Portland, Oregon - A Humble Point on the Culinary Map - PSU Farmers Market, Bunk Sandwiches, Pinestate Biscuits, Pok Pok, Tanuki & Ten 01

Saturday morning, I woke up with a complete food hangover from yesterday.  For those that have never participated in a food hop or food marathon, it is quite a caloric feat.  It's what a foodie would do given a short amount of time in a new destination.  We had only been  in Portland for less than 24 hours and probably did 2-3 days worth of eating/drinking – yet it was the only beginning.  We got up and Jeni immediately blurted out, "Stumptown Coffee" with a Tourette-like excitement.  Again, as we waited in the elevator to slowly take us down to coffee heaven, I saw this sign again.

I thought about all the food we ate and we had to do something about it.  We had recently purchased some bikes and took them with us to Los Olivos.  The next best thing we could do in the U.S.'s most bike-friendly city is to go rent one.  That way, we wouldn't feel so bad about inflating ourselves with delicious food for the remaining three days we had here in PDX.  

We found a bike shop near the Burnside Bridge, which takes you over to the North East and South East side of Portland. It wasn't cheap but a lot more fun than riding a cab.

After grabbing some coffee, we took Ron's advice on visiting the Saturday farmer's market held at Portland State University.  And I'm glad we did.  The trek from the Ace Hotel to the farmer's market took 15-20 minutes, but went by quickly with the site of super green trees and cool weather.   For a minute we didn't know if we had passed the market but the sound of street musicians and indistinct chatter suggested otherwise.

The farmer's market was filled with vendors selling the usual stuff and things I really wished we had down in Los Angeles.  Like...

This gentleman representing the pickle company, Picklopolis.  They offered interesting stuff like pickled fiddleheads, ramps and beets.  Love the white suit.

And here was this young man selling eggs.  Freshly laid eggs from his chicken farm about 45 mins outside of Portland.   He was stoked to show us photos of his chickens/roosters in his album.  Jeni really loved his hillbilly-suspender look.  

Besides the usual farmer's market fare, there are quite a few hot food vendors serving breakfast, Mexican food and sandwiches. By far, the booth drawing the most attention was Pinestate Biscuits.  Ron did not warn us on what we were about to experience.  Jeni waited at the back of the line as I walked down the line towards the booth to investigate.  I walked up to this guy and just watched in sheer disbelief.  

In one hand, he held a plate with a fried chicken on a biscuit.  He then placed two pieces of bacon and a slice of cheddar cheese on top of the fried chicken.   Wait, I'm not done.  He then tops everything with a big sloppy spoonful of sausage gravy.  And finally, placing the other biscuit on top.  He saw me shooting photos and smiled for me – knowing how unhealthy and decadent this creation was.  It was almost like having a meal served to you by the Devil.  Topped with butter, cheese, fat – all things that are delightfully bad for you.  I was waiting for him to ask me if I wanted this super-sized.

It was time for the Devil to take our order and we went for the Gold Medal trophy of fatty food. We got the works which also included a fried egg!

And here it is, the Pinestate Biscuit with the works.  Look at the stopping power.  Even the people at McDonald's are running for the hills.  If you want a diet version, you can just have the fried chicken topped with gravy and cheese. 

 

Now it was time to taste it.  With something as big as this you really don't know where to start.  I gripped the beast with two hands, and gravy started to drip all over my plate.  Nice.  Where was a bib when I actually needed one?  Jeni and I looked at each other with the "what are we doing?" look.  I even saw another couple staring at me in bewilderment – getting ready to eat the biscuit vicariously.   At that moment, my name wasn't Dylan anymore.  It was Gus, the tow truck driver wearing a blue collared shirt and navy blue Dickies with full butt-crack showing. Tow truck drivers don't eat tofu crepes with strawberry parfait for lunch.  They eat food with bold flavors and size.  With my hairy arms and blackened finger nails from car grease, I picked up that thing like it was my bitch and bit into it – my protective eyelids rolling up like a Great White shark's.  

