tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587656007565776432024-03-12T16:24:28.353-07:00Portland Burger BlogThe best burgers in Portland, Oregon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-13087682408577584012014-08-21T12:17:00.000-07:002018-04-09T22:48:04.830-07:00Portland Burger Week; What Happened?? The Week In ReviewPortland Burger week 2014 was just too damn much. Too many people clamoring to get tables, too many exasperated servers, and just too many damn burgers. That being said, there were some true highlights. The Hop and Vine's venison burger was absolutely fantastic, and North Light's stuffed cheese curd burger had great potential to be a PDX fave (here's to hoping it's they make it a full size menu burger).<br />
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I had to enlist help for this burger week , because DAMN- that's just too much beef for one lady to ingest in a week. After day four I had all but thrown in the towel. So here's what Mr Bryan Escalante of The Jammery (delicious artisan jams made locally) had to say about some of his burger week faves:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvS82gczPGlb1qrauk7M6YUHmvcx6RchgNJZ3Gl8O-SaMDQZVClvP8qBHgu3Z6aWJxY7j0ESLlqzRnDuFpxhL2NX7Jk75NiRbWD18qmwOvJDWb3wyllozCGiyvdjl6bn7XZLukboZC-R8/s1600/Tilt+-+Eastern+Block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvS82gczPGlb1qrauk7M6YUHmvcx6RchgNJZ3Gl8O-SaMDQZVClvP8qBHgu3Z6aWJxY7j0ESLlqzRnDuFpxhL2NX7Jk75NiRbWD18qmwOvJDWb3wyllozCGiyvdjl6bn7XZLukboZC-R8/s1600/Tilt+-+Eastern+Block.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
TILT<br />
This mind blowing monstrosity of meaty magnificence was brought to your eyes courtesy of the good folks at Tilt.<br />
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EASTERN BLOCK<br />
Locally sourced natural chuck patty, American cheese, hand-carved pork belly, fried onions/peppers and a tasty house recipe sweet pepper & dill yogurt sauce, all perfectly nestled on one of Tilt's giant, house recipe fresh baked biscuits<br />
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Verdict - WOULD EAT AGAIN - OMG THAT BISCUIT - SO FLAKY<br />
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MI MERO MOLE<br />
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Such an amazing force of burger nature. The bacon wrapped chile relleno was the star of the first few bites, but as I was about to reach the core of this monster, the chorizo patty hit me like a spicy punch to the mouth. Luckily the refried black beans, guacamole, and especial sauce held the heat down and kept the flavor up. The pickled onions didn't really add much to this behemoth, with everything else going on they took a sidecar to this Harley of a burger.<br />
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VERDICT: MAJOR NOMS<br />
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DOUG FIR<br />
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A wagu beef thick chunk of chuck on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce and smoked and candied jalapeno aioli. Topped with mozzarella and candied bacon on local sesame bun.<br />
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A good showing, although the wait for seating was a bit ridiculous considering they were in no danger of selling out.<br />
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VERDICT - CANDIED BACON - WE VOTE YES<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-50011845402120521062014-08-15T00:05:00.000-07:002014-09-15T17:59:46.086-07:00Portland Burger Week; The Rialto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: red;">The Rialto</span></b> has been after me for ages to write about their burgers. Somehow, it always just seemed a little too out of the way, or little too noisy or a little too, I dont know, full of neon beer signs and sports fans. If that makes me a snob, I'm okay with that. Luckily, the sweet spot in the deep dark underground below the Rialto houses the Jack London Bar, a complete 180 from the upscale-ish sports bar above. It's sticker covered walls, dusty old couches and little beatnik-esque stage are straight out of a 90's grunge rock themed rom-com. That is very much a scene I can get down with.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger:</span></b> This was my first full size burger of burger week. And it was also the first burger I wished was half the size. All of Rialto's burgers are a half pound of fresh ground chuck, and this basic fella was smothered in white cheddar, sloppily dressed with ketchup, mustard and mayo and topped with romaine, tomato, red onion and pickles. All of it was held together by a serviceable potato bun. The burger was about as basic as they come, and cooked a little hard for our taste. Bottom lime, it's should always be a five dollar burger. But if Rialto or Jack London is your favorite kind of bar then this burger will do you up just fine. Side note; best damn onion rings I've had in a long, long time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-12925964865018691102014-08-13T21:58:00.001-07:002014-09-15T18:00:00.891-07:00Portland Burger Week: North Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<b><span style="color: red;">North Light </span></b>is part of the newest wave of Mississippi /Williams development; tucked into the ground floor of a shiny new tower of condos. If you happen to be a resident in of one of these shiny new condos, then North Light is a really convenient place to do some midday patio drinking. The menu is that "new twist on Classic American" menu that seems so popular in or near new condo developments. It fits well within the changing landscape of the Mississippi/Williams 'hood. Feel about that however you will.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger;</span></b> North Light's burger week contribution was stuffed with Wisconsin cheese curds and topped with what was intended to be kimchi aioli but was really just a scant tablespoon of a tolerably dry kimchi. The burger was a bit more medium than we love, and the first bite divulged a tart snap of molten curds that were just short of enough to balance the burger. My hope is that North Light will recreate this as a full size burger for their everyday menu, with enough cheese and kimchi to live up to it's potential. This city might not need another frigging luxury condo but it sure as hell needs a decent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jucy_Lucy" target="_blank">Juicy Lucy</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-27440870878876914362014-08-13T11:42:00.002-07:002014-09-15T18:00:34.462-07:00Portland Burger Week 2014Portland Burger Week is back! <a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/" target="_blank">The Portland Mercury</a> sponsored event is looking bigger and badder than last year, with nearly twice the burger contributions! This year's participants are:<br />
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong><br />Ate-Oh-Ate </strong><br />
2454 E Burnside<br />
Daily 11am-9pm<br />
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<em>CHAR SIU BURGER</em><br />
Ground Laurelhurst Market beef patty on brioche, with shaved char siu pork, spicy Chinese mustard, and crunchy Asian pickles.</div>
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3939 N Mississippi<br />
Daily 11am-2am<br />
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<em>STATE FAIR BURGER</em><br />
Tender Alessio bun, griddled onions, beef patty, thick cheddar, ketchup. Boom. The stone classic archetype.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="BarBar" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/barbar1-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Burnside Brewing</strong><br />
701 E Burnside<br />
Mon-Tues 3pm-10pm ,Wed-Sat 11am-12am , Sun 11am-10pm<br />
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<em>CLASSIC CHEESEBURGER</em>Classic American cheese cheeseburger, special sauce, sesame seed bun, lettuce, onion, pickle, tomato.. No thrills, just good eats. Make it a double or even triple if you like, and add on a can of Couch Lager for $2, a shot of Beam for $3.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Burnside Brewing" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/burnside_brewing1000-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Club 21</strong><br />
