| |
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
permalink
Kenny & Zuke's is famed for their house cured, smoked and steamed pastrami so we got a sandwich ($12.45):
... made with their house rye bread. The hand sliced meat was okay, but needed some hydration leading us to believe that a Rueben would have been a wiser, saucier, order. We did enjoy the slaw with its vinegary crunch.
The gravlax ($11.95):
... was fine with some spackleage of cream cheese and the capers that we managed to balance on these circular servings.
A colossal knish ($3.95):
... had caramelized onions to amp up the spuddy 'semblage.
The friendly staff and reverberant room:
... filled out the deli experience but we were bummed that we visited before we got a note from a Bunrab reader:
Last time we were in Portland, we had amazing pastrami hash at Kenny and Zuke's. Great deli food!!! Maybe you can fit a visit in.
-Anne
argh - we should have ordered the pastrami hashified...next time...
Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen
1038 SW Stark St.
Portland, OR
503.222.3354
|
| |
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
permalink
It's just wrong that brunch is often restricted to weekends. Tasty n Sons is among the Portland eateries that shun this date-ist practice by serving it up every day.
A fluffy, crusty, biscuit baking powered a Cheddar, guanciale and fried egg sandwich ($8.00):
I jammed my jowls with house made guanciale tucked on top of the cheese and under the ova of this quick bread bordered breakfast. This circular serving qualifies as required ordering.
A "breakfast board" ($7.00):
... was groaning with house made bacon, chicken liver mousse, turkey jerky, lebne, a perfectly boiled egg, black berries, pickled beets, croutons and sliced bread. I was anything but bored with this deck of 'lectability.
The nice staff, food and sonny setting explains the popularity of this breakfast nook.
Tasty n Sons
3808 N. Williams
Suite C
Portland, OR
503.621.1400
From our BunRab email-bag, Vicki has some important news about
The House of Lumpia:
Hi Gutenberg,
How could I have missed your blog ( May 30, 2006 ) after all these years? Before I go any further, I would like to thank you for your favorable comments about THL. I've followed Yelp when we were still open.
Today, I tried to relax after all the cooking and baking I do at home to keep me busy while waiting for the food court to open. Most of the pastries I give away to relatives, friends and neighbors. I miss the daily long hours I spent at the restaurant for more than 12 years.
If the information is correct this time, we might open before the end of the year. With this economy we have, I think opening before year's end is not practical. I'm sure you'll agree that most people will be celebrating Thanksgiving, and then save some money to buy Christmas presents for their love ones. Don't you think after New Year is better? Well, this is not for sure, I'll just keep my fingers crossed until that time when I can fully say : Yes, We Are Open For Business.
Thanks again and I wish you success and happiness in what you do. Have a great day.
Sincerely,
Vicki
Gutenberg replies:
Dear Vicki,
So glad to hear you are re-opening THL. Keep us posted on your opening date- we're looking forward to it.
-G
|
| |
Monday, August 29, 2011
permalink
We fell into the Teardrop Lounge where house made tinctures, Kold Draft ice and a curious cocktail list were happy heralds of our future fluids.
My 23 skiddoo ($12.00) was a bourbon, cherry, maple syrup, Angostura and orange bittered 'bibe:
... while the rye-ch-ous ($9.00) was number one with a Bulleit in this Cardamaro and bitter lifted 'lixir.
Olympic Provisions salumi ($11.00):
... tasted like it was sliced in advance - a salumi sweat had re-coagulated to produce a braille-for-the-tongue texture making us believe that it's better to get this directly at the provisions procurement post.
The buffalo burger ($12.00):
... was a Pearl Bakery bun bookended, bacon bedecked, likable loaf of 'lo with a fistful of chips to fill out this buff bundle.
Teardrop cries out for a visit with pleasing potions made by talented tenders.
Teardrop Cocktail Lounge
1015 NW Everette St.
Portland, OR
503.445.8109
|
| |
Sunday, August 28, 2011
permalink
I appreciated the golden armor and moist middle of the vanilla scented cannelé ($2.25):
... at Ken's Artisan Bakery but the floury finish of this beeswax hive wasn't my thing.
The chocolate espelette:
... and salted caramel coffee macarons ($1.75 each):
... were blown up versions of these bipacked biscuits. They were good, but a little sweeter than I prefer.
It's clear that Ken's knows their audience since the place was doughminated with pastry placated persons. Perhaps I should have sought some guidance from the friendly staff...
Ken's Artisan Bakery
338 NW 21st Ave.
Portland, OR
503.248.2202
|
| |
Saturday, August 27, 2011
permalink
The "New Vieux" ($8.00):
... at Beaker and Flask was the first sign that we had picked a top stop for dinner.
This rye, Benedictine and bitters 'bibe was squared off with an apricot angle that Manhattaned this orb-iced elixir.
We nibbled on pigs ears ($4.00):
... which were crunchy cartilage cords en-gauged with salt in this pot of pleasing pig frites.
Pickled octopus with pork cheeks ($12.00):
... were splayed on a breadestal over braised peppers and onions. Aioli offered enrichment to this cheeky army of open faced awesomeness.
Flags of fried tripe ($12.00):
... waved over slices of marinated eggplant and red, ripe, heirloom tomato in a crisply stomachable, splendid, serving midsectioned with aioli and cilantro.
We sopped up every bit of corn bisque surrounding an island of smoked sweetbreads ($12.00):
... supported by a base of grilled fennel. Cherry tomato buoys bobbed in the cob moat around this gland locked and flavor loaded bit of bisqueness.
The staff was knowledgeable and friendly at this unmarked my-GPS-must-be-broken restaurant in an industrial district.
This is the sort of restaurant that we love - imaginative, personal expressions of deliciousness from behind both the stick and the stove. We'll have to make it back for one of their Tuesday pig dinners and more of their pleasing potions.
Beaker and Flask
727 SE Washington St.
Portland, OR
503.235.8180
|
| |
Friday, August 26, 2011
permalink
There are lots of food cart pods throughout Portland where wagons are circled to attract pod-estrian palates. The Green Castle Food Court:
... is such a culinary confluence in Northeast Portland. Although this place possesses poorly positioned porta placards:
... their sewagey signage didn't put me off my Viking quest.
Viking Soul Food:
... is a great place to Norse a hangover or simply seek sustenance with their logs of lefse. They fabricate the potato flatbreads for these fold ups and fill them with savory or sweet stuffings. I got a meatball and a salmon lefse ($8.00 for two):
Pork and beef balls were sauced with gjetost to impart a cheesy tanning lotion with added crunch and pucker from pickled cabbage. Shredded smoked salmon had sour cream and shallots with a fresh turn of leafy arugula.
I washed down my loot with a lingonberry iced tea (is it just me, or do lingonberries = Ikea to everyone?) in the central tent:
... (I guess it's supposed to be the "green castle") which was more inviting than the "dining room" (that looked more like a prison's conjugal visit trailer.):
This Scandinavian snackage was a fun intro to the multitude of mobile meals rolling out of Portland.
Viking Soul Food
1930 NE Everett St.
Portland, OR
503.704.5481
|
| |
Thursday, August 25, 2011
permalink
Kougin Aman ($2.00):
... might look like a Japanese plastic chicken restaurant display piece, but it is actually the reason why you should drop whatever you are doing and travel directly to Alder Pastry & Dessert.
This Breton puff pastry puck was chenerous on the churnage and topped with sea salt. Simple sounding, shattering and saline, this ultimate expression of butter had a caramel crackle to accompany the confetti of crumbs showering from this crown of Kougin (pronounced "queen").
The salt set in the caramel crust boosted this brittle-ny baked good into a dough rigeur order - it's the 4505 chicharron of the pastry world.
Alder Pastry & Dessert
2448 E Burnside
Portland, OR
503.548.0359
Hey - Bunrab is on the list of SF Weekly's Web Awards nominees. And in great company too.
Thanks!
|
| |
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
permalink
I got a "chef's choice" ($14.00):
... at Olympic Provisions.
This board of house made charcuterie was bedecked with a pork liver mousse flaked with Maldon salinity, fat-tastic pork rillettes and a pork and pistachio terrine with whole grain mustard.
I also got a side of saucisson sec ($3.00):
... to supplement the slices of chorizo Andalucia with paprika and clove and salchichon with paprika and a Christmasy combo of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg which was the cure to my craving.
They moved their meat production to their other Portland location but I was still able to snag a whole salchichon ($9.00):
... for later.
Olympic Provisions
107 SE Washington St.
Portland, OR
503.954.3663
From our Bunrab email, Mike writes:
Not contributing but seeking knowledge. Wifey and myself will be in San Fran for the first time ever for three whole days. We want to eat like a bunny and experience unforgettable noshing. Other than a scheduled night at Ad Hoc we are overwhelmed with choices. As an AVID reader of your blog I respect and desire some guidance. We both work in a French Laundry level restaurant so we really aren't interested in that or a Gary Danko type of experience. We see that every day. We like chef driven small neighborhood gems like you frequent. So what SCREAMS San Francisco?
-Mike S.
Gutenberg replies:
Dear Mike,
You are in for a treat with your dinner at Ad Hoc. Get to Yountville ahead of time and shoot down the road to Bouchon Bakery to pick up some gifts to take home (unless you live in L.A. or N.Y. where you already have BB). They have delicious travel-friendly treats including some for Fido.
Here are our top reccos based on your critiera - a Spanish inspired shareable supper at Contigo, the $15 tasting menu at Mr. Pollo, anything with or without offal as an ingredient at Incanto, a special sandwich with a side of chicharrones at Thursday 4505 Meats stand at the SF Ferry Building Farmers Market, the chow at Mission Chinese, beer at Magnolia, crudo, pizza and soft serve at Zero Zero, brunch at Bar Jules, Dennis Leary's compact cooking at Canteen, cocktails and chow (don't skip the pork belly) at Alembic, pie and coffee at Mission Pie, burger and fries at Marlowe, frozen treats at Humphry Slocombe, Thai tucker at Lers Ros...and a shot of Blue Bottle coffee to top it off.
Hope you have a great visit!
-G
|
| |
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
permalink
7 Feathers is a hotel/casino just off the freeway in Canyonville with lots of indoor smoking and penny slots.
We pulled over at this pit stop to Portland and woke up to breakfast with a side of Keno.
Bacon, eggs and "coffee":
... got us out the door and up to the land of gauged ears and fixies.
7 Feathers Casino Resort
146 Miwaleta Lane
Canyonville, OR
800.548.8461
|
| |
Monday, August 22, 2011
permalink
Our pals dropped by before we hit the road for a long drive with a box of chow for our trip.
Rice balls, nori, chicken skewers, blanched beans and red grapes made our migration as we worked our way up the coast and through the box of lovingly made lunch.
We were so touched that M&E made this mobile meal for us. M said that her mom would always do this when they took a trip and it was an amazingly wonderful thing to receive.
-G
|
| |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
permalink
The tasting menu at Benu was like having a cirque du soleil performance of O for dinner. We got to experience Chef Corey Lee's mind-blowing meal with friends.
A thousand year old quail egg dropped with a gingery soup that sparked this aged/unborn chick with kick.
Crisp, savory shrink wrapping surrounded an oyster, pork belly and kimchi gastropod pod.
...This Korean coerced cradle of fermentation flourished sea and swine was worthy of its pedestal presentation.
An orb of monkfish liver was more fantastic than monastic as it mingled with crunchy buckwheat and popping salmon roe:
Green granita got a richness and fruitiness from olive oil. Apple, pistachios and cucumber denominatored this frigid formation with their verde-ations of color and flavor.
A cignature-ette of feuille de brick had us eel-lated with its extinguished presentation.
We spread ribbons of sea urchin roe butter over clouds of toasted brioche:
... This uni-fication of caviar and radish was a triad of ova achievement.
Conch shells were filled with a dashi, tomato and mollusc morsel that was musical:
A black shrimp chip was bejeweled with squid in Chef Lee's take on salt and pepper squid. We merrily munched down this marvelous mosaic before our dates with a chicken.
Xiao long bao were mini versions of these famed soup dumplings with a foie gras finish:
...These xlb were xlnt.
Crispy abalone shucked its shell for potato puree. This lettuce leafed 'lone was aba-solutely luscious.
Shrimp roe and chicken jus adorned fresh noodles in a eggy tangle of tarragon:
Simulated sharks fin swam in an umami pool of truffle and Jinhua ham. Dungeness crab added a pinch of perfection to this faux-metable formula.
The kitchen chose to duck and roll with a Shaoxing wine fortified fowl:
... This celery and cherry tree-ted, pink packet was bill-issimo.
Shitake 'shroom rooted 'round with burdock with a craveable cow concoction of tender, earthiness.
Sommelier Yoon Ha's wine selections had us happy from Champagne thru Riesling and Pinot Noir.
A delicate glass of malted rice tea with pine nut and pine needle honey offered subtle sips of sweetness to prime our palates for dessertion.
Tapioca beads strung with compressed melon and lemon verbena in a fruity salad of melon-ballyah:
A hint of chili teased out sweetness from corn tofu with white chocolate and almond. This corn silky solution left just enough space for a few chocolates and coffee before we floated to the kitchen to thank the chef.
We made our way to our waiting cars (that is organization) as our pal declared it the best meal she had ever had.
Benu Restaurant
22 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco, CA
415.685.4860
|
|
|
