Thai Terrace

Restaurant: Thai Terrace
Location: 700 SE Chkalov Dr, Vancouver, WA 98683
Date: March 12th, 2010
Ordered: Pad Thai
Cost: $8.50

I was talked into trying Thai Terrace (in Vancouver) the other night. Once we were seated and someone came around, I ordered - of course - my yardstick Pad Thai.


I should let you know that the service wasn't so great. It was a Friday evening, so the dinner rush was on, but the restaurant was small, noisy, and slow. Something to be aware of.

I must say that Thai Terrace has some great Pad Thai. Some of the most delicious I've tasted in a while. However, it is worth having to go to east-nowhere Vancouver for? Probably not. Fortunately, it appears that they have a North Portland location!

Aprisa

Restaurant: Aprisa
Location: Corner of SE 8th & Division, Portland, OR 97214
Date: February 24th, 2010
Ordered: Taco Salad
Cost: $5.40

Several of my coworkers and I decided to try Aprisa one day, as it's within walking distance of where I work. It's a surprising-looking place; it's entirely a drive-up restaurant that's roughly the size of a single-wide trailer. A cute-looking little place, but it doesn't scream "restaurant".

I ordered my favorite, taco salad. It came in short time, as ordered. The water I asked for, while ordering, however, didn't come as ordered and I had to ask for it. Notably, my friend's burrito, ordered without cheese, was delivered (with verbal assurance) without cheese. Or so he was told; it actually came with cheese, as he later, unfortunately, found out.



My taco salad, once I got a chance to eat it, wasn't all that great. It wasn't terrible, and was perhaps nicely authentic, but it wasn't all that great. The ingredients tasted fresh, but the proportions all seemed wrong.

Still, if you're in the mood for authentic mexican food, it's a place to try.

EastBurn

Restaurant: EastBurn
Location: 1800 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Date: January 20th, 2010
Ordered: Steak Salad
Cost: $12

I had lunch with some coworkers at EastBurn the other day, the trendy little restaurant on the southeast corner of 18th & East Burnside. The inside is nice, though it was just us when we arrived at noon on a Wednesday.

Examining the lunch menu, and wanting something delicious but not TOO unhealthy, I opted to try the steak salad. It arrived 15-ish minutes later.


Now the salad was advertised to be a bed of greens with apple chunks, steak, and brie on it. I can tell you that, combined with the vinaigrette dressing they put on, it was a darn good salad. The greens were good, the apple was crisp, the steak was perfectly done... but the brie took the salad to the next level of yum.

My overall impression of the place was solid; it seems like a trendy place with really good food. My concern is the $12 price tag associated with the salad. Will I often pay that much for one? Unlikely... but if you're in the mood to, I suggest you try it!

Bread and Ink Cafe

Restaurant: Bread and Ink Cafe
Location: 3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Date: November 19th, 2009
Ordered: Provolone Bacon Basil Sandwich (with French Onion Soup)
Cost: $10.75

The Bread and Ink Cafe is a small joint on Hawthorne Boulevard, and doesn't immediately catch the eye. Step into the inside, however, and you're treated to a fun little cafe with a friendly staff and a bunch of charm.

Looking over the menu, I thought I'd try the delicious-sounding Provolone Bacon Basic Sandwich, with the French Onion Soup. Of course, I got to make this decision while eating the delicious free bread they gave us when sitting down. (Note: nothing makes a better first impression than free food.)


My food came pretty quickly, and this is where lunch went from good to great. That sandwich was like a grilled cheese sandwich, but with provolone, some excellent bacon, and some herbs cooked inside. It was amazingly delicious. I wanted more when I was done!

So go check it out. It's an expensive sandwich, so I won't be eating it too often, but it was a delicious treat in a neat little cafe.

Nosh

Restaurant: Nosh
Location: 2030 SE 7th, Portland, OR 97214
Date: October 9th, 2009
Ordered: BLT
Cost: $6.50

I have fallen in love!

Well, I've fallen in love with a sandwich. Nosh is a sandwich place just a few blocks away from where I work and it's a favorite of the staff here. They've got to be putting something in their BLT because it's so darn delicious. I've taken to eating them several times a week. I think about the BLT when I'm not eating it. When I'm out for a walk... I'm really just daydreaming about the BLT.


It's that good. Seriously.

So give Nosh a try. Try the BLT. (The other sandwiches are good, too, I hear.) You'll probably even run into me there.

Nostrana

Restaurant: Nostrana
Location: 1401 SE Morrison, Portland, OR
Date: September 28nd, 2009
Ordered: Insalata Nostrana
Cost: $9.00

I ate at Nostrana for a work meeting. It's got a great location in Southeast Portland with a good parking lot and easy accessibility. The inside is clean (but not sterile-feeling) with windows that make the place light up naturally.

Looking over the menu I hit on an instant problem that I often face when dining out: I don't speak whatever language they choose to use, so I often have little idea what I'm facing. I ended up going with the Insalata Nostrana, mainly because I could figure out that it was a salad.


The food arrived and I was quite pleasantly surprised. It was a wonderful salad with a house dressing that made it an entirely enjoyable meal. I'm not sure it's a place that I would frequent (a $9 salad was one of the less expensive items on the menu) but I was quite satisfied with what I had.

Bocci's on 7th

Restaurant: Bocci's on 7th
Location: 1728 SE 7th Ave, Portland, OR
Date: September 22nd, 2009
Ordered: Soup & Salad
Cost: $6.75

Bocci's, for me, is just a quick walk away from work, so I went there recently on a recommendation. I found a small, cozy restaurant with a personable and enthusiastic staff waiting. Sitting down at an empty table, I looked over the menu and - looking for a light lunch but finding mainly pastas - ordered the soup (a minestrone) and salad.


The order arrived quickly and I ate the bread and salad first while the soup cooled down. It was a good, small salad - exactly what I was looking for. The soup, once cooled, was also fairly delicious.

I don't have much to say about Bocci's; it was a good and I'll definitely go again (if nothing else, due to proximity.) It's worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood.