3957 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, 97227
I ordered--and could only eat 1/4th of--the scramble with ham, cheese and onion. Ginormous! And excellent. Came with a huge patty of hash browns.
The coffee's on the weak side, but they let you drink it while you wait for a table. It was super busy, as are most brunch places in P-town. I was glad we got there before the rush; we only had to wait 10 minutes.
Not eaten but ogled was the oatmeal brulée: a mound of thick oatmeal topped with fruit and something sugary. Looked interesting & will have to try it sometime.
Was relieved there was nothing too weird on the menu...except perhaps veggie gravy, which my companion had, and he seemed satisfied with it.
Overall: would hit it again, but next time will plan to split something.
28 February 2009
29 January 2009
Porcelli's
6500 SW Virginia Ave, Portland, 97239
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*
Oh. My. God. I would be happy to die here. My stomach will explode just like Mr. Creosote in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life because it is so good I just can't stop.
I first heard about Porcelli's from some fellow food-fiends who took me there for brunch. Brunch at an Italian restaurant? Yes. And it was good. No, it was great. The breakfast menu is on the small side, but they have the important stuff, like eggs benedict and a plain ol' eggs/bacon/potatoes/toast combo.
But that's deceiving, because their potatoes are anything but "plain ol'." I'm not exactly sure what they do to them, but it's freaking amazing. I was expecting the same old rosemary home fries, but instead I got something more like a potato casserole with onions, cheese, paprika, and god-knows-what. Whatever you do, do not substitute hash browns; you will be sorry you missed the house potatoes.
The eggs benedict would have been perfect if I had remembered to order my eggs poached hard (I HATE runny eggs!!), but the English muffin, ham and hollandaise were divine.
On my second visit I had dinner. Since it was my first dinner experience at Porcelli's, I just had to try their fettuccine alfredo with shrimp. I couldn't believe it; it was almost too rich for me! It was a vat of heavy cream and butter and melted parmesan in which swam perfectly-cooked fettuccine noodles and shrimp.
And, oh yes, the Caesar salad was very good: fresh romaine, garlicky dressing, house-made balsamic vinegar croutons, freshly grated parmesan cheese. Drool, drool, drool...
The only thing that makes me sad about Porcelli's: no booths! But to be honest, I was so busy enjoying my food that I barely noticed. The interior is very pleasing: simple yet elegant.
The pricing, well, the breakfast was definitely average, at $8-10 a plate for a good-sized portion. The dinner is a little spendier at $12-15 a plate, but totally worth it. And you do get free bread with your entree. =*)
The verdict: Thank goodness for a decent job and regular martial arts classes; I can afford the bill and the calories.
Update: Have since revisited this fine establishment for dinner. Still give it rave reviews. My companions and I had the wild mushroom ravioli in cream sauce, lobster ravioli in lemon-cream sauce with capers, and a lovely risotto with mushrooms and artichoke hearts in a cream sauce. (Sorry; I don't remember the Italian names of these dishes.) All absolutely divine. Has earned a Plain Jane Favorites award.
On the down side of this last visit: the salads weren't as impressive this time, and the live music was neither welcome nor conducive to a pleasant dining experience. Was not that they were bad; just that they were too loud for the space and wanted attention, which I think is too much to ask for people stuffing their faces with cream sauces and trying to have a conversation.
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*
Oh. My. God. I would be happy to die here. My stomach will explode just like Mr. Creosote in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life because it is so good I just can't stop.
I first heard about Porcelli's from some fellow food-fiends who took me there for brunch. Brunch at an Italian restaurant? Yes. And it was good. No, it was great. The breakfast menu is on the small side, but they have the important stuff, like eggs benedict and a plain ol' eggs/bacon/potatoes/toast combo.
But that's deceiving, because their potatoes are anything but "plain ol'." I'm not exactly sure what they do to them, but it's freaking amazing. I was expecting the same old rosemary home fries, but instead I got something more like a potato casserole with onions, cheese, paprika, and god-knows-what. Whatever you do, do not substitute hash browns; you will be sorry you missed the house potatoes.
The eggs benedict would have been perfect if I had remembered to order my eggs poached hard (I HATE runny eggs!!), but the English muffin, ham and hollandaise were divine.
