Gina Bixby Bloggery

It’s been awhile ago, but I’ve been so busy on the weekends now that baseball and running season are in full swing, it’s begun to cut into my quality food questing time! However, one fine February morning the little boy and I went out to get some breakfast and take some photos at Clementine Bistro & Bar.

We were there a bit early in the day, so there were only a few other diners when we arrived. Turns out that was a good thing in this case, because they were short staffed that morning and the waiter who was doing 20 things at once seemed a bit frazzled. But he was always pleasant and kept checking on us throughout the meal, despite how obviously busy he was, so while we lingered a bit longer than normal over our meal, the service was great under the challenging circumstances.

There are three rooms in the restaurant – a front room, a bar and a room at the end of a short hallway that is “child friendly” – tables with toys, even some cake put out. As a parent who not so long ago had small children, I appreciate the effort to accommodate and segregate the youngsters. We always used to seek out restaurants that had play areas, but with some atmosphere better than Chuck E Cheese and something to eat more sophisticated than plastic pizza. You cannot underestimate the opportunity to have some coffee, adult food and unbroken adult conversation until you don’t have have it!

So, now that I have a half-grown boy in tow, we opted to sit in the grown up room, right off the bar. In all fairness, I did offer him the seating in the play area, but he gave me a withering look that told me he’s much too sophisticated for dinosaurs, and we quickly moved on.

I wanted to order something different and somewhat healthy, since Luke was once again getting his favorite biscuits and gravy (this after all is billed as a southern style bistro) so I ordered a veggie scramble. I don’t know if it’s southern or not, but it was tasty, the vegetables were cooked perfectly, still somewhat firm, rather than soggy.  Had we tried this at home, they’d have been raw, so I recommend it if, like me, you have to make a conscious effort to eat veggies – they’re tough to cook properly without ruining!  I secretly would rather have sampled some of the other menu items I saw, the french toast, pancakes, chicken fried steak or even the grits. But I was good, however when we return we will be trying some of the more traditional fare.

As for the biscuits and gravy, Luke claimed the biscuits were superior to others he’s tried, while the gravy was not (however as I have to remind you everything from now on is compared to Pine State Biscuit for him, he’s been ruined for all other food).

Just as we were finishing up, the later morning/early lunch crowd began to show up, and fortunately so did some additional employees to help out our original waiter. I’d like to try them again, maybe for lunch or dinner, definitely sample some of the desserts and maybe a southern cocktail drink.

I grew up in a small town, and one feature that seems to be consistent among them is the existence of some kind of burger joint.  I’m not talking about the little Arctic Circle or A&W’s that you can still find up and down the coast or out in the eastern part of the state … but the little independent places that somehow just make the food taste better because of the (perhaps pretend) nostalgia that you can soak up while you linger over your meal. It’s like traveling back into time, leaving the modern trend of ‘little plates’ and shiny minimalism behind.

I never met a guy at a malt shop as a teeny bopper, never actually lived the drive-in teen-age hangout lifestyle. But growing up I was saturated in the 1950′s nostalgia wave – starting with the re-runs of the Mickey Mouse Club and Annette Funicello, the Happy Days tv series, all the old re-runs of Leave it to Beaver with these strange families with stay-at-home moms AND sometimes live in maids.

So when I moved to Camas, WA several years ago, I was just enchanted by the local burger joint, Top Burger Drive In. Mind you, it’s not a drive-UP … but a bona-fide, new-fangled almost drive IN.  I could just imagine it on a warm summer night, well, a summer night anyway, maybe not warm – cars with kids in the parking lot, roller skated waitresses bringing out burgers and fries and cokes.

Now, you don’t drive up, place your order and drive out again 45 seconds later with your grub. You leave your car there in the window and wait for them to cook your food. Sometimes, if the line is four deep, they  might have you pull into the parking lot for a spell. My boys and I always get the seasoned fries … heavenly.

Inside, there are photos of the building when it was new. You can get hand-scooped ice cream from a tub in the cooler, or you can get the soft stuff from the machine. I think they even have chocolate dip for the soft cones. There are flavored candy sticks – the straight candy cane style, with different flavors that you can suck on until they make a sharp point at the end.

There are booths, black and white checkered floors … and even if it is new, even if it wasn’t there when your grandparent’s were teens, is sure FEELS like it was.

In the summer the kids sit outside on the picnic tables, eating their ice-cream cones and being cool. The old high school used to be down the street, before they build the new one and then a new elementary school and now the town seems quieter, the kids are mostly bussed out to the new developments to the west, to their new schools. I imagine the business has slowed, now that the area boasts a Five Guy’s, a Sonic, and a Wendy’s within three miles.

