Portland: More Food Favorites

There was one day in Portland where I had too many options for very good food.  I skipped breakfast so I felt alright eating what I had to eat since it was my last day there.

I dragged my colleagues with me to the first stop with the promise that it would be delicious.  I read about Nong's Khao Man Gai and got very excited because it was a dish I loved in Thailand that is really difficult to find in the US for some reason.  Nong's realized this and opened up a food cart just for this dish.  I used my Thai on the guy serving us and he knew to give me the "Thai" version.  I think it's because there is dark meat as well.

And it did not disappoint.  It was just like eating it in Thonburi.  I wish I could make this and eat it very often.

We asked where to find a good dessert and we were directed to Blue Star Donuts.  So many excellent choices.

And I chose Berry Rhubarb which was an excellent choice.  I could eat rhubarb daily.  These donuts are based on a french recipe and it works really well.

I found the house where my Dad grew up.  It's now a Chiropractor Office and I wonder what color it was when Dad lived there.  This house used to have a store in the front where all six kids would help out after school.  It's hard to believe that this building has been around since at least the early 1920s because it screams 1950s.  I walked through the area really wishing I could have a moment to see what it was like when Dad was growing up but I really couldn't see what he described his life to have been.  I've had that with Mom with all the summers we traveled back to Fredonia to be with family but not with Dad.

I quickly stopped in Cacao and bought lots and lots of chocolate bars for gifts.  I also discovered my new favorite chocolate.  It's a brand called Xocolatl based in Portland.  I wish I could find it in DC because the Brown Butter Bar was a revelation and I'm not exaggerating.

Right around the corner was this great ice cream store called Ruby Jewel.  I tasted a lot of flavors and everything was worth a whole scoop but I fell for the meyer lemon flavor.  Perfect.

I later met up with my friend Dave to eat at Ned Ludd.  Everything that is served here is cooked on a wood fire.  It used to cook pizza but it grew up to cook a lot more.

We shared our food and Dave was ok with all of my vegetable orders.

Savoy spinach, sheep's cheese, strawberries, saba - all fresh and good.

Half poussin, bacon, herbaceous dressing, lettuce, Spring vegetables - anything with bacon wins.

Halibut, asparagus, peas, sea beans, sorrel, basil - lots of green flavors.

A medley of Spring vegetables, mint gremolata - turnips, beets, carrots.

We should have ordered two of these.  Even the strawberry rhubarb crumble was baked over the wood fire.

The prettiest tattoos I've ever seen.

Portland: LePigeon

This is the one of the places in Portland that I have been dreaming at eating at for a very long time.  It took me far longer than it should have to get over being a solo diner but I finally did.  I sat at the bar and watched the chefs prepare all the food which is always my preferred seat in a restaurant.  I want to see how the sausage is made because it's still magic to me.

I didn't take any photos of my food as I was fine not drawing attention to myself.  The man next to me had no problem doing that enough for both of us.  He made a lot of comments to me about his ex-girlfriends and insisting I try his food.  I would have preferred an empty seat. 

I started the meal with grilled pork belly with rhubarb jam.  It melted in my mouth.  I could have stopped there but followed that up with something magical.  It was this beautifully cooked salmon in broth that tasted like an everything bagel with potatoes.  I wanted this meal to never end.  I was amazed by how much it really tasted like an everything bagel.  And there is a reason why I ate salmon almost daily while I was in the Northwest.

For dessert I had something delicious with chocolate and fruit.  I'm annoyed that I didn't write it down but it completed a perfect meal.  There is something to be said about how I should remember what I call a "memorable" meal but I remember the feelings which were all exceedingly positive and I know that I want to always return to here.

Portland: Sen Yai

It's pretty apt that Wild Flag just started playing because I want to write about Portland for a few days.  I was really lucky enough to travel there early last month but things have been busy enough that I haven't spent time on it like it deserves.  I've written about it before but I've only found more to love about the city.

I arrived in the afternoon after a very long flight.  I had to transfer in Minneapolis and I forgot that there was an hour difference from the East Coast.  I was stressing needlessly for a very long time about making my connecting flight when it was never really an issue.  I finally asked my seatmate as we were landing in Minneapolis who confirmed that we were in a different time zone.

I planned my food a few weeks before actually arriving in the city because this actually makes me really happy.  I knew that Andy Ricker just opened a new Thai restaurant called Sen Yai and I had eaten at Pok Pok in Brooklyn and really loved it.  I had high hopes here for my first meal.

This was a moment when I really wish Brig was eating with me so I could order loads from the menu and try a little bit of everything.  I knew that wasn't going to happen so I ended up ordering phat kaphrao kai khai dao which is what I ate almost everyday I was in Thailand because it is my comfort food.

It was really good but it wasn't the best dish I've had of this kind in the USA.  That honor goes to Osha Thai in San Francisco which I pray is still as good as when I ate there in 2001.