Hopworks Urban Brewery

This is two reviews in one.

First, Hopworks the Happy Hour Spot:

Fantastic. No complaints. Highly recommended. Good deals, good beers, good environment, good service.

Second, Hopworks the Restaurant:

Spotty, so-so, nothing-to-write-home-about-except-for-beer.

I've been to HUB several times for the happy hour reason, and I'll go back several more. I've got no complaints whatsoever, and I can't think of a single reason to poo-poo the joint on that score.

Last week (Friday night, to be entirely fair), JLowe and I took the wives and kids there for dinner.

Hopworks lives up to their family-friendly credentials, which is commendable. They have a play area for kids that occupied our children for awhile as we waited for food. They live up to their brewery credentials with an array of good beers. But as a restaurant, it left something to be desired. On a couple of fronts.

First, food. JLowe and I ordered (as we typically do) a pre-dinner set of buffalo wings to enjoy together. Not great. A little too sweet, not spicy enough. The good part was that they were plenty meaty and not breaded, both nice points. The bleu cheese served with them seemed more like ranch. For dinner, JLowe and his wife got a pizza, which appeared nice. My wife got a chicken tender platter where the tenders appeared to be half-breasts that were breaded somehow and soaked in sub-par barbecue sauce. The texture was weird, the flavor not great, and the course altogether unappetizing. I had the Portland Bella sandwich, which was a nice vegetarian offering but nothing to rave about.

The food was not helped by the service. Our waitress was very nice and very cute. That said, our wives ordered appetizers that didn't come until after JLowe and I had been served our appetizer and I'd been served my sandwich. Same with my daughter's cheeseburger. And there was no communication with us to explain it. It was weird; JLowe and I were served our wings, the waitress disappeared altogether, and then the pizza and my sandwich came out. Then, for 10 minutes, nothing else. No waitress, no salad for my wife (per her order), no cheeseburger, no explanation, no check to see how we were. My wife ended up tracking down the hostess to track down the waitress to inquire as to the food. We were given some excuse about "the pizza side being ahead of the food side" of the kitchen (didn't explain my prompt sandwich with the pizza), and no apology. The waitress seemed to be mildly aware of agitation at the table because she made two trips to talk to JLowe and I (not to apologize, but to offer us a free sample of a new brew and then to, it appeared, just stand there and remind us she was cute), but the good move would've been to at the very least give us a thorough apology/mea culpa, and more appropriately comp us one or two of the appetizers or late courses. None of that, so a definite ding in my book.

I have only a couple of big musts in restaurants. The food has to be decent for what you pay, and the service has to be, at least, good. There's so much fungibility in restaurants that, often, the only thing that puts you over the top is value and service and, maybe, ambience. I love HUB's building and won't say anything against the atmosphere. But if the food ain't great and the service is sub-par (despite being cute), I see no reason to recommend it to anyone.

So, HUB - go for the beer and the happy hour pretzels. And nothing else.

Laurelwood Public House and Brewery

Last night, in the ramp up to our 2nd Annual Stellaween festivities, we took our daughter and some family members out for dinner. Since the goal was to celebrate Stella's 2nd birthday (which is on the 29th, so we hence call this season Stellaween in honor of both her and the fun holiday she was born so close to), we decided to find a place that would be fun for her.

Unfortunately, Portland no longer has Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour (or Portland Ice Cream, the poseur that took it over). And we've sworn off of Chuck E. Cheese. So pickin's were slim.

My wife's dad suggested Laurelwood, which had also crossed my mind, seeing as they are touted as kid-friendly and a fun place for the whole family.

So we went. Upon arrival at the newest location, situated at 51st and Sandy in Northeast Portland, I was pleased at how clean and nice the space was to be in. I looked for the kid's play area, which I'd heard so much about. I was saddened to see it consisted of a small 4'x4' niche in the restaurant. If there was more for kids to do, I didn't see it.

We sat down and started looking for food, as various members of the family took turns running Stella to the play area. We were thrilled to find that Laurelwood has a happy hour every day, including Sunday, from 3-6 pm and from 9-close. Beers are $2.75/pint. Food's about $3.50 off of the happy hour menu.

