May 16th, 2011 The People's Pig

The People’s Pig

Southwest Alder Street, Portland, OR

(503) 347-2357

http://site.thepeoplespig.com/

Mon-Fri 11 AM – 3 PM

May 16^th, 2011

I made my way downtown, yet again with my friend Erik, where we met up with our friends and fellow cooks, Jen & Alex. I had told them I was going to be going to The People’s Pig for lunch and they wanted to be apart of this particular leg of the tour.  I’m never one to turn down company when getting a sando so the more the merrier.   

A little background on the cart that is The People’s Pig. The owner/operator, Cliff Allen, uses locally raised pig from a spot called Square Peg Farms.  The pigs from this farm are absolutely delicious.  He breaks down the animal right there in the cart and then gets it rolling for the week’s service.  I believe he’s going through a whole pig a week.  Because of this notion he only really sells two to three different kinds of sando a day. I fully endorse this method of running a cart since he uses all local ingredients and stays as seasonal as he possibly can.  Since he’s just a cart open Monday thru Friday it would make the idea of all this much more manageable.

The four of us converged just in front of the cart where we all were happy to see each other and chit chat for a minute before putting in our orders. Alex used to work with the Cliff so they were saying hello and catching up as well.  I was happy to see a line forming rapidly behind us as we made our decisions. Today there were only two choices on the menu: Porchetta with Arugula and lemon Or Braised Pork with Red Leaf lettuce, Sheep’s Milk Cheese, & Rhubarb Pickles on a Poppy seed Bun.  I went with the latter.  We waited outside looking at the other carts and the local patrons they attracted.  It’s so interesting to really step back and watch these scenes.

We received our sandos, thanked Cliff, and made our way down to Bryant Square to have a seat and enjoy our lunch. There we found a Violinist who was entertaining the crowd with some mood music as well as several other colorful individuals who contribute to the local crazies I hold so dear to my heart if anything because of the stories they provide me with.  We all enjoyed the sights and sounds of the square while we ate and talked about upcoming events we all had planed.  We devoured our sandos with smiles and pleased palettes. I was especially enjoying the Rhubarb and Sheep's Milk Cheese flavor combination with the full flavor of the pig. Fantastic.  Afterwards, full and needing some walking time to work off the flavorful sando, we all went our separate ways.  It was an excellent lunch break. 

Rating:

Bread:

The bread was a poppy seed bun that was griddled so it had a crispy/crunch to it that added a really nice texture to the overall sando. The only downside I encountered was that the bottom slice of the bun was kind of sogged out by some of the filling.

4/5

Filling:

This sando had Red Leaf Lettuce, Sheep’s Milk Cheese, Braised Pork and Rhubarb Pickles.  The flavors were big and complimented each other quite well.  I was impressed by amount of meat and goodies on the sando making it quite the meal.  The mass amount of liquid from the Rhubarb Pickles was the culprit in the sogging of the bread though.

4/5

Price:

It was $8 for a sando and with the amount/quality of food you receive I’d say this is the best deal you can find.

5/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

Cliff was be taking the orders and making your sandos.  He’s a nice guy who seems to honestly care about what his customers are eating these days and it shows. There were no real options as far as sides went and there were a few bottled soda options. 

4/5

Over all Rating: 17/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yes.  I can’t wait to go back and try the Porchetta sando.

May 15th, 2011 Pine State Biscuits

Pine State Biscuits

3640 Southeast Belmont Street, Portland, OR

(503) 236-3346

http://pinestatebiscuits.com/

Everyday 7 AM – 2 PM; Fri & Sat 6 PM – 1 AM

May 15^th, 2011

Sometimes you have one-two word conversations with friends via text that just make you realize how much you’re both on the same page at that exact moment.  As I woke up, this is how that particular conversation between my friend Erik and I went down.

Erik: Breakfast Sando? Me: Pine State Biscuits? Erik: Alberta?! Me: 30 mins?

Erik: HELL YA!

You can’t really beat that kind of mental balance.  It also helps the fact that I had planed on eating there that morning anyway.  I got ready and met with Erik for some much-needed biscuit sandos. 

