple weeks, right?

In the end we didn't get to all the ones on our list, and we hit some that weren't on the list, and we hit some that didn't qualify for the "only open during work hours" clause, but whatever. It was fun. And yummy. We still can't get over the quality of the food you get at these places, the variety of the food, and how cheap it is overall. I never really thought about how much of a restaurant price is based on rent, but it must be about 50% considering the cheapness and quality of the food at the carts.

Who needs restaurants anyway?!

So here's a hitlist of where we went (you knew I was getting back to food at some point).

Moody's: This tiny donut cart is hidden behind the Rocking Frog Cafe near 25th and Belmont. We hit it up and got a chocolate and vanilla doughnut to go with a mocha from the Cafe. The doughnuts were solid grub. They weren't greasy or oily and had nice flavor, but they weren't the best I've had or anything. Would I go back? Maybe if I was in the neighborhood and had a hankering for doughnuts, but I don't see that being very often. The mocha was just okay.

Spella Caffe: This coffee cart downtown deals in various espresso drinks as well as gelato (Italian ice cream). Plenty of people called this the best espresso in the city, so of course we had to try it. We ordered a mocha and some stracciatella gelato (vanilla with hard chocolate - an Italian standby) to see how it compared to our favorites. The mocha was solid, but I didn't think it was the best in Portland. The gelato was good and may be one of the best in Portland, but I confess to not having tried very many - yet. Would I go back? I would, I think. Next time I might just try a plain old espresso, since people who talk about this place say that's what they love. Mark Spella down as "needs more research." Hey, someone has to do it.

Maximus / Minimus (Seattle): Yep, hit up a food cart in Seattle too. This place is started by the same people who run Beecher's Cheese (Sugar Mountain) and it's pork. And the cart is designed to look like a pig. Seriously, how could anyone NOT check this out?! We hit up the cart just after the lunch rush, so it wasn't too busy. Actually, we got downtown during the lunch rush and there was a huge line, but by the time we found a parking spot (Seattle, you suck for downtown parking) and hiked our way back to the cart, no line at all. Um, yay us?

One thing jumped out immediately as we ordered our sandwich with slaw and Beecher's Flasgship cheddar added on (honestly, I think we went minimus - sweet instead of spicy - on the flavor): these people are efficient. In Portland when you order at a cart you typically wait for your food for a bit and you may pay when your order or when you get your food, just depends on the cart. Here the cart actually had what I can't really describe as anything other than a waitress with a handheld computer. You gave your order, she punched it into the machine, and then she swiped your credit card. The receipt then printed on another machine on the side of the cart, managed by another employee, who gave it to you with your order number. In short, this place was designed for high volume traffic, something none of the carts I have visited in Portland have done on par. Is that good or bad? Neither, really - just different.

Oh yeah, the food. Even though we went light on the spice with our sauce, that little sandwich still had some kick to it. And it was good, but it wasn't amazing or anything. If you go, which you should just for a picture with the pig (which I might do next time), don't bother getting the cheese. Honestly, I couldn't taste it at all. I'm not sure if that was because there was so little of it or the pork and sauce just overpowered it. The slaw was excellent - no mayo, which for me is a plus with slaw. You know, because I'm obviously concerened with calories. If I lived in Seattle and especially if I worked downtown I'd check this place out repeatedly, but coming from out of town I think it's a one-time thing - too many other places to check out.

Brunch Box: Brunch Box is a cart that has got a lot of love nationally for what they do - burgers and breakfast. It also made some best burgers in Portland lists and caught my eye with something called YouCANHasCheeseburger (funny for those lovers of LOL cats - one of my favorite sites). It's basically a regular burger, but instead of a hamburger bun it's stuck between two Texas toast grilled cheese sandwiches. Brilliant! Why not?! I mean, more bread and cheese with my cheeseburger? Of course! Lay it on me! When it came time to order, though, I went with something called a Redonkadonk, which is basically the same as a YouCANHasCheeseburger plus a OMG Burger - added fried egg, spam, and ham. And yes, lord, it was good. I wouldn't recommend this to precede an afternoon run, but if all you are going to do it sit on your ass, it's good stuff. Oh, and it's huge - we made it four servings I think. Oh yeah, I'll go back. I need a YouCANHasCheeseburger.

Sidecart: Right next to Brunch Box, and opened and operated by the same person, is Side Cart. In what is simply a stroke of genius Side Cart specializes in all the side dishes you'd love to have with your hamburger or breakfast sandwich that are, conveniently, made by Brunch Box right next door. We opted for tater tots and seasoned curly fries - both very good, not too greasy, good flavor - and we'll definitely go back for those mac and cheese bites or cheesy tots. We ordered a side order instead of a full order and that proved to be a good choice - it was still the size of a medium take-out Chinese food container, more than enough food. A full order is probably a meal in itself.

