JillO's Profile
San Francisco Hound Coming to Portland...Please Critique My List For Your Wonderful Food City!!!
Great job!! You did this town right, and we appreciate the report back. We are very lucky here, and we know it...but we share. ;o)
Acadia
The Parish, which just opened this week:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Parish/166047030165519
Visiting Portland with children
I can't believe I am about to receommend Voodoo Doughnuts, but I can't think of a better donut stop for kids. A donut topped with frosting and sugary cereal, yup. A jelly donut that's a voodoo doll covered in chocolate with pretzels you can stick in it, yup. A frosted donut covered in M&Ms...yup. Seriously, what kid wouldn't love those? There are better donuts in town, but this is our most famous, and it is a real kid pleaser. http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php
Two good food pods are in SE: Good Food Here on SE Belmont ((Aybla, EuroTrash, Rollin' Etta, Sugar Cube, Lardo) and D-Street Noshery on SE Division (PDX671, Blues City Biscuits, Oregon Ice Works, The Pie Spot). The original downtown pod, SW 5th and Oak is worth visiting (if only for Tabor and Brunch Box, maybe even El Cubo de Cuba). The Alder Pod at SW Alder and 9th has some gems too (Nong's, The People's Pig.)
Lots of info here: http://www.foodcartsportland.com
Just remember, they're carts, they sometimes move and are sometimes closed when they say they will be open. ;o)
And to answer your question about spicy...you have to be careful picking around the PokPok menu, but if your kids are happy with roasted chicken, sticky/fish saucy chicken wings, pork skewers, coconut rice...you'll do OK at Pok Pok. Just ask as you order and your server will make sure that your kids get a nonspicy meal while you and your partner cen get stuff that is spicier.
Another kid pleaser (though I don't care for their food, personally...they do have drinks! ;o), is SlappyCakes, where you can make your own pancakes on the table griddle.
And, good for you for getting a sitter to go out at night!
I need a crab boil, help!
Maryland? ;o)
Closest thing here is the crawfish boil at My Brother's Crawfish: http://mybrotherscrawfish.com/
Portland: just one night, first time there, one meal, so many choices- help!
Cask conditioned beers: Bailey's Taproom, Belmont Station, Green Dragon, Deschutes...and there are others.
Well misspickypants (sorry, couldn't resist ;o), we are not you, and we know nothing about you and what YOU like...so how are our picks going to help you? Let us know more about what you want in a dinner? So many places are open 7 nights a week now, though, you are right, some do close on Mondays.
Personally, it depends what I am in the mood for, whether I'd want to wait (if I can't make a reservation...because we have a lot of places here that don't take reservations...less of a concern on a Monday night at many places, but not all.), how much I'd want to spend...
Meaty midscale: Ox, Laurelhurst Market
Ramen/sushi/modern Japanese: Wafu
Rustic Italian (great steak/pizza/salads/winelist) midscale: Nostrana, Firehouse
NW ingredients tapas: Toro Bravo
NW ingredients/Mediterraenean/modern flair: Tabla
French Bistro: St. Jack
Small plates/local products: aviary
A Big Time Birthday meal
Beast
Ox
Nostrana
Spints
Laurelhurst Market
...not necessarily in that order...
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
I've seen their stuff at the Woodsman Market (next to the Woodsman Tavern on SE Division) and at The Meadow up on N. Mississippi. I'm not a fan of the texture and bitterness, though I heartily salute what they are trying to achieve.
For chocolates Cacao, Alma, and The Meadow are your best bets. Alma just sells what they, themselves, make (and it is great); the other two sell local and imported stuff (and the local stuff is often not found in many other places - like Sahagun and DePaula Confections).
Return Trip: Help me narrow down my dinners
Yeah, I love Laurelhurst Market too. You will just have to plan another trip, crsin! ;o)
Return Trip: Help me narrow down my dinners
Personally, I'd go TB and CC, I'm not a huge Ned Ludd fan. Lots of folks are, though...
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
I so want to like Savoy, but every time I go there, I am disappointed. They do have a re-vamped menu I see, so maybe things are better. Their HH menu looks good too...might go and thry that first. ;o) Guy that owns it also owns Broder, whose food I like, but whose service is often dreadful.
But for the money, I'd rather go to Sunshine Tavern these days. I've had some great meals there, and the $15 steak frites are fantastic (and last night they subbed asparagus for the fried for me - so nice)/
I've never eaten at bar Avignon, just have gone there for drinks.
Return Trip: Help me narrow down my dinners
Not to muddy the waters for ya, but if you haven't been, St. Jack is awesome. Great food, fabulous cocktails, super wines (some of which are sold by the carafe, which I like). Frog legs are amazing, delicious charcuterie, specials like pied au cochon should not be missed...another spot where you can't go wrong. Reservations are definitely needed.