Personally, I like to be in a place that doesn’t feel like the attempt to look old school is forced. They don’t have to try  - they ARE old school. I like the food – it takes awhile, you have to sit down and visit while you wait for your ‘fast’ food. There aren’t any video games or bells and whistles to distract, no kids on skates rolling out to the cars.

But their onion rings are to die for.

Another place I only recently found is in another neighborhood entirely, in a most unlikely place. Skyline Burgers sits out in the middle of nowhere, up on top of Skyline Boulevard in Portland’s west hills, with not much else around it at all. You don’t see very many houses as you drive around, they’re mostly set back in among the trees amid long driveways the hill dwellers seem to like. Pammy showed me this place, we met there for lunch one day last spring, and now I look for reasons to drive over that way to stop by. I had the same feeling, that this was a place that had once been kind of hopping, but that now was competing with… well, there’s not much else up there but I imagine they mostly just get the locals because there is no other reason to drive up that hill, except to get over it to see what you can see maybe. Although it always is busy and full of diners when I’ve been there.

They make milkshakes out of pie. That right there should convince you to make the drive up Skyline and go check them out. But they also make really good sandwiches and burgers.

You can tell they’re invested in the community – even though it’s hardly a small town, rather a neighborhood. Kid’s drawings cover the walls. Every time I’ve been there it’s been packed. It’s the kind of place you come home to, I guess.

Burgers are great – I prefer the whole lettuce to the shredded (per the Top Burger), but that’s just my taste. They also serve salads, chili, soups … just a nice cozy diner … out in the middle of nothing.

I will begin by disclosing that I’m not ordinarily a huge biscuit person. Oh, I like them buttered with honey and I’ll eat them with fried chicken and gravy – but I wouldn’t ordinarily go out of my way to frequent a biscuit bar. Which is essentially what Pine State Biscuits is – a cross between a restaurant and a food cart, really.  However gauging by the line extending outside the door and along the sidewalk, a pretty popular joint.

We went there because my little guy loves biscuits and gravy, anything involving a biscuit, really and I’m a typical mom – pretty much a slave to keeping my babies happy when it comes to food. There’s something primal about mothers and the satisfaction we get from feeding our offspring. It doesn’t matter that one of my babies is now over six feet tall, it’s the same as the day he came home from the hospital, at least where food is concerned.

Hence the reason I found myself standing outside in line in the morning waiting for a biscuit.

Sign at Pine State Biscuit

It’s actually a cute little neighborhood – in fact the building next door was someone’s house.  We saw people coming out with paper cartons full of breakfast biscuit, and sitting down on some of the tables outside the door. That put me on a bit of high alert, because it wasn’t a sunny day and there were people eating outside.

Menu at Pine State Biscuit

Once we were inside and approaching the counter, my anxiety increased. I’m not a big fan of having to make my choice in a hurry. I like to sit down, see what other people have ordered, peruse the menu a bit. I’m also not too keen on ordering off a blackboard for the same reason – I’m never certain I’ve really had a chance to look at everything available before I choose. You approach the counter at a random pace, dependent upon the number of individuals in the groups ahead of you, whether they’re paying cash or credit etc. It’s a little chaotic to me – particularly with kids in tow.  Add to that not knowing whether to order the food to go or not, given we were still uncertain at the time we ordered whether we’d get a table or not.

Coffee Bar at Pine State Biscuit

In this case, though, there was the added pressure of not only making a selection quickly, but also keeping your eye out for a place to sit. There were only about four or five tables inside, and a long bar along the end of the room for those who were waiting or choosing to eat there. We were lucky enough to secure a table and I went with a safe order of something I knew I could eat standing up in the event we were unable to find a table before our order was ready. The little guy was fortunately already set on his selection – had been before we even arrived – biscuits and gravy.  He was not disappointed.

Biscuits and Gravy at Pine State Biscuits

It’s been a few months since we were there, and he’s still talking about their biscuits and gravy – it’s the standard by which he compares all others. So that’s saying something.

I played it safe and just ordered an egg sandwich.

Sausage, Egg and Cheese at Pine State

This was the most awkward I’ve felt since I began doing food blogs, because we were in such close quarters to the other diners, there was no way to furtively take photos, no chance to get out of my seat and change angles without stepping on someone else. Not to mention the unavoidable non-consensual photograph taking that I’m beginning to embrace…  I did my best to get some reasonably representative shots of the place – but I honestly felt a certain amount of pressure to get down to eating out food as there was a line extended out the door, and I knew other patrons were probably hoping to get a seat. Seemed a bit decadent to linger, you know? However I did see someone else with a camera, it’s getting to the point this happens quite frequently in restaurants, so I’m becoming less self conscious.