We ordered two orders of the garlic fries to start. These are awesome. Fries, which in and of themselves are more or less normal (though none were soggy and all were fresh-cooked and crispy), topped with a bunch of minced garlic, some parsley, and some parmesan. They were simply delicious. I've never had garlic fries so good.

The menu is a bit all over the place, which made it hard for everyone to settle on something. There are menus that offer a nice selection, and then menus that offer too much. Laurelwood's falls in the second category. They'd benefit from finding a theme to work around, to help focus the mind of the diner and also to help complement their ample beer selection better.

I had a ton of trouble choosing. Until it was time to order, I was fixated on the crispy buffalo chicken sandwich. However, at the last minute, I switched to the santa fe burger (I'm a sucker for chiles and pepper jack cheese) with a side of onion rings. Total: $9.95.

The food wasn't fast getting out, but it wasn't too slow. We had a party of 8, and service took about 20 minutes, which is okay given that number of people. Our waitress was very friendly, if not entirely on-the-ball, and at least noticed empty drinks fairly promptly (though, on average, it would take 5 minutes to fill a drink order, though I was literally 8 feet from the bar). In terms of a place to go to enjoy company as well as food, Laurelwood does fit the bill.

I took some time to check out the play area with Stella. It was really a let-down. A few broken toys on a small city-scape carpet (if they'd had Hotwheel cars, we could've pretended to drive them on the roads, but alas they didn't). Toward the back corner of the space, I saw what appeared to be old mess of some sort under the carpet. There was no associated smell or crustiness or anything, but it conveyed a feeling of dinginess that was very unappealing. Stella didn't seem to mind, but at the same time she was obviously not that interested in the offerings for kids.

The food finally came and we all dug in. Stella ordered (via her parents, of course) the kids mac and cheese ala carte for $2.50 (you can get the main dish with fries and a dessert for $4.50), which she seemed to enjoy.

My burger initially looked like a sloppy joe. Though I didn't read the menu as indicating it, it was actually sort of a chili burger. The chiles were not really discernable, nor were any of the seasoning elements I'd homed in on while reviewing the dish on the menu. All in all, it was edible but disappointing. The onion rings were quite good, though, and didn't survive to make into my picture, below. My brother in law got the turkey burger, and he said it was good. My other brother in law got the open-faced meatloaf sandwich, which came with whipped potatoes (I tried them and they were alright, but not special) and green beans (cooked a bit too long, so more chewy than crispy, but seasoned nicely). I didn't get to sample the loaf itself, but he ate it all without any complaint, so it must have been at least decent.

My father-in-law ended up performing an act of grandfatherly exuberance, pulling out his card at the last minute to pay, so I never saw the bill. I think, for 8 people with drinks and the appetizers, we ended up around $100, which really isn't bad.

Laurelwood is touted as highly kid friendly. It's smoke free, generally clean, and noone minds your kid running from the table to the play area. But otherwise I don't see how it differs from most other restaurants. Perhaps other locations are more deserving of the kid-free mantle. The food is okay, but not special. The beer is good, and the plentiful happy hours make it a place to keep in mind, especially on a Sunday afternoon when you want to catch a game on the big screen over an affordable pint. It's a place that you'll never miss if you don't visit it, but also one that I could understand you liking if you're nearby and hungry.

The Daily Grill

(BLOGGER'S BEING A JERK. PICTURES WILL BE ADDED LATER)

I'm calling a JLowe Mulligan.

I told him this today, as I called him out for failing to fulfill the promise of writing up our trip to The Daily Grill on Thursday.

In my opinion, JLowe's pretty much a slack-ass bastard. Case in point: we went to the food court several weeks ago, and he had food from the Cajun place, as neither of us had reviewed it. He hated it, and couldn't wait to let you all know. Of course, the post was never written, because JLowe's a slack-ass bastard, as I've mentioned already.

Last week, he went there again, on Monday. He didn't want to, but he agreed with me that he owed you, our readers, the service of going again. We have a rule that all reviews need to be written by the end of the day following our visit. The rule is fairly strictly enforced. It's designed to make sure we don't forget things that influenced our opinion.

Since I, for one, would never go to the Cajun place after seeing JLowe's reaction, and he really wanted to be able to bag on them for how awful they were, and he has a "three visit" rule before he'll totally write a place off, he figured he owed it to everyone (including the Cajun place) to go back. And I told him that he could cheat a review of his first experience in with the second one.