Grilled Cheese Grill: Grilled Cheese Grill has almost a full lot in Northeast Portland on 11th and Alberta, with eight picnic tables and a converted old school bus to sit and eat if you like, in additioin to the trailer they make the food in. Honestly, it's a nice setup. Plus, you can sit on the opposite side of the lot and still hear when your order is ready because they announce it over a PA system. Oh, and they take credit cards here - I love not having to use cash, but most carts don't take cards. The idea of this cart just blew me away, honestly. An American classic, the grilled cheese sandwich, spiced up with all sorts of flavors and ingredients. Check out the menu to see what I mean. Wifey ordered a Jalapeno Popper, which had jalapenos, cheese, cream cheese, and tortilla chips on the sandwich. Good stuff. Not too spicy, but plenty of flavor. Me? Well, when someone has something called the Cheesus Burger, you know I'm having to get that. Like the Redonkadonk at Brunch Box, the burger buns are replaced with grilled cheese sandwiches. And you know what? Just as yummy. It's actually a bit smaller (no egg or pork), but still two meals. Given the size of their menu I don't know that I would necessarily order it next time, but I wouldn't rule out getting it again. It was yummy for sure. Oh, and how the menu said you don't have to eat again for two days? They aren't kidding. But in a good way.

Ziba's Pitas: Question for you, dear readers - Have you ever had Bosnian food? Do you even know what Bosnian food is? Yeah, neither did I - so that's why we went here. Why not try something completely off our radar? We ordered a Burek, which is a meat pita. And when you read pita, don't expect anything like a Greek gyro - these are completely different. They come similar to a sandwich, but there are multiple tubes in the bread filled with meat. I'd love to see how these things are put together because I don't get it just by looking at them. We ordered the full meal, which I recommend because the sauce that comes with the cucumbers on the side as well as the ajvar (grilled vegetable sauce) make excellent dipping for the pita. Again, very, very good. I'm a fan and I'll definitely go back. However, a word of warning: Don't eat this if you are working out in the next six hours. Probably not a good idea. I don't know for sure, I'm just guessing - it's a heavy meal.

Nong's Khao Man Gai: To be truthful, I had never heard of this Thai cart until a friend from Seattle came into town and said this was a place she absolutely had to go to. We were like - um, what? Don't you hate it when someone from out of town comes to your city with something like that, a place they have to eat or something they have to do that you have never even heard of? For me, that was Nong's. After our friend went there and then proceeded to rave about it, calling it one of the best places she ate in Portland - and she was here for four days expressly for food - we had to hit it up. Actually, I think Wifey knew about the place and she probably told me, but it probably slipped my mind because the menu didn't really jump out at me. Why? Because Nong does only Khao Man Gai, which is basically chicken and rice. And honestly, who doesn't like chicken and rice? Especially perfectly cooked chicken and wonderfully flavored rice, with a soy bean sauce (a delightful kick for mixing), and a Chinese winter squash soup. For $6! $6! A deal! And honestly, this was the best chicken and rice I've ever eaten. Wifey wanted to go back the next day despite our list of places to go back to, it was that good - and I can't disagree. I shrug at the soup, but it did provide some balance to the spicy sauce. When we go back we'll opt to spend $2 for extra rice. So good though... And neither of us had any idea we liked Thai food. Apparently we do. And Bosnian.

El Masry: And, apparently, Egyptian. As I think I mentioned, one of the things we wanted to do was step outside our comfort zones a bit, hence the forays into things like Bosnian, Thai, and Egyptian cuisines. El Masry has a huge menu, but we ordered the chicken schwarma (that might be spelled wrong, I've seen multiple spellings) and it came with seasoned fries. The schwarma was wrapped in a pita with a myriad of vegetables and a sauce, not overly dissimilar from a gyro in presentation but a decidedly different flavor. And excellent. We'll definitely go back at some point because there were about 20 other things on the menu that looked good as well. Thumbs up.

Funny story. When we hit El Masry it was on 9/11, just before the lunch rush. We placed our order - didn't pay yet - and were waiting for it to be made. Wifey and I were the only ones there that early so we were talking when this other pair comes up to us, man and woman, dressed in business clothes (we were on vacation, so probably looking like we were going on a hike or to the gym, I can't recall which). I paid them no mind until I realized they were talking to us. Here's my inexact but generally legitimate rendition of the conversation:

Woman: Have you paid for your lunch yet?

Me: Um, what?

