EAT BEAT

Best of PDX

A Foodie Farewell

An Eat Beater says sayonara and shares a few things she’s learned.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on May 11, 2011 at 09:00AM 6 Comments

Dearest Eat Beat Readers:

It is with a heavy heart and a rumbling belly that after 10 months of chronicling our fair city’s culinary scene, I must say goodbye. Although I’ve loved every interview I’ve conducted and forkful of food I’ve consumed in the name of “work,” it just so happens that in a few short months I will be finished cooking up something of my own: a baby. And as energetic as my wee girl appears to be (repeatedly pushing off my ribs and slamming into my hip bone, probably because of all the doughnuts…), sleep deprivation and 24-hour diaper changing isn’t exactly conducive to seeking out the latest and greatest gourmet superstar, happy hour, or cheap date. Luckily the very astute Allison Jones has stepped in, and, of course, there is always the incomparable Karen Brooks and a cadre of guest writers with tireless taste buds.

I grew up cooking and baking, love to eat, and spent numerous years working in restaurants while I became a writer, and Eat Beating has been a truly special joy of mine. So without further ado about this adieu, I will leave you with a few thoughts about things I’ve learned along the way.

Best of PDX

Want a sure-fire way to get Portland peeps riled up? Rank their food options. And if you really want to see cartoon steam coming out of their ears, make sure you’re ranking their sweet carbohydrates, such as chocolate chip cookies, biscuits, and—drum roll—doughnuts! My analysis of 10 area doughnut shops had more readers than any post that has ever appeared on Eat Beat. And the comments included downright patriotic outrage over the rings, bars, and holes I failed to name. Looking back I can say that Tonalli’s (2805 NE Alberta St) still reigns supreme when it comes to classic doughnuts—although I am personally obsessed with old-fashioneds, this story made me try their melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk bar and it’s my new favorite. I also crave the apple fritter at Coco Donut and want to try all the more unusual flavors at Sesame Donuts. I also went to Helen Bernhard after being chastised for failing to do so in my doughnut round-up, and, while tasty, I don’t think it’s as good as the three I just named. I look forward to your shock and awe.

Cheap Eats/Cheap Date

Pho, pho, pho, pho, pho. A steaming bowl of this flavor-packed noodle soup is probably the most food you will ever be able to get for the least cash. It is also my favorite-est thing to eat in the world, and a singular pleasure in a city where a broad range of quality ethnic cuisine is not the strong suit. In my opinion, the best to be found, both fleshy and veggie, is at Pho Gia (1944 NE Sandy).

First Impressions

Although a number of the places I sought out to write about where new to me, the all-new establishment that really stands out is the all-vegetarian Natural Selection. I wasn’t expecting it to be anywhere near as good as it was. The food has so much thought, heart, and attention to detail, and their chocolate pots de crème is truly sublime. Plus, the staff is knowledgeable and attentive. And they have real, heavy silverware. This is the kind of place that is making us feel more like a multi-faceted culinary city like San Francisco or New York, rather than just an adorable but narrow-minded comfort-food-and-entrails foodie town.

Five Questions

There is nothing that compares to getting an insider’s POV. Every single one of these interviews I did was a thrill. But if I would never be able to drink wine again unless I pick three that stand out, I’d have to say Ken Forkish, Paul Gerald, and Aubrey Lindley.

Happy Hour of the Week

Rather than any one happy hour that shines above all the others, what I was surprised to learn was just how many of these discount dining experiences there are. If the timing works for you, you can eat and drink like a king all over town pretty much every day of the week. But 23Hoyt is pretty special in this arena.

Vegetarian Viand

Despite being a lifelong vegetarian, I didn’t cover this topic that much. Partially because there wasn’t a whole lot to say. We may have a hippie-dippie mystique, but there just aren’t a lot of solid (i.e. not crappy), totally vegetarian restaurants in town, although Blossoming Lotus is a true joy (I have eaten their Southwestern Bowl with golden tofu three times in the last two weeks). It doesn’t bother me much because most local eateries do a damn fine job of providing tasty veggie options that aren’t just fettuccine alfredo (DOC, Foster Burger, Screen Door), but I do think it’s a sign that we need to broaden our horizons a tad. Castagna has brought molecular gastronomy to the table; now let’s give some love to our multitude of veg-heads.

The Scene

Local, seasonal, creative, casual, and youthful, plus Portland is a pretty cheap foodie city all-around. Many of us can afford to eat at even the city’s best restaurants (e.g. Le Pigeon, Toro Bravo, DOC, Nostrana, Pok Pok, Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Olympic Provisions, Lincoln, Paley’s Place), if perhaps not all the time. This has a lot to do with local eateries prizing impeccable quality and innovation over white tablecloths and sky-high prices. You can build a gorgeous space, but we’ll pass it over (to wit, the late Ten-01 and Fenouil). However, build a gorgeous meal in an environment where we can wear our faded jeans and fleece coats, and we’ll keep coming back. Portland may be dreary much of the time, the economy is tenuous, and the drivers are the worst on the planet, but I’ve drunk the culinary Kool-Aid and I am hooked for life.

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Tags: Happy Hour, Cheap Eats, five questions, Vegetarian Friendly, First Impressions, The Best, lists

HAPPY HOUR OF THE WEEK

Ringside’s Late Night Deals

The newly-reopened Ringside Steakhouse brings Happy Hour back to the classics with steak tips and strong drinks.

Posted by: Allison Jones on May 09, 2011 at 01:00PM 0 Comments

Late night weekday Happy Hours usually fall into the not-for-me category, but I’ll bend my rules for a $2.25 burger. Ringside Steakhouse has been a throw-back Portland institution for decades, but the remodel of their West Burnside location has a new generation of Portlanders waiting for a table. What’s the draw? A long list of classic bites, priced between $2.25 and $4.75, to wash down with well-made martinis and strong Old Fashioneds.

The Happy Hour menu is only available at the windowless, wooden-beamed Ringside Bar, so be prepared to fight for a seat. You may have to stand up and take in the framed boxing memorabilia for a few minutes, but the cheap eats are worth the wait. Tender bites of Ringside’s signature steak, a “fork and knife” Caesar salad, twice-baked potato skins with cheddar and bacon, or a classic hamburger are only $2.25 each. The steak bites come with a creamy horseradish sauce for dipping, and the hamburger’s toasted bun and creamy sauce will give In-N-Out fans a familiar punch in the mouth.

For an extra buck and a quarter you can get a plate of fried calamari, a braised beef quesadilla, steamed mussels with angel hair pasta, or a spicy prawn satay ($3.50 each).

For the big spenders, the Prime Rib Dip Sandwich, Fried Oysters, Dungeness Crab Cake, and Old Bay Poached Prawns will each set you back a whole $4.75. The dip sandwich was our favorite, with fresh sourdough baguette providing a satisfying crunch that holds up to the savory au jus.

Yes, the portions are smaller than your typical dinner fare, but the quality and prices make the old-school Ringside a solid addition to the westside’s late-night dining scene.

Ringside Steakhouse – 2165 West Burnside. Happy Hours:
Monday to Saturday, 9:30 pm to close
Sunday, 4pm – 5:30pm and 9:30pm to close

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Tags: Happy Hour, Northwest Dining, Cheap Date, Cheap Eats

Cheap Eats

Hidden Gem: Cruise In Country Diner

These milkshakes (plus the burgers and fries) bring all the boys to the yard. Girls too.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on May 09, 2011 at 10:30AM 12 Comments

About 18 miles from downtown via a combo of US-26, OR-217 S, and a spider’s web of slow-moving town and country roads, sits the Cruise In Country Diner (9785 SW River Rd, Hillsboro). A cheery oasis amid verdant fields and hills, it’s one of those hidden gems that you always dream of stumbling upon when you’re in the middle of nowhere. More often than not, these gems often turn out to be nothing but shiny rocks. But the Cruise In is the real deal. A mix of farmers, families, bikers, and hipsters sit at pristine diner tables and booths surrounded by old-fashioned signs, photographs, and hubcaps circa the ’50s and ’60s, and seriously chow down.

What’s on the menu:

Mains: 19 burgers, including fish, chicken, buffalo, and three veggie varieties, plus a pulled pork sandwich, hot dog, and options for kids. They strive for local and organic whenever possible, but everything is natural and hormone-free. You can get your Hemi Challenger (three patties with Tillamook cheddar and bacon, $13.95) on a white, wheat or gluten-free bun (sourced from NatureBake, Dave’s Killer Bread, and Laurel’s Sweet Treats in Tigard), or crown your locally made Chez Gourmet veggie patty (I recommend the earthy WOW, which mixes chopped mushrooms with mozzarella cheese) with fresh guacamole or an organic egg. The Studebaker Burger, which tops the expertly-cooked and not-overly-thick beef with high-quality natural pastrami and Swiss cheese ($9.95), is especially awesome—for such a meaty sandwich, it manages to avoid feeling like, ahem, overkill.