Of course, he never wrote that review either. He sucks. A lot.

There are other reviews he's missed. Thankfully, I have a really bad memory, so you don't have to be bothered with hearing about them any further.

But, anyway, we went to The Daily Grill on Park Avenue for lunch on Thursday, and it was blog-worthy, so here's your JLowe Mulligan-ed late review.

We went to The Daily Grill not by design, but because the restaurant we wanted to go to (The Park), which was new, had apparently closed up shop, leaving us towards the end of Park Avenue with few choices. We didn't want Subway, and chinese at the Hunan (oh, yeah, that's one he forgot to write...) would have been to heavy.

We saw The Daily Grill, and decided to check it out.

The restaurant's is a nice space. You walk in to a stairway down into the bar area and the host/greeter area. We were seated promptly in the next room over, which is a nice open restaurant space with high ceilings and good lighting. We were handed a "Blue Plate Special" lunch menu and a normal menu, and our server went immediately to fetch us water.

The menu is something. The Thursday Special is Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup for about $11. It has three kinds of cheese, but still, that's ridiculous, especially if you're going to call it a "special," which I've always thought meant "deal."

JLowe ordered the BLT. I ordered the California Turkey. We each ordered ours with the side of shoestring potatoes.

Each of our sandwiches was in the $10-12 price range, which was too much for what we got. JLowe opined that the prices were to "keep out the riff-raff." While the food was by no means bad, I'd suspect that he was right on the pricepoint selection. The Daily Grill appears to be as much about who's eating there as it is about what's being served.

For instance, the iced tea was $3, and my lemonade was $3.50. Sure, the refills were free, but the prices were still ridiculous.

On the positive side, the food was tasty and filling and the shoestring potatoes were nicely cooked, crispy, and not at all soggy. The service was excellent, with repeated visits to top off our water and other beverages and a visit by the manager to make sure all was well.

We left satiated. We felt heavier in our guts for having gone there. Sadly, we felt the wallet was a little too much lighter to justify a return trip. Apparently it got plenty of exercise while we were stuffing our gullets.

Rock Bottom Brewery

So, yesterday my boss opted to take us out to work, considering that we only had a skeleton crew in the office and (I think) he forgot to bring his lunch. He was thinking Thai, but ended up deferring to the staff (me), and I ended up deferring to the lone female working yesterday, which resulted in lunch being at Rock Bottom on 4th Avenue by the MAX line.

There are reasons to go to Rock Bottom. Having never done so for lunch, the reasons clearly in my mind involve the imbibibles. If you can't have a brewsky, though, as I couldn't yesterday, the value of the restaurant is called into doubt. But I schlepped on, because it was free, and because I needed to investigate for you, the reader.

When we got to the restaurant (at almost exactly 11:55), there was plenty of room for our party inside and out, which perhaps should have been a sign. We took it as an opportunity, and opted for the outside seating to enjoy the weather. Initial service was prompt, and our drink orders were quickly taken, and quickly delivered as well (short the ice water I requested, but these things happen).

The menu was varied, but not with anything that really called to me. After much hemming and hawing, I ended up settling on the Turkey Bacon Cobb Sandwich with a side of fries.



Our food order was taken at about 12:10. Not bad, not great.

Our food wasn't delivered until 12:40. Given that the place serves a downtown clientele and, thus, is assumed to be aware of the concept of "lunch hour," this wasn't acceptable.

During the wait, one of my cohorts had ordered a bottle of Pellegrino, which was delivered with a glass lacking ice (remember, we were outside, and it was about 90 degrees out). He requested some lime slices for his water. These weren't delivered for about 10 minutes (despite at least one pass our way by the waitress). My Sprite sat empty at one point, with ice melting, for about 15 minutes before being freshened up. That's part of why I ordered the water; I knew it was hot out, and I was thirsty.



Eventually the food arrived. We were all so hungry and so annoyed that we just started eating in earnest so that we could leave. I forgot to snap a pic until I was half-done with my sandwich (and the onion rings as well). The sandwich was alright. Plenty of meat, and it was of good quality. The additional fixin's were also good; avocado, sprouts, tomatoes, and greens. Theoretically there were bleu cheese crumbles there, but I couldn't taste them. The sandwich itself, though, wanted to fall apart and was messy to eat, which for some people isn't a problem, but during a work lunch is embarassing.