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
Agree with the St. Jack rec. Love that place. Love the Pied au Cochon when they have it, frogs legs are AWESOME, great cocktails, super wines (some of them by the carafe - can have a couple with several courses at great prices) - another can't miss place for dinner.
We are so freakin' lucky!
Return Trip: Help me narrow down my dinners
Wildwood is a rare fine dining beast - it is open for lunch, even on Saturday...might be a way to try it without sacrificing a dinner spot. I love their crab cakes, and they make a great burger. I've been there for lunch and for dinner, many times, and I have never had a bad meal there.
I haven't been to Beast. I love Naomi Pomeroy's food but I am not a huge fan of communal table dining, especially at that price point. On vacation, however, that might not be a bad thing - you can get to know some locals and ask some questions about places you want to go. Also, now that it is starting to get warm out, there are usually two 2-tops outside in addition to the communal tables inside. It's on my list, but price-wise it is a special occasion spot, and special does not jive with communal for me. She is going to be moving the restaurant downtown soon, though, so maybe that will change...
If you want to try something that is unlike anything you have ever had, go to Tanuki. SIgn says "No sushi, no kids" and she means it. Say you want the omakase for $20 or $25 each and pick a bottle of sake out from a great list and prepare to be amazed. If you have more than 2 people, know that there is only one 4-top there and you will wait for it. And if crazy Japanese zombie strippers or animated x-rated hamsters aren't your thing...well, I guess Tanuki shouldn't be on your list. ;o)
Yeah, there are a lot of great places to eat and drink around here. We're lucky and we know it. ;o)
Looking for Bacon resources Portland Metro area (researched)
fb, I see your post right above mine. They collapse, so click on the red "expand all" to see them all.
I am guessing that folks just didn't have any responses for you. This board is not as active as Portlandfood.org's boards. Most folks have had enough of responding to tourists and have flown the coop. I have to say, I am not sure why I even keep coming back here, though I do feel a bit of nostalgia and connection as Chowhound was my first online food community (when I lived in NYC - those boards are way more active still).
FWIW, I waited to respond to your post because I hadn't tried that Sweet Briar Farms bacon until yesterday, though I bought it on Sat. so I could let you know what I thought about it. ;o)
Return Trip: Help me narrow down my dinners
All great choices, including the WIldwood rec below.
Yes, Clyde Common's food is a good reason to go there, even if you aren't into cocktails. Their menu is one of those "shopping list" types which drive me crazy, but the outcome always proves that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
I love Nostrana and I am from NYC. It's a hard call. Cathy Whims is a great chef (nominated for waht seems like a bazillion years in a row for a James Beard Award - being dubbed the "Susan Lucci of the JBAs" these days. ;o) and the food is awesome...but I hear you. Then again that 2 kilo porterhouse, which is sublime and $60, would cost you over $100 in NYC, as would some of the $40 bottles of fabulous wine...and it's not likely you are going to be able to get Laughingstock Farms Pork in NYC. So yeah, I can make the argument, and mean it, either way...sorry! ;o)
DItto for Laurelhurst Market...it is great - and you can have an amazing meal here even if you don't order steak. We have amazing farmers around here and the quality of the meat and the veggies is outrageous - LM, like Nostrana, has chefs that tend to err on the simple side of preps, letting the womderful ingredients take center stage.
How about thisplan - if you feel that you really just want a simpler meal, instead of an entree with 20 ingredients (and it is truly possible that you might get palate fatigue) choose Nostrana or LM. A great steak, fabulous roast chicken, wonderful mussels/clams/oysters, delicious salads...these can be quite a restorative for a foodie on a mission with limited days in a land that is an embarrassment of riches. Sometimes I just want to share a big steak, a big salad and a bottle of wine, ya know?
I love Aviary, everything I have had has been excellent...but yes, small menu. It's never been a problem for me, but I do understand.
You could do a small plates crawl, if you can limit yourself at each stop and do both Aviary and Ned Ludd in the same night.
San Francisco Hound Coming to Portland...Please Critique My List For Your Wonderful Food City!!!
I'd go to Spielman's for the bagel and lox.
Little T. has such good stuff that practically anything in the case is a good choice. I love their pretzel bread and baguette too - that pretzel bread is a great non-sweet snack item.
Looking for Bacon resources Portland Metro area (researched)
Chop and LM used to sell Nueske's, don't know if they still do. I think they both make their own now. I bought some Sweet Briar Farms bacon from a farmers' market (think it was Hollywood) for about $9/lb and just had it this morning. I liked the thick cut and I liked that it wasn't that salty or smokey - very light cure.
I have also driven out to http://www.jacobsmuhlensmeats.com/ in Cornelius (it's a nice drive, stop by the sakery or some wineries while you're headed out there ;o) and their bacon is delicious - saltier, smokier and more cured.