Sides: All the burgers come with your choice of a green salad, German potato salad, or thick, salty house-made fries that taste of potato and clean fryer oil and are refillable for free! Get the fries. You can eat green salad at home, and the potato salad (essentially just slices of tuber in Italian dressing) was the only let-down in the whole joint.

Sips: They dispense natural fruit smoothies and Longbottom Organic Black Gold coffee, but I highly recommend the killer Alpenrose ice cream milkshakes. For $.25 you can add malt (crushed Whoppers!) for a sweet, salty, rich delight that will conjure visions of Pulp Fiction’s glorious $5 milkshake. For boozers, they have 12 microbrews on tap (you are welcome to try them first), as well as gluten-free RedBridge beer and Spire Mountain Pear Cider.

If you’re thinking of firing up your HOG, Huffy, or hybrid to check it out, I have three pieces of advice:

1. Ignore the picture on the website. The food looks (and subsequently tastes) much better in person.

2. Instead of taking the OR-217 S route that MapQuest and other navigation systems will suggest, I advise staying on US-26 and taking Exit 61 (Helvetia Rd/Brookwood Pkwy). It is infinitely faster to avoid those suburban streets.

3. Schedule your first foray for Saturday, May 21, when all tips will be donated to Mercy Corps to help earthquake victims in Japan, demonstrating that the real jewels here are the staff. Plus, it might just be sunny enough to enjoy your classic eats on the patio out back.

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Tags: Cheap Date, Cheap Eats, Best Burgers, local

CHEAP EATS

Southeast’s Middle East Feast

Montavilla’s Ya Hala continues to turn out reliable, affordable dishes that keep us coming back.

Posted by: Allison Jones on Apr 27, 2011 at 11:03AM 2 Comments

Ya Hala was this close to making it onto my Five Places I Love list – and anyone who has stepped through its blue-tiled mosaic entryway knows why. The combination of chef Mirna Attar’s loving take on traditional Middle Eastern dishes and the cozy, trompe l’oeil mural and faux-finished fluorescent light covers do a number on my hungry heartstrings every time. Portland has her share of fantastic Middle Eastern restaurants, with Nicholas, Karam, Habibi and newcomer TarBoush boasting their own loyal followings, but for my money, the family-run Montavilla neighborhood veteran is a step above the rest.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but to truly feast on the cheap, stick to the mezza sections of the menu. You can literally fill your table with plates of food that will please everyone for what are considered happy-hour prices anywhere else in town.

My go-to order is a big plate of freshly made, super-lemony tabbouleh ($4.95), labneh (yogurt cheese drizzled with olive oil and topped with fresh mint, $3.95), and aranabeet (additively delicious fried – not battered – cauliflower with tahini for dipping, $5.50) – all piled into plenty of fresh-baked pita. The meat or cheese sfeeha ($4.95 for 4) are another great addition; small bundles of either minced beef, tomato, onions and pine nuts or mozzarella cheese and nigella seeds, baked in soft pita dough. Like many of my favorite places in town, Ya Hala has plenty of choices for everyone: meat-lovers, vegetarians, vegans, gluten-freebies, and that odd friend who only eats rice.

While the mezza selections at Ya Hala are good enough to come back for again and again, if you dive deeper into the extensive menu you’ll discover some amazing gems. The stuffed artichoke hearts (in both their beefy and vegetarian incarnations, ($13.95) are crave-worthy, decked in a garlicky gravy that would be perfect on any of the city’s great biscuits, and the marinated ahi-tuna kebabs are surprisingly tender and flavorful ($13.95). The delicious okra, eggplant, or summer squash stews ($10.50 each) are some of the best vegan dishes in town, though you’re welcome to add braised lamb, chicken or beef for just $1.50 more. It’s that kind of consideration – taking a well-prepared dish and encouraging affordable customization to suit everyone’s tastes – that makes Ya Hala the kind of place that always satisfies.

8005 SE Stark St. 503-256-4484. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday (takeout-friendly, no reservations)

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Tags: Southeast Portland, Southeast Dining, Cheap Eats

Cheap Eats

Pho Real

Northeast’s Pho Gia is a broth of fresh air.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Apr 18, 2011 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

I’ve driven by Pho Gia, located at 1944 NE Sandy, countless times in the last three years and never once considered stopping—it looked like a converted bank or the kind of Americanized eatery that would serve the pho version of a Big Mac.