And it was... seriously tasty.  It didn't seem to make sense at first but when put together it was a delicious ode to what every Maxim-reading, college boy enjoyed eating.  There was something grisly and barbaric about it; it was in fact, a man's meal.  There was no herbal garnish to 'fancy' it up or a nice plate for presentation points.  It was exactly what it was... a biscuitsandwichwithfriedchickenfriedeggcheddarcheesewithsausagegravy.  I don't know when I would eat this again but it's one of those things that you can definitely say you've eaten.  The guys at Pinestate Biscuits have seriously found an area right between pain and pleasure and slapped it in between two delicious biscuits.   Note: can easily feed a small village in China or one hungry tow truck driver.

It was a good thing that Jeni and I shared that beastly biscuit, and rode our bikes to work that off.  We cut through the suburban area and admired the beautiful houses on the tree-lined streets.  We didn't bring any water with us but thanks to a kind young man named Riley, we were rejuvenated for a mere 50 cents.  Notice how Riley has a hesitant look on his face.  I think we were the first Asian people he's laid eyes on haha.  Riley, I can assure you we are nice people – now give me that lemonade.

Again, I know it may seem ridiculous to readers on here, just how much we eat.  You see, most people on vacation will engage in activities like shopping, site-seeing and amusement parks.  We don't do any of that.  We simply eat and drink all throughout town.  After an hour of riding, the consensus (based on two voters) was that we needed to eat some more food.  Ron, where do we go?  

We rode our bikes down to a quaint Southeast sandwich shop called Bunk Sandwiches.  According to Ron, sandwich shops are creeping on the town of Portland in a good way.  In addition to Kenny & Zuke's, which is right next door to the Ace, Bunk Sandwiches draws a steady crowd during the 6 hours it is open.  I remembered Bunk Sandwiches being mentioned in a magazine for its creative creations, such as the pork belly banh mi, but it wasn't on the menu the time we were here.  "Get the pork belly and pulled pork," says the Ron located within my head.  

Sandwiches are served with Dirty Potato Chips and Picklopolis pickles on a clean sheet of paper.  All for only $8.  NO TAX.

By far the best pork belly sandwich I've eaten.  The cuts of pork belly were so damn moist and tender.  The small amount of crisp lettuce and aioli really made this a perfect sandwich.  To wash this down, may I suggest a "bunkmosa" for the extremely hip, skinny-jean wearing hipsters?  An innocent cocktail made of Miller High Life and orange juice.  

The pulled pork sandwich was served with a type of slaw on a poppy seed roll.  Good, but I enjoyed the pork belly more.

Chef Tommy Habetz is pictured in the lower corner and is super cool.  On my next trip here, I'll definitely be stopping by to see what other creations he has in store.

During the millions of emails sent by Ron and Kevin of Guilty Carnivore, we had thrown in the idea of possibly seeing a show.  M83 sounds great, but we really didn't know how full/tired we'd be.  We continued riding throughout the suburbs to kill time.  We were about to meet Ron for the first time in two hours for a snack, followed by a formal dinner with some more foodies.

  

Guess we'll eat again.  Unfortunately, this popular food cart called Potato Champion wasn't open.  They serve french fries and a Canadian treat called poutine, which entails the dumping of gravy and cheese curds on top of your fries.  I think I've had enough gravy-as-a-topping for a few years.  Sorry Potato Champion.

We rode around longer to kill time and came across my favorite barber shop, Rudy's.  Jeni and I looked at each other and simultaneously yelled, "haircut!"  In addition to riding bikes/scooters on vacation, we like getting our hair cut by whoever because each city has its own hairstlye.  I was convinced that I would be getting a 'normal' haircut compared to barbers I've had in Taiwan, Guilin and Buenos Aires. Heck, Rudy's is only FROM the Pacific Northwest so I'm in good hands.

We decided to meet up with Ron and his friend at Pok Pok, a popular Thai restaurant.  But why eat Thai in Portland when we have Thai Town in Los Angeles?  It wasn't until I saw Pok Pok featured in the May '09 issue of Food & Wine that I became interested in eating here.  And to top it off, Pok Pok is run by an American by the name of Chef Andy Ricker, who goes to Thailand 2-3 times a year to learn/acquire recipes to bring back to PDX.  To me, that sort of effort deserves a fair review.