I like both kinds, just depends what I am in the mood for...
I'll bet Gartner's makes their own bacon too. Lots of folks who farm/sell pork at the farmers' markets also sell bacon. And I think that Tails & Trotters (soon to open next to Cheese Bar on SE Belmont) makes bacon.
Visiting the Willamette Valley for the first time in September !!!
More specific questions will get you better responses. Such as, where in wine country do you want to go? Any AVAs in particular? Are you looking for restautants in wine country or in Portland? Are you looking for things not to miss in Portland?
Why do you want to stay in Salem? I'd either stay in wine country or in Portland.
I understand zenon5's post - you posted on a Portland board, yet it is unclear if you are looking for stuff in Portland. Also, I would look at a lot of recent requests for restaurants in Portland, and ask us questions about which ones you might want to visit on what days for which meals...if you are going to be in wine country all day, breakfast or lunch in Portland is silly unless you are staying in Portland. And most of us here in Portland don't go to Salem to eat and drink, so we have no idea what is good in Salem. Help us help you!
San Francisco Hound Coming to Portland...Please Critique My List For Your Wonderful Food City!!!
In the Dundee Hills I'd definitely do Lange. Domaine Drouhin and Tori Mor both have beautiful pieces of property and good wines. The Dundee Hills folks have a map/site: http://www.dundeehills.org/map
Frankly, I am more partial to our Yamhill-Carlton AVA: http://yamhillcarlton.org/wineries-vineyards. And I love Canas Feast and Scott Paul in Carlton.
Wherever you go, just make sure that you either have an appointment or that the tasting rooms you want to visit are open when you are there. We have a broad mix, and a lot of the smaller places are only open by appointment.
The OR wine Board also has a good site: http://oregonwine.org/Home/
You have a great itinerary planned - have a great time!
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
FYI, Sunshine Tavern is only open for brunch on the weekend.
I haven't had bad service at Nostrana, and I go there a few times a year. I have heard tales of others, but not recently. They definitely had to work out some major kinks when they opened, but that as a long time ago. A reservation there is definitely suggested, but I also like sitting at their bar. I love Tabla too. I think they both have some fo the best pasta in the city. Nostrana is more traditional preps, Tabla is more modern. IMO, you can't go wrong with either.
I'd do Country Cat for brunch or maybe even Broder (great food, interesting choices - though the service can be ghastly there). I don't care for the fried chicken at CC, but it's not something I'd typically order for brunch anyway. I've also had some pleasant breakfasts at Zell's, though some might say that their best days are past. J & M Cafe is another decent breakfast choice on the east side.
I like Detour just fine - a million frittata choices, but I don't know that I'd go out of my way to go there.
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
Jeez, sambamaster, why are ALL of your opinons negative ones? I'm all for folks voicing opinons, even if they don't agree with my own, but wow, all disses and few, if any, recommendations. There's a respite from the rain, go on out there and enjoy yourself and have a positive experience! ;o)
Vancouver BC Hound returning for more Portland chow
Nob Hill and Slow Bar are dive bars with decent burgers, not really worth it unless you are looking for that type of thing. I'm not warning you that they aren't gourmet, just that even for their type, they aren't anything all that great. Your other burger options listed are all better, anyway, IMO. Violetta and Foster Burger also have good salad choices (I often get a burger and a wedge salad at Foster Burger.)
Also, I go to Helser's all the time for lunch because it is close to where I work...I'm not all that impressed, go to Country Cat (which I like a lot).
Another option could be Sunshine Tavern. They have a good burger and a great $15 steak and fries plate (they make their own worcestershire!), great pizza and really good fried oysters. Nice cocktails too.
Noho's is mediocre Hawaiian, if you want better, go to Ate-oh-Ate.
I don't know that you'll encounter a line at Podnah's on Thursday...but you surely will at Toro Bravo. I love TB but I have never had their burger...their other stuff is too good. ;o)
Wildwood is a great choice for a Sat. lunch. Love their crabcakes (yes, they are worth the price tag, I promise) and they do have a good burger. Clams are also a great choice there.
There are a lot of good happy hours in town. Cassidy's, Spints, Davis Street Tavern, Basta's, Brasserie Montmartre, Clyde Common ($6 burger and $5 awesome cocktails) - just off the top of my head...
Do you like oysters, po' boys and frog legs? If so, EAT: an Oyster Bar is just up from Tasty & Sons...technically in the same building, I think. Ristretto is there too, if you need a cup of coffee in between...good roaster and brewer. Why move the car between HH and dinner? ;o)
If you get to Eastmoreland, get a muffaletta there too - best in town, which is saying something in a town with great sandwiches.
