Evoe/Pastaworks
October 12, 2008
One of my favorite pasttimes in Provence (besides glassmaking) was strolling through the village on market day then stopping at the local cafe for a leisurely sandwich or charcuterie plate with citron pressé. Small, intensely flavorful and absolutely unpretentious, this was fingerfood made in heaven, about as far from what you get at the mall Subway as a good croissant is from Rainbow Bread.
Well, lordee lordee, there’s a Provençal-style cafe in Portland, and it is exquisite.
Evoe is attached to Pastaworks, a little wine-and-gourmet shop on Hawthorne between the two Powells bookstores. It’s not very big, just a few tables, and whatever’s on the menu is chalked up on giant boards behind the cooking area. “It changes,” said my waitress, “daily. Or maybe more if something great comes in.”
Firkin & Frog
August 28, 2008
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Skyline Drive-in
April 10, 2008
If you’re looking for the old-fashioned carhop skating to your rolled-down window, this ain’t it, although there’s a mural of same painted in the stalls where that used to happen.
But in every other respect, Skyline Drive-in is a 50s throwback, vinyl booths, kitsch and all. Probably the coolest part is that this isn’t a “theme” restaurant, where decorators carefully calibrated the poodle skirt reproductions. Skyline just grew that way. [Read more]
Rose’s Deli & Bakery
April 9, 2008
Live in New York for any period of time, even if you hate it, and you’ll become a delisnob. Delisnobs are those annoying, black-clad folk who kindly remind us that ONLY a New York deli can produce truly delicious pastrami, corned beef, dill pickles, potato salad, lox, bagels, rye bread, etc.
Nancy’s Kitchen
March 27, 2008
Had some time this morning, so Robyn and I tried doing brunch instead of dinner (and since it was on a Thursday, we didn’t worry about lines). We headed for a place called Nancy’s Kitchen in the Pearl, just off Glisan and 16th, across the street from the Mission Pub & Theatre.
The first thing you notice about this place is that you actually can find parking, normally a near-impossibility. In fact, there’s a spacious parking lot, which is a strong incentive to come here even if the food isn’t good.
But not to worry–the food is very good. [Read more]
Burgerville
October 25, 2007
OK, secret shame. I rarely allow myself this place, but they have great burgers (Tillamook cheeseburger) made with local foodstuffs. Reasonably priced, better than the $35 hamburger I once room-serviced at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. (don’t ask) If I ever wanted to completely go nuts, I’d do a Tillamook cheeseburger, onion rings, and a strawberry shake.
However, you can do just fine with a slightly healthier combo: a TCB, side salad (very well done), and bottle of water. Burgervill also does seasonal items, such as raspberry shakes, sweet potato fries, etc. Most are worth at least trying (my Mom is a huge fan of the sweet potato fries).
Tip: Plan a trip to Bullseye Resource Center around lunchtime, and you can come out on Powell, make a right and almost immediate left, and there’s a Burgerville drive-in. No wonder my glass bill is so high!
Whole Foods
August 25, 2007
Area: All over Portland/Vancouver (I did the one in the Pearl)
Price for two to fill up: $16-$20
The corporate organic grocery store, Whole Foods, is an old lunch standby for many people, and I’ll grab a bite there when I’m in the Pearl District and need to pick up some groceries, but I gotta say it doesn’t hold a candle to the deli counter at New Seasons.
Whole Foods gives short shrift to those who want to eat there–you’ll sit at a narrow, artistically curved counter on a hard wooden stool. Still, the soups are usually good, the bread isn’t bad (cornbread is better), and the salad bar is excellent. We stopped in for dinner (greens and pulled pork, which could use some work), and to pick up my favorite cheese, Wallace & Gromit’s Wensleydale.
Tip: If you need to be in the Pearl around Couch & 12th, head for the underground parking garage on the next block over. Whole Foods validates two hours’ worth of parking if you buy $10 worth of stuff, so you can get lunch for two and save on parking.
Old Wives’ Tale
August 5, 2007
Supposedly this place has been written up in many magazines and appeared on Food Network a couple of times. Don’t know about that, but I do know that I’ve got friends who fly into Portland from several states over just to have OWT’s Hungarian mushroom soup. (or as my mother says, “that’s not soup; that’s gravy”) It is sinfully rich, delicious and known to cause expressions of awe in soup lovers. I’ve heard that their other soups are equally good, but if I’m in OWT, I’m ordering Hungarian mushroom soup, so who knows?
They specialize in accommodating vegetarians and people with dietary restrictions, and they do a lot of wow-man organic stuff, and some of it’s tasty. They’ve also got a waitstaff that can alternate between sweetly space cadet and surly, but who cares as long as they bring on the Hungarian mushroom soup?Â
New Seasons Market
April 6, 2007
OK, it’s a grocery store, not a restaurant…but it’s still one of the best values I’ve found for lunch and not a bad choice for dinner, either. This is a sustainable/organic/whatever market, all grown up and really nice people, and they bake their own bread and cook their own deli food (mostly). Really nice sandwiches, good desserts, the ubiquitous northwestern coffee-and-buns, decent salad bar and hot-pot, plus a gelato stand. What more do you want?
For sandwiches, order whatever cooked meat is written up on the blackboard, on their sourdough or rye with the basil-pesto mayonnaise. Really nice. Unlike most grocery delis, these folks understand that folks like to sit down–comfortably–to eat, and supply comfortable chairs, tables, dishes, etc. Depending on the store, they may also turn the “restaurant” into an art gallery or community center for meetings, and some of the meetings are fascinating entertainment (there was the time the breastfeeding activists rehearsed a demonstration for an airlines…).
Tip: If you are on the Web before you head over there, visit their website, order your food, and it’ll be ready when you get there. Saves time–the counterfolk are nice but NOT speedy.
