Portland

The Meating Place Café, Hillsboro, OR., 8/13/24

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cafe exterior – 495 NW Cornelius Pass Rd, Hillsboro, OR 97124

The Meating Place first opened in 1974 and was in business until 1998.  It re-opened in 2011 as a small custom meat shop and within a few years expanded into a 20,000 sq. ft. store offering smoking, curing and sausage making along with a separate cafe.  Now with their own herd and ability to process other small rancher’s meat, they are working to reduce the carbon footprint of meat packing and slaughterhouse processes.  Their beef goes “straight from our farm to the Meating Place where it’s cut and wrapped for customers without ever hitting a piece of plastic.”   The huge meat market was in a separate building just down a small hill from the good-sized café.  It offered plenty of indoor and outdoor dining spots and also did a healthy take-out business.  It takes a while to get your order so many have learned to call ahead or order online.  Music was in the background and a huge mural filled one wall.  The kitchen was next to the long order counter and mostly walled off from view.  The smells were fantastic as you entered and Frankie enjoyed all the pig decorations.   They are open Tues through Sunday for breakfast and lunch from 9 to 3.   A special sandwich is offered some days and many are available in a half size.  The sandwiches and burgers come with a bag of chips and a pickle spear.  If I lived nearby I’m sure I’d shop at their market because I admire what they’re doing.  Not so sure about their sandwiches but it’d be worth it to try a burger and if you do please let me know how it was. Continue reading →

Pasture PDX, Portland, OR., 7/29/22

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exterior – 1413 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR., 97211

Pasture PDX bills itself as “a whole animal butcher shop and restaurant that offers a wide variety of meat cuts, cured products and sausages”.  Owner Kei Ohdera and John Schaible met while working in New York in 2014.  In early 2019 they started doing pop-ups in Portland featuring meat of retired dairy cows and European-style butchery – in an effort to recreate the experience they had with high-quality meats offered in New York restaurants.  They opened the permanent location near the end of 2021, with the aid of a “Kickstarter” campaign, and now offer lunch and dinner on Thurs. and Fri and a butcher case as well as locally sourced products, beer and wine.  It’s a small yet very tasteful space with tables out front, meal supplies (including cloth napkins) on a cart, and the order counter behind all that.  Next to the area is the butcher counter and shelves of local products for sale.  The menu is via smartphone link but can be found on their website <pasturepdx.com>.  They ask you to bus your own tables and orders can be over the phone.  There is music in the background and both owners were working in the shop and very friendly.  The sandwiches were great.  I totally recommend the place. Continue reading →

Restaurant Beck (re-visit), Depoe Bay, OR., 6/26/20

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reception area

Our third visit to Restaurant Beck we were a few minutes early and so had some time to explore old photos of the hotel, Whale Cove Inn, that has been its home for the 11 years it has been open.  The Inn has just 8 suites but all are spacious and have private balconies overlooking the Whale Cove.   We were lucky to secure one of the suites and that made it an even more fun experience to just walk down to dinner.  We were given a different table that changed the view slightly, but there is not a bad table in the place.  While looking over the menu and listening to the 70-80’s music in the background we got to talk with the wonderful server.  We wanted to do another 5 course tasting but wanted to make sure and have different things than we’d had the previous nights.   The previous night Stormee Wills had suggested another wine to try so we were not going to partake of the wine pairing options.  As with every night, portion control was on the generous side and pacing was well done – no lapses or rush. Continue reading →

Ainslee’s, Depoe Bay, OR., 6/26/20

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exterior

Ainslee’s was started in 1947 in Depoe Bay, Oregon by Graham and Helen Ainslee as a salt water taffy kitchen.  They sold the business to Dale and Cindy Nelson in 1978.  It’s a large store where customers are led down an aisle that passes the large selection of salt water taffy and other candies.  Across from this line is the large machine that makes the taffy and wraps it.  You can also see the end of the machine from one of the windows in front.  They also have a large mixer going that makes the taffy that is poured into the machine for pulling and wrapping.  It is a nice diversion as you wait your turn for service.  Their caramel corn uses a normal air pop variety that produces a smaller piece.  They also have cheese popcorn and a combination called Riptide.  I’ve had combos before (often called Chicago popcorn) but theirs was different in that the cheese popcorn is secondarily coated with the caramel – so each piece has both flavors.  It was really good but a much greasier corn than sold down the street.  It was not as sweet, probably because of the addition of cheese but I was surprised how much I liked it and kept going back for another piece. Continue reading →

Tidal Raves (re-visit), Depoe Bay, OR., 6/26/20

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old photos

 

