Saturday, May 19, 2007
Late Night Snach at Red Star Tavern and Roast House
Shrimp Hush Puppies $6
These were pretty darn gross. The weird sauce was sour and sweet. There was virtually no shrimp to be located within the hush puppies. They were dry and basically only good for soaking up the alcohol in our stomachs.
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 0, regional American, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Dinner at Fife Restaurant, Portland, OR
On the recommendation of a friend of a coworker, we made reservations at Fife, whose motto is "An American Place" and whose ingredients are all local, making it's food seasonal and sustainable. The atmosphere was laid back, yet sophisticate, much like Ad Hoc. The menu changes daily. The prices were reasonable for a relatively high-end place and the wine list was the best (in terms of affordability) that we've seen lately with at least 40 wines and not one over $45 a bottle.
Razor Clam Chowder $8
Creamy without being starchy and chock full of razor clams. The fried bits of root vegetables on top added a nice flavor contrast. Very good.
Maryland-Style Crab Cakes with Spicy Aioli $9
Alexis is always on a quest for the perfect crab cake, and these came pretty close. While not as chuncky as the waiter said they'd be, they had very little filler, and lots of fresh, local, dungeonesse crab.
Duck with Bok Choy $20
Tender and flavorful.
Bison Steak with Horseradish Cream and Fresh Grilled Asparagus $25
Alexis had never had bison before and wanted to give it a try. Basically, beef is better. The lean bison had great flavor, but it was a bit chewy, even cooked medium rare. The horseradish cream was a great accompaniment, Alexis just wished there had been more of it on the plate.
Cheese Plate $6
Although this was the cheapest cheese plate we've ever seen, it certainly wasn't the best. The fontina and a hard sheep cheese were tasty, but not incredibly interesting. The hazelnuts and strawberry were nice on their own.
Razor Clam Chowder $8
Creamy without being starchy and chock full of razor clams. The fried bits of root vegetables on top added a nice flavor contrast. Very good.
Maryland-Style Crab Cakes with Spicy Aioli $9
Alexis is always on a quest for the perfect crab cake, and these came pretty close. While not as chuncky as the waiter said they'd be, they had very little filler, and lots of fresh, local, dungeonesse crab.
Duck with Bok Choy $20
Tender and flavorful.
Bison Steak with Horseradish Cream and Fresh Grilled Asparagus $25
Alexis had never had bison before and wanted to give it a try. Basically, beef is better. The lean bison had great flavor, but it was a bit chewy, even cooked medium rare. The horseradish cream was a great accompaniment, Alexis just wished there had been more of it on the plate.
Cheese Plate $6
Although this was the cheapest cheese plate we've ever seen, it certainly wasn't the best. The fontina and a hard sheep cheese were tasty, but not incredibly interesting. The hazelnuts and strawberry were nice on their own.
Coconut Shortbread (gratuit)
Buttery and crumbly, but not very coconutty.
Buttery and crumbly, but not very coconutty.
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 1, regional American, restaurant, review, Service: 2
Snack at Windows Lounge, Red Lion Covention Center, Portland, OR
Rails Machine hosted a beer and hors d’oeuvres reception for RailsConf. Since we were going to dinner, Giao just tried some deviled eggs and swedish meatballs, and roasted asparagus spears. It tasted pretty much exactly as you would expect, average.
Website
Website
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 0, regional American, restaurant, review
Lunch at Oba Restaurante, Portland, OR
After the minimal food offered in the walking tour, Alexis and her parents needed a real meal and headed off to Oba, a place her dad had heard was good. Funnily enough, we went on their first day serving lunch, and it was pretty good. The prices were not bad either.
Grilled Chicken Caesar with Grilled Corn and Manchego Cheese $10
The chicken was tender and juicy, the dressing was creamy and tangy (although not entirely authentic) and the corn was a nice though. The cheese should have been grated rather than in large slices though.
Grilled Chicken Caesar with Grilled Corn and Manchego Cheese $10
The chicken was tender and juicy, the dressing was creamy and tangy (although not entirely authentic) and the corn was a nice though. The cheese should have been grated rather than in large slices though.
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 1, Nuevo Latino, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Lunch at Burgerville, Portland, OR
Giao, between sessions, decided to give Burgerville another shot. He asked if they could serve it without a bun, thinking that they might wrap it in lettuce. After he got his burger, he had to revise of his earlier opinion of "local version of McDonald's" to "bad local version of McDonald's."
Labels: burger, Decor: 0, Food: 0, restaurant, review, Service: 0
Snacks on the Epincurean Excursion from Portland Walking Tours, Portland, OR
While Giao was at his Ruby on Rails Conference, Alexis and her parents went on an epicurean walking tour around downtown Portland and the Pearl district courtesy of Portland Walking Tours.
