May 11th, 2011 Kenny & Zukes Delicatessen

Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen

1038 Southwest Stark Street, Portland, OR

(503) 222-3354

http://www.kennyandzukes.com/

Mon – Thurs 7 AM – 8 PM; Fri 7 AM – 10PM; Sat 8 AM – 10 PM; Sun 8 AM – 8 PM

May 11^th, 2011

Another beautiful day to be walking around Downtown for a sando and evidently I’m not the only one who seems to think so.  There have been hordes of people around ever corner it seems and all of them have that hungry look in their eyes. I tend to see most ducking in and out of random eateries.  It always makes me curious what they are craving and why.  We’re not going to be getting that deep into the psyche of lunch today though, so upward and onward to Kenny & Zukes Delicatessen. 

I’d have never been in before but have walked by many times later in the evening or on my way somewhere else so I was curious what they had to offer.  Growing up in Southern California it seems the streets are littered with Deli’s.  I loved going to them as a kid and see big jars of pickles on the table, the smell of rye, and of course the mass amounts of Pastrami and/or Corned Beef coming from the kitchen.  I’ve been curious about the Deli scene in Portland since moving up here but never really sought after it too much.  Well today was the day I changed all that. 

As I entered the side of their deli counter I took notice, first off, of how jam packed it was in the restaurant with customers and how many other were waiting to be seated.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as well as their food.  I was looking over the menu while I waited in line. It was at this point I said either the Corned Beef or the Pastrami.  I know that K&Z are very proud and known for Pastrami but Corned Beef won this time around. 

As I waited for my order I looked around a little closer at their counter and surrounding area. Lots of cured, pickled, and sweet items were on display as well as signs advertising the prices of how much you could purchase meaty goods to take home with you.  This is always a wonderful sight to see. Also the literal wall of bottled beverages that makes you thirsty just looking at it.  My order was called and I took it back out into the sunshine to enjoy on my way to work.  Besides realizing the enormousness of the sando I was also very pleased to see a good helping of coleslaw and a pickle wedge. After all, what is a deli if they don’t supply a pickle?

Rating:

Bread:

The bread was a good Rye with a thick crust and a slightly dense crumb though slightly dry.  It was definitely strong enough to hold everything. I’ve had problems with some deli’s whose Rye begins to crumble apart halfway through the sando. This was not that kind of bread. 

4/5

Filling:

The filling had mustard and a MASSIVE amount of Corned Beef. Simple, tasty, and just what I expected from a deli. I only wished the Corned Beef was a bit juicier so the mustard wasn’t needed as much to make it moist. Maybe next time I’ll ask for some Swiss cheese.

4/5

Price:

$11.25 for a large helping of Corned Beef on Rye with some Coleslaw and a Pickle.  Not the most inexpensive Lunch I’ve had so far. I’m certainly glad I was able to get so much for what I paid for but I would have been happier if it had been about $1.50 to $2 cheaper.

3/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

They were a very friendly and helpful bunch at the counter.  They made sure I had everything I needed such as a fork and some napkins and thanked me for coming in.  They had lots of different sides available such as coleslaw, potato salad, soup, salad, chips, etc… and with all the space they have to work with I was glad to see otherwise that would have been embarrassing.  The wall of bottled drinks made me feel like I couldn’t go wrong with whatever I might have chosen.

5/5

Over all Rating:  16/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yea but I’d much rather check out their SandwichWorks shop instead.  It’s still deli-esque and a bit cheaper. 

May 10th, Addy's Sandwiches

Addy’s Sandwich

521 SW 10th Ave, Portland, Oregon

(503) 267-0994

http://addyssandwichbar.com/

Mon – Fri 11am to 3pm; Sat 11:3o to 3:30; Sun Closed

May 10^th, 2011

I’ve come to love my walks through downtown before going into work. Especially now since the sun is showing itself a bit more.  Today I was going to the food carts on 10^th & Adler and they were bursting with hungry nine to fivers.  Something about people in suits or just business causal attire waiting in line at food carts just makes me laugh a little.  Not sure why but either way I enjoy it. 

Addy’s was my destination today. I had been before but not for some time so I was eager to check it out again.  The Cart was just as I remembered it. Small but very well put together with random sorts of knick knacks in the window.  They had their menu outside with a selection of sandos on either a Baguette or Kaiser Roll.  One thing that had changed was their prices had gone up from $5.50 to $6.50.  Nothing too dramatic but still I was a little bummed.  I scanned the list of goods and made a decision.  Duck Confit with Cranberry Relish & Shredded Cabbage on a Baguette.  For those who do not know what Duck Confit is, it is Duck Leg that had been cooked slowly in its own fat. 

