service

ok, i know i promised that i would post something this week, but it's pretty clear that is not going to happen. especially because i leave for israel tomorrow night! if you want to follow my travels, click my profile for the link to my desert journey journal. boy, that is a little tongue twister, isn't it?

but gnarles and i have been talking about how and when to revive this space, and we've come up with just the thing: a post about service here in portland. because we've noticed that there are lots and lots of websites covering the basics: food and decor, whereas no one ever mentions the customer service aspect of their meal. and i've eaten out enough times in portland to know that it isn't all that pretty, folks.

so, look forward to some rockin' posts in the new year, including my reviews of all the newest restaurants on the west side (read: kenny and zukes, isabel, etc.) 

happy holidays everyone!

coming out of the dark

hellos to all who still check in here. i have had multiple requests to revive this humble foodie rant-space, and i'm so flattered. how can i say no to that? so i promise that after i get through this next week (or maybe because i need some distraction from it in the middle) i will write a post. if anyone wants to know what gnarles and i think of a particular restaurant, feel free to post requests in the comments section.

until then, happy eating!

Stickers

Stickers is a little place in Westmoreland that I have visited three times in the past year. Most recently, I lunched there with Loopy and Gun LOL, dining on a $7 special that left me satisfied and not so broke. YAY.

Their lunchtime specials are all about $7, and you can choose from satay, potstickers (steamed or fried, veggie or pork), stir fry, and some other options I can't remember. Everything comes with a pile of scrumptious "thai salad," which is nothing like any salad I've had at a thai restaurant, but is delicious, nonetheless. The dressing is light, red, tangy stuff, and the salad is shredded veggies (although, beware the small, and slippery bits of raw red onion that will ruin your breath for 2 days). It probably counts as 1-2 servings of vegetables, and who doesn't need more of those? Plus, the dressing is not heavy and oily, so it's probably not too much of a negative, if you care about that kind of thing.

The 'stickers are really good. You get 6 in the lunch special. I got the pork ones, steamed, and they were delish. Gun LOL got them fried, and seemed to enjoy them. They looked tasty - I should've demanded a bite! Loopy got the satay shrimp, and she raved about it. Last time, I got the satay chicken, and thought the peanut sauce was really good. The satay lunches have the added benefit of coming with rice, so if you're STARVING, they might be a better option due to the rice's filling qualities. Gun LOL got a thai iced tea, and it was yums (served in a pint glass, which is a fair size) and not too expensive (I hate when they're like, $3).

This latest time, the service was fine, but the time before, Loopy and I waited for a really long time to order, get our food, and pay (GRRR). The time before that, I went for dinner with Gnarles, and we didn't like it quite so much. I think it was our choice of Indian food dishes (not their strong point, admittedly). This is probably because Gnarles and I are constantly craving Indian food, since it was a staple of ours in SF (Naan and Chutney, anyone?) that we can't seem to replace here in P-town. If anyone has a suggestion of where I could get my Naan on, let me know. We tried Bombay Cricket Club, and while it was pretty good, the ratio of their portions and prices was WAY off (even for Indian food, which is usually small and expensive everywhere).

So, on that note, try Stickers (at least for lunch!). But stay away from their Indian foods, I warn you.

Justa Pasta

Since I have been linked to a blog that people might actually read (fashionable intent), I have vowed to make more regular postings. And since that last one about Mio Sushi was technically a month old before I actually got around to posting it, I am going to write about a little dinner spot I just adore (and visited on this very eve): Justa Pasta on NW 19th at Pettygrove. Yes, next to the Parr Lumber.

My companions, the non-posting Gnarles, and (newest pseudonym friend), Gun LOL, Mafia Princess of the Interwebs, and I set out for Justa Pasta at around 7:30 this evening. In SF, this is recognized as Prime Dinner Hour, and there is not a chance in hell that you are going to be eating or sitting in a dining establishment within the hour. But one thing I love about Portlandia is that everyone eats like my mom here, that is to say, before 7pm. I suspect the plethora of Happy Hours have a role in it, but anyone who has another theory is welcome to post a comment (yeah, like I'll be getting one anytime soon). But Justa Pasta always has a table, even during Prime Dinner Hour. Even though most places in Portland are like this, I still think it's worth noting: This is a good place to go if you need a quick dinner.