Although it was not at all what we expected, it was a lot of fun. We expected lots of food, meats, cheeses, etc. We got not very much food at all, most of it high in carbs, which Alexis and her mom try to stay away from. Apparently this epicurean tour is vegetarian, which not only seems oxymoronic, but also should have been clearly stated in the tour description.
Carrot-Orange Soup from Elephant's Delicatessen
A bit too acidic, but it had a nice aftertaste.
Health Code Violations
The croissant was far too American in flavor--much too dense and chewy, not light and flaky like the French make them.
The gibassier was basically a candied orange peel and anise seed (very sweet) breakfast pastry. The flavors were interesting, but Alexis is not a big fan of pastry.
The baguette was standard. The whole wheat sour dough was stand-out--extra chewy and packed with flavor. The olive oil was also stellar.
Chocolate Bouchon
Very dense, very crumbly, not too sweet, but not much flavor either.
Lemon and Berry Sugar Cookies from the Tea Zone and the Camellia Lounge
The main purpose of visiting this place was tasting a variety of tea, but they served little cookies as accompaniments. The lemon variety was decent in that it had some sour to match the sweet. The berry version was far too sweet.
Blue Cheese, Asparagus, Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Pizza from Hot Lips Pizza (Health Code Violations)
Not sure if this pizza was actually good, or if it was simply the first food of the morning with any substance or protein. The ingredients were fresh and tasty. The crust, like every West Coast pizza crust, was limp.
Lemon-Mint, Pistachio and Chocolate Gelato
The lemon mint was refreshing, the pistachio was really pure in nut taste and the chocolate was creamy and delicious.
Chocolate Truffle
Melt in your mouth chocolate.
Although it was not at all what we expected, it was a lot of fun. We expected lots of food, meats, cheeses, etc. We got not very much food at all, most of it high in carbs, which Alexis and her mom try to stay away from. Apparently this epicurean tour is vegetarian, which not only seems oxymoronic, but also should have been clearly stated in the tour description.
Carrot-Orange Soup from Elephant's DelicatessenA bit too acidic, but it had a nice aftertaste.
Health Code Violations
The croissant was far too American in flavor--much too dense and chewy, not light and flaky like the French make them.
The gibassier was basically a candied orange peel and anise seed (very sweet) breakfast pastry. The flavors were interesting, but Alexis is not a big fan of pastry.
The baguette was standard. The whole wheat sour dough was stand-out--extra chewy and packed with flavor. The olive oil was also stellar.
Chocolate Bouchon
Very dense, very crumbly, not too sweet, but not much flavor either.
Lemon and Berry Sugar Cookies from the Tea Zone and the Camellia Lounge
The main purpose of visiting this place was tasting a variety of tea, but they served little cookies as accompaniments. The lemon variety was decent in that it had some sour to match the sweet. The berry version was far too sweet.
Blue Cheese, Asparagus, Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Pizza from Hot Lips Pizza (Health Code Violations)
Not sure if this pizza was actually good, or if it was simply the first food of the morning with any substance or protein. The ingredients were fresh and tasty. The crust, like every West Coast pizza crust, was limp.
Lemon-Mint, Pistachio and Chocolate Gelato
The lemon mint was refreshing, the pistachio was really pure in nut taste and the chocolate was creamy and delicious.
Chocolate Truffle
Melt in your mouth chocolate.
Labels: restaurant, review
Breakfast at the Cafe 10-2-1 at the Red Lion Hotel, Portland, OR
Giao's conference started early, so he grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant. It was decent and inexpensive, but had we had time, we would had headed elsewhere.
Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and Hashbrowns $7
The eggs and bacon were decent but trying to lay off the carbs, Giao didn't eat the hash browns.
Side of Sausage $3
Standard breakfast sausage.
Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and Hashbrowns $7
The eggs and bacon were decent but trying to lay off the carbs, Giao didn't eat the hash browns.
Side of Sausage $3
Standard breakfast sausage.
Labels: Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Friday, May 18, 2007
Dinner at Masu, Portland, OR
After Alexis got into Portland, she needed some sustenance (after those terrible chicken wings at the airport). Although Giao had already eaten dinner, we went to a "contemporary Japanese" place that had been recommended by a friend of a coworker that we'd played poker with once, who happened to be a Portland local. Although there was no hostess up front when we got to the restaurant, which was rather sparse for a Friday night, she soon came back and found us a table near the window, which was nice. The place had chic, calming decor and a hip hop DJ. It was a nice little find, and the food wasn't bad either.
Wild Mushroom and Wilted Greens Dumplings $9
The plating was beautiful, and the dumplings themselves were decent, if not standout.
Kaiso Salad $9
A heaping pile of 5 kinds of seaweed and dungeonesse crab. This was perhaps the best wakame salad we've ever had. It was less acidic than usual and very, very good. Lots of crab chunks as well.