I was looking forward to big chunks of duck with a tart relish to balance that fattiness.  I ordered my sando and they immediately handed it to me.  Just a note, that’s not a good thing.  I don’t like being handed a sando that’s probably been sitting there for about thirty minutes.   All I remember saying as it happened was, “Really?”, but they failed to see why I was concerned.  I gave them the benefit of the doubt and walked off to ingest my lunch. 

As I finally got into it I noticed that the Confit they sold me on was actually Rillette. Again for those who don’t know what Rillette is, it’s Duck Confit taken and emulsified with its own fat, creating a smooth spreadable product. Some of you might be asking yourself, “What does that matter? It’s still duck isn’t it?” to which I reply, yes it is, but it’s also a different texture and NOT what they advertised on their board.  As I walked to work eating, I couldn’t help notice how increasing salty each bit got and couldn’t finish it.  I was pretty bummed and let down by the whole experience.  Oh well.

Rating:

Bread:

The sando was on a Baguette.  It had good structure to it but it was far too chewy for me.  After almost an entire sando my jaw was a bit sore because of all the extra effort. 

2/5

Filling:

The filling was a cranberry Relish & Shredded Cabbage with Duck Confit.  Unfortunately, this was a Rillette than Confit.  I had been looking for chunks of pulled duck leg but this was just a spread and quite salty at that.  I had hoped the relish would be tart enough to cut through the fat but it was lost in all.

2/5

Price:

$6.50 for this sando was about a dollar too much.  In fact a year ago it was only $5.50 but prices do what they do. I just think that it could have been less.

3/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

They were very friendly to the customer base.  They take debit cards, which is always a benefit to food carts.  They offer a few sides such as a salad, chips, and soup. I believe the soup changes daily.  Their drink options were pretty nice. I think about eight different bottled sodas. 

4/5

Over all Rating: 11/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Probably not.

May 9th, 2011 Theo's

Theo’s

121 Northwest 5th Avenue, Portland, OR

(503) 226-2828

http://www.theosportland.com/

Mon-Wed: 7:30 am – 8:00 pm; Thurs: 7:30 am – 10 pm

Fri: 7:30 am – 4 am; Sat: Noon – 4 am Sun: CLOSED

May 9^th, 2011

 I ride the Max the majority of the time I travel to work downtown.  It’s a great way to save money, be a little greener, and also sometimes if you’re really lucky some of our lovely local Portland crazies will give you some fond memories.  This isn’t one of those stories though I do love my crazies in Portland.

Anyway, as I rode the Max today I couldn’t quite make up my mind on where I was going to grab a bite before work today since many places I was checking out are in the downtown area. Then, as if a sign from above, the Max stopped directly in front of Theo’s.  Without hesitation I jumped off and strolled right in. 

The space seats about forty people with some tables outside as well.  Inside everything is pretty close together but not so close that you have to worry about someone in your personal space at all times.  The menu is printed above the register, which also give you a glimpse into their kitchen.  It’s a small area but it looks like it works out fine. They seemed to be doing well with three people during the lunch hour but I can only imagine it would have run smoother with a fourth.

 I ordered the Roast Beef on Dave’s Killer Bread with Swiss cheese, Lettuce, & Horseradish Mayonnaise and I choose a side of potato salad. I sat down at the closest table and waited for my order to come up watching a line start to slowly form.  I like when this happens for the reasons that, firstly, I’m not in it, and secondly, perhaps this means a I’ve made a good choice. Either way people watching is always fun and the Bike Cop telling each person that walked by him to get the special because, “It’s rocking!” cracked me up. 

My order was called and I walked over to pick it up.  I ate my sando while walking the rest of the way to work enjoying every bit of it.  Now if I could just find a way for it to stop raining we’d be in business. 

Rating:

Bread:

Theo’s uses Dave’s Killer Bread with their sandos, which, in my opinion, is a fine bread to use.  The bread was Oat Wheat that was light and soft but still strong enough to hold the sando in place without it soaking through or falling apart.

4/5

Filling:

The filling was Roast beef, lettuce, Swiss cheese, and a horseradish Mayonnaise. It was simple, to the point, and very good. I would have liked a touch more Roast Beef but it’s not completely lacking. I like a good roast beef sando and this one was just enough to satisfy my hunger. 