But one day my husband (a man who would opt for pho over me if he was stuck on a desert island and could only bring one thing with him) told me their steamy Vietnamese soup was the best he’d had in town. The reason? The holy grail of real pho: an authentic broth.

So, off we went one recent rainy evening and—no joke—we have eaten there at least twice a week ever since. In fact, the austere but efficient waitress who is always working (I think three or four women run the whole show, front and back) has started making fun of us.

We always get the same thing:

1) Tofu salad rolls ($3.95). These are not the best salad rolls in Portland (that award goes to Khun Pic’s Bahn Thai on Belmont, despite the hour-long wait), but at least they contain giant hunks of fried tofu, and we’re not there for the appetizers anyway.

2) The #31: Steak & Brisket Pho ($6.50). They offer numerous variations, but this is the bowl that had my husband at hello. While many local pho finds ladle up a slapdash sweet-and-sour, this broth is deeper, richer, and more complex—a sign that they actually took the extensive time to simmer marrow-rich beef bones and add the proper spices like star anise, cloves, and ginger. It isn’t too sweet, nor is it too fatty. Of course, you also get the requisite rice noodles, slivers of white onion, and sprinkle of scallions, plus a plentiful plate of texture-and-flavor-enhancing bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, and lime. The tender steak and lean brisket is properly prepared (it continues to cook in your piping hot soup), and what it may lack in quantity, it makes up in quality.

3) The vegetarian pho ($6.50). Again, it’s the “five-spice broth” that makes this flesh-free version shine. It’s a touch sweeter and a little lighter than the carnivore options; but, nevertheless, the flavor is full and nuanced, as if they actually put care into it rather than just plopping a salt-sugar-water combo on the menu to appease picky Portlanders. The bowl is also stuffed with crisp red and green peppers, broccoli, carrots, and cabbage, and slices of meaty king mushrooms. And, again, there could be more of the tofu chunks, but at least they are fried and retain their firm texture. (Side note: All local pho joints should start exploring meat substitutes other than tofu—wonders can be done with wheat gluten, folks.)

As for atmosphere, Pho Gia provides a simple, clean, and somewhat comical mish-mash of real plants, old pizza parlor light fixtures, and Christian paraphernalia, as well as synthesizer versions of Fernando and Unchained Melody that harmonize with the happy slurping of damn good soup.

From kitschy dining rooms nearby to the outlying hole-in-the-wall, who’s pho do you think is for real?

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Tags: Cheap Date, Northeast Dining, Cheap Eats, Vietnamese Food, The Best

Cheap Eats

Talk Soup

SoupCycle brings seasonal, sloshy meals on wheels to the Portland masses.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Apr 13, 2011 at 09:00AM 2 Comments

I can say from experience that when you’re so busy that you feel like you’re going to start bleeding from all your pores, it’s really helpful to know that at least one hot, healthy meal a week is a mere bicycle ride away—especially when you’re not the one on the bike.

Founded in 2008 by Jed Lazar and Shawna Lambert, SoupCycle is a local “Soupscription” service in which an environmentally-friendly bicycle delivery person drops (mostly organic) soup, salad, and bread at your doorstep or desk every week. In the beginning there were seven Portland customers (close friends and neighbors); now there are nearly 500 regulars in P-Town and Corvallis, and the company delivered their 30,000 quart of soup last week, representing over 10,000 petroleum-free miles.

Scanning the laundry list of soups they have in their arsenal (they’re also adding a new one every month in 2011), I was drawn in by the simplicity of the recipes (no laundry list of unpronounceable ingredients) and the fun names, such as South in Your Mouth, a vegan, spicy New Orleans-style sweet potato, corn, and jalapeño bisque, or the immensely popular Democratic Republic of Peanut Chicken, a thick African stew with bell peppers, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans.

This past week I tried the hearty vegetarian Barbecue Split Pea, and thought it was the bee’s knees. The soup was seasoned well and provided a pleasing ratio of mush to al dente peas and bright, orange carrots. I also liked that the chef had a delicate touch with the barbecue sauce, manifesting in a subtle hickory smoke essence rather than that noxious liquid smoke flavor that’s so common. The accompanying salad of all-organic mixed field greens, grated carrots, and sunflower seeds was crisp, plentiful, and benefitted from a lovely pop of sweetness from dried cranberries. The dressing was made with nutritional yeast, which you can really taste; but if, like me, you psychotically love that taste, you will enjoy the nutty, cheesie zest it imparts.

