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Echo Restaurant

Echo opened in 2006, and was quickly popular after a lot of positive reviews. After a long series of chefs and more hills and valleys than a roller coaster, a new owner is in place, and though the menu has stayed close to the original fare, the quality is much improved and seems consistently prepared. Sometimes you just want to
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Review: Toro Bravo

Note: this post is a complete re-write of the 2007 review – an extra 1500 words. I’m going to stray off the topic of Toro Bravo for a bit, but to understand Spanish food, it helps to have a little understanding of the culture behind the food. Spain tugs at something deep in my soul. Maybe it is because taste,
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Higgins

On the way home from dinner at Nel Centro one evening, I was bemoaning the fact that I hadn’t had a good meal since I reviewed Tabla. At that moment, we drove past Higgins, which looked completely full. It had been at least five years since my last dinner there, but it used to be one of my favorite restaurants,
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Morton’s The Steakhouse

I hadn’t been to Morton’s in at least eight years when I pulled up to the valet a few weeks ago. The last time my experience had been pretty good. On this warm Thursday evening, I was expecting a meal that would be close to the quality of El Gaucho. Morton’s was founded in 1978 by Arnie Morton and Klaus
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El Gaucho

To many, El Gaucho epitomizes what a steakhouse should be. It feels sophisticated. The atmosphere is formal, the lighting dim and romantic, and lots of dark wood provides a backdrop to tinkling stemware and white linens. Live jazz wafts from the background as tuxedo-clad waiters scurry by with carts for tableside Caesar salads, the darkness punctuated by an occasional burst of flame from a bananas Foster in the making. To many people, this type of ambience is it, as fancy as they will ever dine, a place

Noble Rot 2.0

Noble Rot has a somewhat confusing pedigree. As I understand, it was originally started by chef Leather Storrs, and received positive reviews, including from me. I liked the warm, comforting atmosphere and the limited but mostly well executed menu. In 2007, Leather left and opened another restaurant on East Burnside called Rocket. This new restaurant was known for its interesting interior, terrific patio and nice view of Portland, but the food received less than stellar reviews, and it closed in a little over a year.

Fast-forward to 2009. Rocket was still empty, and Noble Rot wanted

Miss Delta

I’ve talked before about the time I spent in Maypearl, Texas growing up, but I never mentioned the boiled chicken death march, and my plot to get even. In the 50′s, dinner in the south was a family, sit-down supper. Grace was said, and whatever was fresh on old Mr. Jackson’s farm next door was usually added to our table.
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