We were surprised to see that Pok Pok was really not a restaurant, but more so, a house with outdoor/patio seating.  It was 5 pm, the time of opening, and there were already a good 25 people waiting outside (im)patiently.  The rest of the house had already been filled up – crazy.  And the next door take-out order area, known as Pok Pok Whiskey Soda Lounge, was packed with PDXers.  

There was something really cool about eating Thai food in a cabin-like house.  I could smell chicken being roasted on a special type of grill that Chef Ricker could only have devised through the influence of visits to Thailand street vendors.  It was so dainty, yet functional like any one of McGuyver's gadgets.  The foil above the grill gave me a feel of being along the street in some Asian country.   Yet we were brought back to Portland reality with the mostly-male waiters wearing baby blue t-shirts and various arm tattoos.  

There's peace of mind when you can trust the host to order delicious food for you and not have to look at the menu once.  Ron highly recommended the Fish Sauce-flavored Chicken Wings.  And they were super tasty – spicy, good amount of fish sauce and a nice crisp skin.  I could have easily eaten a dozen of these with ice cold Thai beer.

I didn't catch the name of this dish but it involved a duck egg, warm noodles and herbs in a coconut milk broth.  I was expecting a sour/sharp taste to the soup but was mildly reminded of the some of the delicate, well-balanced dishes I had tried at Los Angeles's Jitlada restaurant.  Most mediocre Thai restaurants will offer dishes on extreme ends.  Your food is either really strong on fish sauce, sour, spicy or sweet.  Compromising taste to appeal to newer, less-adventurous diners only leads to bastardization.  I can't remember the last time my parents ordered Sweet & Sour chicken or egg rolls in starchy red sauce.  Anyway, all I could remember about Chef Ricker's food was how well balanced his tastes were.  Not to mention the fact that his menu highlighted regional dishes I had never even heard of, more so than common dishes like Pad Thai or Tom Yum Soup.  I have never been to Thailand but I got a good feeling when tasted the food here at Pok Pok.  

We were in a hurry to meet for the formal dinner and only got to try three different things.  I was quite bummed but this only makes Pok Pok an even bigger priority on my next trip.  I highly recommend this place if you have the sudden urge to eat something non-Portlandish.  Everyone we had talked to in Portland asked where we were going to eat, and we would tell them Pok Pok.  We would get a nice, "Ah!" response.  Apparently, a very good thing.

Note: Chef Ricker also has a skewer joint called Ping in the Northwest side of town.  

We rode our bikes back towards the Northwast area, near the Pearl District, and Ron and a group of foodies for an izakaya meal at Tanuki.  We walked into a small room lit with red lights and a TV playing some strange Japanese drama.  Here we met Kevin of Guilty Carnivore, a wonderful couple that really enjoyed food as well and Nick, who joined us earlier at Pok Pok.  

Before we could even start ordering food, we were poured sake as part of a welcome toast.  

Again we let Ron, Kevin, Matt and Nick do the ordering.  Tanuki is considered an izakaya for its smallish plates.  But not everything was Japanese.  There were hints of Chinese, Thai, Korean and even Pacific Islanderish in some of the dishes we ordered.  All were done really well.  

My favorites were the skewered duck hearts, skewered bay scallops, ahi tuna, fried egg udon and braised pork with fresh mango over rice.

Like Ricker's Pok Pok, I was very surprised to see that the food was prepared by this young lady – Chef Janis Martin.  According to Ron, she studied in Japan (I believe Okinawa) for quite a few years, before coming back to Portland to run Tanuki.

Now it was time for dessert in a cocktail glass.  The night before, we had awesome cocktails at Clyde Common.  None were priced more than $8.  But here at Ten 01, drinks are up to $10 and with good reason – it's purportedly one of Portland's best cocktail lounges.  Ron mentioned that the owner sent all the stellar bartenders down to Tennessee for a lesson in Whiskey.  Don't pull my arm, boss.  

And this concludes another exhausting yet wonderful day of eating and drinking.  Again, tomorrow will be a groundhog day for my wife and I.  Again, we looked at the elevator sign, but smiled at each other.  Hey, at least we rode off a ton of calories today.  Thanks for reading.  