I was not as enthralled with my food choice as Luke with his, however had I been more adventurous I might have fared better. It was tasty, however the cheese wasn’t melted, and it seemed somewhat dry. I’d recommend going with something that has more sauce added to it, or involved in the dish. We’d go back sometime, now that we know what to expect. I’d plan to sit outside to eat, or get it to go.

Overall, I’d recommend it for a quick breakfast, on a good weather day. We recommend the biscuits and gravy, but I’d go for something a bit less standard in a sandwich if I were doing it over, and definitely try the pie next time!

Pine State Biscuits counter

My preference for eating out on the weekends has to be breakfast. There’s something luxurious about being out, having the kinds of foods you don’t always take the time to prepare yourself, lingering over coffee and conversation. Tasty and Sons has been on my list since the first day I decided to try writing a food blog. I was persuaded that day instead to try another place, however I’ve been wanting to visit this one for a couple of reasons. One, it’s in my former stomping grounds in North Portland, and two I’m always on the lookout for new breakfast spots.

I’ve grown accustomed to the wait time for many Portland restaurants, the long lines that often extend outside the doors of any popular establishment in the morning – but this time we were fooled – there was no line outside the door. It wasn’t until we got inside that we were able to realize and appreciate the scope of the situation. There were people milling about the foyer, sipping coffee, bloody marys, reading, jockeying around to give each other space to get by. It was a study in social interaction for sure, strangers crowded together in elevator-like coziness – only in this case juggling cups of coffee, coats, purses, smart phones. Some sat on the stairs, others lined the walls – most just stood in the middle of the area, gazing longingly at the lucky ones already seated inside, wistfully tracking the servers as they carried trays of food about the establishment… I can only imagine what the uninitiated must think. However, having that indoor area to wait, despite the dearth of seating, made all the difference. Despite the crowding, we were warm and had coffee, and the wait was just about 30 minutes, not terrible bad for a weekend morning.

The servers were very gracious, always polite as they moved through the area doing their work. Free coffee was available while we waited, one brought Luke chocolate milk. Once we were seated, we were immediately taken care of despite how tremendously busy they were – every table in the building was in use of course. There were four of us, so we needed a table, but there is seating along the kitchen grill area, and had we not had a minor along, there’s also what appears to be a communal long table in the bar area. I liked the cozy feel of the interior, the way they have it broken up seems to incorporate the natural flow, the decor is interesting without being too much, not trying too hard.

We began to place our order and learned that everything was to be served “family style” which was a little odd I thought, for a breakfast restaurant, because I associate that with foods such as Chinese that are one large simple dish and meant to be shared. When you’re ordering a plate combo with one biscuit, a few eggs and some bacon, I wasn’t certain how this would translate into the kind of dish you would share. This also meant, our server informed us, that items would be brought out as they were finished, again a little different, but fine, particularly as we were ready to eat after the wait. And after all it makes sense to have food brought to you while it’s hot and fresh.

What we were unaware of was that the size of the particular dishes we ordered was so small as to preclude that sort of “family style” sharing in most cases. The menu is divided up into two sizes – small plates and big plates. The small plates, just be aware, are extremely small.

We ordered the Chocolate Potato doughnut with creme anglaise ($1.50) a Griddled Bacon Wrapped Date with maple syrup & almond ($2) Two of the Bambino Plates (scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuit and honey butter $6) off the smaller plates menu. Everything was yummy – the bacon cooked properly – just on the edge of crispy without being dry, the eggs were done well. The bambino plate actually was what I would have expected from a small plate. The $1.50, however, for what essentially is a doughnut hole? Really? I did cut it up in order to allow the others at the table to taste it if they cared to, however I felt a little ridiculous doing so. I could have popped that thing in my mouth and downed it with a swallow of coffee – but I exercised restraint.

The bacon fig item I understand, that’s something a little unique, I guess it’s just that to serve that sort of plate and then suggest it’s to be shared family style without mentioning that we might need to order more than one with four people at the table seemed a little negligent. On the other hand, we were aware – or should have been, that it was just one date. Daniela ordered this one, and we didn’t make her share… she said it was very good.

Off the larger plates menu we ordered the french toast ($5) and the Cast Iron Frittata (with butternut squash, swiss chard, caramelized onions & feta.) The Frittata was about what I expected in terms of size, and very impressive as it arrived still in the Cast Iron Pan. Marcella (Daniela’s Aunt had joined us for breakfast that morning) ate every bit and said it was quite good. I’ve never had squash but it looked and smelled delicious.