2035 NE Glisan<br />
Daily 11:30am-2:30am<br />
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<em>SHADOW BURGER</em><br />
Painted Hills ground chuck, bacon, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomato-bacon jam, & topped with an onion ring.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Club 21" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/club_21_1-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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2002 SE Division<br />
Daily 2pm-2:30am<br />
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<em>BURNIN' LOVE BURGER</em><br />
Painted Hills ground chuck, southern pimento cheese, fried jalapeños, tender bacon.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Double Barrel" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/double_barrel_burnin_love1000-TH.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Doug Fir</strong><br />
830 E Burnside<br />
Daily 7am-2:30am<br />
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<em>SPICY CANDIED BACON CHEESEBURGER / BURGER DFX</em><br />
Candied bacon, mozzarella cheese, smoked and candied jalapeño aioli, shredded iceberg, 6oz hand-formed Wagyu patty, Portland French Bakery bun.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Doug Fir" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/dougfir1000web-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Foster Burger</strong><br />
5339 SE Foster<br />
Daily 11am-10pm<br />
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<em>PEPPERJACK BACON BURGER</em><br />
1/4-lb beef patty with American cheese, pepperjack cheese, fat and tender bacon, sharp house pickles, and crisp, raw, white onion.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Foster Burger" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/foster_burger1000-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2014/08/portland-burger-week-hop-and-vine.html" target="_blank">Hop & Vine</a> (click for review)</strong><br />
1914 N Killingsworth<br />
Mon-Wed 3pm-11pm, Thurs-Fri 3pm-12am, Sat 10am-12am, Sun 10am-11pm<br />
*<em>Available after 3pm every day</em>.<br />
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<em>VENISON FOCACCIA BURGER</em><br />
Housemade focaccia, house-cured pork belly, house pickles, tomato jam, fresh aioli, and a char-grilled Nicky USA venison patty.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Hop & Vine" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/hop_and_vine1000-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Mi Mero Mole</strong><br />
32 NW 5th<br />
Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-10pm, Sat Noon-10pm<br />
*<em>Offer begins at 2pm each day. Available at downtown location ONLY!</em><br />
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<em>SONORAN CHILE RELLENO BURGER</em><br />
Chorizo patty on brioche bun with refried black beans, guacamole, pickled red onions, especial sauce, and bacon-wrapped Hatch chile relleno.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Mi Mero Mole" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/mimeromole-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>North Light</strong><br />
3746 N Misissippi<br />
Mon-Fri 4pm-12am, Sat-Sun 9am-12am<br />
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<em>STUFFED CHEESE CURD BURGER</em><br />
Painted Hills 6oz hand-formed patty (cooked rare or to order and drizzled with brown butter), stuffed with Wisconsin cheese curds, on brown-butter-griddled housemade brioche bun. Topped with garlicky housemade kimchi aioli.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="North Light" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/north_light_sliced_1000-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Rialto</strong><br />
529 SW 4th<br />
11am-2:30am<br />
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<em>THE RIALTO CHEESEBURGER</em><br />
Hand-formed fresh beef patty, with extra-sharp white cheddar and all the classic trimmings, on a fresh potato bun.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Rialto" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/rialto1000-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Rockin' Robyn's Sassy Burger </strong><br />
3423 SE Belmont<br />
Wed-Thurs 12pm-7pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 12pm-6pm<br />
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<em>BUFFALO BURGER</em>Ground buffalo patty w/Robyn's signature seasoning blend, peppered bacon, roasted red peppers, smoked Gouda cheese, tomato, a thick slab of white onion, pickles, on a Portland French Bakery brioche bun.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Rockin' Robyn's Sassy Burger" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/robyn_basket-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2014/08/portland-burger-week-slow-bar.html" target="_blank">Slowburge</a>r (click for review)</strong><br />
2329 NE Glisan<br />
Daily 11am-11pm<br />
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<em>BANH MI BURGER</em> (Same as Slow Bar)<br />
Pickled daikon and carrot, fresh jalapeño, cilantro, Sriracha mayo,Grand Central brioche bun, thick Painted Hills beef patty.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Slowburger" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/slow_bar_slowburger-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2014/08/portland-burger-week-slow-bar.html" target="_blank">Slow Bar</a> (click for review)</strong><br />
533 SE Grand<br />
Daily 11:30am-2:30am<br />
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<em>BANH MI BURGER</em><br />
Pickled daikon and carrot, fresh jalapeño, cilantro, Sriracha mayo, Grand Central brioche bun, thick Painted Hills beef patty</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Slow Bar" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/slow_bar_slowburger-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Smallwares</strong><br />
4605 NE Fremont<br />
Daily 5pm-10pm<br />
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<em>THE SMALLWARES CHEESEBURGER</em>Fresh ground beef griddled in bacon fat, potato bun, Swiss cheese, tomato, shredded iceberg, shiso, cilantro, crispy fried shallot, sweet chili-ginger special mayonnaise.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Smallwares" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/smallwares_burger-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Spirit of ’77 </strong><em>*Veggie!*</em><br />
500 NE MLK<br />
Mon-Fri 4pm-12am, Sat 12pm-12am, Sun 12pm-10pm<br />
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<em>HOUSEMADE VEGGIE BURGER</em><br />
Housemade veggie patty (black bean, roasted red pepper, spinach, quinoa), roasted red pepper aioli, served on a whole wheat bun.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Spirit of '77" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/spirit_of_77_1000-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>The Station</strong><br />
2703 NE Alberta<br />
Mon-Fri 4pm-Late, Sat-Sun 12pm-Late<br />
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<em>OUTLAW BURGER</em><br />
Sing it: "(One) all-beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, and onion on a sesame-seed bun."</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="The Station" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/the_station_web-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Tilt</strong><br />
1355 NW Everett Suite 120<br />
Mon-Thurs - 8am - 11pm Fri-Sat 8am - 12am Sun - 8am - 11pm<br />
*<em>Burger Available after 8am.</em><br />