The onion rings were so-so. They were over-peppered and ended up tasting a bit funny because of it.

The Sprite was cold. They got that part right.

In the end, the boss left a small tip in recognition of the service, and we left. The food was okay, but not worth the money paid for it, and the service makes this a place I wouldn't recommend (unless you're getting suds, and then you tend not to notice quite so much...)

Elephant's Deli

I couldn't take it any more today and I skipped out on the Food Court. Instead, I ran into Elephant's Deli, or more specifically Flying Elephant's at Fox Tower, to get a bite to eat. Yes, I've been there a few times before. In fact, I ate there last month, but failed to post a blog about it. Today was a make-up lunch (and a break).

I wanted something a little different for a sandwich and I wanted to see exactly how fast I could get in and out. Even though there is usually a full house (deli?), getting in and out is quick. That's because there are scores of pre-made sandwiches. There are also salads, hummus platters, lots of cookies, treats, candies, bread, beverages, all just a cooler away. They serve soup, but that's behind the counter. They may also make to-order sandwiches, but I admit I have never fully investigated that bit. And today was not the day, because today was all about speed.

I hit the thresh hold at 11:58:40 am. On the north side of the deli are located the sandwiches and salads. I was being blocked by a girl and one of the waitstaff. I dodged left, then right, then left again, to get into position to snag a French Baguette with fresh mozzarella, basil, oil and sun dried tomatoes. Sandwich in hand, I made the turn, cut in front of the wandering guy, and grabbed a small bottle of San Pellegrino (one of my few lunch-time beverage weaknesses...normally I drink nothing while I dine...call me wacky). Before the wandering guy realized anything, I was in line, wallet in hand, waiting to hand the cashier my debit card.

After a brief interlude of 15 seconds, with a few pleasantries, the cashier took my card, swiped it, printed and handed me the store copy. I filled it out, with a bit of a tip, handed it back to him, stashed my card back in my wallet, accepted my copy, wrote down how much I had spent, shoved the paper into my wallet, stopped for a napkin, and re-crossed the thresh hold to the outside. Time: 12:01:25 pm. That's right, less than 3 minutes elapsed. Total price (excluding tip): $7.75.

Yes, Elephant's Deli is not the cheapest spot. But all of those pre-made sandwiches (which run between $6.25 to $6.75) are quite fresh. Normally, I refuse a pre-made, spoiled brat that I am. Daddy had a deli when I was growing up...but the pre-mades at Elephant's Deli are really very good. And even though I paid a little extra, the time I saved made up for it, in my mind.

Geraldi's

I'm always hopeful that GastroBoy will get off his keister and write something. But, in a painful acknowledgement of the truth, I find myself jumping the gun and posting about our lunchtime spot today.

I was planning on eating in (honest, I was). I have a package of my favorite Trader Joe's freezer burritos here in the office, waiting for their 3 minutes of nuclear (or, as JLowe and the Prez say, "nukular") exposure to prepare them adequately for consumption. But GB mentioned going out, and it got my juices flowing.

We couldn't decide where to go. GB threw out many options, even uttering our eventual destination once or twice. But I was so busy mulling bad choices that I failed to hear the good one, and then, suddenly, my mind seized upon it. Geraldi's on 4th! And, like a shot, we were off.

Geraldi's, for anyone who hasn't been there, specializes in quick Italian fare, but the primary reason to go there is the sandwiches. They come in two sizes, big and bigger. All are served on fresh french bread loaves, nice and warm and sliced down the middle. The half sandwich, depending on type, costs on average $6 to $7. The whole gets up closer to $9, a good value given the size, but too big unless you're regularly a pig.

I ordered the 1/2 Chicken Parm, shown below.



Not a flattering picture, for sure. The sandwich isn't supposed to look pretty, though. It's supposed to taste good.

And it does. The chicken is plentiful and filling. The sauce is always the same, which is nice in that it you want predictability in a regular haunt, and when something is so right, to change it would be a crime. And the mozarella cheese is plentiful.