As we entered there wasn’t much of a line at all, which is nice considering that some peoples biggest complaint about dining there is in fact the wait. We walked up to the counter and since it was my first time Erik insisted I order the Reggie Deluxe.  I’m not one to argue with someone who’s been there and done that many a time so I obliged to his insisting and got the Reggie D. as well as a Bloody Mary. That’s right, they have booze and bless them for it as I had tied a few over the night before and was thankful for some hair of the dog. 

We chatted while waiting for our food and watched the kitchen do its thing.  Its fun to do this with another cook because you can bounce ideas off the other as far as what you both think of the set up and how they utilize space.  Pine State does a good job I think and they have some creative touches here and there that anyone can really appreciate.

We got our food and it looked perfect for what I was craving. The fried chicken covered in gravy between a hearty biscuit with all the extra goodies was quite mesmerizing.  Erik ordered the Shrimp and grits, which looked equally lovely.  Besides the egg on my sando not being runny, I would say this plate is a home run for anyone who orders it, with the exception of vegans, vegetarians, and picky eaters.  To them I say, “Your Loss.” We finished our meals and hung out a bit more afterwards since it had turned into such a beautiful day.  Also it was nice to just be outside walking around after such a big meal. 

Rating:

Bread:

The Biscuits were delicious, buttery, and fluffy. I think it’s a great product to revolve a business around.

5/5

Filling:

This sando had Fried Chicken, Gravy, Cheddar, Bacon, and a fried egg on it. What more could you really want along side a Bloody Mary for an early morning Breakfast.  The only thing I would like next time would be that they fry the egg to order so that the yolk is runny.  This seemed as though they had a bunch of precooked eggs sitting in a warmer.  Not quite ideal really.  I was glad my Bloody Mary came with a Celery stick too.  I saved it for last.

4/5

Price:

For $8 I would say this is a substantial amount of food that will gladly fill you up and leave you satisfied.  

5/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

The service was great.  Its mainly a serve yourself with drinks such as coffee and water but they will bring everything else to you and call out your order at the counter which I recommend sitting at so you watch all the action in the kitchen. Sometimes the wait is not what you would like it to be but patience is a virtue.  They have plenty to offer in ways of drink as well as some boozy goodies and the sides are quite plentiful too.  I’ve never had the Hash browns but hear they’re awesome.

4/5

Over all Rating: 18/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yes indeed. As a matter of fact I was in yesterday, again, with my friend Erik. 

May 14th, 2011 Russell Street Bar-B-Que

Russell Street Bar-B-Que

325 Northeast Russell Street, Portland, OR

(503) 528-8224

http://www.russellstreetbbq.com/index.htm

Sun–Thurs 11 AM–9 PM; Fri& Sat 11 AM–10 PM

May 14^th, 2011

I want BBQ.  Sweet, Sour, Smokey, Spicy, Meaty, and just plain old wonderfully delicious BBQ.  It was a nice day for it too because the sun has finally starting to set around 8:30 and its just cool enough to walking around in shorts.  My roommate Dave needed little help being persuaded to join me so we made our way down to Russell Street Bar-B-Que with empty stomachs begging to be fed.

We parked and walked in and I recognized that other people seemed to be having the same hankering for slow cooked meat I was. The place was about ¾ full which I would think isn’t too bad for a Tuesday night.  They sat us and we started looking over the menus. They don’t have too much variety in the sando department but how much more do you need other than one with Pulled Pork, Brisket, and possibly a chicken or turkey. I was more interested in what I was going to drink because when it comes to BBQ I want Brisket no questions asked while Pulled Pork is a close second.  I saw Maker’s and Lemonade and had made up my mind.  As they rang in our orders and made our drinks, Dave was pretty happy to see all the different types of sauce they offered on the table since some BBQ spots will only bring them out if you ask specifically for it.  I then had a nice discovery of my own when they brought out my drink and it was poured as a Long Island Iced Tea would be, heavy and in a pint glass.  I wanted to have a small drink not get a sloshed but I can’t really complain at $7.50, which is a great deal on that.  Dave had some to help me out since I was driving later on.

