First of all - you must appreciate that I had two little kids in tow most of our time in Portland. So, the whole restaurant thing was a bit difficult (to say the least). Consequently, we only made it to three places where I actually had the forethought to photograph and think about the food I was eating. We stopped at many, MANY more...and I'll briefly touch on them at the end. I just wanted to give you the three "biggies" first.
Secondly, unless you are a food blogger yourself, or one of those people who takes pictures of all your meals, you would be surprised at the discussion a camera creates. None of it bad - and I got to plug the blog a couple of times (hello to the people I met in Mother's and the Heathman!) Still, it was a discussion, and it completely amused me. I think the crazy girl taking amateur photos on my Kodak probably created more amusement. It did make me a little gun shy later in the trip. Bloggers don't like undue amounts of non-Internet attention.
Months ago, I booked a Portland walking tour (the details of which will come in the next post) for Friday July 18th. I was ridiculously excited for this tour - and much of the rest of our trip centered around it. We decided to spend Thursday night with friends in East Portland to be closer to the tour, and took the MAX train from the suburbs to their house. We stopped in downtown to grab breakfast at this absolutely FABULOUS restaurant called Mother's Bar and Bistro. I actually found this on a website called foodbuzz.com, which is linked on the side (more to come on them later). After I had decided that we needed to try this place, I found out it was voted one of the best breakfast places in Portland. I was almost as excited about this restaurant as I was the tour.
Now, I'm not sure if anybody else does this - but when I go to a restaurant I try to get dishes that I would have difficulty re-creating at home. Either I don't have an experience with the technique or the ingredients - but it's not something near my repertoire. When we got to Mother's I found two: French toast with a cornflake crust and Wild Salmon hash. I should say that I found many more, but we settled on two.
I will be frank, I am difficult to impress. I am a good cook and can make many different types of foods. We don't eat out often because I don't need to - I can make most things at home.
I was impressed. Very impressed. So impressed, that we tried to make plans to return before the end of our trip. The one disappointment was that we could not.
Without a doubt, this was the best French Toast I have ever had. The crust was sweetly crunchy. It wasn't just corn flakes, it was cornflake batter that was lightly sweetened and cooked in (I don't even want to know how much) butter. I cut and dipped it into the syrup, as pouring would have ruined the balance. I could more accurately apply just the right amount of syrup to each bite to really make everything "pop." Heaven. Pure Heaven. 
The Wild Salmon Hash was simple, wholesome, and also amazing. It basically consisted of leeks, potatoes, and salmon all cooked in some very basic light cream sauce. The spices were predominantly salt and pepper, adding to the simple nature. However, there was "something" that I couldn't put my finger on. The dish was served with poached eggs and toast.
Now, you should notice that the portions are small. Rest assured, both plates were mine. You see, the waitress picked up on me looking at my husband and asking what "we" were going to get. She offered to split the portions for us. We each got our own wonderfully presented half breakfasts. All this, with a French Press of fresh coffee, preserves, and service (the chef was ACTUALLY seating people), and ambiance..for around $30.
Mother's is worth your own trip to Portland. Seriously. Get a hotel nearby, and just plan on eating meals there at least once a day.
"Impressed" really doesn't cover it.
The next day, we went into Portland for the tour and decided we needed to grab a light breakfast. We found our way to the Heathman, where the tour began. It was alright, but nothing spectacular. I got the lox plate, which is about what you would expect. My husband got French toast again....and...about what you would expect. There's better in Portland.
And finally, a restaurant review of the Portland area wouldn't be complete without a visit to McMenamins. We stopped in at the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove and visited their Yardhouse Pub. There is a restaurant on the inside, but we opted for someplace the kids could run.
The vegetarian options were limited. They do have a garden burger in house, and I'm sure you could substitute it for any number of meat burgers on the menu. They have lots of pizzas and calzones, as well as salads and pastas. We settled on the Smoked Veggie Wrap and Mediterranean Vegetable Calzone.
The wrap was okay. Nothing to write home about, and nothing to visit specifically for. The sauce was very watery and the wrap fell apart. I would have preferred the vegetables to be served over rice or couscous. The sauce was an average salty/garlic/watery sauce. Something I could have whipped up pretty easily at home.
The calzone was pretty good. The highlight was likely the "pesto" sauce. It sort of reminded me of Gazpacho. It was like a heavily pureed salsa with Italian flavors. Served cold - I probably would have preferred a marinara with the calzone, but I liked the sauce for other uses. I'm thinking served with fresh bread on a hot summer day, or even the tortilla chips I made, but with Italian seasoning. The crust was also a bit thin, and I would have preferred a bit more dough protecting the calzone. Inside, the ingredients were good - Greek flavors like feta and kalamata olives are easy to overdo and these were well balanced.
A few other (non pictured) notes:
There is a coffee chain called BJ's that makes the BEST coffee. Don't let the website fool you - it's great coffee with bad web design. If you look down on the bottom of the screen, you can opt for the Hillsboro Promenade, Mollala, Sunset Esplanade, or Forest Grove stores. Definitely try their Mochas - as they use slightly different ingredients from Starbucks. I've been a long time customer.
If you only have a moment to grab a bite - skip the McDonald's and try Burgerville. Great burgers, shakes, and smoothies. Vegetarian options.
Costa Vida is a good "chain" Mexican restaurant for another quick bite option. I prefer Chipotle or Moe's. Baja Fresh is comparable, but this is trendier. If you have a few minutes, do yourself a favor and check out one of the multiple authentic Mexican restaurants.