Portland, Oregon - DAY ONE

Portland State University Farmer's Market

Saturdays,  8:30 am - 2:00 pm

www.portlandfarmersmarket.org

Pinestate Biscuits 

(at PSU Farmer's Market)

Pinestate Biscuits (Restaurant Location)

3640 SE Belmont Street

Portland, OR  97214

(503) 236-3346

www.pinestatebiscuits.com

Bunk Sandwiches

621 SE Morrison Street

Portland, OR  97214

(503) 477-9515

www.bunksandwiches.com

Pok Pok

3226 SE Division Street

Portland, OR  97255

(503) 232-1387

www.pokpokpdx.com

Tanuki

413 NW 21st Street

Portland, OR  97209

(503) 241-7667

www.tanukipdx.com

Ten01

1001 NW Couch Street

Portland, OR  97209

(503) 226-3463

www.ten-01.com

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Pho Garden, San Francisco - The 8th Wonder of the Culinary World

I did a double-take when my friend sent me an email with this ludicrous image. Apparently, Pho Garden in San Francisco offers a pho challenge. Free if you can finish this in one hour or it's a $22 bill that excludes stomach pumping. Can you hold your own? Anyone actually go here?





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Mark Menjivar - You Are What You Eat

It's amazing how you can tell a lot about a person by looking at their CD or DVD collection. Guys, if you're ever at a girl's place for the first time and she has movies like "The Notebook", "Titanic" or "A Walk to Remember", do yourself a favor and exit the building ASAP. You're in for an unscripted, real-life romcom. Yikes.

Or how about someone that has Celine Dion LIVE or Mandy Moore Unplugged on CD. Is it a coincidence that both Celine Dion and Mandy Moore are involved with shitty music and shitty movies.

And Texas-based photographer, Mark Menjivar, knows that you can tell a lot by what a person eats. I go through photographer portfolios frequently in advertising, and particularly look for interesting projects. Thought I might share this one.

"You Are What You Eat is a series of portraits made by examining the interiors of refrigerators in homes across the Untied States.

For three years I traveled around the country exploring the issue of hunger. The more time I spent speaking and listening to individual stories, the more I began to think about the foods we consume and the effects they have on us as individuals and communities. An intense curiosity and questions about stewardship led me to begin to make these unconventional portraits.

A refrigerator is both a private and a shared space. One person likened the question, "May I photograph the interior of your fridge?" to asking someone to pose nude for the camera. Each fridge is photographed "as is." Nothing added, nothing taken away.

These are portraits of the rich and the poor. Vegetarians, Republicans, members of the NRA, those left out, the under appreciated, former soldiers in Hitler’s SS, dreamers, and so much more. We never know the full story of one's life.

My hope is that we will think deeply about how we care. How we care for our bodies. How we care for others. And how we care for the land." - Mark Menjivar

Bartender's fridge. Goes to sleep at 8am and wakes up at 4pm daily. My good friend's lifestyle is exactly like this. He comes home in the morning, sleeps during the day and eats take-out. It's a Groundhog Day lifestyle. But you make the tips and you get the chicks. Works for him. BTW, why is there an American flag chilling inside there?

Street Advertiser that lives on $432 fixed monthly income. This is very sad. Even college kids utilize the space better with their cheap beer and midnight burritos.

Botanist from Indiana. Says that he likes plants more than people. I like how the Pepsi bottle was converted into a giant, cap-less water bottle. And that chili on the right doesn't look promising.

And this is probably the most interesting one. A werewolf that likes Jose Cuervo? I like the frozen lemon in there – his only source of vitamins.

What's in my fridge?
Jeni actually brought up a funny point. Before she met me, her fridge/freezer was full of snacky stuff like our favorite frozen pizza, Jeno's, chicken strips and take-out. Now her fridge is full of exotic Asian sauces, all types of ball-shaped processed meats that I love (fish, beef, pork, shrimp, mushroom), vegetables, egg noodles and ice.

What's in your fridge usually? Thanks for reading.

