Jul 30, 2008
Not that I'd ever take for granted all the trees outside of my window, but sometimes I get an urge to go back to DTW and have my nose skinny dip in an ocean of exhaust fumes. I'm getting excited for the week's stay in my parents' basement in Dearborn next month, where I'll no doubt cruise up and down Warren Ave. yelling wullah, cullus, and niq ummak, not to mention looking for a decent lunch:
For Portland-area MvC bloggers who might be interested, there are two pretty big African musicians playing the Oregon Zoo. Habib Koite is playing tonight, and Oliver Mtukudzi will be here next Wednesday. Perhaps Thomas Mapfumo will make an appearance with Tuku considering he lives in Eugene now.
Habib Koite:
Oliver Mtukudzi:
After reading JGW's review of "Best Cheap Food in Portland", which might include SE to be more accurate, I felt obliged to include my own opinions. And since a shockingly high proportion of peoples in Portland and the world in general lack much knowledge of the great neighborhoods in North Portland, I see it as my duty to fill them in. Without further adieu, here are my picks for NoPo's best (note: cheap is irrellevent to my ranks).
Di Prima Dolci: Located on the corner of N Denver and Killingsworth this Italian bakery kicks some serious ass. Combine good coffee with a good selection of Italian baked goods, and throw in a nice selection of meals in a pleasant atmosphere, and, well, you have a nice place to eat.
My recommendation: A cup of the Di Prima Dolci house coffee, a Maritozzi, and a rum rasin Biscotti.
Thai Ginger: Also just off N Denver, but on N Portland/Rosa Parks, this Thai restaurant wins my vote for best Thai place in Portland in it's price bracket. It is a small place, set in a building with a Papa Murphy's and a Tax man, it doesn't look like much. But the food is consistently good, and the service is perhaps too attentive.
My recommendation: The Pad Kee Mao. Who doesn't love wide rice noodles? Or whatever the special is for the day.
King Burrito: In a divey building on busy N Lombard, the mural on the window depicting a man in a sombrero drooling as he runs to get some food tells you everything you need to know. Cheap prices, large portions, and quick service. Oh, and of course there menudo on the menu.
My recommendation: The veggie chimichanga. Deap fried burrito filled with rice and beans, smothered in guac, sour cream, lettuce, and tomatos? Count me in.
Encanto: So maybe you're looking for a little fancier Mexican fare? Then Encanto is the place for you. Also on N Lombard (although much further west) this place serves exellent and healthy Mexican inspired food (although to be honest, they are a little light on the vegetarian food for my taste). Through in a pleasent atmosphere and a very nice drink menu and you're all set for a nice evening.
My recommendation: The enchiladas. Drowning in either red or green sauce, and served with rice and beans. Yum yum.
The Red Bicycle: Another cafe makes the list? Yep. Also on N Lombard, this little coffee shop serves some mean egg sandwiches and a tasty cup of joe. Their pastries will also do the job. Oh, did I mention their super cute hipster wait staff? Roll it all up, and you'll have yourself a nice little breakfast.
My recommendation: A cup of coffee and their Pain au Chocolat Bread Pudding (breading pudding made out of croissants. Nope, I'm not kidding). Quite possibly one of the best things known to man. Though be warned, they only serve it on weekends.
The Fish Wife: I saved the best for last. My personal favorite restaurant in Portland is also located on N Lombard (in fact the last three restaurants are located within walking distance of each other, and also my house). Judging from the outside you'd think this little sea food place was a dive. You'd be wrong. Their menu has choices for just about any type of sea food lover. They definitely do the traditional deep fried with a side of fries route. But they also take the high road, and their specials are most certainly something to write home about.
My recommendation: Anything on their specials menu (which often includes fancy steak thingies for those of you who are into that kind of thing). If I'm not feeling adventurous, or I'm feeling cheap (the specials can cost a pretty penny) there's always the blackened cod served with garlic mashers, bread, salad, and a side of cooked veggies. Always hits the spot.
So there you have it, one man's take on the restaurants of North Portland (so far at least). Sorry to JGW for stealing any of his thunder, but then they do say that mimicry is the highest form of flattery.
Jul 29, 2008
Anyone that knows Jay Gee, knows that Jay Gee loves food. It rates right up there amongst his other manly passions of football, music, women, foot comfort, and jokes. Jay Gee can often be found out on the town sampling the great local fare that Portland has to offer. Jay Gee is a wealth of knowledge about great food in his local area, but recently Jay Gee thought, why not share this wealth of knowledge with the world? Everyone else wants to experience deliciousness, and Jay Gee has the info on where the deliciousness lies. So, here goes…
Cheap Food in Portland That Jay Gee Whiz Likes and Thinks You Might Like – Part I
Cajun Bowl at Cricket Café
Everyone knows that white people love their breakfast. Well, not exactly. This white guy likes breakfast okay, but usually is busy trying to rush to the office on weekdays and on weekends has a hard time getting himself out of the house before 1pm. But, in the times that I’ve had breakfast, I’ve had some good shit, but the best shit probably comes out of the Cricket Café. I’m not sure if the dish is actually called the Cajun Bowl, but that is the best way I can describe it. It is a mix of hollandaise, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, home fries, eggs, ham and some other elements that I’m probably missing at this time. Actually I can’t really remember exactly what’s in it. I just know that if you have a hangover, you should probably get down to Cricket Café and eat this until it’s eaten. Then digest. Then go for a run. Then drink some water. Then take a nap. And repeat.