Wondering how a company that makes soup can survive in the summer?

Answer: A) They add cold soups like a radiant fuchsia beet borscht, gazpacho, and a chilled cucumber with mint and dill to their offerings; B) They also offer creative pasta salads (like Chicken Tarragon with the Wind, made with dried cranberries and barley) mid-May to early September; and C) Who’s kidding who that Portland is hot all summer long?

Getting your soup on is soup-er easy: Log on to their website, make sure you live or work in the delivery area, select the vegan, vegetarian, or meaty option, and your weekly meal plan—a quart of soup, green salad, and bread for two is $19 ($20 for the flesh version), but you can modify that order up or down each week if you wish. They call you a couple days later to confirm the payment method, you leave a cooler if you won’t be around (only a problem if you are, in fact, too busy to purchase a cooler, but a plastic box filled with a couple sacks of frozen peas seems to do the trick…), and voilà! You are dining on soup made with veggies from local farmers, supporting a local business, protecting the environment, and inspiring someone else to get a little exercise.

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Tags: Cheap Eats, bicycle, Vegetarian Friendly, soup

Cheap Eats

Hidden Gem: Downtown’s Mizu Sushi

This wee four-seat sushi (and udon) counter is fresh, fast, and worth seeking out.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Mar 23, 2011 at 08:55AM 2 Comments

Mizu Sushi (1338 SW 3rd Ave) is the kind of micro-eatery you might drive by every day for two and a half years (how long they’ve been open) as you make your way to Market St on your commute home, and fail to notice every time because you’re too busy fiddling with your earpiece.

In fact, I still might not know this teensy four-seater plus display case existed if it wasn’t for a glowing recommendation I recently received from Dayna McErlean, proprietress of Yakuza and DOC. McErlean labeled the udon “amazing,” and, indeed, Ruth (the woman who owns and runs the joint along with her mother) told me that this slurpy, steamy soup is one of their most popular menu items, especially during our dreary months (i.e. every month but August).

However, my first foray happened to take place on an unusually sunny day so I opted for the sushi instead, and found it to be solid. Solid as in not earth-shattering, but definitely return-worthy, with bonus points for an extensive menu, made-fresh-ness, and large portions for decent prices—think $2.85 for a simple 6-piece tuna or salmon maki roll, up to $8.25 for a prodigious 8-piece specialty roll and $8.95 for the 6-piece sashimi.

A highlight was the popular Tiger Roll ($7.65), a hearty combo of tuna, avocado, and cucumber, drizzled with a spicy sauce and generously speckled with masago. The tuna tasted fresh and wasn’t overpowered by the sauce, and the plentiful masago was soft and lacked the fishiness you sometimes find in lesser quality roe. It may not represent the best roll you’ll find in the Portland Metro area (for that I offer Maki Japanese Restaurant in Tigard), but it’s likely the best you’ll find downtown.

The seafood that topped the lovely Rainbow Roll ($8.25)—salmon, yellow tail, tuna, and ebi—had less flavor, but the dish was substantial and worth a second-try.

Vegetarian? This is a place where you can get something a smidge more interesting than avocado, cucumber, and carrots. The addition of cream cheese to this combo in the 8-piece Cream Cheese Vegetable roll ($5.95) makes for a rich, satisfying variation on a typical veggie sandwich, while the 8-piece Tofu Roll ($5.95) combines the earthy flavors of raw tofu and chilled cooked spinach with the snap of green onions.

Because I was feeling piggy, I also ordered the seaweed salad side ($2.95). It was generously dressed with a flavorful and well-balanced combo of sesame oil, vinegar, soy, and sugar, but there were a few limp, almost fishy dark green strands among the mostly bright green, springy mass, which made me think it had been sitting for a while. This may have had something to do with the fact that Mizu is a two woman show, which means you’ll have to hold your horses if there’s a line and occasionally items might be pre-made (hence some kvetching I saw on Yelp).

But I also might have just been bitter because they were out of veggie gyoza (potstickers).

Regardless, although the nature of Mizu’s size and location in a building straight of the movie Metropolis means it caters to the eat-at-your-desk crowd, I’d say it’s worth a mid-shopping or paying-a-parking-ticket lunch break for the rest of us as well. Check out the new Happy Hour menu, Mon-Fri, 4-7 pm.