The french toast was also very good, but again, our server mentioned to me when I ordered that the smaller plate would be two pieces – what she meant was one slice of bread cut into two pieces – had I known that I would have ordered the larger. Although $10 for what really is two pieces of french toast seems a bit steep.

We also ordered the special, which was biscuits and gravy, a standing favorite of Luke’s which I nearly always order for him despite the photographic challenge off-white gravy represents … we are after all there to eat, not just to order dishes that make pretty pictures. He said this was good, although he still hasn’t found anything to top the fare at Pine State Biscuits which I find very amusing – my child is turning into a biscuits and gravy connoisseur! This plate was appropriate sized for a child and served hot, (although the french toast was not) but I think an adult might have been disappointed at the size of the biscuits. A puzzle, because the biscuit that came with the bambino plate was normal-sized.

The service was great, the coffee was very good and the food was good and we ended up having enough to eat without feeling overstuffed and the total cost was still only about $40 which isn’t bad at all for four people. We just were a bit taken off guard by the small portions. They do have other dishes that interested me and that seem to promise a more conventional portion – the burger for instance, Carolina Cheesesteak, and a stew served with rice and eggs. I would definitely go back again, the food was good, but I think for breakfast food, with the items we ordered, it was average. I’d like to return to try their other offerings and see how they compare. I would also know better next time to order the bigger plates, something I tend to not do because they normally are too much food. This is more of a tapas-sized menu, which may be ideal, if you know that going in.

My friend Daniela invited me to try Dorio with her recently and specifically suggested that I bring my camera along in order to write a little review.  I can’t call myself an expert in Greek Cuisine, although I’ll try practically anything once.  While it’s no secret I’m hooked on fried calamari, my everyday food tastes aren’t tending to the exotic. Perhaps Greek food doesn’t fall into the category of highly exotic to most people, but to me it is. My experiences with Greek food in Portland have been limited to places featuring belly dancers and ouzo shots during my college days, or outdoors during the Greek Festival.

Taki is the owner of Dorio and one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. Despite being extremely busy preparing for the night and coordinating his plans for the following New Year’s Eve event he was hosting, he stopped by frequently to chat and say hello and make sure we were enjoying ourselves. The bartender even made us a special coffee drink concoction, something similar to a Bailey’s but much better. Taki’s mother Mary stopped by later in the night, the originator of the delicious greek meatballs they serve and the maker of cookies that sometimes appear on the dessert menu, but that, alas, were not present that evening.

We began our exotic adventure with some tyropites – delicate, cheesy little triangles of filo pastry and an order of spanakopita – one of my other favorite and familiar Greek dishes, because I always feel so good that I’m eating my spinach!

I don’t find Greek food in general to be as spicy or laden with sauces or creams as the other foods I tend to like, so I’m not entirely certain how to gauge this. Even the spanakopita seemed to be almost a dessert because it was covered in the pastry dough. It’s just in it’s own unique category, not a salad, not a vegetable, not really a pastry. But very tasty and enjoyable, I compare it to an empanada. The tyropites reminded me a little bit of quesadillas, and I realize Mexican is not generally the standard by which to judge other foods, it’s just the closest comparison I can make, although I suspect somewhat healthier.

The salad was wonderful – Greek salad has to be one of my favorites. And it almost seems the salad has more intense flavor than the other Greek-style foods, which I find a little odd, but it’s a good balance.

They called it a horiatiki salata – romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta and olives … all simple ingredients but when put together just a perfect combo of crunchiness, mixed with the cucumber’s and tomatoes that seem to absorb the flavor of the seasonings.

Daniela recommended the keftethes – Greek spiced meatballs (they recommend an Ouzo accompaniment but we passed on that … if you try it that way you’ll have to let me know how it goes.)

These were pretty good, although it was a little different how they were served separately from a plate of pasta, I think that may be the first time I’ve had meatballs ala carte.  They weren’t hot spicy,  just flavorful and a nice addition to the other selections we sampled.

Our final dish was dessert, the baklava – we had to get two although we were so full by then we probably could have gotten away with sharing just one … this is definitely something you want to have with coffee, it’s not overly sweet, but just tends to be fairly dense. I appreciated that it wasn’t too sweet as I’ve had some store bought versions of this dessert that are somewhat overwhelming, and there definitely was a difference to this – more of a subtle taste.