Edamame (gratuit)
Great sea salt, although the edamame were very cold, which was a bit strange.
Ama Ebi and Uni $8
Despite having already eaten, Giao couldn't resist a yummy snack (although Alexis ate some of his as well). Both were pretty good.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 2
Service: 1
Website
Health Code Violations
Wild Mushroom and Wilted Greens Dumplings $9The plating was beautiful, and the dumplings themselves were decent, if not standout.
Kaiso Salad $9
A heaping pile of 5 kinds of seaweed and dungeonesse crab. This was perhaps the best wakame salad we've ever had. It was less acidic than usual and very, very good. Lots of crab chunks as well.
Edamame (gratuit)
Great sea salt, although the edamame were very cold, which was a bit strange.
Ama Ebi and Uni $8Despite having already eaten, Giao couldn't resist a yummy snack (although Alexis ate some of his as well). Both were pretty good.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 2
Service: 1
Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 1, Japanese, restaurant, review, Service: 1, sushi
Dinner at Pazzo, Portland, OR
Since Alexis hadn't yet arrived in Portland, Giao met Alexis' parents, who had driven down to meet us for the weekend, for dinner at Pazzo, an Italian place that is more than just a pasta joint.
Lamb Carpaccio - Giao never had lamb carpaccio, and was happy with this one, though there was a bit too much cheese on it.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 1
Website
Health Code Violations
Lamb Carpaccio - Giao never had lamb carpaccio, and was happy with this one, though there was a bit too much cheese on it.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 1
Service: 1
Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 1, Italian, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Snack at Gordon Biersch at SFO
Alexis tried, and failed, to get a decent snack at the airport.
Chili Sauce Chicken Wings $8
Expensive and disgusting. These were slathered in a sickenly sweet, snot textured sauce that seemed not to have any spice at all.
Previous Post
Chili Sauce Chicken Wings $8
Expensive and disgusting. These were slathered in a sickenly sweet, snot textured sauce that seemed not to have any spice at all.
Previous Post
Labels: Decor: 0, Food: 0, pub food, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Lunch at Fong Chong, Portland, OR
For lunch Giao headed off to Portland's tiny Chinatown for some dim sum at a well-reputed place. It was pretty awful. Needless to say, given our love of dim sum, we are glad we live in SF instead of Portland. The restaurant is in a great large brick building that screams to be better used than filled with shabby tables and carts. Giao was a bit late, se he ordered off the menu, however there were some carts that were wheeling around dim sum. However they weren't steam carts, so the temperature didn't keep. The whole thing came out to $19.
Crispy Chicken - Dry and tough.
Sui Mai - These were big, and instead of coming in it's own steamer basket, were counted off of a large platter. While this is actually not a bad way to serve it, the actual sui mai were inedible.
Har Gow - It was hard to get through even one of these. The shrimp were very stale tasting.
Chicken Feet - It was really tough to get the skin to come off of the feet.
Spare Ribs in Black Bean Sauce - Though this had potential, as you can see it was very heat lamp damaged, with the top pieces as dried out as the black beans.
Ratings:
Food: 0
Decor: 0
Service: 0
Website
Health Code Violations
Crispy Chicken - Dry and tough.
Sui Mai - These were big, and instead of coming in it's own steamer basket, were counted off of a large platter. While this is actually not a bad way to serve it, the actual sui mai were inedible.
Har Gow - It was hard to get through even one of these. The shrimp were very stale tasting.
Chicken Feet - It was really tough to get the skin to come off of the feet.
Spare Ribs in Black Bean Sauce - Though this had potential, as you can see it was very heat lamp damaged, with the top pieces as dried out as the black beans.
Ratings:
Food: 0
Decor: 0
Service: 0
Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: Chinese, Decor: 0, Dim Sum, Food: 0, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Lunch from Seller's Market, San Francisco, CA
Tomato Bisque
This soup is very good. It has the right balance of acidity of and sweetness. It is very creamy and has a bit of a spicy kick.
Cobb Salad
The strange thing about this cobb is that the dressing is a vinegarette rather than blue cheese. The ingredients are certainly fresh, but the chicken was a bit dry.
Labels: Food: 1, restaurant, review
Breakfast at Home
Brocollini Scramble and Bacon
Leftover brocollini mixed into scrambled eggs. We like to cook our bacon in the microwave both for ease and because the paper towels wick away all of the grease.
Labels: breakfast recipe, brocollini, eggs, homemade
Breakfast at Burgerville, Portland
Breakfast Burger
Pretty bad. Sort of like McDonald's.