I digress. So Justa Pasta is the kind of place that Gnarles praises because you order and pay at the counter. Hence, no slow, inefficient service, no check-waiting showdown, and no waiting to leave because you need change or your card back. Fabulous! And, unlike many of the counter-order venues, Justa Pasta manages to still have candle-lit ambiance, a good wine list (with lots by the glass), and homemade desserts (more on that later).

They make all their pastas on site, and you can buy some to take home and cook, or you can order some to eat there. Usually, I order the small portion of something and find it to be plenty of food, especially if I start with a salad. The Caesar is garlicky and creamy, but good in that Caesar salad way. The spinach salad topped with feta cheese and pine nuts is tangy, but garlicky, too, and also very good. The mixed greens has the same dressing, I think because it is sour and garlicky and yummy - I just wish they would maybe offer a salad with a garlic-free dressing since I don't always like to have that taste stuck on my tongue like Saran Wrap. And I could definitely do without waking up so thirsty I could die in the middle of the night.

The Raviolis are always good, and the fillings change frequently (although cheese seems to be standard). The Bucatini noodle is one of my faves, and Justa Pasta is one of the only restaurants that makes it. If you've never had Bucatini before, it is kinda like a long macaroni, or like spaghetti made extra thick, with a hole through it. It is a great texture: chewy, but not in a penne way, and soft but not mushy. And you can't beat the name. It's so fun to say, it's become another nickname for my dog, in variant forms like Buca and Bucati (not that my dog needs more nicknames).

Tonight, I had a delicious Chicken Milanese special which was a pounded, breadcrumbed, fried chicken breast atop a pile of angel hair dressed with lemon butter, capers, green olives and artichoke hearts. It was devine! Salty, tart, creamy, buttery and protein-packed (a chicken breast, albeit a fried one). I really liked it, and Gnarles did, too; he finished the rest of mine in an eating trance. That's what happens to him when he likes something: he zones out and eats it, forgetting it's someone else's dinner. That's why I don't hand my plate over until I'm sure I'm done. I've seen the power of the trance in action. Once, he drank an entire hot chocolate we were supposed to be sharing in a sipping trance.

Digression, again. Apologies. Gnarles likes the Lasagna, and it is usually a standout. For some reason, the one he got tonight (spicy sausage with goat cheese and greens) just sounded a lot better than it tasted. Gun LOL, Mafia Princess of the Interwebs, ordered the same dish, and hers was much spicier than Gnarles', a sign that something was definitely amiss with the dish tonight. It was her first time at Justa, and I do hope the experience wasn't tainted by the spicy Lasagna. But I imagine the dessert might've won her over a bit. In spite of tonight's review, do order the Lasagna if it sounds good because it is usually delicious, and a generous size.

Dessert at Justa Pasta is surprisingly great. They make their desserts. From scratch. On site. You find a place where you pay at the counter that also makes their own desserts! The German Chocolate cake is the absolute champion of it's kind anywhere in Portland. The balance of coconut frosting to chocolate cake is on point, the cake itself is moist and buttery, and they don't keep in a refrigerator, so it doesn't have that cold, over-sweet quality that GCC has most of the time. Tonight, however, I broke with tradition and ordered Pumpkin Cheesecake, which, I was informed, is made from fresh pumpkins. And it was deliciously creamy, and spicy and fall-ish. So good, I wish I had ordered two of them, but sharing is caring and also, sharing dessert is not only caring, it's calorie-conscious!

So, give Justa Pasta a try. It's tasty and fresh and you pay at the counter. When you're done, you can go. And if you want to linger, grab a slice of GCC for me, or Pumpkin Cheesecake will do nicely, and enjoy the low lighting and the friendly, not annoying service. You know you want to!

Mio Sushi

You can probably guess a few things about me from my first three posts. Some of your guesses would be right; for example, that I love Asian food, with a particular emphasis on sushi. It's true, I could eat sushi almost every day and not be tired of it, and Mio Sushi's sushi is no exception. More on that in a minute.