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<em>EASTERN BLOCK</em>Locally sourced natural chuck patty, American cheese, hand-carved pork belly, fried onions/peppers and a tasty house recipe sweet pepper & dill yogurt sauce, all perfectly nestled on one of Tilt's giant, house recipe fresh baked biscuits.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Tilt" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/tilt1000_burger-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Tilt</strong><br />
3449 N Anchor<br />
Mon-Thurs 11am-8pm, Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 9am-3pm<br />
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<em>EASTERN BLOCK</em><br />
Locally sourced natural chuck patty, American cheese, hand-carved pork belly, fried onions/peppers and a tasty house recipe sweet pepper & dill yogurt sauce, all perfectly nestled on one of Tilt's giant, house recipe fresh baked biscuits.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Tilt" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/tilt1000_burger-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>White Owl Social Club </strong><em>*Veggie!*</em><br />
1305 SE 8th<br />
Daily 3pm-Late<br />
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<em>WHITE OWL SOCIAL CLUB HAZELNUT BEET BURGER</em>House veggie patty (garlic, almonds, brown sugar, red miso, kosher salt, black pepper, peanut butter, wakame, hazelnuts, quinoa, beets, potato starch, white onion, olive oil), served on a toasted bun with Misonaise, Heidi Ho Monterey Jack, carrot ramps and pea shoots.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="White Owl Social Club" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/white_owl1000-th.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><strong>Widmer Brothers Pub</strong><br />
929 N Russell<br />
Sun-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-1am<br />
*<em>Offer begins at 2pm each day.</em><br />
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<em>AMERICAN KOBE CHEESEBURGER</em><br />
6 oz Snake river farms American Kobe beef, American cheese, grilled pickled onion, iceberg slaw, fennel-tomato ketchup, grand central potato bun.<br />
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All images on this post courtesy of <a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/" target="_blank">The Portland Mercury</a>.</div>
</td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="195"><img align="right" alt="Widmer Brothers Pub" src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/general/burgerweek/images/widmer_1000web-TH.jpg" height="180" style="border: 0px;" width="180" /></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-66097277722837057392014-08-12T22:57:00.001-07:002014-09-15T18:00:51.842-07:00Portland Burger Week: Slow Bar<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisclSfftHm86vM0jA21MXHSrmuSh-tGfjl8iTEZUnP6tT0Qi1tgS3hPVRQBFvjYjJ5S345bALEPCyMnytbPnVAbMgjsH0MyT2m8UmMqDXRaE7R96mJGUR4Ozeq3MbP1Dm6RQo75YUTCyUu/s640/blogger-image--96376842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisclSfftHm86vM0jA21MXHSrmuSh-tGfjl8iTEZUnP6tT0Qi1tgS3hPVRQBFvjYjJ5S345bALEPCyMnytbPnVAbMgjsH0MyT2m8UmMqDXRaE7R96mJGUR4Ozeq3MbP1Dm6RQo75YUTCyUu/s320/blogger-image--96376842.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Slow Bar</span></b> is the first place I think to recommend when anyone asks me where to grab a burger. And bahn mi is a Vietnamese sandwich I used to get in Anaheim, CA that I dream of to this day. Naturally the combination of these two things had my salivators salivating. I mean, Slow Bar kills it every time, right? Right? RIGHT?<br />
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Well, not really. The savory signature Slow Bar beef was significantly less savory than usual, the heavy slaw mixture that is probably the most recognizable feature of the bahn mi (beside the namesake bread) was conspicuously light. And the sesame brioche was far too sweet, it quickly became cloying. This was a very obvious attempt at a simple, easy to churn out burger-week burger, and the unfortunate result is the best burger in town phoning it in. Hold up though, Slow Bar crushed burger week last year, so they get a pass this year. I still love Slow Bar and I will continue to tell everyone to always go there. They transcend burger week.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"><b>Portland Burger Week</b></span><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;"> is an annual event that showcases some of Portland's favorite burgers. Participating bars, restaurants and cafes offer specially crafted burgers for $5 each. You can see a full list of Burger Week offerings<a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/the-five-commandments-of-burger-week/Content?oid=13213589" target="_blank"> </a></span><a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/the-five-commandments-of-burger-week/Content?oid=13213589" target="_blank">here</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-19345448762878979702014-08-11T19:29:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:01:05.031-07:00Portland Burger Week; The Hop and Vine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WNRTCudEVrghO4hDcfh1hpqzv1VUgBSmTWSarAkf5RzafDlN1B8EWeM8boKv7pzxJnAqvLa1PmGmvAodzgtsqDm_YEbpScSIzu1JrXR8lHGK86T9DGfbGLbkrIKLNc17KKGPJUk41ksZ/s1600/photo+(20).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WNRTCudEVrghO4hDcfh1hpqzv1VUgBSmTWSarAkf5RzafDlN1B8EWeM8boKv7pzxJnAqvLa1PmGmvAodzgtsqDm_YEbpScSIzu1JrXR8lHGK86T9DGfbGLbkrIKLNc17KKGPJUk41ksZ/s1600/photo+(20).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Hop and Vine</span></b> is a little tap room/bottle shop on North Killingsworth. It's the kind of neighborhood place that's popular with the locals and kind of happened upon by everyone else. It's gorgeous, with a sunny back patio and a draft list to write home about, but what's really up is this burger week contribution. If this is any indication of their everyday burger making prowess, this is not the place to sleep on. I'm talking to you everyone who does not live in North Portland.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger:</span></b> This venison burger was cooked so rare it practically walked into my mouth. And I loved it. The thick slab of pork confit, the zucchini pickles, the fresh frisse and house made focaccia were all so well thought out. Given the savory weight of the confit and the buttery, rich, rare-as-rare-can-be venison, Hop and Vine constructed a complete burger that was pleasantly smaller that what you would normally see outside of burger week. I walked out with a spring in my step, rather than a 10 lb dumbbell in my colon. Thank you Hop and Vine, it's like you predicted the havoc we all intend to wreak on our bodies this week and you planned accordingly.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Portland Burger Week</b></span> is an annual event that showcases some of Portland's favorite burgers. Participating bars, restaurants and cafes offer specially crafted burgers for $5 each. You can see a full list of Burger Week offerings <a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/the-five-commandments-of-burger-week/Content?oid=13213589" target="_blank">here</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-61259560429143466612014-06-08T14:00:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:01:23.843-07:00Average Burgers and Above Average Zombie Programming at Hilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MuNjS_BA2LHwXRE28TKmYSM7gJ-VTGdqe9hqDlbjWI1zzt6JO9S04ldrsxkRBFmxkhNy7hGcU-FSDazA6rRNeqL0fyOAcs8so9XTf5MQ6-jVXdK_ZrhiWHjJ6v69iJU-PqYlyXmwaXR-/s640/blogger-image--1006586414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MuNjS_BA2LHwXRE28TKmYSM7gJ-VTGdqe9hqDlbjWI1zzt6JO9S04ldrsxkRBFmxkhNy7hGcU-FSDazA6rRNeqL0fyOAcs8so9XTf5MQ6-jVXdK_ZrhiWHjJ6v69iJU-PqYlyXmwaXR-/s320/blogger-image--1006586414.