If you enjoy Greek food in a sophisticated and cozy atmosphere, you’ll appreciate Dorio – the family-like environment and great food, plus reasonable prices are a definite hit!

This is one of my favorite restaurants, not only in Vancouver, but in the Portland Metro area. Cactus Ya Ya is located just off Mill Plain Blvd on the east side of I-205, but is definitely worth the drive if you enjoy great Mexican/tex-mex food. They’ve been open for about 18 years, and are noted for making their own sauces and marinades.  A recent Columbian newspaper review described it as a fusion of asian, northwestern and southwestern food – I believe because they offer dishes with peanut sauces, kabob type skewers and caesar salads etc. in addition to what most of us consider traditional Mexican fare, although having traveled in Mexico I rarely come across food that resembles what we ate there.  I honestly have no clue what the term “fusion” means – obviously something to do with a blend of styles however exactly when does something cross that line? I mean, is there such a thing as a “pure” food style that hasn’t been influenced somewhere along the way by another culture?

I’ts still primarily Mexican in my book, because the predominant foods are tacos, enchiladas, and chimichangas. And of course, tortilla chips… food of the gods!

They make an amazing bean dip, that accompanies the complimentary chips and salsa. My son always orders their beer battered jumbo prawns.

I’m inevitably torn between the fish tacos which are amazing, the chicken skewers, which I can actually finish as opposed to larger dishes, and the chimichanga which I love as it features rice inside the roll, white chicken and an enchilada-like sauce, guacamole and sour cream. As much as I love their rice and beans, I can get away with only ordering this dish ala carte – in this way I have some prayer of finishing it. I’m certain this isn’t entirely kosher, but I had such a difficult time making the guacamole not look utterly disgusting in this photo and I’m sooo sorry! However I assure you it was amazingly yummy and not at all disgusting in real life!

I’ve visited this restaurant in the summer as well as in the winter, for the ten days each year we get of balmy weather pleasant enough to eat dinner outdoors without getting soaked – summer is nice as they have a patio that wraps around one corner of the building – they are located in a sort of strip-mall area just off Mill Plain, but with the walled patio and the overall atmosphere and the excellent service they more than make up for any lack of ambiance created by the less-than-ideal  locale.

In the winter, it’s a very cozy, warm and snug atmosphere. The inside is somewhat dark, and areas are separated by low walls. They have cozy booths, some against the mid-wall, others next to the windows, there’s a bar area in the back between the main restaurant and the patio entrance. My only complaint is that it’s sometimes a bit noisy, just a low undertow of sound that at times has made it difficult to have any sort of quiet conversation, but those were only at the busiest times. I’ve gone there for lunch to get their tortilla soup with a book and it’s been the perfect atmosphere despite the acoustics.

If you enjoy Mexican food and want to try something a little different without being too out there, and that is unique and not a chain, I definitely recommend you give Cactus Ya Ya a try.

My good friend Pammy and I try to get together regularly, despite our busy schedules, to work out and catch up on each other’s adventures. Typically we end up meeting at a dance class then go out to dinner. Before, we ate anywhere. Now that I’m a Food Blog Princess, we’re more conscious about our choices.

This time it was the Veritable Quandary – and I was so happy when Pam suggested it! She tends to like Shepherd Pie, so I figured she’d want to head to one of the regular spots we go for that. I was very eager to try Veritable Quandary as I’d heard about it for years (waaay back in my 20′s) when my friend Charlotte used to go there for happy hour and Spanish Coffee, and I just never have gotten around to checking it out. It turned out to be the perfect way to end a busy day filled with work and Burly-Q.

What is Burly-Q, you ask? Well, this summer we had our try at Tribal Belly Dancing. It was amazing, fun, and nothing makes you feel good about your body than permission and a reason to shake anything that will! But this time Pam found us a new place, Vega Dance + Lab … and they have a class that’s a burlesque style work out/dance routine. I promise, there’s no pole, but wow. I was sore for three days – mincing and slinking around to the theme from the Pink Panther for an hour will do that to you!

So we were ready for a drink by the time this was over, as well as ravenous – all that slinking, you know. Turns out the Veritable Quandry (or VQ for short, as those closest to it say) is the perfect spot for just such situations! Our server (his name was Kyle) helped us pick out drinks. Pam and I always drink when we go out, especially when I have my camera because drinks are so pretty. She decided to try the Lavender Lemon Drop ($8) and I was instantly jealous because that was the only one that had really caught my eye. As anyone who knows me knows, it’s not usually what’s in the drink, it’s the color. Same goes for my cars and shoes but that’s another tale for another blog.