We also ate at this sushi place in South East Portland. It was a TOTAL hole-in-the wall but had great sushi. I wish I could remember the name of this place - but the lesson was clear: Never judge a book by it's cover.
Secondly, unless you are a food blogger yourself, or one of those people who takes pictures of all your meals, you would be surprised at the discussion a camera creates. None of it bad - and I got to plug the blog a couple of times (hello to the people I met in Mother's and the Heathman!) Still, it was a discussion, and it completely amused me. I think the crazy girl taking amateur photos on my Kodak probably created more amusement. It did make me a little gun shy later in the trip. Bloggers don't like undue amounts of non-Internet attention.
Months ago, I booked a Portland walking tour (the details of which will come in the next post) for Friday July 18th. I was ridiculously excited for this tour - and much of the rest of our trip centered around it. We decided to spend Thursday night with friends in East Portland to be closer to the tour, and took the MAX train from the suburbs to their house. We stopped in downtown to grab breakfast at this absolutely FABULOUS restaurant called Mother's Bar and Bistro. I actually found this on a website called foodbuzz.com, which is linked on the side (more to come on them later). After I had decided that we needed to try this place, I found out it was voted one of the best breakfast places in Portland. I was almost as excited about this restaurant as I was the tour.
Now, I'm not sure if anybody else does this - but when I go to a restaurant I try to get dishes that I would have difficulty re-creating at home. Either I don't have an experience with the technique or the ingredients - but it's not something near my repertoire. When we got to Mother's I found two: French toast with a cornflake crust and Wild Salmon hash. I should say that I found many more, but we settled on two.
I will be frank, I am difficult to impress. I am a good cook and can make many different types of foods. We don't eat out often because I don't need to - I can make most things at home.
I was impressed. Very impressed. So impressed, that we tried to make plans to return before the end of our trip. The one disappointment was that we could not.
Without a doubt, this was the best French Toast I have ever had. The crust was sweetly crunchy. It wasn't just corn flakes, it was cornflake batter that was lightly sweetened and cooked in (I don't even want to know how much) butter. I cut and dipped it into the syrup, as pouring would have ruined the balance. I could more accurately apply just the right amount of syrup to each bite to really make everything "pop." Heaven. Pure Heaven. 
The Wild Salmon Hash was simple, wholesome, and also amazing. It basically consisted of leeks, potatoes, and salmon all cooked in some very basic light cream sauce. The spices were predominantly salt and pepper, adding to the simple nature. However, there was "something" that I couldn't put my finger on. The dish was served with poached eggs and toast.Now, you should notice that the portions are small. Rest assured, both plates were mine. You see, the waitress picked up on me looking at my husband and asking what "we" were going to get. She offered to split the portions for us. We each got our own wonderfully presented half breakfasts. All this, with a French Press of fresh coffee, preserves, and service (the chef was ACTUALLY seating people), and ambiance..for around $30.
Mother's is worth your own trip to Portland. Seriously. Get a hotel nearby, and just plan on eating meals there at least once a day.
"Impressed" really doesn't cover it.
The next day, we went into Portland for the tour and decided we needed to grab a light breakfast. We found our way to the Heathman, where the tour began. It was alright, but nothing spectacular. I got the lox plate, which is about what you would expect. My husband got French toast again....and...about what you would expect. There's better in Portland.
And finally, a restaurant review of the Portland area wouldn't be complete without a visit to McMenamins. We stopped in at the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove and visited their Yardhouse Pub. There is a restaurant on the inside, but we opted for someplace the kids could run.The vegetarian options were limited. They do have a garden burger in house, and I'm sure you could substitute it for any number of meat burgers on the menu. They have lots of pizzas and calzones, as well as salads and pastas. We settled on the Smoked Veggie Wrap and Mediterranean Vegetable Calzone.
The wrap was okay. Nothing to write home about, and nothing to visit specifically for. The sauce was very watery and the wrap fell apart. I would have preferred the vegetables to be served over rice or couscous. The sauce was an average salty/garlic/watery sauce. Something I could have whipped up pretty easily at home.
The calzone was pretty good. The highlight was likely the "pesto" sauce. It sort of reminded me of Gazpacho. It was like a heavily pureed salsa with Italian flavors. Served cold - I probably would have preferred a marinara with the calzone, but I liked the sauce for other uses. I'm thinking served with fresh bread on a hot summer day, or even the tortilla chips I made, but with Italian seasoning. The crust was also a bit thin, and I would have preferred a bit more dough protecting the calzone. Inside, the ingredients were good - Greek flavors like feta and kalamata olives are easy to overdo and these were well balanced.A few other (non pictured) notes:
There is a coffee chain called BJ's that makes the BEST coffee. Don't let the website fool you - it's great coffee with bad web design. If you look down on the bottom of the screen, you can opt for the Hillsboro Promenade, Mollala, Sunset Esplanade, or Forest Grove stores. Definitely try their Mochas - as they use slightly different ingredients from Starbucks. I've been a long time customer.
If you only have a moment to grab a bite - skip the McDonald's and try Burgerville. Great burgers, shakes, and smoothies. Vegetarian options.
Costa Vida is a good "chain" Mexican restaurant for another quick bite option. I prefer Chipotle or Moe's. Baja Fresh is comparable, but this is trendier. If you have a few minutes, do yourself a favor and check out one of the multiple authentic Mexican restaurants.
We also ate at this sushi place in South East Portland. It was a TOTAL hole-in-the wall but had great sushi. I wish I could remember the name of this place - but the lesson was clear: Never judge a book by it's cover.
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