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>Every bar in this city thinks it has "The Best Happy Hour Burger" </b></span>or "Portland's Best Late Night Burger" or some other unregulated nonsense. I assure you, I am here to weed through the free wheeling claims of burger superiority to give it to you straight up. They wont all be winners, and they wont all be losers. Most, like Hilt, will fall squarely in the middle of the road. And there's no shame in that. The mediocre is necessary. Without regular, boring stuff there's nothing to put spectacular stuff in context. If everything is fabulous then nothing is fabulous- you feel me? Hilt may claim to have some kind of impressive burger situation, but it's really just a regular old bar burger, and there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, I would eat it again, but I wouldn't brag about it.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger:</span></b> Aside from the heavy handed schmear of mayo, very average. I've noted before that I will typically review a kitchen's basic burger before I review any tricked out chef creation style burgers. My logic is that if a basic burger cant be made compellingly why should I or anyone else give some fancy dagwood-esque burger the time of day? There are some impressive looking burgers on the menu at Hilt, and if their basic burger is any indication, they probably wont suck. The basic burger boasted a fluffy sesame seed bun, fresh butter lettuce and ripe red tomato slices and a luscious, if skimpy, patty. Also, sorry about that picture, it was dark and everyone in the bar was really getting into The Walking Dead so I felt like an asshole blasting my flash.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries:</span></b> Our party did a lot of plate sharing and one of the favorite's was the kasseri fries. These were hand cut and covered in kasseri cheese with some type of lemon pepper situation. Good for sharing, great for choking on when a Walking Dead scene scares the crap out of you.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service</span></b>: Very fast and friendly. I think that Portland is shaking off the whole uppity server reputation in favor of personable, more laid back service. I like that much better and Hilt's got it.<br />
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Where: 1934 NE Alberta Street <a href="http://www.thehiltbar.com/">www.thehiltbar.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-28988810245917101822014-06-04T14:30:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:01:45.847-07:00The American Local; Weak Necked Heaven/Possible Snoresville<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcF2cC3wFn0jNw9DPOH_Ja1OR1owx506CGglNajDfFhyphenhyphenBADHijTNVCTWpO1pqfLH-D72NZNwZwCBujbvLYkq2UFlbV031VSUotwpDDzEUdh9QzqLJI-Xx46UI9KbgamxC11zjYjnolQgj/s1600/blogger-image-1432242384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcF2cC3wFn0jNw9DPOH_Ja1OR1owx506CGglNajDfFhyphenhyphenBADHijTNVCTWpO1pqfLH-D72NZNwZwCBujbvLYkq2UFlbV031VSUotwpDDzEUdh9QzqLJI-Xx46UI9KbgamxC11zjYjnolQgj/s320/blogger-image-1432242384.jpg" width="240" /></a><b><span style="color: red;">The American Local </span></b>is one of many exciting eateries on SE Division (driving down that street sucks a lot more than it did 5 years ago but that's beside the point I guess). If you can withstand the intoxicating aromas of Pok Pok or the even more intoxicating muddy drug water at Bula Kava you'll only get as far as The American Local before you and your olfactories are bewitched by the saporous bouquets and cacaphonous festivity within. The community table layout and wide open kitchen is warm and genial. There's an exciting energy that buzzes with Portland pride, the chefs toss fragrant dishes with wide smiles and the servers laugh heartily with the patrons. It's got that tongue in cheek "high concept-low-brow" approach that is so popular these days but it's execution is razor sharp. Can you tell how much I like this place or what?</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger</span></b>: My first bite was heaven. True eye rolling, deep moaning, weak necked heaven. The burger is simple, letting each component compliment the others without getting too fussy. Now, I'm a champion of simplicity in burgers, I like the taste of beef between fluffy brioche without a whole lot of brouhaha happening in between. The American Local nailed it HOWEVER, by bite 4, I was bored. Let this be the case against oversimplifying. There should be something to break up the savory meat, airy bread, bit of greenery situation. My utter veneration of the burger that seduced me for two bites was whisked away like a brief (like, seriously brief) passionate love affair. I would recommend the burger, but I would recommend it be shared alongside a few of the seasonal menu's fantastic looking small plates. That way you get all the soft weird moans and none of the equally weird yawn snores.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries</span></b>: Fresh cut Kennebec potatoes, fried up and salted perfectly. Exactly what you expect and nothing more. Served with a side of *special sauce </div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service:</span></b> Great! Attentive, personable, funny and very easy going. I kinda wanted to high five our server on the way out, he gave us serious high five vibes. Oh and take note, beers are overpriced and under-poured, so yeah... just an FYI</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Where</span></b>: 3003 SE Division <a href="http://theamericanlocal.com/">theamericanlocal.com</a></div>
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* I'm pretty sure it's just ketchup mixed with mayo and mustard</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-58800810737075887912014-06-01T12:00:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:02:12.726-07:00Sports, Dorks and The Jolly Roger <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJdNwMfPdupMFHzAMfGJGcViq1QDJa-3izkbkZTfzXlKO3kb6ippDUmbCtnku8fvx8VHzZkhQxRdGEwH-a9zCvRNp2XYO4xsDLAmuiryoZW4lA44rmo_2dg1FGVGzR3ZtG74qJNt8jwFi/s640/blogger-image--774637419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJdNwMfPdupMFHzAMfGJGcViq1QDJa-3izkbkZTfzXlKO3kb6ippDUmbCtnku8fvx8VHzZkhQxRdGEwH-a9zCvRNp2XYO4xsDLAmuiryoZW4lA44rmo_2dg1FGVGzR3ZtG74qJNt8jwFi/s320/blogger-image--774637419.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">At a dinner party a while back</span></b>, a fellow Californian recommended The Jolly Roger to me with the thrilling claim, "it's just like In n' Out." After a certain amount of years without a beloved <a href="http://lunchpig.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/In-N-Out-Burger_120511-4.jpg" target="_blank">Double Double,</a> a person might develop some hallucinatory oral hokum regarding what's arguably the best fast food burger on earf because frankly, The Jolly Roger's resemblance to In n' Out pretty much starts and ends with "they both serve burgers."<br />
The Jolly Roger is a reliably divey sports bar, co-opted, like so much of the SE, by soft pastel grunge hipsters. However, visiting on a Saturday afternoon was a lesson in maintaining a mellow constitution while all of the airborne sports balls being telecast around us worked an entire bar full of jersey clad fanboys and girls into a frenzy (I had the distinct feeling that I was in Beaverton all of a sudden - where was all the pastel soft grunge?).<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Burger</b></span>; Well, dude I met once at a dinner party, these burgers are NOT comparable to In n' Out. Just no. Maybe if I hadn't gotten my breadbasket all juiced up for something "animal style" I wouldn't have had such an adverse reaction. Put simply, The Jolly Roger is a very basic bar burger. The beef is slapped on a flat top, presumably from frozen, leaving the eater with the distinct essence of 100 years of greasy frost. The gluey american cheese felt more synthetic than it should have and the shredded iceberg and tomato both suffered for it. The dense potato bun was the best thing about the burger, which makes me a little sad. All this being said, if you're hammer-wasted with all your pastel soft grunge friends and you need to soak up some liqueur post haste, this burger will be the best thing you ever ate (probably, because that how drunkenness works).<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Fries</b></span>: Frozen, thick cut steak fries that also have an over-processed feeling to them that is mildly disturbing. But again, the drunker you are, the better these probably taste.