On my second visit I had dinner. Since it was my first dinner experience at Porcelli's, I just had to try their fettuccine alfredo with shrimp. I couldn't believe it; it was almost too rich for me! It was a vat of heavy cream and butter and melted parmesan in which swam perfectly-cooked fettuccine noodles and shrimp.
And, oh yes, the Caesar salad was very good: fresh romaine, garlicky dressing, house-made balsamic vinegar croutons, freshly grated parmesan cheese. Drool, drool, drool...
The only thing that makes me sad about Porcelli's: no booths! But to be honest, I was so busy enjoying my food that I barely noticed. The interior is very pleasing: simple yet elegant.
The pricing, well, the breakfast was definitely average, at $8-10 a plate for a good-sized portion. The dinner is a little spendier at $12-15 a plate, but totally worth it. And you do get free bread with your entree. =*)
The verdict: Thank goodness for a decent job and regular martial arts classes; I can afford the bill and the calories.
Update: Have since revisited this fine establishment for dinner. Still give it rave reviews. My companions and I had the wild mushroom ravioli in cream sauce, lobster ravioli in lemon-cream sauce with capers, and a lovely risotto with mushrooms and artichoke hearts in a cream sauce. (Sorry; I don't remember the Italian names of these dishes.) All absolutely divine. Has earned a Plain Jane Favorites award.
On the down side of this last visit: the salads weren't as impressive this time, and the live music was neither welcome nor conducive to a pleasant dining experience. Was not that they were bad; just that they were too loud for the space and wanted attention, which I think is too much to ask for people stuffing their faces with cream sauces and trying to have a conversation.
Eddie's Pizza
1210 N Killingsworth St, Portland, 97217
Awesome pizza, kick-ass wings, and HUGE, HUGE, HUGE portions!
Have eaten here twice. First time was pizza with thick & crunchy crust (they also have thin crust pizza) and buffalo wings (sauce: mild with garlic). At first was confused about the price of the wings and the fact that you could order just 3 of them, but when they came the mystery was solved. These ain't no little drummettes, my friends. These are real, enormous chicken wings. The "mild" sauce was plenty spicy. Delish! The pizza, too, was impressive. As was the red wine.
The second time was for lunch, and my companions and I discovered that in addition to great pizza and wings, they have scrumptious, enormous sandwiches and fresh, gigantic salads. One thing you cannot accuse Eddie of is skimping on the portions. And yet the prices are still so very reasonable!
Speaking of Eddie, he was there in the flesh both times I went in. There and actually working (as opposed to some owners who merely lurk in the guise of "supervising"). He was friendly and personal and asked after us, but without being creepy or overbearing.
The restaurant is newly renovated, too, with a faux gas fireplace that really does blow hot air into the room, gorgeous tiling, spacious booths covered in red vinyl (I am such a sucker for red vinyl booths!), and an overall pleasant, open atmosphere.
There are only two things I think could use improvement. First, they only offer Barq's rootbeer. Yuck! I know a lot of people love pizza & beer, but for me it's pizza and rootbeer, and I would to see them offer a bottled one like ICB or Thomas Kemper. Second, the timing of the food was off. First one person's sandwich came, then a few minutes later another person's, then a basket of fries, then a salad...you get the idea. It took probably 10 minutes for all the food to get on the table. Would've been nice to have had it all come at roughly the same time.
The verdict: This is a great value. Good food, huge portions, reasonable prices.
Awesome pizza, kick-ass wings, and HUGE, HUGE, HUGE portions!
Have eaten here twice. First time was pizza with thick & crunchy crust (they also have thin crust pizza) and buffalo wings (sauce: mild with garlic). At first was confused about the price of the wings and the fact that you could order just 3 of them, but when they came the mystery was solved. These ain't no little drummettes, my friends. These are real, enormous chicken wings. The "mild" sauce was plenty spicy. Delish! The pizza, too, was impressive. As was the red wine.
The second time was for lunch, and my companions and I discovered that in addition to great pizza and wings, they have scrumptious, enormous sandwiches and fresh, gigantic salads. One thing you cannot accuse Eddie of is skimping on the portions. And yet the prices are still so very reasonable!
Speaking of Eddie, he was there in the flesh both times I went in. There and actually working (as opposed to some owners who merely lurk in the guise of "supervising"). He was friendly and personal and asked after us, but without being creepy or overbearing.