GB got something different, but I was too busy madly devouring my lunch to admire his.

I don't have it in me to do a thorough expounding upon the virtues of Geraldi's. But let me say this: it is one of the most popular hero joints in downtown for a reason, and anyone who's had it swears upon it for life. If you're not a chicken parm guy, go for the meatball hero. If you aren't into that, JLowe usually gets the Chicago beef. Really, there's no way you can possibly go wrong. And, if you don't want a sandwich, I recommend the lasagna. Whatever you get will be filling, delicious, and you will walk away highly satisfied for about $10 every time. Go to Geraldi's once and you, like all three of us, will be a fan for life.

VistaSpring Cafe

Yay for payday!

My day went long today, and I was pleasantly surprised from a text from my wife recommending she pick me up from work (I biked in today) and take me to dinner. My kind of surprise.

The question, of course, was where to eat. I hate the question. The general rule is it gets asked, I throw out 3 or 4 locations that sound really good to me, and then we end up settling on Stanford's or Caro Amico (both of which have been discussed in this very blog). Not that either of these is bad, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

I threw out a Chinese food restaurant for my wife, figuring she'd bite. Nope. I didn't have the energy to try further, so then I threw out Stanford's. No dice. I even tried Concordia Ale House, figuring (since it's in JLowe's neck of the woods) that we could invite him and his wife. Again, no.

We were in the downtown area. My mind raced, and it settled upon an old standby. VistaSpring Cafe.

Vista Spring, per their menus, is now VistaSpring. The menus look different in form, but are the same in substance, which is a good thing. The restaurant itself is also exactly the same, too. So despite the new, trendy name, the place is the same old cozy place to have a bite.

VistaSpring Cafe is, as the name cleverly alludes, located on the intersection of SW Vista and Spring, on your way up from 23rd towards Council Crest. The menu is diverse, but generally contains some pastas, some salads, some sandwiches, and some pizzas (served both in a large format and in a personal size). You can't really go wrong in either category, and all are pretty reasonable priced.

The space is nice. There's an old, antique fan system hanging from the sealing, which does not appear to function but inspires great images in your mind of what it must have been like when it did. There are wood accents surrounding a pretty sparse space, where things are minimal in the good way and you end up feeling like you are in an elegant and trendy space, even if the money you pay isn't ritzy in itself.

My wife opted for a cup of the chicken tortilla soup, followed by the Southwest Chicken Salad. I was at a loss for what to order, and in a panic chose my standby item, the Reuben Sandwich. My daughter had the kids' menu spaghetti, which is around $3 and, as a warning, comes sans sauce.

I was pleased to find that I wasn't able to get my old standby beverage, Mirror Pond, or even the acceptable alternative, Stella Artois. Instead, I had to settle for Moretti, which means I was feeling pretty good about life.



The reuben itself has kraut, mayo, pastrami, and jarlsberg cheese. It's served on a light rye with kettle chips. And it is delicious. It's heavy enough that you know you've eaten a reuben, and still light enough that you don't feel like you pigged out.

I've had many of the other dishes there, and I've never felt wronged. The least impressive dish was the ravioli, but even that was good.

For two dinners, the cup of soup, the beer, a diet Coke and a kids spaghetti, we paid $32. Really not bad. The service was very friendly and very prompt, the food was quick, and we were able to get in and out without feeling rushed in about 45 minutes.

If you're in the SW foothills looking for food, definitely check out VistaSpring Cafe. You won't be disappointed.

Rose's Deli

Teapot, meet kettle.

So earlier today I threw some smug JLowe's way for always going out to lunch.

Then my wife showed up downtown with my daughter, forcing me to go out to lunch for the second time in as many days.

I suck.

Anyway, we were on our way to The Spicy Pickle, which is a current fave (went there last week with JLowe and had a nice sandwich, but I didn't feel like re-blogging the same place). We walked past and realized the set-up really isn't all that conducive to a toddling little girl. So we passed by, and headed over to Rose's.

Rose's has history in Portland. Back when I was young, Rose's had two locations of which I was aware, one on NW 23rd and one out near Gateway in NE. They may have had others, but I wasn't aware of them.