Kinta’s Wondrous Noodle at Kinta
Delightfully simple and very satisfying, Kinta’s Wondrous Noodles has the distinction of being the only vegan dish on this list. Pick your four fresh vegetables (I usually choose Chard, Mushrooms, Broccoli, and Onion-riddled Tofu) and your noodle style (go with rice), wait ten minutes, and happily consume. Praise the shy waitress who works there every day. She may likely give you free dessert.
Smoked BBQ Wings at Clay’s Smokehouse Grill
These wings were the first item I ever had at Clay’s Smokehouse Grill. Unfortunately, nothing else that I had at the restaurant from that date onward ever compared. The restaurant itself is somewhat mediocre, but these wings are too tasty to pass up and worth the trip by themselves. Better yet, the wings go for 25 cents a piece on Sundays. Prepare to get sloppy. Don’t wear anything white.
Chicken Curry Soup at Pok Pok
I used to order this for lunch back when Pok Pok was just a to-go ordering window with a limited selection. Now that the restaurant has grown up into a full-fledged bar and restaurant with plenty of packed-in seating, this is still my favorite choice on the menu. If you’re ever around SE Division during lunch time, pick this up from the To Go menu and go find a nice, quiet, secluded place so nobody can distract you from your chicken or see what a mess you’re making of yourself as the sauce drips from your beard.
Ahi Tacos at Imbibe
If you’re on inner Southeast Portland and are in the mood for a beer, some light but filling food, and some good conversation, make your way over to Imbibe on Hawthorne. Head Cook Jody Cooper will serve you up an artfully presented plate of Ahi Tacos. They’re very fresh and seared to perfection with a sauce that finds a good balance of tang, sweet, and heat. Well done.
That ought to satiate your hunger pangs until the next installment. If you have any favorite cheap dishes, or, in Pteradactually’s case, debate my selections, let the world know.
Jul 28, 2008
In a stroke of pure political genius, John McCain implemented a new campaign strategy earlier this month: the classic "if you can't beat them, appropriate their symbolism" technique.
Looks like he changed it again pretty quickly, but I'm sure it was fun while it lasted.
Jul 25, 2008
Good news culture bloggers:
chicks are just a geeky as fellas, and here's the evidence:
This chick likes LOTR so much that she started up her own online museum of movie paraphernalia. She's got an impressive collection of ephemera oddities, but I think the international food promotions are the most interesting.
Here's a little example (UK):
HP Baked Beans
I always have this visual of orcs, sitting around the fireplace, like in Blazing Saddles.....if ya know what I mean......
The mint condition four pack was the kind gift of the assistant to the product manager at HP. She was so tickled at the thought of a crazy American trying to get a bean can label, she sent the entire pack to me at her own expense. I have truly met some wonderful people during my LOTR adventures. It is one of my prized LOTR possessions.
Jul 21, 2008
Jul 12, 2008
Hmmmm...SZ may be no genious, but I'm beginning to pick up on a trend: looks like an awful lot of these All Seeing Eyes are adorning Catholic Properties--which means that it's high time for a trip down to the Vatican sos that I can go ahead and sort all this out....
Jul 11, 2008
It was reported, so it must be true:
The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."
He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.
He then mentioned how Filipinos make great help.
Jul 6, 2008
First stop: Munich--home to Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Order of the Illuminati. After much digging and a few close calls, I discovered an intriguing relationship between Weishaupt and the Catholic Church, including this travesty--the all seeing eye of the Illuminati-- emblazoned above dear Munich´s most ancient and popular church. But I thought that the Illuminati was opposed to organized religion....
Well, it turns out that Weishaupt--as most men of great insight--was not well understood in his own time and was banished from Bavaria not long after establishing the Order and infiltrating the Free Masons. In fact, most of his greatest work was done elsewhere and in dark secrecey. Looks like Bavaria may be a dead end, except for one lead: one of Weishaupts earliest and most influential desciples was none other than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose early years were spent in the sleepy little Austrian city of Salzburg.
Next stop: Salzburg!
Jul 4, 2008
So says John McCain's adviser on Latin American affairs:
"[McCain]'s been to the Amazon rain forest, he's been to the Galapagos Islands. So for him, the relationship with our southern neighbors is not just a series of briefings by an outside policy adviser because he needed to have a policy position on Latin America,"
I guess all the focus on Venezuela's oil, secession in Bolivia, Cuba's salary reforms, Uribe's paramilitary links, and all the other issues related to modernization and democratization processes, social revolutions, migration and narcotrafficking, and economic structuralizations have been overblown. All the while we should have been paying much more attention to the profound geopolitical importance of nature preserves.
Jul 3, 2008
These people look creepy.
Anybody think its anything other than a movie?
