on the road again

Portlandbymouth has been racking up some major frequent flier miles lately. Lots of shuttling between LAX and PDX for the holidays and work too. So, eating around Portland hasn't been happening too much. In fact, that easy fix of salad rolls and satay hasn't died down too much (there's a place in LA that makes satay salad rolls! Two world colliding!). So, not a lot new to report. A couple nibbles to tide you over:

Cacao:
Dear god. I had no idea I could spend so much money on chocolate. Noneifbysea and I hit cacao hard one day (to the tune of $65). We walked away with an incredible carmel assortment (we see our way past simply sea salt), a small stack of origin chocolates, and two ridiculous bars that deserve their own callouts:

Mariebelle Croquette au Chocolate ($11.75!) The finest, richest dark chocolate stirred with crunchy, buttery cookies. It's like a Nestle Crunch bar gone high-class in a hurry. Dense, satisfying, and totally addictive. I went back to cacao today before I leave town tomorrow to get a fix.

Byrne & Carlson Chipotle Bar ($8?) I was skeptical about the chipotle. I'm tired of seeing it everywhere. Please put your chipotle-prejudice aside. This bar, with extra-bitter chocolate spiked with heat and cooled with sea salt reminds us, in one fell swoop that salt and pepper make everything much more interesting.

Blueplate:
I've gone twice on my own and I've been trying to find a time to take noneifbysea along with me for a proper reviewing. I like this place. A lot. Just a couple things on the menu, the best soda fountain I've ever come across, penny candy and friendly service. First time I had the roast beef (with roasted potatoes and greens) and a ginger soda. Second time, it was Thanksgiving for tuesday lunch. Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy. Just enough to be satisfied, not to induce a food coma. Each time I walk away with a smile on my face and a Squirrel Nut Zipper in my pocket for later.


More nibbles to come from LA!

Los Baez, version 2.0

Here at PBM, we don’t consider ourselves to be legitimate restaurant reviewers. If we were, we’d visit a place a number of times over a period of months to get a real sense of a restaurant. Every place is entitled to an off dish or even an off night. We get that. But we have a pretty simple methodology here. We base our opinions the way most people do about restaurants. We go, we eat, we opine. Why would we go back to some place if we didn’t like it?

But, after a recent impassioned (and lengthy) comment regarding our Los Baez write-up, we felt obligated to return to the restaurant to give them another shot. Good thing we did, too. We left feeling pretty satisfied, but mostly with our methodology.

Noneifbysea started off with a house margarita and by the taste of it, their juicer is definitely in fine working order. After a few puckering sips, we were asked if it was too bitter, and yes, NIBS replied, it was. It was pretty clear they’ve been having trouble pushing their version of a margarita onto the Anglo public, which is understandable. A real margarita can be a little challenging if you’re used to a mix. But the fine people at D.F. know this and give you fair warning when you order your drink. But this wasn’t challenging, it was wrong and pretty unpalatable. A quick stir in of some sugar and NIBS was happy to drink his drink.

Food-wise, we fared a bit better on this trip. My fork kept drifting over to Noneifbysea’s beef burrito and he was only glad to relieve me of some of my generous portion of pollo asado. The beef was savory and well seasoned, folded into a freshly-made flour tortilla with probably too much cheese to be considered authentic, but still made for some damn tasty bites. I didn’t like my chicken as much as NIBS did. It was just simple grilled chicken with a little too much cracked pepper and a squeeze of orange. But yes, once stuffed in a tortilla with rice, beans, guac, and lettuce it was fine. Fine like “taco night at home” fine.

Also, we had the same problem with the salsa we did on the first trip. No flavor. Just heat. It felt very, very far from fresh. The chips were mercifully less salty this round.

So yes, the food was better this time around. And though food is very, very important, it’s also the culture of a place that keeps us going back (or not going back) for more.

It was a pretty quiet night, and it’s clear the staff was looking to keep busy. We had at least five different people visit our table to ask us how we were doing, if we needed anything, to pour more water, get us fresh tortillas. There’s a fine line between attentive and intrusive, and as the meal went on, the needle seemed to be angling a bit more towards the latter.

Also, during the course of the meal, I was offered tequila shots at least twice in a 30 minute span. I have no problem with people who are into shots. Really, I don’t. It’s just not my thing. Also not my thing? Places that are really into offering “the ladies” shots of tequila. It’s exactly why I chose a college devoid of fraternities or sororities. It’s not the shots themselves, but the culture that it suggests. It’s not a stretch to imagine it will be a mad house on any given ‘big game’ day, or to see the windows graced with neon signs promoting domestic beer, or that they might have a special song or ritual humiliation on your birthday. Again, I’m not saying these things happen at Los Baez, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw them there. Again, to us, it’s just smacks of college football, baseball caps and people who are, you know, really into Dane Cook.

