« I thought working at the office was bad... | Main | What could an Oregon girl say about Hurricane Katrina? »
August 29, 2005
Restaurants in Portland: the good, the bad, the unknown
You're coming to Portland and you don't know where to eat? Well, I have a bad habit of going to the same places over and over, but I decided to make a little list of what I like, don't like, and what I'd like to try in the future. Some of these places may not be in Portland (I live in Suburbia, you know), and I tried my bestest to not mention chains --but sometimes these things happen!
So, w/o further hesitation... And in no particular order...
The Good:
*Nicholas - Lebanese place that is quick, loud and cheap.
*Hot Lips - My favorite pizza place.
*Pho Hung - Not fancy, but amazing Viet food; the pho is delish.
*Jake's Famous Crawfish - If someone from out of town asks me for a good seafood place, I say Jake's. The happy hour sounds fantastic, so I'll have to check that out soon.
*Paragon - No parking, expensive drinks, but nice service and fun atmosphere.
*Greek Cuisina - With the huge purple octopus adorning the building, why wouldn't you want to eat here? The sandwiches are SO good.
*The Roxy - All night semi-classic diner. Really fatty, huge servings, but sometimes it's good to grease it up.
*Southpark - First time I was here I had excellent Salmon sashimi, and it's only gotten better. I think the food is supposed to be Mediterranean, but I get confused by the menu at times. The desserts and wines and cheeses are very fun after a movie at nearby Fox Tower.
*Cha Cha Cha - Good, cheap burritos and tacos. Really expensive beer in a bottle.
*Produce Row Cafe - Hamburgers that really fill you up, good beers on tap, nice happy hour, and full of good people. Seriously, really nice staff.
The Bad:
*Bombay Cricket Club - Over-hyped Indian food. You have to wait forever and the staff is not very quick. Very populated by baby boomers which has its ups and downs.
*Mint - Latin food. The cocktails are not "unique" --they are nasty.
*Todai - Extremely over-priced sushi buffet --that is more cheap chinese noodles than quality sushi.
*Cup and Saucer - Vegetarian friend took me here once for breakfast. We waited for over an hour. My food looked as bland as it tasted.
*La Casa de Rios - The staff here is rude and the food is too greasy.
*Le Bistro Montage - "Pastas and Cajun in a French Bistro." Some people call this place "quirky." I personally found it too out of the norm, but I give it props for being different.
*India House - Cheap but bad. Maybe it's just too many lentils, but I don't like their food.
*Rocco's - Bad pizza place.
*Typoon! - No, no, do not go here! This thai chain is spreading rapidly over the NW and I can't believe it. The service is awful, the drinks are watered down, and ALL the dishes are bland and boring.
The Untested (but should):
*Yen Ha
*Mama Mia
*Blue Monk
*First Thursday
*Rivers
*Fernando's Hideaway
Note: I tried not to be a pretencious snob, because, well, I don't own a restaurant, and I know it's a real hard job... Instead I tried to just share some thoughts on local food. If you think I'm wrong and my bad time was just a fluke, please tell me. Recommendations are always appreciated. :)
Posted by Stacy on August 29, 2005 02:19 PM | Filed In: Food
Comments
For whatever reason, "Typoon!" caught my eye. I kept thinkin' "No way, there can't be a resteraunt named Typoon". I mean, c'mon... Thai Poon?!!? Of course after visiting the link revealed the typo (no pun intended). Ah well...
Stacy says: Oops. I should probably change that. But I won't. Hehe.
Posted by Ian Ashley at August 31, 2005 10:49 PM
