POK POK

Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings

Pok Pok

3226 SE Division

Portland, OR 97202

(503) 232 1387

The best chicken wings ever.

Pok Pok is one of my all time favorite Portland restaurants. It's the vehicle that launched super chef Andy Ricker and was named Best Restaurant by the Oregonian in 2007.

What I love about Pok Pok is Ricker's commitment to presenting us Thai food that is probably more authentic than what is being served at the restaurant down the street actually run by Thai people. There is a sense of defiance at Pok Pok, against simply serving the Americanized palette of Southeast Asian food. Which basically means there is NO "Pad Thai", whiteboy.

Ricker recently opened the Whiskey Soda Lounge across the street too, as a place to hang out and grab a drink while you wait for your table at Pok Pok.

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