The restaurant is newly renovated, too, with a faux gas fireplace that really does blow hot air into the room, gorgeous tiling, spacious booths covered in red vinyl (I am such a sucker for red vinyl booths!), and an overall pleasant, open atmosphere.
There are only two things I think could use improvement. First, they only offer Barq's rootbeer. Yuck! I know a lot of people love pizza & beer, but for me it's pizza and rootbeer, and I would to see them offer a bottled one like ICB or Thomas Kemper. Second, the timing of the food was off. First one person's sandwich came, then a few minutes later another person's, then a basket of fries, then a salad...you get the idea. It took probably 10 minutes for all the food to get on the table. Would've been nice to have had it all come at roughly the same time.
The verdict: This is a great value. Good food, huge portions, reasonable prices.
15 January 2009
La Costita
7405 SE Barbur Blvd Suite 110, Portland, 97219
Booooo! Hissss!
This used to be a Plain Jane favorite for the high yum factor, large portions, free chips & salsa, reasonable prices and friendly staff. They must've changed management recently, however, because my visit last week was sorely disappointing.
1. They stopped serving rice & beans on the side with my chicken mole: now it's only rice. The plate looked practically bare.
2. They charged for the chips & salsa. Boooooo!
3. It could have just been the server we got, but she was decidedly less friendly and relaxed than any other server I'd ever had there in the past. I blame the management. Happy staff make customers happy; unhappy staff make customers unhappy.
4. The prices haven't changed, but the portions are smaller. This goes for the side of sour cream & guacamole as well; for $2.50 I received only a small dollop of each. Hissssss!
I am not a person who is naturally averse to change, but the recent changes at La Costita are decidedly for the worse.
Overall: I'm very grumpy about having to find a new favorite Mexican restaurant. =*(
Booooo! Hissss!
This used to be a Plain Jane favorite for the high yum factor, large portions, free chips & salsa, reasonable prices and friendly staff. They must've changed management recently, however, because my visit last week was sorely disappointing.
1. They stopped serving rice & beans on the side with my chicken mole: now it's only rice. The plate looked practically bare.
2. They charged for the chips & salsa. Boooooo!
3. It could have just been the server we got, but she was decidedly less friendly and relaxed than any other server I'd ever had there in the past. I blame the management. Happy staff make customers happy; unhappy staff make customers unhappy.
4. The prices haven't changed, but the portions are smaller. This goes for the side of sour cream & guacamole as well; for $2.50 I received only a small dollop of each. Hissssss!
I am not a person who is naturally averse to change, but the recent changes at La Costita are decidedly for the worse.
Overall: I'm very grumpy about having to find a new favorite Mexican restaurant. =*(
23 December 2008
Pix Patisserie
3901 N Williams Ave., Portland, 97227
Trudged through several inches of snow for half an hour to get to Pix today. The good news was that they were open, the bad news was that none of the bakers showed up due to the snow, so I did not get the croissant I had come for. Poop.
This was my second visit to this Pix location (the other is on SE Division & 34th). The first time I had a hot chocolate and grilled panini sandwich. It was an artichoke and red pepper panini with some kind of cheese thrown in, but they used pickled artichokes that completely overpowered the other ingredients and made the bread soggy. Yuck! The hot chocolate was what brought me back today.
On this visit it really hit home how grossly overpriced Pix is. $18, which included a very modest tip, bought my companion and I two hot chocolates, a breakfast sandwich (cheddar, bacon and tomato on brioche) and a slice of undercooked quiche. There's nothing that grosses me out more than runny eggs. Neither my companion nor I were satiated by our small meal, nor can I say that the food was worth the exorbitant price.
And I don't understand in the least why they serve on the side the most disgusting olive/pickle mix that can be had; it tastes of nothing but vinegar. Surely a single edible olive is better than a small dish full of inedible ones?
I have to say that I was a little disappointed in my hot chocolate today as well. On my first visit, it was just the right temperature and had a lovely, thick layer of heavy, homemade whipped cream floating on top. But today I got hardly any whipped cream at all, and the pieces of crushed cocoa-covered hazelnuts used as a garnish, while they looked nice, did nothing good for the drinkability of the beverage. I ended up fishing all the little pieces out with my spoon.