The one on 23rd was a favorite hang-out in my high school years. I loved to go there, have some Matzo Ball soup, and then head up to Washington Park. The NE location was good for the occasional lunch with grandma, who lives out that way to this very day.

Both closed, to the chagrin of many people who really enjoyed their sandwiches and, perhaps more importantly, their desserts.

A few years ago, they re-opened in a smaller location on NW 23rd, closer to Good Sam Hospital. Much more deli than restaurant, the new location was uncluttered, simply appointed, and encouraged prompt eating over lounging about. But the food was every bit as good.

Other locations opened (they currently have five), but beyond the downtown location in the Wells Fargo Building, I haven't ventured any further to try them out.

Anyway, back to today. We headed to Roses, because although they don't have high chairs or anything like that either, at least there is some room to breathe and it's a bit more conducive to a kid-let.

The options are many. Generally, my advice is to stick with one of the Reuben's. They are all good (if a bit too-good) and you can't miss with any of them. However, given my recent attempts to clean up my diet a bit, I opted for the Gardenburger. My wife got the Turkey Club. For the daughter, grilled cheese.

The Gardenburger was disappointing. Served on normal whole-wheat bread (no other options were provided) with tomato and lettuce and nothing else, it was boring. Rose's offers a variety of local Beaver-brand mustards on the tables, so I ate one-half with deli mustard and one-half with spicy hot. Okay, but certainly not great.

I sampled the wife's Turkey Club, which was great. Served on sourdough, the turkey was plentiful and delicious, and the bacon was chewy-but-not-crispy (just the way I like it) with little discernable fat. The sandwich comes with mayo on it, and really nothing else was needed.

Wanting to be very thorough for you, my intrepid reader (there may be more than one, but I don't want to assume too much!), I tried the grilled cheese. Crappy. The bread was too-soft and not at all buttery, which I think are two signs of a poor grilled cheese. There was plenty of cheese, so no let-down there, but I wept for my poor child.

Sandwiches come with a choice of chips or potato salad. The potato salad is good; I believe it's home-made. My wife has an aversion to potato salad that is to "mayonaisse-y," and for her this potato salad didn't cut it, but for most people I think it would be just great. My daughter loved it.

The finishing touch is the pickle. The Spicy Pickle gives you a spicy spear. Rose's gives you a flavorful-yet-painless whole pickle. It was good. I could tell not only by eating it, but by the hilarious frowns my daughter made with each successive taste, showing me that although she hated it, she had to have more. I wish I'd brought my camera.

For the three of us it was about $21. A tad over-priced, but not too shabby.

Rose's is a decent option for a good lunch. If you want a Reuben, it's a can't miss. If you're looking for less deli and more healthy, there are better choices downtown.

La Terrazza

I've eaten at La Terrazza dozens of times. They have simple, quick hearty pasta dishes, a daily soup, salads and sandwiches. You pay before you sit, so you can just leave when you're done (my wife's favorite feature). My wife always gets the Fettuccine Pesto Y Pollo.

Today, I was having a lunch meeting with an old friend and we decided that this would be the place to get lunch. I ordered the Ciabatta Turkey Pesto, but that's not what I got. Instead, the Ciabatta Prosciutto and Mozzarella showed up. But, I didn't realize it 'til I was half-way through the sandwich. I was hungry and not paying attention. When I finally came to my senses, and started thinking about what I was eating, I found myelf disappointed with the Ciabatta Prosciutto. Why didn't I say something about getting the wrong sandwich? But, it's the first time that I've really been disappointed at La Terrazza. I will return, as I'm just chalking it up to an exceptionally busy day for the restaurant. La Terrazza is located at 3rd and SW Salmon.

Crema

20 minutes. That’s how long it took this morning from the moment I stepped into the line to order until I was walking out with my cup and bag in hand. It’s become a one-sided game for me…how long will it take today?

My wife and I started coming to Crema as a compromise. I hate Starbucks and all that it stands for (intentionally and unintentionally. I especially despise the coffee that Starbucks produces. I need coffee, daily. My wife really likes going to Starbucks (for much the same reason everybody that goes there does…it’s always the same). My wife also likes a little something with her coffee.

