FoodGroupie's Profile
Portland -- near Convention Center
BoyBlue,
I think I have heard about this dining disaster you experienced at Meiji-En.
Portland Birthday Dinner
Went to 23 Hoyt/Balvo a week ago. Wasn't very impressed by the menu. It was way too noisy as we sat next to a table of 40-somethings on a double date. The atmosphere is not conducive to having a nice quiet dinner.
I second Fenouil, Olea, or Alba as places to take someone for a special dinner. Carlyle is pretty good too.
"California is fusion food"? I'd like to ask what exactly is Pacific Northwestern food. Salmon? Other than that, it doesn't really have much of an identity, IMHO.
Portland Buffets (All You Can Eat)
The London Grill has an excellent Sunday brunch buffet. A little on the pricey side, but worth it. Service is very solicitous as well.
Todai is pretty hit and miss. The sushi is pretty stale, the rice tends to be dried out. Not a bad place for kids, though.
PDX-Ten-01
I thought it was very "so what". Not very interesting. Slightly expensive for what you get.
Chicago-style dipped beef sandwiches in the metro Detroit or Ann Arbor area anyone?
But Red Hot Lover, if I recall, just sells hot dogs, not dipped beef sandwiches.
[PDX] Lovely Hula Hands
Thought the old incarnation was just so-so. Service was a little spacey. Maybe I'll try it again. Maybe not.
Best SF chowhound neighborhood?
Where are they going to stay in North Beach? By the limited number of hotels around Gary Danko's and Fisherman's Wharf? Union Square is a much better bet. It's central, has transportation options, and also is near some really nice restaurants. They're tourists, not locals who live in SF.
Ultimate Restaurants: Portland
1) Fenouil
2) Alba Osteria
3) Murata
4) Le Pigeon
5) Park Kitchen
Tres Leches Cake
Tried Pambiche. It was good Tres Leches. Very moist. That hit the spot. Will try the bakery in Woodburne and Taqueria Nueve next. Thanks everyone!
ISO unusual ethnic restaurants in Portland, OR area
Yeah, a good Indonesian place would be nice. Cambodian would be nice too. No Islamic Chinese places in the area that I know of.
Are there any good Scandanvian places in Portland? It seems like the weather and the produce would be similar to what they would have.
Callaloo is not bad for "Caribbean" cuisine. Drinks are pretty strong there.
ISO unusual ethnic restaurants in Portland, OR area
Have to agree with Leonardo, ethnic is not a strong suit in Portland, at least in the non-mainstream cuisines. Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Japanese (as the original poster stated) are pretty common all over the West Coast.
Malay Satay Hut is a good suggestion. So is Andina.
le pigeon or simpatica?
I like Simpatica but sometimes I don't feel like passing around the family-style dish and pretend that I only eat modest portions so that others at the communal table will have enough to go around.
Le Pigeon is very good. A good way to beat the line is to go early. They open at 5 PM, I believe.
Chicago style thin-crust pizza in Seattle or Portland???
Killingsworth and what cross-street?
Portland Chowhound in San Francisco Over Christmas
Looking for a good restaurant that will be open Christmas Eve in San Francisco. We're originally from the Bay Area so we're pretty familiar with a lot of the standards, ie, Masa's, La Folie, Gary Danko, Chez Panisse, Aqua, etc. Looking for some new vibrant places, possibly kid-friendly.
Best Meal In/Around Detroit and Milwaukee - money not a concern - please help!
Zingerman's = brainwash
Tres Leches Cake
Got a hungering for tres leches cake. Is there any available in Portland? And where is the best place to get some?
PDX: Good, old-fashioned Chinese lunch specials? (or buffett)
That doesn't sound like Chinese food to me. Or rather, a very stereotypical concept of Chinese food.
Portland Post-Thanksgiving Reccs?
My perception of Tabla is that it is kind of dark. Sort of a restaurant that you would go with adults or with a date, not with curious toddlers.
Older children may be OK.
Good Happy Hour in Portland
Just went to Fenouil happy hour. Got a burger (supposedly Kobe beef), mussels, charcuterie plate, cheese plate, lobster beignets, truffle fries, a Perrier, salad.
All for $44 (not including tip). Nobody was there. Of course, it was Monday afternoon.
By the way, the food was very good.
The BEST places to eat in Detroit/suburban area
Can't find good food in San Diego? Drive a little north to LA. Lots of good food in the area. Why are all the places you recommend chains?
Ann Arbor so far
I agree with cmcd and ckbear. I was an Ann Arbor townie, grew up there, went to undergrad and grad school. Moved to the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and now in Portland. I have been back to Ann Arbor, once for about 2 years and occasionally to see friends. None of the restaurants are stellar, most (i.e. Zingerman's being the most notorious) are completely overrated. Most of the places downtown are owned by the same corporation and have that bland corporate taste. I do like Grizzly Peaks. Good sandwiches, decent beer. Cafe Zola is good, although service is iffy, especially on weekends. I like Tuptim, halfway to Ypsilanti for Thai. Yotsuba, somewhat nearby is pretty good for Japanese. Godaiko in the opposite direction is reasonable for Japanese. Seoul Garden is pretty good. West End Grill, Common Grill are also pretty good. Shalimar isn't too bad for Indian
Some of the worst places I've tried:
Tio's. What kind of burrito do they serve? It's kind of a slurry. A burrito abomination to burrito purists.
Miki. Old gross fish.
