CREMA

Breakfast Sandwich

Latte

Crema

2728 SE Ankeny St

Portland, OR 97214

(503) 234-0206

I love Crema. Since my first visit early last Summer it's quickly become another one of my most frequented coffee shops/bakeries in town. It's located on a strip of Ankeny street, right off of East Burnside that I love to hang out on. First I'll stop into Crema for coffee and a pastry (or even lunch), and then walk across the street to Una- the best women's clothing boutique in Portland. After that, I'll head down the block to my favorite vintage/thrift store, Smut. And around the corner is Nationale, a fantastically curated little art gallery/shop specializing in French goods.

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

28 Wings with 2 sauces: Spicy Peanut & Jamaican Jerk


Fried Oreos

Fire On The Mountain

1708 E Burnside St

Portland, OR 97214

(503) 230-9464

Fire On The Mountain seems to have a bit of a monopoly on Portland's buffalo wing cravings... and not without merit, they're pretty damn good. Fried Oreos are a delicious way to a heart attack too.

It would have been a glorious guilty pleasure evening, except two assholes at the table next to us dared us to eat some of the hottest sauce they serve ("El Jefe"). Needless to say, the pain was real.

SERIOUS PIE

My girlfriend and I took a little weekend trip to Seattle not too long ago, and while there we encountered what could have been the best pizza we've ever had. That's a bold statement, so I don't know if I can stand by it 100%, but it was definitely up there.

In fact, it was so good we went back two days in a row for lunch.


Roasted pumpkin, arugula pesto, hazelnuts.



Delicatta squash, roasted garlic, gorgonzola lucifero.


2nd day I had the special, which I can't recall all of the toppings for, and Mao had the squash pie again.


And then we took another whole pie to go, for the train ride home...
(Yukon gold potato, rosemary, olive oil.)

Serious Pie
316 Virginia
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 838-7388

MAO PASTA

My girlfriend made this for me for lunch- a simple bowl of fettucini flavored with spinach, mushrooms, parmesan, soy sauce and spices. It was impromptu but nevertheless very "scrumptious", as she likes to say.

AUGUST BBQ

Here are some photos from a delicious barbecue we had back in August. Menu included chicken and beef skewers made by my mom as well as bruschetta and a peach/blackberry cobbler made by our friend Laurie.

CLYDE COMMON

Roasted halibut, merguez sausage, mussels, fennel, red onion, tarragon.


Grilled poulet rouge, tomato, cucumber, and onion bread salad.


Chevre rice pudding with blackberries.

Clyde Common
1014 SW Stark Street
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 228-3333

BLUE

Blueberry tart.

Ken's Artesian Bakery
338 NW 21st Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 248-2202

My favorite fruits are berries. Dark berries. Blueberries and Blackberries.

ANDERSON RANCH LAMB BURGER

Anderson Ranch Lamb Burger: Feta, Dried Apricots, Pine Nuts, Roasted Red Onion, Spicy Mint Yogurt, Shoe String Fries.

Davis Street Tavern
500 NW Davis
Portland, OR 97209

Grown on the free range pastures and rolling foothills of the Willamette Valley, where high precipitation guarantees lush green Oregon grasses. Our lambs thrive in these open fields with fresh air and lots of room to graze. They are left free to roam, eat when they like, and grow at their own natural rhythm.

Anderson Ranch lambs have little impact on the environment. Our lambs eat only grasses, and are fed no bi-products. More importantly for the purity of the meat, the lambs are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. This whole process produces a protein-rich, premium natural meat that tastes delicious. The Anderson's have been raising Oregon lamb for 5 generations. We have been selectively breeding our sheep for the highest quality of meat-producers.

Our lambs are prepared for market by Mohawk Valley Meats, another local family-run business. It's only 30 minutes from the Anderson Ranch, so the lambs have minimal stress before processing. We take pride in our premium, high quality lamb.

Lamb has been increasing in popularity as the choice of red meats. Oregon Lamb is lean and tender, and an excellent source of nutrition. Almost all cuts of lamb are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. Oregon Lamb is a good source of iron, zinc, and vitamin B-12. It can be broiled, grilled or roasted. As a general rule, lamb tastes best when cooked medium rare to medium. Familiar ingredients used for marinades or rubs make lamb easy to cook, and delicious.

BASIL EGG SALAD

Basil Egg Salad: Egg salad served with sun-dried tomato mayonnaise, fresh basil, sweet onion and lettuce on Calamata olive bread. Croissant, Iced latte.

Grand Central Bakery
3425 SW Multnomah Blvd.
Portland, OR 97219
(503) 977-2024

You know me and my croissants...

HALF & HALF

The Paul Simon: Chicken salad with cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, arugula and tarragon.