However, it wasn’t really lavender, so I’ve recovered from the blow. I don’t drink often enough to know what would be a good alternative – they had no mint, so Mojitos were out of the question. My other favorite drink is a very pretty bright blue and I can’t say the name without having to issue an adult content warning on my blog, but it rhymes with Adios RubberDucker. That hardly seemed a good idea on a work night. Kyle came to the rescue with the suggestion of a Cosmopolitan ($7), which immediately made me feel much more sophisticated, demure and exactly what a femme fatale would imbibe after laying down a perfect steamy Pink Panther routine. Never mind that the only thing fatal about me is the risk that I’ll inadvertently kick you during said routine… at any rate, I was delighted when I saw that my chosen drink was actually pink!

The drinks were pretty strong, and mine tasted just like pink lemonade so I may have drank it a wee bit too quickly. Thank goodness they brought us bread or we’d have been in trouble before we even ordered the rest of our meal! I may need to start switching to the virgin variety after this. At least on work nights!

The bread was nothing special but I included a photo because I liked it and so you can see glimpses of the nice linen tablecloth and napkins … this place is a little fancy, and the prices are definitely on the higher end.  The entrees, salad, soups and sides are all ordered separately, and the entrees run from about $18 to $29, which really isn’t that bad for a higher end place. However, neither of us was in the mood for a really fancy heavy meal, so we opted to just order a few smaller items rather than a full meal. Plus I wanted to investigate the possibility of dessert. What’s the point of slinking around to get your metabolism up if you aren’t going to reap the rewards of dessert? None, say I.

There were some tempting numbers on the menu, though: Ravioli with Sunchokes ($18) (what’s a sunchoke anyway?), Pork Tenderloin and something called spoonbread ($24), NY Strip Steak with Garlic Smashed Fingerling Potatoes ($29), Crispy Duck Confit with Cider Reduction ($22), Osso Bucco (no idea – $29)). As an actress I almost longed to order some of these just so I could hear the words on the menu out loud, they seemed like they’d be fun to say. Veritable Quandary indeed.

We settled on a couple of appetizers and smaller side dishes. I ordered something called House Made Rabbit Pate with Toasted Brioche, served with Prune Vinaigrette, Two Mustards and House Pickled Cranberries (10). The only problem was I was already so tipsy from the drink that I may have murmured something like, “bunny spread” instead of all those lovely words rolling off my tongue when I ordered. The bacon wrapped around the bunny was a surprise and it turns out toasted brioche is not as neat as it might sound, buttery or salty crackers would have been just fine with me. I know culture is totally wasted on me. But it was the most lovely dish I think I’ve ever seen, so I took a lot of pictures.

If you’ve read my other posts, you will know how I feel about certain sauces. I ate all the condiments. Pate is more something you nibble at, I think, so I did – dipping it into the sauces, spreading it onto the bread. Rabbit pate isn’t exactly what I was expecting, it was firmer, less spreadable, however I”m not an expert. It tasted good, subtle, not a very strong taste which also was a surprise. I saved some of it to take home, however as it was very rich and filling.

Pam ordered the Duck Confit Spring Rolls ($9). I felt a little bit guilty, the whole Duck and Rabbit thing – I mean, neither of us have any kind of a vendetta against Easter or anything, it just sort of worked out that way. Typically she and I share our entrees, but we both liked these so much we didn’t even think to suggest trading bites until each of us were fairly stuffed with our own choices.

Pam ate every bit of the spring rolls. I warned her to pace herself because I was determined to have dessert – another reason we’d resisted the entrees. However she couldn’t resist and filled up on those, said they were very delicious.

The next items up were a soup and a salad. I had the Seafood Stew ($14) – absolutely wonderful and probably really healthy!

This dish features mussels, clams, prawns, calamari and fish. I was relieved no legs on the prawns, just tails. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve never eaten calamari when it wasn’t fried to a frizzle and doused in sauce, so I was impressed at how tasty it (they?) actually is (are?). Everything very good, not overcooked which of course is important with seafood. I think seafood is risky because it has to carry the dish, its not like chicken or beef where you can just saturate it in some other flavor and hope for the best. Seafood can be ruined by becoming rubbery or too dry, or on the other end too mushy. This was just perfect and I’d recommend it if you like seafood. I usually have it with pasta or some other dish, never had a stew or soup except clam chowder which is more like a gravy than a soup. This was another pleasant surprise.

Pam had the “Warm Chevre Crostini, Warm Hazelnuts, Local Apples and Pears” that featured a Honey Pepper vinaigrette ($10). It almost sounds like a dessert, doesn’t it?