Maybe I'm just grumpy due to limited mobility brought about by the snowfall. I'm willing to give Pix one more chance: the memory of that first hot chocolate haunts me, and I still have to try their croissants. But I'll steer clear of the sandwiches and quiche from now on. Totally not worth it.
Trudged through several inches of snow for half an hour to get to Pix today. The good news was that they were open, the bad news was that none of the bakers showed up due to the snow, so I did not get the croissant I had come for. Poop.
This was my second visit to this Pix location (the other is on SE Division & 34th). The first time I had a hot chocolate and grilled panini sandwich. It was an artichoke and red pepper panini with some kind of cheese thrown in, but they used pickled artichokes that completely overpowered the other ingredients and made the bread soggy. Yuck! The hot chocolate was what brought me back today.
On this visit it really hit home how grossly overpriced Pix is. $18, which included a very modest tip, bought my companion and I two hot chocolates, a breakfast sandwich (cheddar, bacon and tomato on brioche) and a slice of undercooked quiche. There's nothing that grosses me out more than runny eggs. Neither my companion nor I were satiated by our small meal, nor can I say that the food was worth the exorbitant price.
And I don't understand in the least why they serve on the side the most disgusting olive/pickle mix that can be had; it tastes of nothing but vinegar. Surely a single edible olive is better than a small dish full of inedible ones?
I have to say that I was a little disappointed in my hot chocolate today as well. On my first visit, it was just the right temperature and had a lovely, thick layer of heavy, homemade whipped cream floating on top. But today I got hardly any whipped cream at all, and the pieces of crushed cocoa-covered hazelnuts used as a garnish, while they looked nice, did nothing good for the drinkability of the beverage. I ended up fishing all the little pieces out with my spoon.
Maybe I'm just grumpy due to limited mobility brought about by the snowfall. I'm willing to give Pix one more chance: the memory of that first hot chocolate haunts me, and I still have to try their croissants. But I'll steer clear of the sandwiches and quiche from now on. Totally not worth it.
11 December 2008
La Terraza
933 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, 97204
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*
Whenever I work downtown and have the extra cash, I grab my lunch here at La Terraza.
For lunch, it's definitely on the expensive side at $9-11 a plate. BUT, since I'm a total Italian food fanatic, and since theirs is quick and delicious and comes in generous portions, I make the exception.
The fairly extensive lunch menu includes antipasti, salads, sandwiches, pastas and desserts. The dinner menu is about the same, but ditches the sandwiches and adds an entrees section. I like that soup or salad and bread is included with entree at dinner.
Entrees cost $13-20 a plate, but the pastas are much more reasonably priced at $9-12 a plate. Most are right around the $10 mark. Also interesting is the "Family Style Menu" which allows you to get pasta, bread and salad for 4-6 people at a flat rate. (I suppose the only difficulty with that would be getting everyone to agree on a pasta.)
While their fetuccine alfredo is pretty good, it's the fetuccine pesto e pollo that's to die for. My mouth waters just thinking about it! They also have a very decent Caesar salad.
Adding to the atmosphere are a preponderance of booths (hooray!) and some lovely wait staff. "Lovely" meaning both pleasant to talk to and pleasant to look at. (Yes, I am shallow.)
Overall: this place is a favorite of mine for the consistently great food served up quickly, and for dinner prices that are right on the mark.
*This is a Plain Jane favorite!*
Whenever I work downtown and have the extra cash, I grab my lunch here at La Terraza.
For lunch, it's definitely on the expensive side at $9-11 a plate. BUT, since I'm a total Italian food fanatic, and since theirs is quick and delicious and comes in generous portions, I make the exception.
The fairly extensive lunch menu includes antipasti, salads, sandwiches, pastas and desserts. The dinner menu is about the same, but ditches the sandwiches and adds an entrees section. I like that soup or salad and bread is included with entree at dinner.
Entrees cost $13-20 a plate, but the pastas are much more reasonably priced at $9-12 a plate. Most are right around the $10 mark. Also interesting is the "Family Style Menu" which allows you to get pasta, bread and salad for 4-6 people at a flat rate. (I suppose the only difficulty with that would be getting everyone to agree on a pasta.)
While their fetuccine alfredo is pretty good, it's the fetuccine pesto e pollo that's to die for. My mouth waters just thinking about it! They also have a very decent Caesar salad.