Half & Half
923 SW Oak
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 222-4495

I previously mentioned Half & Half in my list of most frequented lunch spots in Portland. It's a TINY hole in the wall cafe that serves up made to order sandwiches, salads, pies and other good stuff like homemade Oreos. Their sweet tea is the shit, and great coffee too of course. They also have an awesome selection of art zines and other quirky things like cassette mix-tapes and buttons for sale. This place truly embodies Portland in many ways. Oh yeah, and Gus Van Sant shot a scene there for Paranoid Park.

GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI

Goat Cheese Ravioli: Handmade ravioli stuffed with Fraga Farms goat cheese, hazelnuts, basil, pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano and ricotta served with blistered cherry tomatoes.


Farm
10 SE 7th Ave
Portland, OR
(503) 736-FARM

Farm underwent some remodeling this summer, and is now an even more rewarding dining experience. With a new bar, and a new patio area seated under a beautiful large brick wall, stop by Farm for meals made from fresh, local and organic farm-to-table products from the Pacific Northwest.

TUNA MELT

Tuna melt, Potato salad.

Kenny & Zukes
2376 NW Thurman
Portland, OR 97210-2521
(503) 954-1737

Simple tuna melt from Kenny & Zukes new location on NW Thurman.

PERFECTION

French bread, assorted cheeses, pâté, salami, grapes, olives.

Honestly, this is pretty much a perfect meal for me. Bread and cheese is all you need. As much of a carnivore as I am, I would give up meat before I gave up bread without a second thought. There's an actual diet that doesn't allow you to eat bread right? F that noise.

NEW SEASONS

Everything bagel with cream cheese and lox.
Custard.

New Seasons Raleigh Hills
7300 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy
Portland, OR 97225

Not many of my friends think to have lunch at New Seasons. It's an Oregon grocery store chain that focuses on supporting local farmers, ranchers and manufacturers. They have a deli that serves really good sandwiches, so we like to go and eat lunch there sometimes.

Have I mentioned that bagel with cream cheese and lox is probably my favorite food ever? I grew up on it in Manhattan, my family frequenting H&H Bagels on the Upper West Side. Poorly made versions don't get past me.

TARTUFO BIANCO

Tartufo Bianco: Mozzarella (whole milk & fresh), pecorino romano with Truffle Oil & sea salt.

Apizza Scholls
4741 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR
(503) 233-1286

Apizza Scholls is the best pizza in Portland, period. We are fortunate to have many great pizza options in this city for different occassions- Pizzicato and Hot Lips for un-fussy, gourmet, family owned pizza experiences, Pizza Schimizza for creative flavors and toppings on your work lunch break. And dozens of other hole in the wall spots for grabbing a quick slice.

Apizza Scholls operates on the mission of upholding the standards and values of the old Italian "Pizzaiolos". Pizzaiolos are craftsmen who have dedicated their lives to the perfection of pizza. Their dedication is very apparent.

The pizza I happened to try on this trip was the Tartufo Bianco, a really simple white pie made with mozzarella, drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with sea salt. I'm a huge fan of truffle oil, so I was a huge fan of this pie.

CHEZ MACHIN

???: Savory crepe with brie, avocado, and other stuff?


La Miel: Local berry mix, honey, and crème fraîche.

Chez Machin
3553 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 736-9381

Growing up In Tokyo, my friends and I used to hang out every weekend in the bustling Shibuya neighborhood shopping for records and clothes, and eating from various food cart vendors. For dinner, we had Turkish Döner kebab, and for desert we would frequent the many sweet crepe stands hidden in the back streets. They were AMAZING. Dozens of variations and combinations of fresh fruit, cream, syrup and custard.

My only previous crepe experience in Portland was trying Vivace on 23rd street, which I remember hating. I should probably give it another shot, but it wasn't a good first impression. Chez Machin on the other hand was damn good. I don't recall everything that was in the savory crepe other than brie and avocado, but those were the two ingredients that drew me to it anyway. The desert crepe was great too. Next time I'm looking forward to trying the La Maison (Local berry mix with homemade custard.)

Also pluses: charming interior and a cute waitress.

BRIE AUX FINES HERBS

Brie aux Fines Herbs: Baguette bread with herb butter, Brie cheese, slices of cucumber, and crispy leaves of frisée.

St. Honoré
2335 NW Thurman
Portland, OR 97210
(503) 445-4342

St. Honoré is one my favorite places for lunch in Portland. When I'm not feeling adventurous, I have a rotation of regular spots here that I always end up at for lunch. They are Grand Central Bakery, Daily Cafe, Half & Half, Elephants and St. Honoré. Croissants and Brie are two of my favorite man-made inventions, and St. Honoré serves up delicious things utilizing both.