So, we heard about the wonder that is Crema. And the reason we return time and time again is due to Crema’s fabulous baked goods; cheese corn biscuits, zucchini muffins, honey bran muffins, the morning bun, etc. Scratch, baked in the back daily and always delicious, Crema has some of the best baked goods in Portland. We’ve been back about 20 times now.

The coffee is…good. I personally am not a fan of Stumptown. I appreciate Stumptown’s roasting methods and what Stumptown stands for…but it’s only good to me, and not terrific. Granted, I am quite biased when it comes to coffee (which is why you will never see a blog from me on this site about a place that is strictly a coffee shop). My Dad owns three independent shops and has his own roaster…and I am taking my inheritance early once cup at a time…enough said.

But, I can at least comment on my frustration with Crema’s coffee…it takes too long. Yes, each drink is hand-made with loving care…but explain to me why they need that beautiful tri-group espresso machine if they are only going to have one barista making each drink, one drink at a time??? A well-trained barista should be able to MULTI-TASK. Today, the barista was exceptionally fast for Crema standards. It only took seven minutes once the order had been placed for my wife’s drink, a double 12 ounce non-fat vanilla latte (I had my espresso somewhere else earlier and really didn’t need any more this morning).

The other HUGE problem with Crema is that they don’t know how to manage a line. There is a single register. The place has a huge staff (at least seven employees are working there at any given time). But, if there are more then three people in line, expect to be in that line at least 10 minutes.

So, here it is…if you have the time, go to Crema. The food is always great (baked goods, sweet treats, soups, sandwiches, bread, etc). There is lots of space, free wi-fi, plenty of tables, personal French-press coffee and a nice atmosphere. But, if you are only planning to pop in quickly to get something to go, be very prepared to spend 15 to 20 minutes in line waiting…this is not a quick stop. Crema is located on the corner of 28th and SE Ankeny.

Tabor Authentic Czech Eatery

So, a reader recommended that we try out the Tabor food cart, stating in a pair of e-mails that...

I like your guys' food blog. I went to No Fish Go Fish today. It was pretty good. Have you guys tried the Tabor Czech cart yet? It's my favorite.

and then, in response to my request for more info, stating that...

5th & Stark in a lovely red and fluorescent green cart. It's best to go before noon or call it in because sometimes they stop taking orders or they run out of food.

I have tried all the following and they were delicious:

Pork Loin Schnitzelwich
Chicken Schnitzelwich
Muenster Cheese Sandwich
Bramborak
Bramborak filled with spinach & ham
German Smoked Sausage
Halusky
Eggplant Sandwich

Anything I haven't had, my friends have had and said was delicious also.

I mentioned the recommendation to JLowe, who (like me) was intrigued, and we determined to set course today for the Schnitzelwich experience. The reader, Mak, came along to take part in the goodness.

When we arrived, we were greeted by an impressive menu that, at first, seemed a bit overwhelming...



However, the kind chap inside was quite proactive and friendly, and made sure to point out the strengths of the menu. Which, apparently, are pork, "the King of Meats," and the Schnitzelwich, advertised as being "big as Big Pink."

Not one to dodge proper advice from the proprietor, both JLowe and I diligently ordered the Pork Schnitzelwich. Mak ordered the Muenster Cheese Sandwich just to mix things up.

As we waited, the guy up front chatted us up and engaged us in wide-ranging dialogue, never overbearing but always quick to chime in with a good comment. The sort of fine balancing act that, if done well (as it was here) can really add to a food cart experience.

The Pork Schnitzelwiches were prepared rapidly. Each was $5, and the array of beverages (mostly Hansen's natural sodas and Pellegrino ades) were all $1.25 or less, so lunch is economical. The Muenster Cheese Sandwich took a few more minutes, but we were all ready to go eat within 5 minutes of ordering.

We headed over to Pioneer Courthouse Square, where they happily now have chairs and tables near the food carts, and sat down to our lunch.

Here's a picture of the Pork Schnitzelwich:



The picture doesn't tell the whole story. The Schnitzelwich is a meal unto itself. It's bulky and surprisingly filling, so it's a great deal for a guy on a budget.

