In typical Portland anti-establishment fashion, the Bunk Sandwiches website says: “We didn’t think it was very nice to brag about how incredibly awesome our sandwiches are.” OK, fine. I’ll do it. Bunk Sandwiches made the best vegetarian sammy I’ve ever eaten. Ever.
Coffee and doughnuts. The Northeast does Dunkin. The South does Krispy Kreme. Canada does Tim Horton’s. And Portland? Well, Portland doesn’t do chains. Unless of course they are locally owned, organically grown, artisanally focused and, of course, quirky to the fullest.
The only reason I went was because my friend Sam Kim told me that the place had a cocktail called “Krungthepmahanakhon Amornrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit.” Seriously.
The Great Outdoors: a concept so foreign to us concrete jungle dwellers that we are willing to accept a wide-open lot as a utopia of sorts. t.b.d. claims the title of “biggest, baddest backyard in Brooklyn,” and though completely unverified, the sheer number of picnic tables certainly makes it a contender if not the claimant….
Astor Room celebrates its location at the historic Kaufman Astoria Studios with a throwback menu to the “Mad Men” days: Oysters Rockefeller, Beef Wellington, Duck a l’Orange, Lobster Thermidor, you name it. Don’t forget to lighten the load with a Classic Wedge salad.
A menu self-described as “simply seasoned meats and vegetables” in an age that’s now rebelling against the “figs on a plate” style of cooking could be considered pretentious, or even a cop-out — except when it’s not. St. Anselm boldly does “radishes on a plate” (radishes, sea salt and Lescure butter), a nod to all…
Hidden in plain sight in the heart of Little Italy’s Mulberry Street, where Italian waiters hustle for your attention and patronage as you walk back and forth attempting to find this so-called bar, Mulberry Project nearly lives up to its speakeasy claim. Hint: it’s the unmarked staircase under the souvenir shop.
You know you’re good when you can serve a handful of things on a menu and get a packed house almost every night. Nothing quite beats a good, solid burger.
Where would we be in life if we couldn’t Facebook stalk one another? What would know or not know about each other? My cousin now “In a relationship”… The post-marital bliss of a barely-known Trojan alum… Blathering status updates of a colleague’s baby mama drama… Or an old high school classmate’s shared love of food.
In a trip to Seattle, I was with old friends, and in some instances, whatever is easiest for the group wins. We found ourselves at two conveniently located tourist eateries: Ivar’s Acres of Clams, located at the waterfront near the Seattle Aquarium, and Matt’s in the Market, located in Pike Place Market.
2010 was a major year for me… a trip to Bali, a blissful summer parting with my beloved Los Angeles, and finally a cross-country road trip to New York. After six days, 3,000 miles and untold amounts of gas, I made it to my new home. Moments of boredom and fatigue were countered with unparalleled…
Maybe it’s because Seattle smells like rain brewing in a big coffee pot. Or maybe because it’s the birthplace of Starbucks and Seattle’s Best. Whatever it is, you gotta “do coffee” if you’re Seattle, much like you have to “do Mexican” in LA or “do pizza” in New York. But if you’re going to be spending $5 on coffee, you’d want the good stuff, right?
Day 5 — Destination: Philadelphia. Dinner stop: Pat’s and Geno’s in Philly. After a one-day break in South Bend to refuel on sleep and energy, Robby and I set our sights on Philadelphia — a solid 10-12 hour drive, depending on how heavy your foot is. The flat dullness of the Indiana Toll Road and…
Our mornings were getting later and later as our restless legs and lack of good night’s rest began to catch up with us. Not only did I manage to forget our leftover KC barbecue for lunch, we also forgot to keep up with our gas levels, leading to some stressful stops in middle-of-nowhere, Midwest USA.
Day 3 — Destination: Kansas City. Dinner stop: Gates Bar-B-Q in Kansas City. As scenic and gorgeous as it was, the 12+ hour drive from Las Vegas to Denver nearly wiped us out. We were relieved to see the flat land of eastern Colorado and Kansas, if only for the fact that it meant that…