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Tags: Southwest Dining, Cheap Eats, Downtown Dining, Sushi, Japanese Cuisine

Cheap Eats

The Best Mex this Side of the ’Burbs

La Bonita opens a second outpost, bringing burly, budget-friendly burritos and more to North Portland.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Mar 02, 2011 at 09:05AM 2 Comments

When it comes to Mexican food, a term like “best” can lead to brawls. People get reallllllll passionate about their al pastor, tortillas, and salsa, or the delicate balance of ingredients that builds the perfect taco, burrito, torta, or tamale.

Here in Portland, the joints that get it right tend to push out to places like deep Southeast (Taquería Antojitos Yucateco), Beaverton (Chavita’s), or Hillsboro (Taquería Hermanos Ochoa’s). But closer in, my favorite so far remains La Bonita, a colorful, bustling taquería which just opened a second branch last Friday at 2701 N Killingsworth, next to the North Station Food Cart pod. (The original LB is located at 2839 NE Alberta St.)

This isn’t to say conclusively that there’s no other townie taquería that’s more for real. Rather, LB is real enough Mexican food that, like that worn-in T-shirt, doesn’t hurt you and keeps you coming back for more. It did the trick when I had just moved back up to Portland and was desperately missing the Hollywood taquerías (El Gran Burrito, Cactus Mexican Food) I would go to at 2:30am after I was done peddling over-priced martinis and Tapanese (Asian-style tapas…) to drunk idiots at my night club job. There was no vegan sour cream, flesh-free chorizo, or $8 guacamole here. No, at these no-frills establishments, surrounded by other service industry folk, drug addled hipsters, and transvestite prostitutes, I’d get burritos that were simple (beans and cheese or meat, onions, cilantro, true salsa, and maybe rice, avocado slices, or crema), flavorful, enormous, and CHEAP.

Similarly, at La Bonita, a basic gut-busting burrito will only set you back between $3 (bean & cheese) and $5.95 (carne asada, machaca, al pastor, lengua, shrimp, or fish)—and you won’t regret it the next morning. There are other variations (get it fajita-style or stick an oozing chile relleno in it) and you can add a heaping portion of fresh, garlicky guac for only $1.25.

But their exceedingly affordable menu extends beyond the burrito, including breakfast (e.g. huevos con chorizo for $7.95), tamales (pollo, chile verde carnitas, or fajita veggies, $2.50 each), chimichangas ($6.95-$8.90), menudo and pozole ($5.95 small; $7.95 large), real Mexican Coca-Cola, a tart, luscious jamaica, and more. A best bet is definitely the tacos ($2-$2.95 each) Made with soft, toasty homemade tortillas, chopped onions, and cilantro, you get heaping portions of toppings like tender carne asada, smokey al pastor, and expertly-caramelized carnitas.

In addition to burritos, vegetarians will like the over-stuffed cheese enchiladas smothered in an earthy red sauce—a gargantuan platter with three, plus well-seasoned beans, rice, pico de gallo, pickled carrots, and guac, is $10.95. The chile relleno is rich and tasty, but is served in a sauce that makes it soggy and the vegan tamale is a bit bland.

I also wish they’d get better chips and a broiler so they could make ooey-gooey nachos rather than mounds of cheese wilting over warm beans, but this isn’t common fare in many taquerías anyway, so, in the interest of not appearing too Baja Fresh-y, I won’t complain too loudly.

The new LB branch is open every day, 10am-9pm, but they plan to add a small bar at the end of March, once all the licensing is dealt with, and will likely change closing time to 11pm or later.

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Tags: Cheap Date, Cheap Eats, North Portland Dining, Mexican Cuisine

Cheap Eats

Getting Dressed at Café Hibiscus

It’s a taste of Switzerland with Aloha flair at this hole-in-the-wall NE Alberta eatery.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Jan 31, 2011 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

It all began with a salad dressing. Martin’s Swiss Dressing is a rich, tangy, peppery, creamy (but non-dairy), smooth, downright-addictive elixir with a surprising depth of flavor for something as humble as a salad dressing. It can be used as a marinade, a sauce for pasta or rice, a dip for crudités or pizza crusts, or, in my experience, simply as a means of transforming a boring pile of romaine, purple cabbage, and shredded carrots into something special. You can check out the ingredients online, but I swear there’s a spice I’m still missing. It reminded me of a seasoning from my childhood—Spike.