The food arrived and I was little disappointed by it. I had ordered the Brisket Sando with a spicier sauce and a side of Potato Salad.  Dave got the Pulled Pork with Coleslaw, Medium Sauce, and side of Meaty Beans.  The sizes of these were pretty sad in my sense that I had about as much Potato salad as I did meat on my sando with the bun looking like it was from the local supermarket.  I thought maybe it was just what I was thinking this when Dave chimed in and said almost the same thing.  I dug in nonetheless hoping the taste would prove mightier than it looked.  Again, it was a disappointment.  The sauce was just poured over the meat where I was hoping it would have been heated up in the sauce coating the meat but it was just in odd places spread out around.  Also the fact that the Brisket seemed more like it was chipped instead of large pieces put me off.  Dave shared my issue with the sauce on his Pulled Pork but we each agreed that the Potato salad and Beans were pretty good.

We ate the rest but were still unsatisfied so we both ordered a slice of Pecan Pie. I’m always a great admirer of Pecan Pies so I like to try a bit where it’s available.  It also helped with the booze.  Next time I think I’ll have someone else drive. 

Rating:

Bread:

The Buns were like hamburger buns you’d find at any local supermarket. It was soft, small, and all around bland.  Nothing makes me more depressed than no love in my bread.

2/5

Filling:

The Brisket sando was simply just Brisket and sauce, as you’d tend to encounter with most BBQ sandos.  Though the sauce was a bit weak and the amount of meat on it was lacking as well.  Flavor wise I wanted more smoke and also it was chipped instead of great big hunks of Brisket, which is what I’m always more interested in.  The Pulled Pork sando was just about the same as far as sauce and flavor but at least had coleslaw on it so the there was some added texture and goodies.  I’d have to choose the Pulled Pork over the Brisket, which is unusual for me.

3/5

Price:

At $8.50 for the Pulled Pork & $9.00 for the Brisket I’d say its an alright deal because you get a side with each plate but the fact still remains that the sando leaves you with something to be desired.

3/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

They wait staffed seemed like they were a bit flakey but in the long run were on top of things just a little slow on the return.  There is plenty of sides to choose from when you order anything off their menu and with a full bar how could you ever complain about not being able to find any kind of drink.  I recommend the Maker’s & Lemonade if you want to get wrecked like a freshman in college and not have to pay much more than $15 for two of them.

4/5

Over all Rating: 12/20 points

Repeat Visit?

 I will and look forward to having something other than a sando from them since they have so much more to offer.

May 13th, 2011 Chop Butchery & Charcuterie

CHOP Butchery & Charcuterie

735 NW 21^st Ave Portland OR, 97209

(503) 221-3012

http://www.chopbutchery.com/home.php

Mon – Sat 9:30 AM – 7 PM; 

Sun 10 AM – 7 PM

 

May 13^th, 2011

After a rather slow morning of doing laundry and making phone calls I found myself anxious to try out another sando shop.  Chop has been on my radar for a bit and it was the perfect time to check it out.  I always love a good butcher shop as I’ve said before with Laurelhurst Market so I got ready and made the trek downtown via the Max line.  Nothing like a good walk to get your appetite primed and ready.

As I made my way into the City Market building I took a moment and looked around to see the wonderful shops that it had to offer such as Pastaworks & Newman’s Fish as well as other goods laid out in between.  Chop is located directly to the right of the entrance as anyone would be able to notice with their display case showing off their delicious assortments of Cured, aged, and fresh meaty goods.  I’m like a kid in a damn candy shop with this stuff. 

I grabbed their sando menu and did a quick glance at it noticing their build your own option as well as their daily specials.  I wasn’t to keen on the Tuna salad option and building your own didn’t seem appropriate at the time since I wanted something they had put together themselves. This left two options: The Frog, which is Pate on Baguette with Pickled Red onions with Dijon Mustard, or the , wait for it…Italian Stallion.  Yes let the stream of promiscuous jokes and puns begin.  Not sure if they named that because of that particular reason or not but I wouldn’t put it past a bunch of butchers since they tend to have a darker sense of humor in my experience, which is fine since I’m about as demented as they come.  Moving on.

With a slight chuckle I ordered their signature sando and chatted with guy behind the counter for a bit while he prepared it for me.  I thanked him (I believe his name was Ben), paid for it at the registers located near the front of the market, and made my way to Couch Park where I decided would be a good spot to eat.  I enjoyed the sando as much as I did sitting in the serene setting of the park on another beautiful Portland Day. Well-done Chop. I'll be back for your Porchetta sando on the weekend. 