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A Weekend Getaway in Oxnard & Los Olivos, California

A month ago, Jeni and I headed up to Ventura County for my good friend's wedding.  Finally, a wedding that didn't take place in a Sheraton, Hilton or Holiday Inn.  I knew that my friend JC would do something differently because of her unique tastes for things and open-mindedness.  It's why we still kept in touch for nearly 14 years.  And this weekend, a whole group of us drove of a hundred miles to witness the union of her and her husband – in a lovely barn that was quite worthy of being featured in some Bridezilla forum.  

Knowing we would probably be drinking fun juice, we decided to check in at the Q Hotel before heading to the wedding.  The W Hotel is now obsolete, it's all about the Q Hotel, aka La Quinta Inn.  The prices are great at $89.99 a night but man, they sure punish you for being poor.  Two elevators you had to walk 2-3 mins to.  An ice machine only available on the penthouse floor, which is also the 3rd floor.  Chubby out-of-town kids altering the color of the water in the pool.  The hotel receptionist might as well say, "Thanks for checking in at The Q.  You are your own bellboy.  Maybe you should've worked harder in life.  Enjoy your stay."    Hey, it's a place to sleep.  We're not there to relax.  

Driving to the wedding venue, the weather wasn't looking good.   I started to feel concerned for J&J, but once we got there, we knew the weather wouldn't even dent the evening.  With the barn and wild flowers all around, it felt rustic and miles away from Los Angeles.  

In Los Angeles, you would not see these kinds of beautiful weeds.  

Only the kind you can smoke.    

I was three drinks away from rolling down these hills.  

I can't say the same about a lot of weddings.  Because although they are fun, they all kind of follow the same pattern.  Not J&J's.  After the ceremony, we were quickly moved to an area for drinks and hors d'oeurves.  And then we entered the barn, which probably held 120-130 people, which I think is a perfect size.  The decorations, art direction and lighting were perfect tens.  

Here is my friend, Mr. Groom, absolutely devouring his meal.  At my wedding reception, I ate ONE TACO.  

And here is my friend, Judy.  Congratulations to you and Jonathan.  The night was very, very young.  And easily one of the best weddings I've been to.

The next morning, instead of packing up and heading home, we took the 101 and drove even more North.  We decided to bring up our new bikes and maximizing the weekend with a little wine tasting and exercising – at the same time.  

We've been trying to be a little more green by not driving around too much.  We eat at local places and frequent the market by bike.  And it's been SUPER fun.  If you're going to eat a fat piece of foie gras for dinner tonight, you won't feel as bad knowing that you're biking to and from the restaurant.  You're still going to be fat, but not AS fat right?  

You don't realize how beautiful California is until you drive through places like Sequoia, Napa Valley and Santa Barbara.  Not to mention the fact that you can appreciate beauty at 5 mph versus 50 mph.  The scenery looks like this for miles.  With the window rolled down and some good beats, you're in a good place.

Again, there really is beauty in everything.  We saw this little guy on the way to a winery.  Rather looking like typical roadkill, he actually looked like he was at peace.  Or really drunk off the grapes he found in the dumpster of a winery.  Rest in peace.

As Jeni will tell you or rather show you, never start a wine tasting trip on an empty stomach nor Doritos Bleu Cheese & Ranch flavor.  I really feel bad for our two friends sitting in between her that glorious day haha.  All I have to say is, I think Doritos REALLY uses Bleu Cheese in their crap.  Anyway, we stopped at the Los Olivos Grocery store for some grub.  For those planning on picnicking along the way, this is your fancy-ass 7-11 – it's a grocery and cafe.

The second we stepped out of the car, we were pulled in by THIS... a delicious, perfect-colored piece of brisket smoked with oak wood.  Damn.

A sandwich, three sides and absence of Doritos Bleu Ranch chips make for a great day of wine tasting in Los Olivos.  Right Jeni?  Was everything good, yeah not bad!  The brisket was damn tender – I'll be back here again for sure.

We do this every where we travel, bike with a buzz.  China, Argentina, Portland and right here in Los Olivos.  There's just something wonderful about riding with the wife and a nice buzz.  No BUI's this time.  

As we were riding down a shaded street, J suddenly yelled out, "Lavender!"  We pulled into the driveway of Clairomont Farms, which you guessed, grows lavender.  I would never give the time of day to a place that reminds me of a natural Bath & Body Works.  She had tried a cocktail that used lavender and wanted to buy some home for some experimentation.