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service</span></b>; Actually pretty solid. Our server handled our snooty behinds with ease while she juggled an entire bar full of revved up sports heads. It was impressive.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Where</span></b>: 1340 Se 12th Ave J<a href="http://jollyrestaurants.com/">ollyRestaurants.com</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-43069123065921032352014-05-30T13:00:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:02:28.925-07:00Crown Q and the Rebirth of Cool on Killingsworth<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinL6rnZubaE8lt3R_0wfYSNQkRz32SODE5bRjVXlT7ObTEGEnd0_Kii85UJvBU3jbV8lScXdUK8mAgIxf1NhcIqzl5YsvZGyCCTYFvQKV1-ZMIsmwG-xFnMABlkV93y30E17fyRVs0ObEM/s640/blogger-image--970724052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinL6rnZubaE8lt3R_0wfYSNQkRz32SODE5bRjVXlT7ObTEGEnd0_Kii85UJvBU3jbV8lScXdUK8mAgIxf1NhcIqzl5YsvZGyCCTYFvQKV1-ZMIsmwG-xFnMABlkV93y30E17fyRVs0ObEM/s320/blogger-image--970724052.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Crown Q resides at Killingswworth and MLK </span>in a storefront that for the longest time was a bummer of a teriyaki cafe before becoming a bummer of an empty storefront. I walk my dog past this place all the time, and when it was empty I would fantasize about what it might be someday. I could not be more thrilled with what it has become; a full on meat palace dressed up like Mardi Gras drag queen. Gary Lowe of the popular NE Portland Crown Q food cart, partnered with Stroupe Farms in Aurora to build my fantasy neighborhood market. Fresh all natural, locally raised meats, grocery odds and ends, a classic soul food menu AND OH MY GAWD YOU GUYS THEY MAKE AWESOME BURGERS<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger:</span></b> Well the meat is crazy delicious. The patties are seasoned with a heavy hand, formed to order and smash grilled. Though the onion and tomato were sloppily sliced (somebody needs to get their knife sharpened ASAP) and the lettuce was a little wispy, everything was fresh and bright. The white bun had a nice little toast to it but was otherwise pretty basic. But lemme tell you bout this bbq sauce right quick; the house made sauce had a great balance of tang and sweet, and even though it was slopped on without much grace, it made the burger. Time will tell if this is the burger this neighborhood wants, but it's certainly the burger this neighborhood deserves.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries: </span></b>Opted for coleslaw- it was that kind of day. Not particularly memorable so it must not have been bad- I would have remembered that.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service:</span></b> Counter service that's warm and friendly and makes you feel like you're in someone's home kitchen. The family vibe is strong here, and it adds a charm and sweetness to the joint. Growler fills and outdoor seating.<br />
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Where: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">445 NE Killingsworth St</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16.1200008392334px;"><a href="http://crownqmarket.com/">CrownQMarket.com</a></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-5640176960920193072014-03-22T20:25:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:02:44.344-07:00Lardo on Hawthorne and the Legend of Porklandia<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLGhaz8X60yTmw2Kjj1nGHckJUOGqp_rwxaOcPrl5FpiLXuwYyMI5dxokCE7yTcI7dRIiiOTD0bjijKu-zRSPD9MdJ2pefYgRFgNjVdHPEeupgx8NvcOYhTyHdCuwHaH7ONM3Hn0YV44Y/s320/blogger-image-1137870938.jpg" title="lardo" width="240" /> </div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Portland might as well change it's name to Porkland</span></b>. This city fetishises pork all day every day. Enter Lardo, a porky wonderland of a restaurant with a uniquely Portland evolution. Lardo went from food truck to restaurant to triple outpost chain in roughly five years. That alone is a testament to this city's love of swine. It's not surprising that Lardo has seen such success, they take their pork mad serious, and this is a city that generally rewards dedication and perfectionism <i>especially</i> when it comes to charcuteries on wheels.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger</span></b>: Two 1/4 lb patties, smothered in cheddar and topped with another 1/3 lb of Lardo's famed "porkstrami", a thick cut pastrami that falls apart like the stuff of meaty daydreams. This towering meatscape was habilitated with a rich, velvety aioli and romaine confetti exploding out of the sides like a new year's party popper. The fluffy brioche and hunk of dill pickle provided the sweetness and tartness necessary to balance the salty mountain of meat. It was a beast to wrangle into my mouth, but once I got my jaws around it I was in hog heaven. Personally, I'm not super-into loads of mayo, but some people are. And if those people are also into bachanals of grilled meat they are going to lose their minds over this burger.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries</span></b>: Lardo fries are legendary. I aint foolin. Cooked in lard and tossed with fried herbs and parmesan. I have some favorite spots for fries in PDX, but Lardo just took a dump on all of them. These are the best fries in Portland and I'm sorry if I ever made you believe otherwise.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service;</span></b> The food truck aesthetic is alive and well at Lardo's Hawthorne location where you stand in a fast moving line and order at a counter. They also have an impressive draft beer lineup, if you're into that.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Where;</span></b> Multiple locations. This review took place at 1212 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland. <a href="http://www.lardopdx.com/">www.lardopdx.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-20842033198339336032014-03-22T19:24:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:03:56.467-07:00Don't Get Your Hopes Up For Redwood <br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBPMcVyjQO3vKcm08g24QKyw9HCChkXA3hipLE-ZufVaLCyTk_JEL_vgFIZni53X58vsbzR2lJV2ASdL_tTdk78Lgc2huPVWwwA5GK69kvOPvA-6flWi3WFFM2tfPyWF2gYk8lw50XE-i/s320/blogger-image-1450999529.jpg" title="Redwood" width="240" /></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">The Montavilla 'hood on SE Stark is real hit and miss</span></b> when it comes to getting down on big plates of food. Tanuki, fighting tooth and nail against their popularity, is pretty much making all the restaurants on the street look like amateur baby kitchens. Admittedly I've only reviewed one other burger in Montavilla and it was legendarily bad. Wait, I feel like I'm starting on the wrong foot. Lemme start over -Ahem- *nervously adjusts collar* Redwood is a dark, semi romantic bar with a cozy atmosphere, perfect for a boozy date night. It's got rich wood interior that feels like hanging out inside of a wine barrel. I could drink many craft beers at Redwood but it's unlikely I will be eating any more of their craft beefs.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger:</span></b> Sometimes a burger has everything going it for it except a chef. For instance, even though this burger was dressed with fresh leaves of pastel green butter lettuce, carefully sliced red onion and a hedonistic quantity of white american cheese, the meat was so well done it was like chewing a sponge made of beef flavored leather. The bun was grilled far too aggressively and then sloppily dressed with a flavorless "special sauce" (read; this was bottled mayo someone forgot to season) I thought that this burger was disrespected by its chef and I was disappointed. Even burgers on a Friday night deserve our respect.