4/5

Price:

$7.25 for the sandwich and you get a side with it? Excellent deal.  Could it be a little cheaper? Probably, but in the long run of things it’s a better deal than a lot of other people are offering. 

4/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

They have friendly service and they’re attentive to their customers.  They have plenty of choices in sides as well as a WALL of different drinks you can choose from.  I was amazed at the variety of drinks they had to offer you.

5/5

Over all Rating: 17/20 points

Repeat Visit?

I would indeed. Especially since this is another venue that is open late on the weekends when I get out of work, so if I want to grab a quick bite I’d be more than able to. 

May 8th, 2011 Michael's Italian Beef & Sausage Co

Michael's Italian Beef & Sausage Co

1111 Southeast Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR

(503) 230-1899

http://www.michaelsitalianbeef.com/

Mon – Fri 1030 AM – 9 PM; Sat Noon – 9 PM

May 8^th, 2011

I had heard quite a few things about Michael’s from co-workers and friends.  The first thing I heard was do not, under any circumstances park in their driveway unless you are going in to eat other wise you will be towed immediately.  Second, they have a no B.S. demeanor to them that is very forthcoming. The main guy, who I assume is Michael, will give anyone crap that walks through the door of his establishment because…well because he can.  I was glad I was given these tid bits of information when I went in as I learned about the latter first hand.

I first and foremost made a decision to only take a picture of the outside because this was not to be a place to take pictures inside of the establishment, as I’d probably get someone screaming and yelling at me.  I discussed this with my manager at work later on and she agreed that was the correct decision. 

The place has plenty of seating on the left side of the restaurant when you walk through the front door. To the right is the counter where you can order and look into their open kitchen.  It’s a simple set up and looks quite solid. When I came in the place was empty.  This was little off putting but not as much as the Manager, who again I assume was Michael, was speaking to another employee about the current buyout by Microsoft.  As he is continuing this conversation he deadlocks his eyes with mine and begins to “Mad Dog” me.  For those who don’t understand the “Mad Dog”, it’s simply when someone is staring you down with a less than lackluster expression.  When someone does this to me, especially when I walk into an establishment where I’m to be a customer, I tend to give it right back. This instance was no different. So we stared each other down while not once did he falter from his conversation with his co-worker. I had been waiting for a, ”They can help you right over there”, or “How are you doing”, or even a “What are you looking at?”, would have sufficed but nothing ever came.  Finally, a pause in the conversation came and I asked what company Microsoft bought, he said, “Skype!”, to which I replied, “Screw Skype.” I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I was hoping to get out of that statement, I just wanted to relay his own surliness right back to him. At this moment someone behind the counter finally poked their head out and said they could help me. 

I ordered the Meatball sub with peppers and smothered in sauce to go as I was meeting a friend of mine for a drink at a neighborhood bar.  They guy behind the counter was helpful and was really quick with my sando. As I was handed my sando and thanked the crew kindly and went on my day.  I don’t think that it could’ve have been a better first introduction to Michael’s. 

Rating:

Bread:

The Bread was so-so.  It doesn’t really hold the filling together well enough so when you bite into it sometimes it gets pushed out the sides.  The entirety of it was a very chewy consistency.  But for this sando, when covered in sauce, it does have enough body not to completely sog out on you.

3/5

Filling:

The cheese, sauce, and peppers were all great in this sub.  I liked how melted the cheese was, the peppers had a good heat to them, and the sauce is just sweet enough to balance all that. The meatballs themselves however were kind of sub par.  They had an odd spongy texture to them that was not a real turn on for me. 

3/5

Price:

$7.65 for a 12-inch sub is a good deal. I was filled up at the end of it all without a doubt.  If anything, there’s always the option of getting it as a half sub, which is still pretty cheap, and you get a decent amount of food.

4/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

If you can handle the abuse or at least deal it back out (and get away with it) the customer service is fine.  Deep down they do want you to come in and purchase their sandos. They had a fine variety of sodas and other drinks. There were also plenty of sides to choose from such as Fries, Salads, Potato salad, etc….

4/5

Over all Rating: 14/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yes. There are lots of items on there that I’d love to try. The beef being their signature sando that I would have gotten had I not been in the mood for the Meatball.