Once again, we didn’t share bites so I can’t speak first hand but she said it was very good. She doesn’t always care for overly sweet salads but the Honey Pepper dressing gave it enough of a kick to balance out the sweetness of the fruit. She did decide that on top of the spring rolls it was also very filling. So she tried to back out of dessert. I was determined to at least try something off the menu. But I had the same dilemma. I was stuffed, still hadn’t quite finished my drink, was saving the rest of my pate for home. But the dessert offerings were numerous, puddings, homemade ice cream, sorbets, truffles, tiramisu, salted caramels … I convinced her to have some tea and a cookie plate – I mean, there’s always room for a cookie, am I right?

Again, perfect choice – the chocolate one’s were the best, they brought us tea in little white pots with these dainty little cookies. Just enough to soak up the remaining alcohol buzz and prepare us to re-enter the chilly fall night. Too bad I don’t have this quandary every night (I know, my puns are awful but I couldn’t resist)!

In keeping with my obviously flawed theory on choosing where to dine based on popularity… we headed out to Violetta this weekend. Now, had I bothered to read the reviews available I would have known to order the burger, but honestly, I’m tired of burgers, I wanted excitement, variety, comfort food… and the chicken pot pie on the menu caught my eye.

Sadly, I found it very bland, however my son adored it – so in the interest of fairness, I have to give them credit because both my boys liked the food. Now, after reading some of the reviews, I think I’d best go back to check out the burgers … on a day when I’m in the mood! What I didn’t care for was it seemed to need some doctoring, salt or something, it didn’t have much flavor and the item on the top was just different than I expected. Not a pastry, not a biscuit, more like a hard scone, that didn’t seem as if soaking it in the gravy of the pie would help at all. It’s entirely possible that by the time I got it home, and my other son found it and loved it, something had happened to marinate it all together into yumminess – I will never know.

The other entree we ordered was their Mac N Cheese which my youngest adored. He can be discriminating, as he’s probably had mac n cheese in every joint in town that offers it, so if he vouches for it, you’d better get it. I had to take a bite because he was raving about it and immediately wished I’d chosen it over the pot pie.

What I liked about this was the creaminess, and the balanced taste, sometimes there’s an over-cheesiness (if that makes any sense) to mac n cheese, something that just overwhelms everything else but this had a nice texture, nothing mushy about it at all (another huge issue with this dish) and there didn’t seem to be any breading or filler – sometimes mac n cheese has this stuff besides cheese sauce in it, this had none of that so this is a dish I’d recommend if you go and want comfort food.

After our meal, we decided to sample the desserts. We ordered a milkshake, a berry hand pie (they offered berry and apple) and a cookie. The pie was great, for what it is – something sweet and simple, you can eat with your hand, although I must have been in a picky mood for me because it really wasn’t extremely sweet.  They boast that all their food is served in compostable materials, maybe their food is green or organic too and I was just in shock from the lack of preservatives? Not sure, but the pie was tasty. I guess the thing is there was nothing there so good that I had trouble NOT eating it all up. I had a couple of nibbles, moved on.

We also ordered a milkshake, which was good – I had the server put some extra on top because after he smooshed the lid down onto the top the pretty little peak that had been there was, of course gone, so we spent a bit of time trying to keep it from running down the sides while I tried to get shots. I think the pie would have been better IN the shake, or perhaps with a side of shake served with it, but apparently 100% compostable materials aren’t really waterproof.  There was nary a plate in the place, and I’m just not crazy about eating from cardboard. It doesn’t photograph as well either, and maybe that affects the taste. Is taste intellectual, like physical attraction, do you think? Or am I really just a cutlery/china snob? I’m not certain but I may be suffering some kind of crisis over this, because I REALLY wanted to like this place.

There was nothing wrong with the milkshake. It was cold, it was ice creamy, it was vanilla-ey. Nothing wrong with it at all. Just needed some … pie?

Finally the cookie. I waited (believe it or not) until I got it home to open it, mostly because it was served wrapped in plastic and I couldn’t take any more of the biodegradable containers. We were dining IN. We didn’t order it to GO. So. Got it home. This was billed as a pecanish, chocolate something or other cookie. No chunks, though. Of anything. It was like little shredded bits of stuff in a cookie … again, with the bland. So I gave up.  I never judge a cookie by it’s cover. Never. You have to taste it. So I did. Meh.

I feel bad, because I don’t like to write “bad” reviews and there really wasn’t anything bad here. The restaurant was clean, the servers very nice and I just can’t put my finger on anything specific, it just wasn’t all that … it reminded me a little of cafeteria food, but it may just be me because my kids absolutely loved everything, even the cookie.  I may give it another shot, as I said, for the burgers, but I wouldn’t make a return trip for the other items.

I discovered Little Big Burger on Urbanspoon.  I had no idea what to expect, because I don’t always read the reviews prior to going someplace entirely new, if it’s popular on the site I figure that’s good enough to give it a try.  I like to keep an open mind.

Blogging about food is something rather new for me. Blogging is not new. Eating, of course, is not – but discussing it is.  I love food, I enjoy cooking and baking at home, but I love restaurants and eating out especially.  While at first I eyed those who blogged about food with suspicion (really? nothing else to talk about in life but food?) – I quickly began to appreciate it as a forum for information about where to go, and what to try once you’re there and it’s led me to places I might otherwise not have gone, and to try things that I might otherwise might not have tried (Seriously. I choose now based on what might be photogenic as well as a certain shame associated with ordering the same thing repeatedly). I’m also learning a lot of things about myself that I never noticed in the past.

One of those things is that I have a certain indifference to food – a lack of the discernment, strong dislikes and preferences that might otherwise drive my selections. What I’m trying to say is that I’ll pretty much eat anything – once.  The downside is that I tend to gravitate to the easiest and comfortable things, so I end up eating like a teenager.  What I do like so much about dining out, then, since we’ve established that haute cuisine is not it – is the atmosphere and experience. Homey or elegant, hip or hippie every establishment has it’s own culture – particularly in Portland where you can find so many places that aren’t chains, that are striving to differentiate.

One thing I liked immediately about Little Big Burger was the simplicity and cleanliness. Although I felt somewhat as though I had entered a laboratory, with bottles of ketchup, fry sauce, and mustard lining the shelves, rows of bags waiting to be filled, cans of soda and beverage cups stacked neatly together against a wall by the cash register – there’s something rather factory-like about this place. Very orderly, no clutter … kind of like one of those generic things that were all the rage when I was a kid (remember “Beer” beer? – everything with white packaging and a black lettered label stating the obvious: paper towels, corn flakes, garbage bags, beer). That was my first impression of Little Big Burger. It’s saved from ordinary fast foodness by the simplicity and spartan-like decor and menu.

Little Big Burger Bags

The menu is simple, no frills and basic – you don’t need to mull it over much at all.

This made things easy because another thing I’ve learned is I have a tough time making decisions when there are too many options. You know how the waiter usually comes by, and you send them away to give you time to re-read the menu – you know the one who lets you cut ahead of them in line because they still can’t decide? That’s me. This was just great – not so many selections that you stand there, boggled and bewildered, paralyzed by indecision – which of the 20 cheeses should I get? Bacon? Avocado? Red or white onions, grilled or raw … eye roll.

I have to admit, I was rather surprised at how, well, little the burgers are – but they actually were just the right amount. We ate there but these would be easy to eat on the go with one hand – just the right amount of mess to taste good without falling apart while you eat it.

I mean, look at it – is it cute or what? Midway through watching the cooking process, though I remembered I needed to make sure it was well-cooked, so I had to wave down one of the chefs (literally, yoo-hoo as they were right there on the other side of the counter!)… and ask them to not do it medium – this was after I re-read the menu and saw the final line (see, even re-reading THAT short of a menu – I’m incorrigible) . They were great about it, wasn’t a problem … they didn’t even fuss when I pointed the camera their way – although looking at this now, is anyone besides me a bit disturbed they aren’t wearing gloves to prepare food?

But to be honest, the reason I’m sure to go back? Besides the cute little burgers? It’s the fries. Not really just the fries exactly although they were completely yummy and very hard to walk away from even though I was full – but this establishment has fry sauce!

I absolutely love fry sauce – I mean, it’s very possible I would drink it. I have no idea what it is about it but I was so happy to see they had entire bottles of it. I considered seeing if they sold it by the bottle until I remembered I don’t actually eat anything resembling a fry at home. So I contented myself with doing a bit of decorative squirting once the fries arrived – I wanted to highlight the fries with the sauce, you see? Kind of like a glaze. Much to the horror of my changeling of a son who apparently doesn’t inherit my genetic predisposition for a love of sauces – he forgoes salad dressing, condiments and dips. He managed to wolf down enough fries without indulging in the sauce, I noticed.

Anyway, this is more of a run in and out kind of place, kind of a cross between take out and dine in – you won’t stay long if you do dine in, there’s not much to see (although they played good music on the radio while I was there) but it’s quick, simple and tasty.