I'm not a huge Woodsman fan (though I love the chef there, can't explain why I don't care for the food) and I think it is a lousy value. If it were me, I'd go somewhere else for dinner.
Best location for endless chowing and drinking!
There's also one of the best Blues Fests in the country happening at the waterfront that weekend...things will be very crowded close to there. And I invite you all to go and listen to some music and drink one or three of those local beers onsite.
http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/
All proceeds go to the Oregon Food Bank - which serves all of Oregon and Clark Co., WA.
Portland restaurant and bar recommendations please (researched)!!
Two good late night options nearby are North45 and Cassidy's:
http://cassidysrestaurant.com/
http://www.north45pub.com/late-night-menu/
North45 has good mussels and cocktails and a good Belgian beer list. Cassidy's is seriously old school - but they have really good food...a lot of service folks go there after shift. They have a great cheap bar menu/happy hour 10pm-2am. Cassidy's isn't that far from your hotel, either
East side easy beer crawl means Green Dragon and Cascade. Cascade is known for their sours, they make stuff no one else does around here, but you have to be into that kind of thing. Green Dragon makes all kinds of stuff, and has a huge tap list. These two places are very close to each other, you can't go wrong. If you can still drink, a good walkable cocktail place (with great food, too) is Beaker & Flask. All of these aren't too far from Le Pigeon, either. And all of these are also near many distilleries: http://www.distilleryrowpdx.com/ (most tasting is on the weekend). Not a fan of Burnside Brewing at all, never had anything I like there. Amazing tap list at Apex and amazing bottles diagonally across the street at Beer Mongers (@ intersection of SE 12th and Division) to muddy the waters for ya! ;o)
Westside beer places include Bailey's Taproom and Deschutes, which are definitely walkable. There's also Rogue and Tugboat, and Henry's has a lot of taps, though they are not a brewpub. Westside cocktails include Teardrop and Clyde Common (and CLyde Common has great food, btw). GIlt CLub is another great choice for cocktails with great food and also open late night.
I might be tempted to move Gruner into a lunch spot and do Le Pigeon for dinner when you do east side breweries/cocktails...if you can eat/walk by dinner, that is... ;o)
You're doing good research, indiefoodie, keep the questions coming! ;o)
San Francisco Hound Coming to Portland...Please Critique My List For Your Wonderful Food City!!!
I try and get to Toro Bravo around 4:45 and wait outside for them to open at 5pm. I know, that's kind of early, and especially so if your days are filled with eating and and drinking, but I don't like waiting either. It's worth it, the food really is that good, but you either go early or you wait. And if you do end up waiting, just get drinks at Secret Society, don't order food. ;o)
But, I do love Aviary. I was there recently and had a fabulous meal.
And yeah, if you do Olympic Provisions and just munch on charcuterie and some wine, you could do a schnitzelwich. Of course, you can always just buy some of OP's charcuterie to have on hand for snacking or to bring home and clear a lunch spot for carts or somewhere else.
Honestly, though, it just sounds like you are going to have to plan another trip to try more stuff here. ;o) It's an embarrassment of riches, we are very lucky.
San Francisco Hound Coming to Portland...Please Critique My List For Your Wonderful Food City!!!
I'd do St. Jack or Aviary over Paley's...but that's me. ;o)
I like Broder's food, but their service can supremely suck, YMMV.
Cascade makes great sours (I am not a fan, but many close to me are) and has stuff that no one else makes. If you want a nice list that includes both Portland brewers and Oregon brewers (and a couple of others here and there) in one spot, I recommend Hop House (2 locationson the east side: http://oregonhophouse.com/). Killer taster trays, not cheap pours (their only downfall, IMO), but a nice list for an out of towner wanting to try a lot of local stuff in one place...and good food, which is hard to find in most pubs/breweries here.
I am also a fan of Roscoe's (and the nearby, much-loved Tanuki: "No sushi, no kids!" which defies description but izakaya comes closest), not PDX/OR focused, but a great tap list. http://www.roscoespdx.com/roscoespdx.com/Roscoes_Home.html (lousy page, but their FB page always has recent taplists: https://www.facebook.com/Roscoespdx)
http://tanukipdx.com/
Of course, Green Dragon is walking distance from Cascade (and a lot of the Distillery Row spirit-makers, if you are so inclined) so doing both in a beer-soaked afternoon could be a great day. http://www.pdxgreendragon.com/
YYC Hound comming for a visit, where should I try?
Sounds like a tasty weekend! Don't worry too much about which neighborhood to base your story in, I think that your characters can travel around the city (so you can too! ;o).
Thanks for reporting back!
YYC Hound comming for a visit, where should I try?
You are very welcome chez cherie! And we all appreciate that you took the time to read posts on this board without posting a new request. ;o)
YYC Hound comming for a visit, where should I try?
So glad you had a good time! Thanks for reporting back.