Woman: Have you paid for your lunch yet?

Me: (Silence...just looking at this lady trying to figure out why the hell she would be asking that. I mean, that is weird, right?)

Woman: We're doing a sort of pay it forward thing in rememberance of 9/11 and we want to buy your lunch.

Me: Umm...

Woman: We don't want anything in return, no strings attached. We'll buy your lunch.

Me: (looking at this lady like she is a bit weird, perhaps with three heads) That's okay.

Woman: It's just something our ad agency is doing, a pay it forward thing, to say thank you and do something nice.

Me: (shaking head no)

Woman: (looking suprised)

Me: No thanks.

Woman: Are you sure? I mean, no strings attached, we just want to buy you lunch.

Me: I appreciate that, but it's not necessary.

Woman: (clearly surprised) Well, okay then. Have a good day!

Me: You too.

Was that weird I turned them down? That I said no, I'll pay for my own food? I agree on the surface it probably seems silly on my part, but it just felt wrong, you know? I mean, we don't break the bank or anything but we do okay - it's not like we NEED anyone buying our food for us. And an ad agency? That part is probably what got me more than anything, though I probably would have turned it down even it was just some random person.

Here's the deal though. If they really wanted to do a good deed, we were in downtown Portland. There are plenty of homeless people trolling the streets - there were probably some nearby in that part of downtown - so why not by THEM lunch? Why the middle class couple who can obviously afford their own food? Buy food for the homeless guy, give him a nice Egyptian meal, and have that be their special 9/11 remembrance good deed. Why rely on some theory of pay it forward, when you can help someone who is literally right there in front of you?

That's not something I'm going to do. I'm not a big believer in the goodness of humanity - Wifey jokes I'd be the one to end this kind of chain (and she's probably right) - but if I was some company who is doing this for a reason, shouldn't you at least find people that need the help?

I just didn't get it. And I didn't need it. So I turned it down. Wifey laughed when they left, saying they'll go back to their office at the end of the afternoon and tell people they made the offer to 200 people and only one person turned them down. I'm sure I'm some kind of weird story in that office. Oh well.

Fun times at the Portland Food Carts!

Koi Fusion - Unique and Yummy

I'm not a connoisseur of Korean food at all - let's just get that out of the way up front. My experiences are limited to an occasional piece of Korean BBQ from the past here and there. I did have a Korean roommate in my house senior year in college and he cooked for us a couple of times (the short ribs on the grill around graduation were fantastic - good times), but a few of the things were too hot for me, like his homemade kim chee. I'm not talking about too spicy, just literally too hot - like scald your throat and peel your stomach lining hot.

So when I started to read about this new food cart in downtown Portland called Koi Fusion, which meshed Korean and Mexican flavors, I really had no idea what to expect. However, the reviews were favorable and I was intrigued, so it went on the list.

Then on their Twitter feed Koi Fusion mentioned they were trying out a new item for the week, the K-Burger. It was a burger infused with bulgogi flavors and topped with kim chee.

Intrigued, I walked up to the cart on 6th and College for lunch the other day. I decided to get the burger and some tacos, so I ordered the spicy pork, the spicy chicken, and the bulgogi beef tacos.

When I was handed the burger they asked me to let them know how it was and on their Twitter feed I saw they wanted real honest feedback, like they were deciding whether or not it should be added to the menu, so I gave it a good taste test.

Yummy. The meat was perfectly cooked and had a nice sweet bulgogi flavor. The kim chee added a nice balance of kick to the sweet without being too hot, which was something I was a little cautious about. Would I get it again for $6? Definitely. On top of the fact it was good, it was also pretty good-sized - definitely a solid meal all by itself. And that's what I told Koi Fusion when I dropped them an email.

The tacos were excellent too. They came on fresh corn tortillas (seriously, does anyone know where I can buy these?) with generous helpings of meat topped with fresh vegetables, including onion and a slice of fresh cucumber. They were so full it was hard to wrap them up and eat, but that's never a bad thing. I topped each taco with a little bit of the green chile sauce they had out plus freshly squeezed lime - again, excellent. The tacos were $2 each and the three of them was the perfect amount.

They also sell a couple other kinds of tacos and burritos - and yes, I'll be going back at some point to try everything.

Well, not all at once. Probably. Maybe. Depends on how hungry I am...

Two thumbs up to Koi Fusion, a fresh mix of flavors that will open your palette!

Feeling Simpatica...

I tried to come up with a snazzy title for this post based on the subject, but I'm just not feeling that creative today - so this is a play on the Italian word simpatico, which means friendly, sympathetic, in synch with one another, et cetera. It's basically a catch-all for good vibes.