Anyhow, I was introduced to this dressing during a recent foray to a newish den of non sequiturs, tucked away at 4950 NE 14th, just off NE Alberta. Housed in a metal and wood building straight out of Dwell, the establishment is called Café Hibiscus and features a smattering of Hawaii-inspired décor. The menu, however, hails from Switzerland. Here’s a cheat sheet as to why:

Martin’s Swiss Dressing was first made in Switzerland by Martin’s mother and then marketed by Martin in Hawaii. It was brought to the mainland by Martin’s daughter, Jennie Wyss, and is now produced in Portland with the aid of her friend Dani Thiel.

The new café only has five tables, but every seat was taken when I arrived for lunch, and I can see why. The menu of traditional Swiss cuisine—a collection of appetizers, “salats,” sandwiches, and a handful of entrées—is cheap, hearty, and simple in the most complimentary and tasty sense of the word. Think bratwurst, chicken schnitzel, gravlax, knockwurst and cheese salad, tuna salad sandwiches flecked with capers and dill, a veggie-heavy lentil stew, thinly sliced pork cooked in mushroom cream sauce, spätzle, and rösti, a buttery Swiss-style hash brown sautéed with bacon and onions, all for $12 or much less.

On my agenda for my next visit to this strange but appealing place: the Swiss fondue for two ($24) and the ice cream sandwich ($4) made with Hibiscus’ own crunchy chocolate chip cookies, and, most likely, paired with a side of their house-made chocolate sauce ($2). Cheese and chocolate always deserve a major Mahalo, in my book.

Hours: Wed-Sat, 12-3pm & 6-9pm; Sunday, noon-3pm.

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Tags: Cheap Date, Northeast Dining, Cheap Eats, Swiss Cuisine

Cheap Eats

Choose Your Own Cheap at Panera Cares

Everyone can afford to eat at this novel new café in the Hollywood district.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Jan 24, 2011 at 09:30AM 0 Comments

On January 16, the Panera Bread Foundation opened its third non-profit Panera Cares Café at 4143 NE Halsey St in Portland’s Hollywood district. What’s on the menu? All the sandwiches, salads, soups, beverages, and freshly-baked breads and pastries that you would find in a traditional Panera Bread bakery-café. The Cares Café also looks exactly like a traditional Panera.

The only difference? There are no set prices. Each menu item comes with a suggested donation to give folks an idea of what that selection typically costs in a standard Panera, but customers are encouraged to take what they need and pay what they can. There isn’t even a cash register; instead, donation boxes are scattered throughout the café. Diners may donate more than the suggested amount, less, or nothing at all.

It’s important to note, however, that Panera Cares is not a food bank. “Rather, this concept exists to make a difference by offering the Panera experience with dignity to all,” says Ron Shaich, co-founder of Panera Bread and president of the Panera Bread Foundation. “In some ways it’s a test for humanity—will people step up and help each other or will they take advantage? I am confident that the people of Portland will do the right thing.”

At the first two locations in St. Louis and Dearborn, Michigan, the organization has found that approximately 65-percent of the customers are leaving the suggested amount, 10 to 15-percent are paying more, and the rest leave less or nothing. Shaich notes that they selected Portland’s Hollywood district for their third Cares Café because it’s easily accessible via public transportation and attracts an eclectic mix of customers who exude a real community vibe.

“In order for a Cares Café to be successful, it needs to be in an economically diverse area, so as to attract the people who can help sustain the café, in addition to the people who need it,” says Shaich.

I have never felt so inspired to go spend $20 on a sandwich.

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Tags: Food News, Northeast Dining, Cheap Eats, Bakery, charity

Cheap Eats

Kalé’s Bowls of Japanese-Style Comfort

Rice, curry, beef, and cheddar cheese combine for cheap thrills in the Southwest Hills.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Jan 19, 2011 at 08:30AM 4 Comments

Update: Kal&#233 plans to relocate to a “more accessible” TBD location at the end of March, but they may “pause our operation for a short period of time” if they don’t find the optimum location by that time. But fear not rice-and-weird-but-delicious-sauce lovers; the owners assure fans that they will not be shutting down the operation for good.

Up in the Southwest Hills, at the beginning of that strip of mysterious establishments that make up Goose Hollow, you’ll find a coffee shop called Kalé that, in addition to serving polish sausage bagels, quiche, empanadas, and muffins, does a bang-up job making a popular Japanese comfort food referred to as “the dish.” A fusion curry-stew-ish thing, the dish isn’t pretty, but, oh my, is it tasty, and it really sticks to your ribs.