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries:</span></b> The second the first fry hit my lips I could tell it was <i>at least</i> an hour old. It had begun the process of becoming stale and overcooked. It tasted as though it had been hovering over a fryer long after the fry basket had been lifted. And every other fry after it tasted the same. Blech.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service;</span></b> Redwood has exceptional service. Our server was exactly the perfect amount of chatty and attentive, but there was a sadness in her eyes that totally foreshadowed my burger experience. SHE KNEW!! I should pay better attention to my instincts. She was nice though.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Where:</span></b> 7915 SE Stark Street Portland <a href="http://www.redwoodpdx.com/">www.redwoodpdx.com</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Editors Note:</span></b> My constant companion and I worked in tandem to try both the basic burger and the vegetarian variety. I wasn't impressed my the texture of the vegetarian patty, it was mushy/mealy, but the flavor profile- a hodgepodge interpretation of Southeast Asian - was ambitious, which was impressive considering the "who cares" construction of the beef burger.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-10046990030824998402014-03-10T14:00:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:04:12.428-07:00Astrolgical Astronomy at Ecliptic Brewing Co<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<b><span style="color: red;">I encourage suggestions</span></b>, but I'm also kinda lazy and snobby, so I end up saying, "I will totally eat that burger this weekend" lots more than I actually eat burgers on the weekend. Sorry-not-sorry if I've done that to you. Once in a while the stars will align and someone will suggest a burger that I actually eat <i>and</i> review. And the stars aligned so hard for this burger. First off, this place is called Ecliptic Brewing (what's up vague 'stars-aligning' reference). Second, it was Portland's first gorgeous- as in clear and warm-ish- day in months (insert vague reference to the skies/seasons). Third, Ecliptic is in my hood, leaving me with absolutely no godly reason NOT to go there (besides my health) I love it when a plan comes together (thanks universe, you're okay I guess). Tip o' the hat to Steve* and Megan* for the suggestion. Oh, and to anyone else that's suggested a rad burger; someday, dudes, someday I will eat them all.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger</span></b>; Great beef, seasoned with a measured hand, cooked a lovely medium, shredded iceberg, and a smattering of pickle coins and red onion with a portiere of white cheddar, all of it smothered in aioli. Aioli aioli aioli aioli rocking everywhere. Aioli dripping off of my lips and into my lap. I wish I had the chutzpah to post a picture of my face after my first bite. I looked like I had just walked out of a bukakke party. Mayo all over the punim. The bun/burger/dressage balance was off. Here was this phenomenal patty of beef with what felt like a pinch of lettuce and a pound of bread. The onions and pickles gave a much needed tang but dang y'all, what is up with all that mayo?!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries</span></b>; Ecliptic Brewing has officially usurped Killer Burger as this blog's favorite french fry. House made, fried up perfectly -not greasy or limp, but crispy and fluffy. Dusted liberally with sea salt. Seriously perfect.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service</span></b>; There seemed to be more servers than tables - just an observation. The service was quick and friendly. But we need to talk about the view this place has. It's perched at the crest of Mississippi, just south of Freemont, with monster-huge bay doors that roll up to reveal a dazzling view of the westside framed behind the Freemont Bridge. I suspect this place will be seeing some packed houses come "patio drinking season".<br />
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<b style="color: red;">Where</b>; Ecliptic Brewing 825 North Cook St. (@ Mississippi). <a href="http://eclipticbrewing.com/">eclipticbrewing.com</a><br />
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* No names were changed. Who cares?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-73023588898773201522014-03-02T18:40:00.000-08:002018-03-30T14:30:14.669-07:00Mini Donut Burgers at The Original Dinerant<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<b><span style="color: red;">Hey, American, Can You Deal With This Level of Freedom?</span></b> Because part of me thinks food like this should be illegal outside of the State Fair. The Original Dinerant is pretty far from the Salem Fairgrounds, but add "on-a-stick" to most of it's menu items (if not its actual high minded dishes) and it would fit comfortably between the fry brick booth and the elephant ear stand. It is a kind of dazzling downtown restaurant that riffs on the make-bad-choices culture of American Cuisine, like, making chicken and waffles into sliders or batter frying Dr Pepper and Oreos. The Original is too sophisticated to serve two of those three things. But don't get me wrong, at the intersection of SW 6th and Oak is the intersection of metropolitan and Americana, tight-roping between the familiar and the experimental over a chasm of superciliousness a.k.a. fancy-pants versions of strait-up basic diner food.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger;</span></b> These mini burgers were amazing little morsels from heaven, DUH. The beef was supple and perfectly medium, a feat for their size. The Tillamook cheddar might as well had been left off, its tang was completely buried under the glazed donut, but who cares? It is delicious burger on top of a delicious donut! I have gazed longingly at the donut burgers at many a Oregon State Fair but never ate one for fear of festival food court beef. There was a feeling of redemption in eating these, like, I can play adult at a classy cocktail hour but do it while eating a burger with effing donuts for buns. I definitely felt a mixture of joy and shame in eating these, but, I think if I ate one at the fair I would have just felt shame. Do what you will with that information.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries;</span></b> Nice shoestring fries. Full disclosure; my companions and I ordered a plate of Poutine instead of plain fries. The fries beneath the gravy and cheese curds were fine. Nothing special, but frankly it's hard to accurately review anything after you've eaten two mini donut burgers. Also, what were we thinking? That mini-meal took AT LEAST a few hours off my life.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service;</span></b> Very typical of Portland. Professional and friendly etc. but part of me wished they were a bit campier. In my opinion their faux diner aesthetic would really benefit from a few beehives and bowties.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Where?</span></b> 300 SW 6th Avenue <a href="http://originaldinerant.com/" target="_blank">originaldinerant.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-48627440444863574872014-02-24T12:51:00.000-08:002014-09-15T18:04:30.052-07:00Frack Burgers, the 90s and Poison Sand Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiXTkRxU-vt3thncoanx9K3D_6Uq-bMYTVfTt70xa1YUGp_-GKaEcedN2WfB82xDPbPAObdbuelskdnyi-w3vHdiQnkGnxx8Nr2tb0VCRMohLVnmszBd89mmqpLEHF-kUAf8HOVxLI1d5/s1600/photo+(19).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiXTkRxU-vt3thncoanx9K3D_6Uq-bMYTVfTt70xa1YUGp_-GKaEcedN2WfB82xDPbPAObdbuelskdnyi-w3vHdiQnkGnxx8Nr2tb0VCRMohLVnmszBd89mmqpLEHF-kUAf8HOVxLI1d5/s1600/photo+(19).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">I do not associate frack(ing) and burgers</span></b>, but regardless of the definition, I think we can all admit that Frack is a fun word to say. I remember subbing out f-bombs for the word "frack" as a non swearing child. But now I am an adult (or a very large, swearing child) and even though I don't want to think about poison sand water murdering entire towns while I stuff fatty meats in my face, one odorous waft of grilled beef can change my mind. Why should the term "Frack" in relation to meat and cheese even bother anyone? What are words anyway? Hydraulic fracturing and burger nomenclature are not mutually exclusive, you know. Anyway, it was with the whimsy that accompanies being a large swearing child that I ventured to the very edge of Portland and ate the frack out of a Frack Burger.