May 7th, 2011 Meat Cheese Bread

Meat Cheese Bread

1406 Southeast Stark Street, Portland, OR

(503) 234-1700

www.meatcheesebread.com

Monday-Saturday 7 AM – 7 PM

May, 7^th 2011

I was lounging around that day when my friend Erik texted me asking if I had gone out and had my sando yet.  Since I hadn’t, this was the perfect opportunity to go out and enjoy one with some company. We agreed to meet me over at Meat Cheese Bread.  I have always enjoyed MCB  and I thought it unfair to leave it out of the sando tour just because I’ve been there many times. The day had become a wonderful spring afternoon so it was nice to get out of the house and enjoy the weather. 

I arrived and took note that they were able to set up their outside tables. I love being able to sit outside with my sando and enjoy a beer with it but unfortunately they were occupied at the moment.  Erik arrived shortly after I did, so we went in and poured over the menu for a minute.  I’ve always loved their kitchen set up. It’s very small but direct and to the point with functionality.  As my mind wandered looking at the set up Erik turned to me and said, “I’m going for my regular dude. Ham & Cheese with an egg on it.” This of course sounded excellent.  I however went with the Pork Loin sando with greens and pickled carrots. 

With our orders in and time to kill we went towards the back where a mutual culinary associate runs his business of making chocolates.  He was hard at work, chocolate coating some Olive Oil caramels but was able to chat about this and that until our sandos were ready. For those of you who haven’t tried Xocolatl de David yet I strongly recommend that you do so. He sells his goods at quite a few places around town as well as Meat Cheese Bread.  Delicious.

Erik and I sat down with our food that was just begging to be eaten. As we were both willing to oblige we spoke about the sando tour, where I had been so far, and what was ahead on the schedule when the two girls next to us seemed to gain interest in our conversation. They explained that they too had a grading scale for sandos and shared it with us as such.  It was a bit of an odd scale and Erik was unimpressed but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Almost immediately afterwards they asked excitedly if I had been to Big Ass Sandwich yet, to which I then joined in my friend Erik’s’ annoyed disposition and said,” Yes. It made me want to take a Big Ass something else afterwards.” After an awkward laugh and goodbye from the fellow sando diners, Erik and I had a good laugh about it and turned our attention back to our meal.

Afterwards, totally satisfied, we went out and enjoyed the day Portland was having and wandered through downtown. Can’t say it could have been any better.

Rating:

Bread:

A gentleman who uses the kitchen in the morning for his own small business of bread making and provides MCB with their grainy goods makes the bread in house.  The bread on the Pork loin sando was a hearty roll that was just enough chewy and had a fantastic griddled inside that added a great crunchy texture to the product.  The Ham & Egg was on a softer roll that was buttery and lovely with a nice griddled inside. It was not as crisp as the pork loin was but just fine for the Ham & Egg.

5/5

Filling:

The Pork Loin had soft mix greens tossed with a mustard vinaigrette, and pickled Carrots. The pork was delicious and moist with a great spice coating on the outside.  The greens with the Mustard vinaigrette was very nice and the carrots were just pickled enough to have a nice crunch left to them.  The only thing I wish it had was a simple aioli on it to keep the whole thing moist all the way through.

The Ham & Egg sando had Smoked ham (duh), Gruyere Cheese, aioli, and of course the egg.  Delicious.  Don’t change a thing. It was Moist, Smokey, and rich.

4/5

Price:

The Pork Loin was $7. I think this is a great price. It’s a very filling sandwich that will satisfy your dining wants.  The Ham & cheese sando was $5 but with the egg added it was $1 more. For a total of $6 you can’t really beat it though a side might be good with it to really fill you up. 

4/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

They are always really nice over at MCB. They make sure to grab your name to call it out later for your order.  They have a great bottled beer and soda selection to choose from so if you’re thirsty, you’re in luck.  Their sides are also excellent.  With chips, slaw, potato salad, pickles, salad, and soup you can’t really go wrong with your decision. 

5/5

Over all Rating: 18/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yes. Hell I went yesterday.

May 6th, 2011 Laurelhurst Market Butcher Shop

Laurelhurst Market Butcher Shop

3155 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR

(503) 206-3099

http://www.laurelhurstmarket.com/

Everyday 10 AM – 7 PM

May 6^th, 2011

It turned out to be a rainy Saturday, as I got ready for work.  I remembered wanting to drive on account that it was going to pouring on me the whole way in but my roommate was kind enough to give me a ride, so I thought I’d treat him to a sando.  We took Burnside down and stopped off at the Butcher shop at Laurelhurst Market because they do a daily sandos from their counter. I’ve been in before and enjoyed it very much.  Dave’s (My roommate) a big meat and potatoes kind of guy so when he finds a choice Butcher shop that can get exactly the kinds of steaks he wants he gets pretty excited. This goes double for me, but with good Pork Chops.

