Pambiche

Restaurant: Pambiche
Location: 2811 NE Glisan, Portland, OR 97232
Date: April 2tth, 2009
Ordered: Revoltillo de Chorizo (Cuban Sausage Scramble)
Cost: $9.50

For breakfast Saturday I found myself with a group at Pambiche, a Cuban restaurant in NE Portland. (Incidentally, I used to live 10 blocks form where it now is, so I'm somewhat familiar with the neighborhood.) Even in NE Pambiche stands out as a colorful place with its walls covered in bold primary colors and small dining room packed with people.

Given my traditional conservative taste, I decided to try something that didn't sound too exotic but still sounded fun. I settled on the Revoltillo de Chorizo, an egg/sausage/pepper scramble with a delicious-sounding description. I'd also like to thank the wait-staff at this point for not making me try to pronounce the name of the dish, as I'd have butchered it.


The plate arrived arranged in a most appetizing way. But even more than that, the meal was delicious. (Though I'll admit, I tend to say that about pretty much every place I eat. Do I just magically find the awesome items on the menu?) It really was a mixture of eggs, sausage, peppers, and a few other spices combined on a plate and served with a toast and garnish. Yet, now that I typed it out, it really was better than it sounds.

As breakfasts go, I'm quite happy to have been introduced to Pembiche and I'm definitely looking forward to trying it again. Check it out!

Note: The Cuban French Toast looked delicious as well. I may have to try that next time!

Thai Cottage

Restaurant: Thai Cottage
Location: 8620 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203
Date: April 10th, 2009
Ordered: Pad Thai
Cost: $8.50

Finally had the chance to try Thai Cottage, another local hole-in-the-wall Thai place near my home. It's a small restaurant, with probably only about 8 tables - but it's these little places that so frequently turn out well.

In an incredible act of originality, I ordered the Pad Thai. I'm going to say that the presentation of the meal was amazing; it really looked like they put some thought into it. In terms of flavor, the meal was also quite delicious. If I were giving Ebay-style feedback here, it would be "A++++++ would eat again!!!".


I enjoyed my meal thoroughly. With the pleasant ambiance of the place, it was easy to feel relaxed and just enjoy it.

What was doubly impressive was the dessert they brought us after the meal. It was a slice of pineapple with a small bowl of a sugar/salt mix.


The whole Thai Cottage experience was filled with "yum" and I would definitely go back again!

Portland Saturday Market: Springroll Kitchen

Restaurant: Springroll Kitchen at Portland Saturday Market
Location: 108 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209
Date: April 5th, 2009
Ordered: two Spring Rolls
Cost: $6.00

On Sunday I walked my favorite loop, the eastside esplanade/waterfront park loop. One of the nice things about doing it in the warmer months is that Portland's Saturday Market is open.

The Saturday Market food court has some excellent food, but nothing is better than the spring rolls you can buy at Springroll Kitchen. For $3 each, you get a gigantic deep-fried spring roll filled with all sorts of goodness and a dipping sauce that takes the whole package from good to great. I've no picture of it to put up, but I assure you that it's mouth-wateringly delicious!

McMenamins Barley Mill Pub

Restaurant: McMenamins Barley Mill Pub
Location: 1629 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR 97214
Date: March 27th, 2009
Ordered: Falafel Wrap
Cost: $6.75, though I ended up with several drinks attached to that.



So I ended up at the Barley Mill for dinner for a friend's birthday, and hadn't yet eaten dinner. After pondering the menu, I decided to try something new - and hopefully relatively healthy - and ordered the Falafel Wrap (with the salad instead of the fries). I can safely say that it was delicious.

It was also reasonably priced. However, since this was a McMenamins the usual caveats apply. Food and beer are both good, but anything with alcohol in it is vastly overpriced for what you get. Furthermore, on mixed drinks (such as a whiskey and coke) they are notoriously stingy with their portions. Consider this to be fair warning!

Back to the food, though. The wrap was big, it was delicious, and I felt like I'd eaten a healthy, hearty meal by the time I was done with it. I would highly recommend the Falafel Wrap for anyone stopping by the Barley Mill; you won't regret it!