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger;</span></b> Frack Burgers are basic. There are no high concept "recipe" burgers on their menu, which is structured similarly to 5 Guys, Boardwalk or seminal burger joint In and Out. You have the choice of one, two, three or four patties. Each patty is 1/4 lb. The patties are hand formed and dripping with American cheese. There are a handful of additional topping you can choose from (just like <a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/5-guys-burgers-and-fries.html">5 Guys</a> & Boardwalk & <a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/wow-burger-does-indeed-wow-me.html">Wow Burger</a>) all of them are pretty standard. The patties are dense and juicy, the buns are fresh and airy, the standard toppings (iceberg, tomato and white onion) are fresh and crisp, but the Frack Sauce is what sets Frack Burger apart. It's what I imagine Ed's Sauce from Goodburger tastes like. If you have no idea what I'm talking about go watch Goodburger on Netfllix right now.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Fries:</b></span> When I saw the fries come out I was disappointed. They had the limp, oily sheen of overcooked handmade fries. You often see these fries at bars, freshly cut and ill prepared. But hold up, after I actually ate one, I changed my tune. They were far better than they looked. The onion rings also looked like they were cooked to death, but on closer inspection (by my mouth) they were pretty great. The sides are nothing to write home about, but they are serviceable.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service:</span></b> Counter server looked like he just walked out of a 1995 Gin Blossoms video. But that's not a taunt-the 90s are very much alive in Portland, maybe nowhere more so than it's outer edges.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Where:</span></b> 8981 SW Barbur Blvd. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrackBurger">Frack Burger on FB</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-42064186104361329372014-02-24T11:52:00.000-08:002014-09-15T18:04:46.082-07:00Tasty 'N Sons on a Cold Winter Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKftt9CI0P9v_VT5PpzrbGJtk3qCc_EsjdYBZ-F5pYWZCTDrir3yBIgBmnf_tdc0lEqUB7WbONwWWJBnHpNtXgQpYqiH_bhyphenhyphenken7CwdryR6b8KxQV5ky9ysEEywl8qlz-gguzHRUu8VTEi/s1600/photo+(18).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKftt9CI0P9v_VT5PpzrbGJtk3qCc_EsjdYBZ-F5pYWZCTDrir3yBIgBmnf_tdc0lEqUB7WbONwWWJBnHpNtXgQpYqiH_bhyphenhyphenken7CwdryR6b8KxQV5ky9ysEEywl8qlz-gguzHRUu8VTEi/s1600/photo+(18).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Remember when the world LITERALLY FROZE last week?</span></b> Everyone was simultaneously terrified and thrilled. I wanted to play in the snow but I also wanted to sit somewhere with huge windows and eat a burger. Just so happens that former "Restaurant of the Year" Tasty 'N Sons is about 5 minutes from my house AND it has big-ass windows. Boom. </div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger:</span></b> Tasty 'N Sons has never let me down. Every time I've eaten there, I've eaten something so delicious it makes me angry. This visit, the burger was the dish the I was most furious about. First of all, how dare they top that nectarous burger with bacon they are making in house? Who the hell do they think they are to enswathe all that meat with Beechers Cheddar? I could have honestly smacked someone then immediately hugged them; I eat with a full range of emotion<br />
Tasty 'N Sons pushes some of Portland's best plates out of their kitchen, so it shouldn't have surprised me that their burger would make me so outraged. Bread and butter pickles, slivers of red onion, a handful of iceberg and a schmear of magical aioli. Simple, classic perfection. Boom</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries:</span></b> Nope, but we had enough people in our party to order nearly everything off of the happy hour menu, and I strongly suggest the Radicchio with Parmesan Reggiano Vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is so rich I wanted to slather it all over the world, but the brightness of the radicchio cuts through the heft of the meal.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service:</span></b> Portland servers really are in a class to themselves. Come to Tasty 'N Sons and expect a lovely experience.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Where: </span></b> 3808 N Williams, Suite C. <a href="http://tastyntasty.com/">tastyntasty.com</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-90766090975436681552014-02-10T15:00:00.000-08:002014-09-15T18:05:16.495-07:00Kenny and Zuke's is More Than Pastrami, But Not Much More<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbk5pNWa5sY27E9mZ-06iJmTbZkYbK4249vU2yfdNuM40b2a0xKIUwrTr-Fx3YIQILUKNshh0asF8WIzt1hT6BvOb3OjOy2kWxoPHV3a1xNfFmPTV8WnXRijOhCbCboaGS5FUGOlyVD_P/s640/blogger-image-2000267951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbk5pNWa5sY27E9mZ-06iJmTbZkYbK4249vU2yfdNuM40b2a0xKIUwrTr-Fx3YIQILUKNshh0asF8WIzt1hT6BvOb3OjOy2kWxoPHV3a1xNfFmPTV8WnXRijOhCbCboaGS5FUGOlyVD_P/s320/blogger-image-2000267951.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Why Would You Go To K&Zs and NOT Get Pastrami?</span></b> I was screaming this internally as I crossed the threshold of Kenny and Zuke's Deli Bar on North Williams. The space was formerly occupied by francophille feverdream, Pix Patisserie (le sigh), but now smells of briny pork, tart sauerkraut and bitter rye bead. Despite having my nostrils seduced with the olfactory bacchanal that is their Ruben, I ordered a burger but - real talk - I was thinking about the macarons at Pix almost the whole time.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Burger;</span></b> The Happy Hour burger is a bargain. Beautifully toasted house baked bun, house made bread n butter pickles, and in addition to ruby red tomato and verdant green leaf, the option of pepper flecked grilled button mushrooms, caramelized onion, avocado or thick pepper bacon. This is the burger you hope to get when your friends drag you to a caraway scented deli but you maybe hate rye bread or something.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Fries;</span></b> Nope! Kettle Chips, potato salad or a classic slaw that is very pastel and refreshing.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Service;</span></b> Okay, forreals, our server had this early 90's hip-hop look that was KILLING ME. He was so sweet with his fat, gold chain and silky, purple shirt and dry, jheri-curl fade and I loved it so much. I want to drink 40s and listen to EPMD on a stoop with him un-ironically.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Where;</span></b> 3901 N Williams Ave 503.287.0782 <a href="http://www.kennyandzukes.com/">www.KennyandZukes.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-86939998882810927372013-11-27T17:00:00.000-08:002014-09-15T18:05:52.603-07:00Portland Burger Blog; Los Angeles Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Bright Lights Big City, Real Tan Fake Titties:</span></b> I hail from a quaint oceanside village
called Long Beach, California. You may know it as the city that brought you
Snoop Dogg, sailor tattoos, and the street scenes in every action movie ever. I
visit once or twice a year to remind myself why I moved, but my last visit left
me with an excess of feels - the feels that make it particularly hard to bail. In
and Out Burgers may have contributed to some of those feels. </div>
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I traveled from the warm beaches of
Hermosa to the rich hipster paradise of Silverlake all the way to back to the
cacophonous streets of dowtown Long Beach and no joke I ate a lot of burgers.