We liked Tidal Raves enough to come back again the next day for lunch.  Once again the view was spectacular and we were seated on a different end of the place so it gave us another perspective, too.  This day was sunnier and the waiter pointed out some gray whales that were making water spouts in the water in our view.  I thought the service was good yesterday and today’s was even better.  He was kind enough to let us order leisurely and enjoy the food and wine while we took advantage of the view.  I should have taken his photo but in these times I’m not sure how much personal handling Frankie wants or people want to partake in.  Since the virus looks to be with us for some time to come, I’ll have to figure out delicately how to proceed with things I took for granted before.  Nevertheless we were equally delighted with our lunch and highly recommend this spot if you are ever anywhere near by.   Continue reading →

Restaurant Beck (re-visit), Depoe Bay, OR., 6/25/20

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IMG_5693Our second evening at Restaurant Beck we got a table next to the window and the view was spectacular.  The tables were configured slightly differently to accommodate the guests, but they were still well distanced from one another. Continue reading →

Carmel Corn Connection, Depoe Bay, OR., 6/25/20

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IMG_5613The original caramel corn shop in Depoe Bay, Oregon has been also named “J’s Caramel Corn” and the building has had various paint jobs, but all say it was established in 1940.  It’s a tiny shop that also sold salt water taffy, a few other candies, books and toys.  It’s a one woman shop that uses Kettle corn for their product.  They also sell plain and cheese corns but no mix.  This corn was well coated with caramel and very sweet.  It pops into really large pieces and I found very few hard, unpopped kernels in our bag.  It’s not greasy and your fingers will have more of a stickiness rather than glisten after eating.  The owner used to make the cheese caramel mix but found it too messy and didn’t sell as well.  Either way, it was a really good caramel corn and she was very friendly and offered samples.  Do note, it’s not a mis-spelling in the title here – it’s spelled without an ‘a’ in the middle. Continue reading →

Tidal Raves, Depoe Bay, OR., 6/25/20

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building

Tidal Raves has been in business since 1990 on a beautiful spot on the central Oregon coast. Whales are a regular sight out the large windows that frame the good sized dining room.  They do have a tint on them that keeps the sun from being too intense but will also tint some of your outdoor photos.  It is primarily a seafood restaurant but a few meat choices are there for the those not in the mood.  The a la carte menu was supplemented by a fresh catch special that was on the chalkboard on both our visits.  The long room has well spaced large bare wood tables along the windows and another series of tables on a second level (separated from below by a plexiglass barrier)  that is just high enough to afford them a good view also.  Instrumental music was in the background, carpet was on the floor, ceiling fans helped to keep it a nice temperature, additional light fixtures add to the incredible day light and the friendly, efficient staff wore masks. Continue reading →

Restaurant Beck, Depoe Bay, OR.,6/24/20

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entrance

Chef Justin Wills and his wife Stormee operate Restaurant Beck at the Whale Cove Inn on the coast of Oregon.  The restaurant, named for their son Becker, has been open 11 years.     Chef Wills has been a James Beard nominee twice and recognized in Food & Wine magazine and Best Chefs in America.  Stormee runs the front of the restaurant and manages the wine service.  Depoe Bay is about 2-3 hours from Portland but worth the trip for the beautiful scenery.  The boutique hotel, with just 8 rooms, sits above a small cove where whales (mostly gray) love to visit and the dining room has windows on 3 sides overlooking this magnificent view. White cloth covered tables were well spaced, music was in the background, the natural light was supplemented by candles, servers were friendly and wore masks and tables were disinfected and re-clothed between seatings.  The menu changes slightly each day based on what is fresh (Oregon, Washington and Idaho suppliers) with a la carte options as well as 3 and 5 ($95) course tastings.  Optional wine pairings ($35 for 5 course) are available but the wine list was interesting and well priced.  Cocktails and liquor are offered. We got the 5 course tasting and chose our own wine.  Portions are generous and pacing was at a good rate, but then Covid was mandating that they stop service by 10:00 pm. Continue reading →

Eventide Oyster Co., Portland, ME., 11/30/19

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exterior

Eventide Oyster Co. is a large place and was super busy even in the late afternoon.  There were a couple rooms, one more with tables and the other with a large bar with stools, window counter seating and a couple tables.  There was art on the walls, lots of light (but also lots of windows to the street) and an area where the fresh oysters were on ice.  The counters along the bar and in the windows are made of concrete, the floor is wood, there is exposed ductwork and above is a tin ceiling.  The server came to get our drink order and we talked about what food to order but were advised to wait till you get your drinks and they were right.  Food service is very fast and so it is wise to make sure you have a drink when it arrives.  Service was additionally very friendly, efficient and helpful.  The food is really good in a casual setting.  They do offer a number of draft beers, few wines and a couple drinks. Continue reading →

Hugo’s Restaurant, Portland, ME., 11/30/19

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exterior

Hugo’s opened in 1988 and had a major rennovation in 2012.  There are booths along a brick wall, a couple tables by the windows to the street and lots of seats at a curved counter that wraps around the open kitchen.  The lights are quite low (spots highlight each table and the bar) with lots of wood and dark leather upholstery make up the interior.  The tin ceiling, music in the background and decorations made of local organic material finish out the stylish and striking design of the interior.  In fact they strived to make all the interior from materials found in Maine.   The red bricks are from Moose Head Lake, the slate plates from Monson, and a huge painting at the end of the room is by local artist Eric Hopkins. They offer an a la carte menu and also a chef’s tasting of about 10 courses.  The tasting offers items not on the menu and the whole table must participate.  For the tasting they have wine pairings available.  We chose the tasting but ordered our own wine after a cocktail and they did give me a list of what we had after the meal. Continue reading →

Miyake, Portland, 6/28/18

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building
building

Miyake was a medium sized place off the tourist path.  There was lots of counter seating as well as tables.  The counter does face the preparation area, thus lots of lights illuminate your food there.  We were fortunate to have the seats right across from chef, Masa Miyake who had been in Portland since 2006.  Previously he worked in a number of NYC and Tokyo restaurants.  Some music played in the background in this very stylized place.  The menu offered several types of tasting menu options as well as a la carte.  There is also a separate Nigiri and Sashimi menu with another offering market features.   We chose the Kaiseki Omakase or Chef’s tasting menu, which included a number of off-the-menu items, and had their sake pairings to go with it.  They do offer some wines and beers along with a huge sake menu.   Continue reading →

The Holy Donut, Portland, 6/28/18

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donuts of Maine mashed potatoes
donuts made with Maine mashed potatoes

The Holy Donut was recommended by many as a great place for donuts and the crowds there would certainly affirm that.  The sign said they close when they sell out or by 3:00.  The twist here is that the donuts are made from Maine potatoes.  They offered about 20 flavors of donuts and iced and hot coffee.  We tried 3 different flavors and they all seemed dull to me. The donuts were more of the cake variety as opposed to being yeasty.  The resulting texture was heavy and although they did have a nice amount of sweetness they just didn’t live up to my expectations.  Maybe too much hype made it impossible to measure up.  They are fairly large and many quite colorful, though.  They also sold souvenir items.   Continue reading →

Central Provisions, Portland, 6/28/18

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entrance
entrance

Central Provisions is a small place with some tables and counter seating.  The main room is on the second level with a street entrance and another entrance is below that leads into a bar and some tables where you can eat the same menu.  The bathroom and check in are upstairs so there’s a fair amount of traffic up and down.  The upstairs is where the open kitchen is and the ambiance is way better than in the downstairs portion.  Windows to the street add to the already adequate lighting for the small, close tables.  Service is friendly but timing of food is uneven at this very casual place.  However, in their defense the place was packed with lots of people standing around waiting for a seat to open up.  We were lucky to get a couple bar stools overlooking the main cooking areas so we got to see lots of the food going out.  There was no interaction with those cooking, though, they were just too busy.  The menu has plates that are ideal for sharing and we did just that so we could sample more items.   Continue reading →

Back Bay Grill, Portland, 6/27/18

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building
building

Back Bay Grill has a  medium sized dining room and a good sized bar that you enter through.  At the end of this room is a large opening where you can see into the kitchen.  The seating arrangements included some banquette seating and tables that were able to accommodate a number of large parties the evening we were there.  The tables are not large and a tad close together but not so much that you didn’t feel like your conversations were private and you could hear the people at your table.  A few windows on one wall allow you to look out to the street, but the location is away from the most touristy zone, which made it appear that local residents made up most of the guests.  Low lighting, soft instrumental background music, white tableclothes and napkins and a large long mural  on one wall all add to the ambiance of the place.  There is a feeling of “old school” elegance, the food was really good and the staff were all super friendly and welcoming.  Chef Larry Matthews Jr.  has been here 30 years and been the owner for 20 years.  The menu is all a la carte.   Continue reading →

Isa, Portland, 6/27/18

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building
building

Isa was a medium sized interior with additional seating available on the outdoor patio.  The patio was against the building on one side and fenced on the other along with being covered by awnings.  Inside there was a tin ceiling, a striking black and white tile floor and small bare wood tables with adequate space between them.  There were windows to the street on two sides of the building and the back wall had a large window into the kitchen where food was passed through.  Some faint music played in the background and nice sized cloth napkins were set at the tables.  It had a casual, friendly vibe and our server was particularly welcoming.  Chef Perez could be seen in the kitchen fixing plates as well as inspecting them before they were served.   Continue reading →

Fore Street, Portland, 6/26/18

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exterior
exterior

Fore Street was a large place that opened in 1996, with an open kitchen and grill area in the center of the space.  There was a good sized bar area also where you enter.  In the dining room the lights were kept quite low with a little natural light coming in the windows on 2 sides until the sun went down and then it was all candle power.  The small tables were nicely spaced and there were a number of large booths that could hold up to 6 people.  Although I could hear no music in the background the room hummed, probably because it was packed with tables turning over during the early part of the evening.  The staff were friendly, helpful and willing to let us split many of the dishes.  The crowd was pretty casual.  Their “sister” place is a bakery below them where they also get their bread.  The specialty was seafood cooked on a wood grill or rotisserie and I’d say it was a mixed result.  Some items were wonderful but others had some huge flaws.   Continue reading →

The Highroller Lobster Co., Portland, 6/26/18

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exterior
exterior

The Highroller Lobster Company is a good sized very casual place.  The menu featured Maine lobster in numerous formats but also has burgers, salads and hot dogs.  A number of their options come with a container of sauce.  They offered a number of locally made beers also.  It had a combination of booth and counter seating.  A counter where you enter takes your order, gives you a number flag that you place on the table and then they bring you your food and beverages.  You pay at the same counter on your way out.  The people working there were friendly and service was very efficient.  We tried a couple things and then went back to the counter and ordered a couple others so we could try a number of their offerings.  Also tried several of their local beers.  This place gets lots of people but I saw it more as a lunch/snack place than a serious dinner option.   Continue reading →

Nodoguro, Portland, OR., 10/14/17

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entrance

Nodoguro is a small place where Chef Ryan Roadhouse has served cuisine inspired by Japanese cooking for 3 years.  They changed locations about a year and a half ago.  It is a tasting menu only and reservations are by pre-purchase tickets.  They have a regular tasting menu as well as theme based tastings and a SupaHardcore menu, which we were lucky enough to snag reservations for, but each night there is just one tasting served.   The tasting menus change depending on what chef finds freshest and best to work with it, thus we were not surprised to meet some other diners who had been to the place numerous times.  The set up is a U-shaped wooden bar that seats about 16 with a prep table in the middle and a door adjoining to the major part of the kitchen.   Continue reading →

Apizza Scholls, Portland, 10/14/17

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building

Apizza Scholls is a medium-sized place with bare wood tables and walls.  Tables are well spaced with one wall having a bench seat spanning several tables.  They also have some bar stools facing the kitchen.  It is expectedly casual with friendly helpful service.  Various pieces of art decorate the walls, some for sale.  This is pizza only spot at lunch and pies have a limit of 3 toppings overall and a 2 meat limit.  All pies are 11″ and are not available as a half and half.  There are a couple of salads available and one dessert, an ice cream sandwich.   The crusts are nicely raised on the edge with a good chew to the dough and while thin in the middle, they are able to stay crisp throughout.   Continue reading →

Castagna, Portland, 10/13/17

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building
Castagna has been in business for 19 years with the kitchen under the control of Justin Woodward for the last 6 years, who has been nominated for numerous awards.  They offer 2 tastings with optional wine pairings or you can order from their reasonably priced wine list.  The tables are nicely spaced  with soft background music and fairly low lighting.  It is a pretty small place but located right next door is their sister restaurant offering more casual fare from the same kitchen. Service is terrific and super friendly and the food is wonderful and memorable for the lovely aftertaste of most of the courses.  Be prepared to have numerous courses not on the menu, but all small so portioning is not a problem even with the larger tasting. Continue reading →

Coquine, Portland, Oregon, 10/13/17

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from the corner

Coquine is a tiny spot with about 9 bare wood tables.  Located on a street corner, two sides have windows to let in natural light but it’s a bright spot either way.  We were there at lunch when they offer a daily lunch special of soup, salad and choice of sandwich or for two people it includes a half bottle of wine and cookies, as well as offering an a la carte menu.  The special does get slightly smaller portions than ordering a la carte but it’s the right amount so you don’t leave hungry or stuffed.  The wine list is fairly limited at lunch but I understand it’s bigger at dinner.  It’s a friendly and casual spot but expect a wait.  They have a list when you enter and the tables turned over fairly often.  A large bar dominates the room but it is for service not seating.    Continue reading →