Food: 0
Decor: 0
Service: 0
Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: burger, Decor: 0, Food: 0, restaurant, review, Service: 0
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Dinner at Saucebox, Portland, OR
Giao had a late dinner at Saucebox after he touched down in Portland. This dark hip spot had some alfresco tables for people viewing on the mostly empty street. The first thing Giao noticed was the smoke, which is still legal in Portland. The service staff was young and hip, but not without problems. The waiter did not bring the edamame, and the drink orders got a little mixed up. Seeing how it was late, and Giao was in the bar section, and not the dining room, these are minor nits. More disappointing was that for a place that prides itself on it's cocktails and 'Liquor Lab' was unable to come up with an answer to the 'non sweet cucumber drink' that Giao often craves.
Sauvie Burger, $9 - The bad bread, overcooked burger with limp bacon and overrated local cheese (Tillamook) was redeemed by a great tangy sauce.
Ratings:
Food: 0
Decor: 1
Service: 0
Website
Health Code Violations
Sauvie Burger, $9 - The bad bread, overcooked burger with limp bacon and overrated local cheese (Tillamook) was redeemed by a great tangy sauce.Food: 0
Decor: 1
Service: 0
Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 0, restaurant, review, Service: 0
Snack at Gordon Biersch at SFO
Giao grabbed a gross snack on the way to Portland, OR.
Labels: Decor: 0, Food: 0, pub food, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Lunch at Akiko's Sushi Restaurant, San Francisco, Ca
We've been trying to find decent sushi in or around the financial district for ages. We heard about Akiko's, which is nestled in between a bunch of Irish pubs, and we decided to give it a try. We were pleased to find a casual, homey sushi place that was noticably better than other sushi we'd eaten in the neighborhood.
Sesame Cabbage Salad (gratuit)
This little salad was a tasty and unexpected way to start the meal. Just a few bites to cleanse the palate.
Miso Soup (served with Alexis' teriyaki meal)
Decent.
Edamame $3
Very salty and very fresh.
Beef Teriyaki and Tempura Combo $17
A bit pricy, but pretty tasty. The teriyaki was not too sweet, which was a pleasant surprise. And the tempura was crunchy, even if the batter was a bit thick.
Sashimi Combo $20
Pretty good.
Hamachi Kama $8
A pretty good price for this tuna cheek. The sweet sauce was a bit off-putting, but the cheek itself was meaty and delicious.
Sesame Cabbage Salad (gratuit)
This little salad was a tasty and unexpected way to start the meal. Just a few bites to cleanse the palate.
Miso Soup (served with Alexis' teriyaki meal)
Decent.
Edamame $3
Very salty and very fresh.
Beef Teriyaki and Tempura Combo $17
A bit pricy, but pretty tasty. The teriyaki was not too sweet, which was a pleasant surprise. And the tempura was crunchy, even if the batter was a bit thick.
Sashimi Combo $20
Pretty good.
Hamachi Kama $8
A pretty good price for this tuna cheek. The sweet sauce was a bit off-putting, but the cheek itself was meaty and delicious.
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 1, Japanese, restaurant, review, Service: 1, sushi
Breakfast at Home
Bacon, Egg, Cheese and Brocollini Low Carb Breakfast Burrito
Eggs are a great way to use leftover vegetables.
Labels: breakfast recipe, eggs
Dinner at Home
Alexis doesn't really like to cook for one, and Giao was out of town, so Alexis made herself a nice caprese salad.
Caprese Salad
Fresh tomato slices on top of fresh mozzerella slices, on top of fresh basil leaves, all topped off with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Caprese Salad
Fresh tomato slices on top of fresh mozzerella slices, on top of fresh basil leaves, all topped off with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Dinner at Home
Pan Fried NY Strip Steak with Blue Cheesy Butter, Accompanied by Cheesy Pureed Cauliflower
A tasty, hearty meal, but it does need some green. The steak is marinated in worcestershire sauce and steak seasoning and then pan fried for a couple minutes on each side in a mixture of butter and olive oil. Click here for the caullflower recipe.
Labels: beef, cauliflour, dinner recipes, homemade
Lunch from Mehfil Indian
We had lunch from Mehfil, our favorite Indian takeout place today, but we think that they must have a new chef, because the usually excellent food just wasn't up to par.
Chicken Mahkni and Saag Paneer
The chicken mahkni was oddly sweet and neither dish was as spicy as ordered.
Chicken Mahkni and Saag Paneer
The chicken mahkni was oddly sweet and neither dish was as spicy as ordered.
Labels: Decor: 0, Food: 1, Indian, restaurant, review, Service: 0
Breakfast at Home
Fresh Strawberries
Greek Yogurt with Vanilla and a bit of Splenda
For dipping the strawberries.
Bacon, Egg, Cheese and Brocollini Low Carb Breakfast Burrito
Eggs are a great way to use leftover vegetables.
Labels: breakfast recipe, brocollini, eggs, homemade
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