Jeni rolled out of the farm with a bunch of lavender and smiles.  I rolled out with a peppery nose, dry cough and itchy eyes.  It was TERRIBLE.  If I go back here, I'm wearing a bio-chemical bike suit.

We tried three places that day and gave in to one more place one we saw how nicely designed the tasting room was.  Family owned for decades, the Sarloos Brothers successfully mix interior decorating and wine.  

If you ever see this 6'2" man walk off his Harley with some Locs, you might want to obey his commands.  Even if he says "EAT THE CUPCAKES NOW."  Which is exactly what he told us to do.  Apparently, he knows the cupcakes served here.

And this is the cupcake man, drinking wine and selling his cupcakes. Seems fair enough. 

If you do a tasting of wine, you can also get a discount on a flight of cupcakes.  

I believe this was Lime & Chardonnay flavored.  Too sweet for me.

Next time you're out in Ventura County, plan a stop over at Los Olivos or Santa Barbara.  It's truly a quick weekend getaway that won't leave you too poor.  If you are too poor like us, you can always stay at The Q to cut down on costs.  Thanks for reading.  

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Portland, Oregon - A Humble Point on the Culinary Map - Ace Hotel, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Beast PDX, Clyde Common & Broder Scandinavian

A few months back, J took me to Hatfield's for a fantastic birthday dinner. When we were about to leave she told me she had one more gift. She presented me with an unsealed envelope. I opened it and found two photocopied menus from restaurants i had never heard of.

Me: "What do I do with these? We ordering delivery?"
J: "Pick one."

I looked closer at the info under the two restaurants and noticed that one was based in Seattle, the other one in Portland.

J: "They are both oyster restaurants. Choose one."
Me: "I think i'm going to have to go with Portland."

Why Portland? Maybe it's because of the strong influence of Indie music bands there? The large social movement of thirty-somethings escaping big urban monsters; seeking a new place to live and restart? The fine coffee, breweries and distilleries spread out all over the state? My coworker said, "If Silver Lake, Los Angeles was its own city, it would be like Portland."
But for whatever reason Portland is the way it is, it has claimed much attention in the culinary world in the last few years. I read a few articles recently in NY Times, GQ and Food & Wine... all had great things to say about the food of Portland.

And if that was not convincing enough to settle on Portland, I only needed to think about two gentleman in Portland that would ensure that Jeni and I ate well. These two guys are Ron of PDX Plate and Kevin of Guilty Carnivore. We have never met the Guilty Carnivore himself, but we DO know him through his 3+ years of writing. He is a man who loves to mix food and politics together and always seems to be in search of the ideal Vietnamese sandwich. And there's Ron, who some of you may know as SauceSupreme on Chowhound. An ex-Angeleno who moved to Portland for work and for the food. But his knowledge of food alone makes the "work" part a complete lie. After a few weeks of email correspondence with Ron, Kevin and another generous foodie by the name of Matt, we had the most important thing taken care of: the food itinerary. I have to say one of the best things about writing a food blog is having a connection to other bloggers anywhere in the world. And it is very likely they will do their best to make sure you enjoy your time.

Only $250 for a 2-hour flight to Portland, we arrived on an early Friday morning with nothing but duffle bags, hunger and sheer excitement. It was a different feeling entering a city much smaller in relation to New York or Chicago. But thanks to the internet, you can very much see what you're getting yourself into. We got out of the Portland airport (PDX) and hopped on a train into town.

As the train slowly slithered through the city, I could only think about one thing – green. Green as in true chlorophyll. I think the product designers of Glade bathroom spray cans based their artwork on the Portland scenery. I couldn't believe how green the trees and grass were and how clean and fresh the air felt. So THIS is what fresh air is SUPPOSED to feel like. Part of this is due to the bicycle as a common means for transportation. In LA, we have parking meters. In Portland, where there is a meter, there is a bike rack.