To the right of the front door you’ll see the display counter of fresh meats laid out for you to look over for possible purchases.  If you’re having private dinners or just want something nice to grill up this summer they're a good place to check out.  To the far right is the register and next to that is the Sando menu.  They tend to do five or six varieties that change depending on what they have available.  Today there was five because they weren’t quite ready with the sixth one. No worries in my book since the rest looked delicious. 

I choose the Seared Duck Rillette on Baguette with Red onions, Pickles, & Dijon Mustard and Dave ordered the Corned beef on Levain bread with Swiss, Arugula, Red Onions,  Pickles, & Dijon.  I enjoyed mine on the way into work while Dave drove . He said was looking forward to having his at home.  He told me later it was, “Mackin’!” To which all I could really say was…Ditto and thanks for the ride.

Rating:

Bread:

The Baguette had a great crispy/crunch to it and a soft/chewy inside that I liked. I think the filling did a good job of moistening the bread to keep from being too dry. It was a good balance. 

5/5

Filling:

The filling was nice. The pickles, mustard, and red onion complimented the Rillette nicely by cutting the fattiness with all the acid along with the crunchy textures with the smoothness of the Duck.  The only thing I did not enjoy was the amount of fat that was dripping out of the sando, what with the Rillette being seared then breaking the emulsion between the fat and meat that made it the Rillette to begin with. Next time I think I’d rather it be cold. Other than that it was delicious. 

4/5

Price:

$8 was little much in my opinion. The portion size was fine.  However, with the majority of the ingredients being so inexpensive to make or be made available, I would think that it could have been better as $7.  But they do have a fixed price for all their sandwiches so it wouldn’t matter which you choose.

3/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

The customer service was great.  The guys behind the counter are nice and knowledgeable of their product.   There’s also a good selection of bottled sodas to choose from.  I didn’t notice too many sides other than chips though.

4/5

Over all Rating: 16/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yes. Because even if I don’t want a sando I’m still going to want to purchase some Pork Chops or other meaty goods. 

May 5th, 2011 Big A** Sandwich

Big-A** Sandwiches

290 Southwest Ash Street, Portland, OR

(503) 803-0619

http://www.bigasssandwiches.com/

Mon –Fri 11 AM – 5 PM; Sat & Sun 11 AM – 4 PM

May 5^th, 2011

I was starving. I was so hungry I was getting light headed.  On the walk to work I figured the only thing that would be perfect to cure this emptiness would be a big ass Sandwich. It’s reasonable I would say, yes? I knew going into this that they put French fries on their Sandwich but I had heard plenty of good things about them so I figured “Why not.”

The cart is pretty well put together. I was very impressed with the set up.  They also have a get set up over the iPhone where you can order using an App. and pay with your debit card through their iPhone register app. I looked over the menu and got their signature sandwich, The Big Ass Sandwich.  I waited out in the front patiently as I began to watch a large line form. This gave me some hope that I choose correctly.

I was handed my sando and took it to their tables next to the cart to enjoy. Well sure enough if this wasn’t a big ass disappointment.  As I unwrapped it, I took careful notice of the huge Ciabatta roll, MASSIVE amount of fries, small amount meat, and bit of sauce.  I had to remove more than ¾ of the fries from the monstrosity and I was left with almost nothing and a whole lot of bread.  I ate about half of it and a few extra fries.

Completely unsatisfied, still hungry, and craving some vegetables, I walked the rest of the way to work. Can’t win’em all I guess.

Rating:

Bread:

The bread was a ciabatta roll from Fleur De Lis Bakery.  As Ciabatta goes, it wasn’t bad. It was quite large but then again this was a “Big ass Sandwich”.

3/5

Filling:

The filling was as follows: 4 ounces of roast turkey, 2 ounces of Sauce, and (sigh) almost a pound of fries. I took the majority of the fries off and ate some of them separately but even still I was shocked at the amount of actual meat compared to bread and fries.  Dismal.  At least the meat and sauce had good flavor, though it was lost.

1/5

Price:

$7 for a French-fry sandwich. Terrible.

1/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

The customer service was great. They’re very friendly people who enjoy serving their customer base.  They have a decent soda selection and the sides consist of Coleslaw and, wait for it….FRIES!

3/5

Over all Rating: 8/20 points

Repeat Visit?

No Thanks.