If you want the quintessential Kalé experience, get the Kalé Rice with Beef ($6.95), a mound of white rice served alongside the rich, creamy sauce made from ground onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic, chutney, and spices like turmeric and cumin, all cooked together for two days with tender chunks of beef. According to the menu, this is “the definition of Kalé rice” and you should order it.

However, if you are of the flesh-free persuasion, there’s always the Kalé Rice Original ($6.45), which has the same sauce cooked for two days, sans meat (it tastes more strongly of the vegetables and has a touch more kick), or the Kalé Doria ($7.45)—a bowl of rice covered with the sauce, topped with a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, and baked until the dairy is brown and bubbling and the sauce is crisp around the edges. I know it doesn’t sound as delicious or addictive as, say, a burger or pizza, but it is—I kept burning my mouth because my dish was still boiling and I refused to stop eating.

The menu also offers various “sidekicks” for your meal, including Fukujin Zuke pickles made specifically for Kale dishes, a hard-boiled egg, or spinach. But I was told that the dish was “designed to be complete by itself,” so I left it alone and didn’t feel like I was missing anything important.

While you’re dining in the relaxing café space with its wood floors and earth-tone walls, read up on the truly fascinating history of the dish in one of the brochures you can get at the front counter—the Japanese actually got the dish from the English in the 1800s and it has intermittently been banned or obsessed over ever since. The dish is here in Portland courtesy of owner Makoto Yoshino, who emigrated from Japan and became a citizen in 2008. When he couldn’t find a restaurant that replicated the comfort foods of his homeland, he decided to fill the gap himself.

And I’d say he plugged it perfectly.

Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-2pm & 6-9:30pm

Address: 1628 SW Jefferson St.

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Tags: Coffee and Tea, Southwest Dining, Cheap Eats, Japanese Cuisine

Cheap Eats

Good Cheer at The Press Club

Wine and words, music and a meal, or coffee and a little quiet time in Southeast.

Posted by: Anna Sachse on Jan 10, 2011 at 09:30AM 1 Comments

In an era in which magazines are folding left and right (and Borders is about to go bankrupt), it’s refreshing to write two blog posts in a row about local establishments that promote good old-fashioned ink-and-paper reading. My post on Friday introduced Oui Presse and now the spotlight belongs to The Press Club, a Southeast haven for Stumptown, food, booze, wi-fi, local art, live music, and what their Facebook page bills as Southeast’s “largest and most eclectic collection of magazines,” estimated at 100-plus.

Located at 2621 SE Clinton St, it’s a relaxed, comfortable place to take a date or laptop, or simply peruse the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated while having a bite to eat. The menu includes a wide range of salads, soups, snacks, and both sandwiches and crêpes named for notable authors. This isn’t fare to inspire the next great American novel, but the hearty portions and affordable prices ($3.50-$10.50 max) could certainly sustain the struggling writer whose magnum opus is well on its way.

Many of the sandwiches include “interesting” ingredients like brie, prosciutto, fried eggs, and walnut pesto, and all are prepared on Pearl Bakery breads. A few days ago I had the E.B. White—two thick, gooey triangles of soft focaccia oozing with provolone, mozzarella, parmesan, asiago, romano cheese, and a subtle kick of chili-infused oil. Yes, maybe it was just a glorified grilled cheese, but four days later it’s that sandwich I’m craving rather than anything I had during a gorgeous dinner at Castagna the next night. My dining partner had the Raymond Carver crêpe and noted that the pancake itself was cooked through but still soft and delicate, and the filling was well-balanced—a not-so-simple achievement when it comes to smoked salmon.

For those in need of liquid succor, The Press Club has a hefty wine and beer list, and recently acquired a full liquor license so that they can now serve spirits.

They’re also rather generous with the specials: Happy Hour, Mon-Fri, 3-6pm; Happy Mondays ($5 house cocktails), 6-11pm; Half-priced glass pours on Tuesdays, 6-11pm; $5 Bloody Marys on Sundays, 5-11pm; and The Liquid Lunch—two cocktails and a cup of soup for $12, Mon-Fri, noon-3pm.

Rainy climate aside, Bukowski would most certainly approve.

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Tags: Southeast Dining, Cheap Eats, Southeast, magazines, wifi