We got dumped off in the South West area of Portland - it's one of four quadrants in the city divided by a river and major bridge. Speaking of bridges, it IS known as Bridgetown – 12 to be exact! We stayed at the Ace Hotel franchise, which also has locations in Palm Springs, Seattle and New York. If Urban Outfitters were to have their own hotel, this would be it. It's a great combination of Pacific Northwest/wilderness chic and design. Not to mention very reasonable in price for a room that is decorated by individual artists.

We walked into the Ace and smiled upon seeing the lobby area with dark wood walls. A good 10-12 people sat on the couches and chairs reading their Mercury's and sipped quietly on what smelled like some of the best coffee ever. But I couldn't attest that as I don't drink much coffee – I prefer fun juice.

We checked in and J already knew what she wanted to do. That coffee we smelled earlier in the lobby was none other than Portland's favorite coffee shop, Stumptown Coffee Roasters. I put this next to Vietnamese iced coffee as my favorites. But for a coffee that was unaided by velvety condensed milk and a tiny drip press, this was some asskicking coffee. A few sips of this and I was awake. We sat over in the lobby, sipped on our asskicking coffee and people watched like the creepy tourists that we were.

10:32 am.
Our stomach rumbles and I rub my hands together. Time to start Ron's food tour.

Portland is a big breakfast town. Ron said that even if you served the shittiest breakfasts, you'd still be doing okay because people will still eat it – something to that extent. That is how Norm's and Denny's has survived for so long. He sent us out to a place in the Southeast that serves breakfast Scandinavian style. Whatever that meant, I hope it tasted better than Ikea's breakfast and didn't require me to walk 1.8 miles through a showroom just to get to the exit.

And here we are at Broder, which is known for danish pancakes called Æbleskiver, pronounced 'eh-bleh-skee-vah'. I was lucky enough to find someone on Yelp who previously typed out that Æ letter.

What is an Æbleskiver? Think ball-shaped pancakes similar to a beignets and Japan's takoyaki. Its cooked in a pan with seven round grooves. Like takoyaki, once the lower hemisphere of the batter is cooked, it is then flipped over with a skewer/needle and naturally molded into a round ball. Topped with powdered sugar and a trio of dipping sauces that includes lemon cream, lingonberry jam and maple syrup.

We both enjoyed these as they were very light and tasty. If you're near Solvang, you can stop over at the Solvang Restaurant for some Æbleskiver as well.

I saw people at neighboring tables ordering eggs baked in square skillets. I love square things. So Scandinavian to shape food into squares and present them to you in a grid layout. I had the farmer's special which included smoked trout and shallots. I am now wearing a "#1 Scandinavian Smoked Trout Fan" shirt – that's how awesome it was.

And what is there not to like about potato latkes charred perfectly for toothsome texture. Served with walnut bread.

After breakfast we headed back to the hotel, but not before seeing a bartender extracting fresh juice from an old-school juicer through the window of a neighboring bar/restaurant. One of the things Ron mentioned was the prevalence of stellar cocktail lounges in Portland. I told them that while we enjoy places in LA like The Association, The Varnish and Rivera – $12-15 for a drink can do damage to a wallet. Enter Clyde Common for the $5 happy hour and regularly priced $8 drinks. He also mentioned that $9 is what the best bar in town will charge, so if a bar charges $9.01 – you'd better taste that extra penny. And Clyde Common did not FAIL with their drinks.

One thing you'll notice in Portland is that quite a few respectable bars/lounges will display their Bohemian Absinthe fountain. This seems to be the trend of late for a drink that was brought to attention by artists and writers – Van Gogh for example. If taken as a shot, you could find yourself feeling very ill in the style of too much Jagermeister or Ouzo. Used in moderation as an aromatic, your cocktail is taken to another level. Thanks to John, the wonderful bartender at Clyde Common, for the conversations and cocktails.

A few hours later, it was time for dinner. One of the restaurants that caught our eye was a place in the Northeast called Beast, headed by a female chef named Naomi Pomeroy. She was most recently nominated as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs 2009, along with the two guys from LA's Animal. We made reservations a month back.

Me: "I'd like to make a reservation at 7:30."
Beast: "We only do two seatings. 6 pm or 8:45 pm."
Me: "Okay 6 pm then."

Not knowing why they only had two seatings, I just went ahead and picked 6 pm. I looked on their site and realized that the menu was what-you-see-is-what-you-get. Chef Pomeroy quotes: "SUBSTITUTIONS POLITELY DECLINED."