The food’s fine. We might even come back for take-out (turns out, you can take away their freshly-made tortillas for just 35 cents apiece). But sorry, Los Baez, we probably won’t be back to party with you anytime soon.

salad roll/satay survey

It has been a long two weeks of long days of work for Noneifbysea and a nice helping of kitchen apathy for myself, which has lead to a disproportionate number of times we've been hitting the takeout menu collection. We like the Thai food, and I have a huge problem of not being to not order Pad Thai. It's a problem. I always want to branch out, to try new things, new flavors. I'm slightly embarrased when I order the most pedestrian, most approachable boring dish on the menu. It's not like I actually have ever seen a thai waiter roll their eyes at me when I place my order, but I think they would be entirely justified in doing so.

well, I've evolved. a little. I've moved on to earlier in the menu, to the pedestrian end of the appetizers. I can't stop ordering salad rolls and satay. They are the most perfect duo for a weekenight meal. Light, and fresh. Just enough meaty, just enough saladness. And the best part- every bite is dipped in peanut sauce.

This twice-to-thrice-weekly kick started off in a strange place. Against my will (and better judgement) I was lured to an on-the-company lunch at Henry's Tavern where I was bullied into sending back my too-salty lettuce wraps (the waitress said that next time, I should be sure to ask them to hold the oyster sauce. Honestly, if you have to suggest that, isn't it time to re-write the recipe?). In its stead I ordered the salad rolls. A good enough choice. For Henry's. They were far too big and fall aparty, and the peanut sauce eerily smooth and slightly sweet. But it left me wanting more. Well, not more so much, as better.

That night, our take-out binge streak began. First up: Thai Orchid on Burnside. Thai Orchid was the first thai food I ever had (yes, I had the pad thai), and I still like it. I know it's not challenging or nuanced Thai food. I realized that living in LA and slurping ethereal rahd na at a restaurant with an unreadable and less pronouncable name on Hollywood Blvd at 1:30 a.m. But when I want a solid, easy pad thai, I like the T.O. But this time, it was the salad roll/satay combo:

The rolls- tightly rolled with fresh veggies- these rolls are good, possibly a favorite. As with all salad rolls, don't let them get to room temp. The colder the rolls, the snappier the bite!
The satay- four skewers, nicely charred. There isn't a ton of flavor in the chicken itself, but they're a lovely vehicle for the peanut sauce.
The sauce- good stuff. Peanutty, great texture. actual peanuts on top. y-to-the-um.

Lunch the next day: Thai Peacock. Tucked just off West B-side ending a tumble of coolie shops (Reading Frenzy, Half & Half, Countermedia) sits Thai Peacock. It's unassuming and the people working there are unflinchingly friendly. It's a great lunch spot, super quick and always reasonable. Still, though, it's solidly in the approachable Thai camp right there with Thai Orchid.

Right, so:

The rolls: The first time I had these, they made their mark as my favorite rolls. The freshest, snappiest, lightest. These are happening rolls. But then, the second time I had them, the rolls weren't good. Peaked produce and anything but fresh. Wasn't working. This worries me.
Satay: Not as great. Not charred enough for me, bordering on not cooked enough. They have that eerily moist texture that chicken can have from time to time.

The sauce: I don't like it. There's a vinegar thing going on (not in the vinegar sauce way...this was supposed to be peanut sauce), but it just wasn't good. Too thin. DIdn't work.

That night: Thai Ginger. The obsession continues with a trip to Thai Ginger. I can't speak to much about Thai Ginger- Noneifbysea was on takeout duty. It's in the 5th quadrent, right around N. Portland and N. Denver. It's a NIBS go-to for weeknight takeout, and for good reason. My takeaway? Food good.

The foods: honestly, at this point, it gets difficult to register the minute differences between various servings of salad rolls and satay. It's really about freshness of ingredients. And though I can't recall how much I loved one or another, I have the impression of thinking yes, Thai Ginger, I will go to you again.

I think we took a break saturday from the Thaiapalooza, but Sunday we were back. We've driven past Chaba Thai on Sandy Blvd a number of times, each time NIBS asserts: Chaba Thai is the best thai food in portland (not counting pok pok). Driving there, he vows: "Chaba Thai salad rolls will ruin you. You won't be able to enjoy salad rolls anywhere else." "Gee. Thanks." Good thing though, NIBS was wrong. They were ok. Fell right there in the camp with Thai Ginger. Good, but not something I couldn't get closer to home. Nothing I needed to seek out. I liked their peanut sauce a lot though. Might have even eaten a mini spoonful of it straight. Twice.

All in all, there's good and bad aspects to the salad roll/satay offerings I've tried. To assemble the perfect plate, I'd probably hit Thai Peacock for the rolls (presuming it's not an off day), get Thai Orchid's satay, then run over to Chaba Thai for a side of peanut sauce. But, if I was going to go the logical (read:boring) way, I think Thai Orchid works well enough.

I've been two days salad rolls/satay free, and I'm doing ok. that isn't to say I've burnt out on the puppies. In fact, tonight is my night of television guilty pleasures (Lost, America's Next Top Model, Top Chef), and I think I've got the food to match. Not sure where I'll go. Maybe the orchid, maybe somewhere new...