Blue Sage Cafe

Restaurant: Blue Sage Cafe
Location: 21900 Willamette Dr, West Linn, OR 97068
Date: March 13th, 2009
Ordered: Quesadilla Appetizer, Chicken Caeser Salad, and a "Blue Sage" Margarita
Cost: it's complicated...



On a lark my friend and I ended up at the Blue Sage Cafe in West Linn, where a third friend had (coincidentally) just mentioned that they were having a promotion on their food. We were seated and opened our menus to find this:

Your Price is Right

In deference to the economy, The Blue Sage Cafe is pleased to offer our guests a special opportunity.

Just pay full price for beverages and you decide what to pay for your meal. It is that simple. Your server will give you all the details and guide you through the process.

Today... Your Price is the Right Price at Blue Sage Cafe!

One entree and full-price beverage purchase per person, dine-in only.

Let me be the first to say that it's hard to beat the "pay what you think your meal was worth" offer. And - oh no! - I had to buy a drink. It was a rough deal.

We ended up splitting the quesadilla while waiting for our third friend to show up. The portion was surprisingly small but I took one bite and was impressed. Maybe I just don't get out all that often, but there was flavor! The portion was the same with my drink: small, but delicious.

For the main course I ordered a chicken caesar salad, which I'd like to go on record as saying that it's probably the most overpriced item on a menu (besides soda pop.) Lettuce, chicken, dressing, and a couple croutons... and I defy you to name a restaurant that doesn't charge at least $9 for that combo. Nonetheless, in an attempt to eat healthier, I stuck with the salad (even after a warning that "the salad's not that big" from the waitress.)

The salad was, in fact, tiny... yet it also ranks as one of the most delicious chicken caesar salads I've ever had. Some flavor they put in the dressing took it from good to great. It didn't take me long to finish the salad; the portion was tiny and each bite was awesome. (Speaking of the portion size: I'm not exactly starving to death, so portions that can't feed a small country are okay with me.)

I've spoken of the food, but let me say this of the service. Our wait staff was friendly, prompt, and attentive. I couldn't have asked for a better experience, and I left feeling great about this place.

Let me wholeheartedly recommend the Blue Sage Cafe. Even without the promotion, the atmosphere was good, the food was delicious, the service was excellent, and I would definitely go back.

Philadelphia's Steaks & Hoagies

Restaurant: Philadelphia's Steaks & Hoagies
Location: 18625 Hwy 43, West Linn, OR 97068
Date: March 3rd, 2009
Ordered: Italian Sausage Sandwich and a side of Kettle Chips
Cost: $6.95 + $1.25



I was running some errands in West Linn when I remember hearing about this place. I was hungry, it was right next to where I was, so I decided to duck in and give it a shot.

Looking at the menu, I decided on the "Italian Sausage", which is described as "Italian sausage grilled with onions, melted provolone cheese, and smothered in tomato sauce". It sounded delicious, so I ordered that (and grabbed a bag of New York Cheddar Kettle Chips.) Well, the chips were quite good but the sandwich... wasn't. I think maybe I ordered the wrong thing, because several other items on the menu looked and smelled delicious.

Would I go back? Yes, I would. The atmosphere was quite nice, and apparently on Monday nights certain sandwiches are half-off, which would be awesome. I think I'll go again sometime and order a philly cheesesteak. We'll see...

The Alibi

Restaurant: The Alibi
Location: 4024 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97227
Date: March 2nd, 2009
Ordered: Taco Salad (with no olives)
Cost: $9.95



Sitting in the restaurant/bar area, the atmosphere is almost, for lack of a better work, overwhelming. The tiki bar theme is everywhere, or at least in the part of the restaurant we were in. There's another part that apparently has a lot of karaoke going on, but we were quite happy to sit as far from the screeching as possible.

I ordered the Taco Salad for two reasons. The first is that it sounded pretty decent. The second is that it was served in a genuine crispy tortilla shell, which is a habit I try to support. After taking forever to arrive (I might have just been hungry) I was served my salad with a huge side of sour cream and salsa. I mixed in both, and I devoured it. The salad was delicious!

The Alibi was surprisingly good and definitely had a lot of atmosphere. If you haven't been there, you should check it out one evening. I recommend it!