Our cab dropped us off in front of the cozy and quaint restaurant named Beast. What we thought would be a very strict dinner all of a sudden made sense once we stepped foot inside the square dining area no larger than a deluxe living room. On the left was a table for 8 and on the right, a table for 12-16. And right in the center was a large counter top covered in plates. This was HER kitchen AND dining area. Awesome.

We took a seat and watched as Pomeroy's sous chef plated salads on the counter top. Pomeroy, in a black top and black pin-striped apron, walked around her kitchen gracefully. Jeni and I felt relaxed because there was absolutely no kitchen havoc. Quite notably, a huge difference between a male and female chef's kitchen. Working in a restaurant before, I knew how noisy and stressful it could get. These two chefs could have been walking barefooted on glass, stacked dishes on their head, two monkeys climbing on their backs and still serve food with a smile.

We really loved the idea of sitting with other guests, a style of cuisine that could only come from someone who loves her home as much as her food. Another thing we loved about Pomeroy's restaurant was the clear view of her cookbooks perching on shelves. Whether or not they are put to use or merely restaurant fodder, we assumed that she is a humble and homey cook, not afraid to experiment or refer to the books in a pinch. I highly doubt any egotistic chef would display books for guests to scrutinize their level of experience. We introduced ourselves and sat patiently for the meal to start. If you really want to know, she enjoys Joy of Cooking, Judy Rodger's Zuni Cafe, Suzanne Goin's Sunday Supper at Lucques and Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking – all very solid cookbooks we could not live without.

And here's what Pomeroy served.

Chilled Fresh Shelled English Pea Soup
With english peas in season, you'll see this delicious ingredient everywhere. It's sweet, crunchy and can go well with salads, meats and of course soup. She pureed the peas with herbed creme fraiche/cream and served it quite cold. I really enjoyed this.

Spring Greens with Sauvignon Blanc Vinaigrette and Shaved Sheep's Milk Cheese
I loved the presentation of this – rustic and fresh. The shaving of cheese made it easier for it to melt on your tongue.

Shaved Fennel Salad & Charcuterie Plate
Wow. This plate had everything - variety, colors and pate-like objects. This was a fabulous carnival of hors d'oeurves. I think this is where Chef Pomeroy shines.

Steak Tartare & Quail Egg Toast - I read about this in a magazine and could not wait to try this out. A+ for the combination of two things I enjoy - quail eggs and steak tartare. I actually asked if I could 'buy' a few more of these but was POLITELY DECLINED. I had to try.

Pork Liver, Sour Cherry & Pistachio Pate - what I liked about this was not the usual mushiness of a pate. This was in fact more of a terrine/cake because I could taste all the texures. The pistachios still had a decent bite to it. Similar recipe found here.

Chicken Liver Mousse & Maple Candied Bacon - if I could eat this everyday I would. By far, the table's favorite on the charcuterie plate. The combination of creamy liver and candied bacon had a yin & yang relationship.

Foie Gras Bon Bon - our table considered this the 'dessert' of the charcuterie plate and it sure was. it was like a scoop of really savory buttery ice cream on top of shortbread.

Rabbit Saddles Stuffed with Brioche & Spring Vegetables and White Wine Braised Leeks with Prosecco Butter
Probably the best rabbit I have ever eaten. Flavorful seasoning on the skin, moist meat and crunchy vegetable filling. The leek was a bit strong on the wine but great in texture.

Selection of Steve's Cheese, Anise & Fleur de Sel Shortbread, Fruit & Hazelnuts
Whoever Steve is, nice job.

Brown Sugar & Cream Cheese Custard

What a great casual dinner this was. The food, the service and the fellow diners really helped us enjoy our first night in Portland. I would definitely come back and ask to put in a pre-order of those Quail Egg & Steak Tartare toasts.

Day one of four came to an end. We were too tired to go anywhere else and decided to call it night. Standing in the elevator, we noticed this sign. A simple reminder that because we would be eating a lot, we needed to do something about it or buy new jeans. To be continued...

And here's a mix that I made for the Portland trip. Enjoy!

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