Flavorwise, though, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. The pork itself wasn't seasoned, which perhaps is the point in traditional Czech cooking, but which made for a less interesting sandwich. It was also pretty greasy in its fried breading, which coated my mouth in a not-so-pleasing way and took away from my enjoyment. Also, despite a nice horse-radishey paprika-ey dressing and some caramelized onions, it was far less interesting and flavorful that I thought it would be. That said, the sauce did have a nice little kick, so to the extent that there was a flavor there, it was good.

Overall, I'd have to say the experience was a bit of a let-down. However, I'll probably go back to try something else before rendering a final opinion.

If you're on a $5 budget, head down to Tabor, give it a try. And feel free to share your thoughts with us...

Paradise Bakery

I mentioned this place the other day when I was raving about the Spicy Pickle. Today, my wife and daughter came to visit me for lunch and my wife wanted to go to either Paradise Bakery or California Crisp. I chose Paradise Bakery.

Now, I said the other day that the sandwiches at Paradise Bakery are just average. And, I am going to stick to that assertion today. I had the New Southwest Chicken Sandwich. It was OK. It was fresh. The chicken was a real breast of chicken. But, the sandwich was unremarkable. The sandwich was too tall and messy as I tried to eat it. My wife had the Chicken Salad. The Chicken Salad is tasty, but the sandwich maker never ever puts enough Chicken Salad on the sandwich.

So, why do we bother to give them money for their food? Why do we go back? Why should you bother yourself with an unremarkable, but fresh, sandwich? It's the cookie. The chocolate chip cookie is just so wonderful, that it makes the whole experience worthwhile. Maybe I'm just too easy to please?

Big Town Hero

Now you know why I hate JLowe. I'd asked him if he wanted to go to the Red Coach for his first day back to work, and he blew me off for his alleged "meeting." Then he finds out he's free for lunch, and do I get a call? Nooooooo!

I ended up getting a sandwich two blocks down the street from him. I wasn't planning on it, but a morning engagement ran a little long, and I was in the Congress Center building (or whatever they're calling it now) in the 1000 block of SW 5th Avenue, and when I got off of the elevator I saw BTH.

When I'm discussing getting a quick sandwich with Gastro Boy, or my wife, or whomever I discuss such things with, the conversation is usually limited to Subway and Quizno's. And, since I really can't remember the last time I ate at Quizno's, Subway usually wins. It's convenient, it's cheap, and it doesn't offend (at the same time, it never really impresses, either). I mean, sure, there are plenty of little sandwich places here and there where you can get a mean cold cut combo, but I'm usually just as interested in convenience as I am in product when a food craving comes on.

Big Town Hero ends up being, in my mind, the exception to the general fast-sandwich rule. It's like the Burgerville of franchise sandwiches; it's just as fast, just as convenient, just as cheap, but generally leaves you feeling a whole lot better.

Yesterday I had the Very Berry Turkey, a nice throw-back to Thanksgiving. Turkey, cranberry sauce, and some cream cheese put together in an oh-so-delightful 8" onion loaf. Add to that the free refills while I waited (Subway doesn't offer that perk) and I was in heaven.

I've never had a bad sandwich at BTH, which is more than I can say for Subway or Quizno's or a myriad of other places. And so, if you're looking for a quick sandwich in Portland (or Salem, or Eugene, heck, they're all over), I recommend them to you.

Spicy Pickle

Today was my first day back to work downtown, after 8 weeks of Family Leave. I unexpectedly had time to grab lunch (I was convinced that I had a lunch-time meeting, which meant no lunch). I was headed to find a sandwich, after getting stamps at the post office, when I ran across the Spicy Pickle. It's located at 1220 SW 6th Avenue and it's delicious.

I've spent many years and many lunches consuming sandwiches. It's hard to impress me. Subway, Quizno's, Paradise Bakery, Rose's, Kornblatt's, Big Town Hero, etc. All fairly regular haunts...and all fairly the same (except Rose's...but that's a future article). My father owned a deli when I was a kid. He's my standard...and it's hard to beat one of his sandwiches (in my mind and stomach...he has a gift...back off). Usually, a sandwich is a sandwich is a sandwich.

But, I must say, this place has caught my attention. I had the Adobe Panini. Yes, $6.45 for a Panini sandwich. But, it was really really good. The corn was a brilliant addition. I will be going back. I must try all the sandwiches. Check out the Spicy Pickle. Here's another website.