Adding to the atmosphere are a preponderance of booths (hooray!) and some lovely wait staff. "Lovely" meaning both pleasant to talk to and pleasant to look at. (Yes, I am shallow.)
Overall: this place is a favorite of mine for the consistently great food served up quickly, and for dinner prices that are right on the mark.
Thai Food Café
833 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, 97217
Shortly after this place opened, about a month ago, one of my roommates was walking by and happened to glance in through the window. To his surprise, a short woman standing behind the counter waved at him. Not wanting to be rude, my roommie waved back. The woman was quickly joined by a 50-something, silver-haired man, who beckoned my roommate to enter. Again, not wanting to be rude, and curious now about who these people were (did they recognize him from somewhere?), he entered.
Turns out the wavers were the restaurant's owners trying to get new people into their place. An interesting tactic. The roommate was on his way somewhere and couldn't stop to eat, but before jetting out the door he mumbled a promise to come back sometime.
As far as I know, the roommate hasn't returned to Thai Food Café to eat, but I've been in twice. Both times I had a joygasm over the Tom Kha soup, which is far better than the Pad Thai Kitchen's already excellent Tom Kha. Thai Food Café's mild chicken Tom Kha is flavorful, complex, and still spicy enough to make me sweat without setting my tongue on fire. How did they do that?!
The only other dish I've sampled is the Crab Fried Rice, which sounded excellent but was a disappointment to me. To be fair, the Crab Fried Rice is subtle and shouldn't have been tasted after I'd been slurping on the Tom Kha. But there also wasn't much fried about it, and the frozen Five Vegetable Medley in the rice put me off.
My dinner companion on my first visit, however, seemed quite happy with the salad rolls, and though she found the pumpkin in the pumpkin curry not cooked *quite* enough, she said she was glad at least that it was not overcooked.
I did enjoy the ambiance. It's kind of a funky, festive, cafeteria-style eatery, with plastic tablecloths, kitschy decor and bright colors everywhere...very appropriate to North Portland. The local jazz station plays at an acceptable volume that adds to the atmosphere without drowning out the patrons' voices.
They're open every day from 11am to 9pm, and with house specials like Flaming Beef (served on fire) and Evil Jungle Noodles, daily lunch specials for $6.50 and a bomb bowl of Tom Kah, this place is a decent choice for PCC Cascade students.
Shortly after this place opened, about a month ago, one of my roommates was walking by and happened to glance in through the window. To his surprise, a short woman standing behind the counter waved at him. Not wanting to be rude, my roommie waved back. The woman was quickly joined by a 50-something, silver-haired man, who beckoned my roommate to enter. Again, not wanting to be rude, and curious now about who these people were (did they recognize him from somewhere?), he entered.
Turns out the wavers were the restaurant's owners trying to get new people into their place. An interesting tactic. The roommate was on his way somewhere and couldn't stop to eat, but before jetting out the door he mumbled a promise to come back sometime.
As far as I know, the roommate hasn't returned to Thai Food Café to eat, but I've been in twice. Both times I had a joygasm over the Tom Kha soup, which is far better than the Pad Thai Kitchen's already excellent Tom Kha. Thai Food Café's mild chicken Tom Kha is flavorful, complex, and still spicy enough to make me sweat without setting my tongue on fire. How did they do that?!
The only other dish I've sampled is the Crab Fried Rice, which sounded excellent but was a disappointment to me. To be fair, the Crab Fried Rice is subtle and shouldn't have been tasted after I'd been slurping on the Tom Kha. But there also wasn't much fried about it, and the frozen Five Vegetable Medley in the rice put me off.
My dinner companion on my first visit, however, seemed quite happy with the salad rolls, and though she found the pumpkin in the pumpkin curry not cooked *quite* enough, she said she was glad at least that it was not overcooked.
I did enjoy the ambiance. It's kind of a funky, festive, cafeteria-style eatery, with plastic tablecloths, kitschy decor and bright colors everywhere...very appropriate to North Portland. The local jazz station plays at an acceptable volume that adds to the atmosphere without drowning out the patrons' voices.
They're open every day from 11am to 9pm, and with house specials like Flaming Beef (served on fire) and Evil Jungle Noodles, daily lunch specials for $6.50 and a bomb bowl of Tom Kah, this place is a decent choice for PCC Cascade students.
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