NEW YORK EATS

Here are some iPhone snaps of recent meals here in the Big Apple.



"Colby" sandwich - Roast beef, cheddar, lettuce, tomato on rosemary-garlic bread at Urban Rustic (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Pork belly Korean barbecue (Koreatown)

Indian chicken at Chirag (Staten Island)

Affogato at La Bottega (Chelsea)

A feast at Pok Pok (Portland, OR)

Cocktails at Matsuri (Chelsea)

Egg salad sandwich at El Beit (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Iced latte, tea, prosciutto sandwiches at El Beit (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Italian bread, Chavrie cheese, salad and wine at home.

Chargrilled lamb burger with feta, cumin mayo & thrice cooked chips at The Breslin (Midtown West)

LA BOULANGE

La Boulange

500 Hayes Street

San Francisco, CA 94102-4214

(415) 863-3376

If you know me, you know my favorite type of eatery is the French cafe/bakery. If heaven exists and is different for everyone, mine will most likely be a never ending day seated outside a boulangerie sipping bottomless coffee and picking at regenerating croissants.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.