The results are in; here are the best burgers I ate on my Smog Angeles
adventure:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQKySp9kREhuvHpl4S9XDL05ZUzCGlWCnJ6OnET_FC63F0wnZMGVsoUZXpJldNHs6YdnZdwp33nnYBXSwAxBrnE-JF0_5mU9lVbgoso7K1qh7gcT2OAfhU8pPsQIJYbI9kHvu_BphzGnt/s1600/umami+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQKySp9kREhuvHpl4S9XDL05ZUzCGlWCnJ6OnET_FC63F0wnZMGVsoUZXpJldNHs6YdnZdwp33nnYBXSwAxBrnE-JF0_5mU9lVbgoso7K1qh7gcT2OAfhU8pPsQIJYbI9kHvu_BphzGnt/s320/umami+4.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Umami Burger: </span>Everybody and their momma wanted to get me to Umami Burger... 5 years ago. I'm obviously too cool (or dorky- they're the same thing now, right?) to be on trend, plus I live 1,500 miles away, but hallelujah! I finally made it there half a decade after I first heard about it.<br />
Umami, for the uninitiated, refers to the satisfying mouth feel of meat, or any other dense, savory protein. It calls to mind certain satisfaction. A sense of "yum". Umami Burgers are aptly named, not just for the flavorful beef of their patties, but for the deliberate composition of their cleverly constructed burgers. There is a lot of "yum" happening here.<br />
The classic Umami Burger (shown here) consists of shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisp, and a house ketchup. Depending on your way of looking at burgers, it may seem basic, or it may seem over-thought. I assure you, it is both, and therein lies Umami Burger's genius. It's essentially a cheese burger with grilled onion and mushrooms, but it's on some next level sh*t. If low brow in the key of high concept is your bag, and you find yourself in Los Angeles or NYC it's worth your while to seek out an Umami Burger. Visit <a href="http://www.umami.com/">www.Umami.com</a> for locations<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdNDquVbI3Vj96Qke2-owSqrZAfsW5WNVSTv_iOaYZoXada22PrloHcNzWaq4h7Q0i2o0Af9XdYWYumU2h2AXPQiBTKFLDENP8KWLIuuDRlBND01xtlFsL6FxUx9_LFXliT_MSAayBK2U/s1600/congregation+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdNDquVbI3Vj96Qke2-owSqrZAfsW5WNVSTv_iOaYZoXada22PrloHcNzWaq4h7Q0i2o0Af9XdYWYumU2h2AXPQiBTKFLDENP8KWLIuuDRlBND01xtlFsL6FxUx9_LFXliT_MSAayBK2U/s320/congregation+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<b style="color: red;">Congregation: </b>In the new (to me) promenade of downtown Long Beach, tucked in the bottom corner of a high rise with ocean views, Congregation is nestled. It's stark resemblance to East Portland's <a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/whatever-satan-im-just-here-for-burger.html" target="_blank">Church</a> gave me immediate religion shivers- but I poured one of their craft brews down my neck and was all, "Bring me a burger, Satan! Also, get behind me!" Pictured here is their signature Turkey Burger, because variety! Served on a lightly toasted english muffin, (a style that I was first introduced to at <a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/dig-pony.html" target="_blank">Dig A Pony</a>) and topped with a roasted tomato, caramelized white onion, wild bitter greens and some fancy aioli, the picture does not do it any kind of justice. The turkey patty- notoriously easy to dry out into a cardboard mockery of a burger- was moist and seasoned with a sweeter, less savory profile than a traditional beef burger. And though I could have done with a tad more brown on that muffin, I was too happy to be scarfing a burger on my beloved hometown's sparking Promenade to <i>really</i> care. Your experience may vary. Visit <a href="http://www.congregationalehouse.com/congregation-ale-house.html" target="_blank">Congregation Alehouse </a>online. I understand their pretzels are also the jam.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCtObP-93FL2yaUcsrCx_0H5ccs4MqcKeVWTcczdYQuOxo2wowjd0jjocZzWR92HhFDybGrn5HOHKNpIB9NGZRR11c9-lJQuiehmv5pMqs9-JnpBCZwxyNOwzKb4UxvEUKT-5BCn_TusM/s1600/rockwell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCtObP-93FL2yaUcsrCx_0H5ccs4MqcKeVWTcczdYQuOxo2wowjd0jjocZzWR92HhFDybGrn5HOHKNpIB9NGZRR11c9-lJQuiehmv5pMqs9-JnpBCZwxyNOwzKb4UxvEUKT-5BCn_TusM/s320/rockwell.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="color: red;">Rockwell: </b>Right off the bat, I know that picture should get me fired, but look, Rockwell is romantic and dim and very stylish and I was not trying to be that blogger in the corner blowing up everyone's spot with multiple obnoxious blasts of Iphone flash. When it comes to delicious foods, Rockwell don't play, so lets imagine that instead of that Instagram fail over there, you could clearly see the juicy char of a half pound of medium rare, freshly ground chuck, smothered in pepper jack cheese and thick, smokey pepper bacon. A simple, A1 aioli is dripping from the sweet, whole grain bun and the bright green of the romaine is contrasting spectacularly against the crimson hothouse tomato and the paper thin red onion. Beside this masterpiece of a burger is a huge pile of onion rings, breaded in Capt'n Crunch Cereal. Yes, you read that right. Yes they were delicious. Yes, this is "fine dining." Put away your WTFs and marvel at what will surely be my heart attack in 5 years. Let it also be known that there is a goddamn tree growing in the middle of the dining room up into an open air, roofless situation that could literally NEVER happen in Portland. Thank you L.A. The reasons I hate you are the reasons I love you. Visit <a href="http://rockwell-la.com/" target="_blank">Rockwell LA</a> for reservations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5G0opfrn-iFLAkStI2tj0QSKMKq8SeY6pFnM4ZKDLXR2yhOi2TbxIhvyYwzHJ13DMBV664K8SmgW_fSVjz_MpVQRr7D23pUoavXI83A2rQxoHcMQXYQsqdPK3dUr0gWm02YKvZ7yx6eny/s1600/IMG_3246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5G0opfrn-iFLAkStI2tj0QSKMKq8SeY6pFnM4ZKDLXR2yhOi2TbxIhvyYwzHJ13DMBV664K8SmgW_fSVjz_MpVQRr7D23pUoavXI83A2rQxoHcMQXYQsqdPK3dUr0gWm02YKvZ7yx6eny/s320/IMG_3246.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>In and Out: </b></span>If I was giving out fast food Michelin stars I would
give In and Out ALL THE STARS. As in, it is worth the drive, ride, flight,
price of travel, etc. to experience it. It’s everything you want in a fast food
burger- the grease, the salt- with the winning amount of freshness. Prepared
almost exclusively by idealist teenagers in paper hats and clean white
uniforms, it is a warm Southern California night on the beach, it’s a mouthful of
sunshine, it’s the wind in your hair
while you drive down PCH in your dad’s convertible. Alright, maybe I’m confusing
my objective burger science with my hometown pride, but honestly, as a burger
lover, you <u>must</u> eat an In and Out Double-Double at least once before
global warming or type 2 diabetes makes gross corpses of us all.<br />
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Hey, chill out. