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Review: Tasty n Sons

I normally wouldn’t write a first impressions piece on a restaurant in its first week of business, but I have gotten lots of emails asking for information. Since I found Tasty & Sons is pretty good, I decided to go ahead and tell you what I think about this new venture. Owned by John Gorham of Toro Bravo, Tasty &
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Nel Centro

On a cool evening a few months ago, I sat with friends on the patio at Nel Centro. Three fire pits allowed heat to drift across our table. The flames, reflected in window after window of the hotel, were sometimes three layers deep. Sheltered from the transit mall, it was a little oasis. Vines climbed nearby walls, the background music
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Meat Cheese Bread

2008 was the year Portland sandwich shops blossomed. We went from a town with hardly any decent options to an embarrassment of riches. From what I hear, more are on the way.

The secret ingredient that is setting these shops apart is the staff; they actually have a chef, and workers who are passionate about making the best damn sandwich they can. This leads to innovations that rise beyond the

Tastebud Pizza

There was a time when pizza lovers had a devil of a time in Portland. But today there are Portland dough masters who treat the humble pizza with as much respect as does an old country pizzaiolo.
Dough that rises for 24+ hours, imported wood burning ovens, sky high temperatures, just the right amount of char; today the finer points of pizza making are all taken into account with delicious effect.

Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Apizza Scholls, Nostrana and others have raised expectations here for what constitutes good pizza. Some offer a refined pizza

Review: Country Cat

It’s been just over a year since Country Cat opened, and I thought it was time to go back and take a second look.

Ever since it opened, Country Cat has been a subject of heated debate. Should the fried chicken be boneless? Should it be drizzled with maple syrup? If you look at the comments below from my original look, you’ll see some of the back-and-forth that has taken place.

Country Cat does not try to be an

Crescent Cafe – breakfast in the wine country

First Impressions, by Hungry Soul A little over a year ago, the Crescent Cafe opened to many oo’s and aah’s. Owners, Michael McKenney and Danny Wilser had moved to Yamhill County to “retire” and it seems got bored. They formerly owned and operated Ella’s Restaurant in San Francisco, a much loved neighborhood spot. The Crescent Cafe is a step up
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Review: Pine State Biscuits

Witness the humble American biscuit. It’s not very big, it doesn’t store well, and it’s not particularly attractive. I think it’s safe to say that you won’t see biscuits at your local Boulangerie any time soon. Biscuits just don’t get that kind of respect. Enter Pine State Biscuits, who have come to Portland on a mission. Any discussion of the
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