Some other things about me (fabulous! fascinating!) I love to eat, although I get accused of "eating like a bird," I just don't see how that could be the case because I LOVE eating and always feel like I ate too much. I also love sharing food (sharing IS caring in my book) and so I might be the perfect dinner companion (especially if you come from a loud, Jewish family like mine) and if you like to try everything because everything sounds good. That is my dilemma: Everything always sounds good, and I hate commitment. . . To my FOOD. And I hate not being able to swap with other members of my party. But I am getting off track.

Mio Sushi (and other Portland raw fish joints)

The problem with Mio Sushi is the same problem at Okazu-Ya (see below). They have really yummy food, and lots of people know this, so there is always a wait, and the service is terrible. But, they have REALLY YUMMY FOOD. So it's only once in a Blue Moon that I convince Gnarles to accompany me to sushi, especially because he "doesn't really care for it" which is Gnarles-speak for dislike, and tonight was one such evening when I was too hungry (read: grumpy) to be democratic. Loopy and I just got it in our heads on the ride home from school that there would have to be quick eating in the near future, and that something "healthy" would fit the bill nicely. Enter Mio Sushi, where, I must admit, the healthy, possibly, and the quick, for sure, were promptly removed from the picture.

BUT THEY HAVE REALLY YUMMY FOOD!

We Got:

Sunset roll: the most amazing roll in the world, filled with crab-cream cheese mixture, salmon, avocado and onion, and covered in the little orange roe whose name I forget right now - Tobikko! Thank you google!

Texas Roll: which was something fried and some other spicy stuff (I didn't pick this one, so you'll have to excuse me)

California roll: because it's good, Mayo and crabmeat and avocado are a food orgy, don't deny. Also, I'm partial to the name and the state. And it's cheap. And I've been eating it since I was 7, and I like it so LAY OFF!

And Gnarles, sushi hater that he is, got the Yakisoba, which is like Japanese chow mein, basically, with a really yummy sesame flavor.

So the food was tasty, but everything came at the wrong time, as explained in the posting about Okazu-Ya. This is a running theme with Asian restaurants. I don't know why. They are always really nice, and the food is really good (OK, I'll stop now). But the service is always random, less than prompt, and the meal you thought would take an hour or less turns into a 2 hour check-waiting marathon. Sigh.

Yuki

Located around the corner on 23rd from Mio, and much less crowded, Yuki tends to have a little bit better service, but ONLY because they tend to have half the tables, and fewer people at the tables. Don't let that fool you, though. The food is just as good, and at lunchtime, I daresay the Sashimi Bento Box is the better than anything at Mio (salmon and tuna sashimi, 6 pieces of California roll, 2 potstickers, small salad, cucumber salad, rice and miso for under $9). Gnarles likes their non-sushi more than Mio's, and he's the expert in that arena. Next time Mio is so crowded you want to cry, or your ears start bleeding from the decibel level, head around the corner to 23rd b/t Kearny and Lovejoy, and try some Yuki. It's good, I promise.

Sansai

I used to live a couple blocks from this place (on NW 21st), and for a while, it was one of my go-to's. I could get sushi, with salad and soup, for a fair price (under $10), and Gnarles could get the chicken teriyaki with rice and salad for a similar price. And, because you order at the counter and pay there, you avoid the usual, and unfortunate, service issues previously lamented. But the fairy tale was too good to be true, and sure enough, one day, I got the unthinkable: frozen salmon in my roll. Well, honestly, it was partially-defrosted salmon. It had the texture of icy, unpleasantly crunchy salmon (or, the mouth-feel equivalent of finger nails on a chalkboard). They nicely made me a new one, with salmon that was -uhm-completely defrosted (shudder).

I don't know if it makes me a bad person, or a good food snob, or a naive consumer, but: sushi. should. never. NEVER. be made from frozen/defrosted fish!

EW!

So, be forewarned. And since the price is comparable, get thee to Yuki or Mio for some fresh fish in your sushi. And plan on at least 2 hours. For dinner.


PS - I know I am missing a discussion of the "best" sushi in PDX, Saburo in Westmoreland. However, Gnarles has adamantly refused to go there with me (he REALLY doesn't care for sushi now, since he's sworn off seafood because of the dead, mercury-filled oceans).

On that note, bring on the raw (fresh and never frozen) fish!