Rating:

Bread:

The bread was a run of the mill Hoagie roll.  Since I had taken the sando to go, by the time I sat down to eat it, it had gotten a bit soggy but not so much that it wasn’t holding up but I still wish it wasn’t as soggy. I'll just have to eat it sooner I guess or ask for lighter oil & Vinegar.

4/5

Filling:

The Filling was their House Salami, Ham, Mortadella, Provolone, Peppers, Shredded Iceberg, Red Onion, Tomato, Pepperoncini, Olive Oil, & Vinegar. This is exactly what I expect from and Italian style hoagie sando.  There was plenty of Meat to fill you up as well as other goodies to give it all the texture and vegetables you want.

5/5

Price:

It was $6.95 for this “Stallion” of a sando and I think it was worth every penny.  All their sandos are fixed at $6.95 for a whole and $3.95 for a half. Obviously the whole is a better deal.  You also have the choice to build your own sando, which is always a good time.

4/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

The guys behind the counter were very helpful and outgoing with their customers.  This is always appreciated in a butcher shop.  Their drink and side selection was quite slim.  This isn’t too disappointing since they are mainly a butcher shop and they’re located within a market with plenty of options to check out. 

3/5

Over all Rating: 16/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yes. Especially since they serve a Porchetta sando on Friday and Saturday.  I always love a good Porchetta in sando form.  I’m also eager to investigate their new shop location in NE next to Tasty & Sons. 

May 12th, 2011 Bunk Bar

Bunk Bar

1028 Southeast Water Ave, Suite 130, Portland, OR

(503) 894-9708

http://bunkbar.com/

Everyday 3 PM – 2 AM

May 12^th, 2011

Ah Friday again (well Saturday really) and I planed on my sando today being a late night one.  After a good night on the line I decided to trek over to Bunk Bar since I drove to work instead of taking the Max in like I usually do.  I felt it was a good idea, enough so that my buddy Kris was into it as well so he decided to come along for yet another sando endeavor. 

 

We left work and made our way down to Southeast.  I’ve been to Bunk Bar before and funny enough it was with Kris the previous time as well, only it was in the afternoon. I was looking forward to this trip since Bunk Bar is a Bar I was hoping for a hopping scene of people drinking and enjoying some good eats.  As Kris and I entered we were sad to discover there was only five other people in the place. Oh well. I’m still happy to have a beer with my sando.  I had ordered the Roast Beef and Kris got the Pork Belly & Tofu. Both came with a decent amount of kettle chips.

We talked about random things and did a bit of people watching as more came and went during our duration there.  The staff was eager to leave once 2 AM rolled along and I didn’t blame them.   We made our way out and I gave Kris a ride home. We stopped randomly before getting into the car when we noticed a turned over newspaper case.  Kris was curious why a SE newspaper case was all the way in....SE. We shared a good laugh about that for a minute and then went on our way.  Not a bad way to unwind after a long night of work.  Now I just have to think about where to go tomorrow.

Rating:

Bread:

The bread on the Roast Beef was a Poppy seed bun that was soft but hearty.  I liked it a lot.  The Pork Belly had more of a Bah Mi roll that was toasty and soft.  Very appropriate choices I would say.

4/5

Filling:

The Roast Beef had caramelized onions, Cheddar, and a Horseradish Sauce. I loved all the flavors and think its one of their more solid sandos.  The Pork Belly & Tofu had Bok Choy Raab and a Yuzu Sauce.  It was pretty good. Very savory and kind of sweet with a bit of spice but in all I’d still go with the roast beef. 

4/5

Price:

It was $8 for the Roast Beef & the Pork Belly and both came with a side of chips.  I’d say that’s a good deal.  I was satisfied at the end of it all and that’s all you can really ask for.

4/5

Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:

They were really nice and laid back even with it being as slow as it was.  They offer plenty of sides to go along with your sando. Some of their sides are good just on their own if you don’t want too much food. Drink selection is also quite excellent with the fact that there is a full bar with draft beers. 

5/5

Over all Rating: 17/20 points

Repeat Visit?

Yes. In fact I was there just last week after work and it was pretty packed.  No sando this time but plenty to drink and had some gravy fries my friend Erik ordered.  Pretty grubbin’.

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.