Which, once I think about it, makes a ton of sense for the latest restaurant we visited. The subject is Simpatica, a caterer and dining Hall in southeast Portland. This place had come to our attention through various food blogs and websites, but to be honest it scared us a little. It's a place where you make a reservation and pay your fee for a set menu - if you don't like something, too bad, don't come.

It's ironic that's a bit imposing to me as a diner, because if I ran a restaurant that would be 100% ideal.

Simpatica is a caterer in the daytime and this one-menu style of restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights (reservations required), then open from 9-2 for brunch on Sundays (no reservations unless you are 8 or more in your group).

It's kind of a crazy setup, but it's apparently not that uncommon - other Portland restaurants (like Beast to name one) follow roughly this same format.

It's an odd way to get into a restaurant too - very cloak and dagger. First you can call for a reservation or send an email. If no one answers, you leave a message. Then someone calls you (in both cases) and you give them your credit card number for your party, essentially holding your spots. If you don't show up they charge you, but will give you a gift certificate for the cost.

The cost is also variable, depending on the menu.

Some of the menus in the past have been very exotic and we aren't necessarily exotic eaters, though we are expanding our horizons. No tripe or other untraditional meat items for us just yet...

Last Friday the menu looked simple, yet tasty. Three courses, $30: a salad, their signature cheeseburger, and then brownies and ice cream for dessert. This seemed like a good time to jump in with both feet to this style of dining, and the price wasn't too bad. So we made reservations.

We were told to show up between 7 and 7:30pm, so we of course got there are 6:45. After wasting some time listening to tunes in the car we walked in and happened to be the first ones there.

The dining hall is not a large place by any means - if full it may hold 40 people. This was not a full night and there ended up being only 19 of us. The tables are a mix of picnic table style and regular dinner tables, but grouped together to give a community feel. Part of the kitchen is open to the dining area so you can see in if you have the right angle from your seat (we did not). There is a mix of concrete and black and white brush paintings on the wall, with reserved lighting to give it a slightly modern but still homey feel.

Starving, I ordered a Black Butte Porter to take the edge off. While we didn't order any, Simpatica seemed to have a pretty decent wine list as well as a few beers and a couple non-alcoholic drinks.

Before the food was served the chef came out and explained the menu a bit, telling us where certain items came from and some of the thoughts behind the planning of the courses. I suppose it was interesting a bit, but to be real honest my stomach was caving in - bring the food!

The first course was a Romaine salad with green goddess dressing topped with local Dungeness crab. I have to admit, this was one of the best salads I have ever had. The crab added some nice saltiness to the leaves. I had also never had that dressing before, but I'm looking for a recipe.

The main course came out next. Served on a nice roll, the burger was a good size and came medium rare. For me that's nice, but Wifey likes her's cooked a little more. They were accomodating - we asked when we came in if we could get it medium well and hers came our perfect for her. We struggled with whether or not to ask - the last thing you want to do is annoy the chef by asking for something special, especially a change to his creation and how he wants it presented, and especially in a place like this where the menu is set. Still they did it and did it well.

The burger came with housemade bacon (thick and excellent), aioli on the side (creamy and yummy), zucchini pickles (honestly, couldn't tell the difference or even really taste them), and aged white cheddar. The cheddar as very good so we asked where it came from. Turns out it's a Wisconsin cheddar that is cave-aged locally, but not available to the general public - some brand I have forgotten. I tend to do that with things I can't have.

It also came with fresh french fries on the side - not too crispy, not soggy at all. Just right.

By the way, we thought about taking pictures, but in that group environment I felt a little weird doing that. Maybe if we had our own table. Or maybe I just need to get over myself. Maybe next time.

By this time I'm getting full - and Wifey only ate about half her burger and she's full too - but dessert was coming. And it was fabulous.

Two triangles of a chocolate brownie - which we think was flourless, but weren't told that - served with wild strawberry ice cream they made on site. I'm not exactly sure what made the strawberries wild, but they were pretty damn good with big chunks of berry mixed with a very creamy vanilla ice cream.

I'll be honest here - it was very good, but I think either there was too much brownie or not enough ice cream. I must be getting old to be complaining about dessert, but I could honestly have gone for slightly more salad and half the amount of brownie.

Not that I needed more food or anything - I rolled out of there. Hard to do upstairs - getting out of the building was tough.

I will say, that was the best burger I have had in a long-time and we had a great time. Will we go back? Absolutely. In fact, our next brunch may be right back there. It's a nice place for a group of people because of the atmosphere too.

Though, it will be a couple weeks at least. The two pounds I gained overnight need to come off first - and take some of their new friends with them.