Portlandia: Silk by Pho Van

I just got back from my one millionth meal at Silk by Pho Van (formerly known as the much less pretentious Pho Van). What can I say? Although I hate the new name (what, praytell, was wrong with the old one?), the food remains fabulous, perhaps even better because they now offer a full bar, lavishly done up in the Portland modern stylee, and, wait for it . . . Happy Hour! Yes, that fine Portland tradition where you can get great food for small prices has come to Silk by Pho Van, and unlike some of the other Happy Hours in this city, the menu is pretty much exactly like the main dining room, but at a fraction of the price. Yes, an upscale Pearl favorite offers a lovely Happy Hour menu without a burger in sight.

A few of my personal favorites: the Petit Banh Mi starter, normally around $8, at HH, just $3. This is a toasted slice of French Baguette, topped with Mayo, grilled pork, spinach, carrots, peanuts and green onion. Tasty and delicious! Or the noodles (which are like Vietnamese pad Thai), normally around $12, at HH, just $5. Or the yellow chicken curry with yams and (new addition!) eggplant - possibly one of the best curries in the world, and only $6 at HH (normally $19 and made with duck). The spring rolls we had were a little chewy for my taste, and a little heavy on the mint, but the fried imperial rolls are usually kick ass and greasy, in the best kind of way, of course.

There is a one drink minimum at HH, and I recommend the "Up All Night" which is a Vietnamese iced coffee blended with kamora, espresso vodka, topped with whipped cream and a cherry like an alcoholic coffee milkshake ($7). You can also order the regular Thai iced coffees, which are great, or the limeade, which is superior, especially on a hot summer evening. HH goes from 3:30pm to 6:30pm, but get there before 6 to be sure you'll get a seat before time runs out.

If you miss the Happy Hour, the food is still available, but for quite a bit more. Although the yellow curry is so good, it might even be worth the $19 (but I still prefer the chicken, which you can get for a bit less, if you ask nicely). The side of grilled eggplant slices are so delicious, and for only $5, a steal, and the banana blossom salad is a citrusy, crunchy summery treat.

Hungry yet?

San Francisco: Taraval / Noriega Okazuya

First, the original Okazuya was a block or so down from the current Taraval one, and used to be 1/4 the size. My family has been eating there at least 12 years, since I was a kid. This place has the best fish in SF. The sashimi (maguro and sake are my two favorites) is phenomenal, and the grilled fish specials (try Chilean sea bass, or orange roughy) are out of this world. There is enough food on the grilled fish special to share between two people, as it comes with miso soup, salad, rice, delicious grilled veggies and bean sprouts, and ice cream. The gyoza is great, also try the creamy roll or the sushi nugget, tiger roll or cherry blossom roll for some of my personal favorites. Michael and his wife are the original owners, and Michael picks out the freshest, most gorgeous fish in the city every day. Also, they have reasonable lunch specials, served every day until 3pm, where you can get (among other, more traditional Japanese lunch selections) sashimi of your choice with rice and soup and ice cream for like, $8.00 (my favorite). This place is a treasure.

That being said, there are definitely some drawbacks. First, unlike when I was a kid, there is almost always a wait because everyone and their mom found out about it. Oh well, most restaurants in SF that are halfway decent have a line. However, at Okazuya, there is no waiting area, and it being in the Sunset, that leaves you to shiver on the sidewalk in the fog for the entire wait time. Second, the restaurant is LOUD, so this is a terrible place to take people who you actually want to converse with. Third, and maybe most crucially, the service is GOD AWFUL, unless you sit at the sushi bar and Michael or one of his esteemed sushi chefs waits on you. I don't know where they get their waitresses from, but be prepared to get everything at a different time, or not get some things, die of thirst or wasabi bombs because Okazuya, like many restaurants that serve spicy food, has water glasses the size of a thimble, which means you'll be burning and huffing for a good while before your waitress comes to give you some water. It may sound like I'm being harsh, but there are really a lot of staff, and the restaurant, while busy, is certainly not insane.

Also, my little brother swears that the food at the new one (Noriega) is inferior to the old one. I haven't agreed with him on this, but he is often right, and eats at Okazuya more than I do now anyway (being that I'm over 600 miles away).

Despite my grumbling, this place is one of my favorite Japanese Restaurants EVER, and I always recommend it. I should stop telling everyone about it so it won't be so busy! Go eat there for me, you won't be disappointed!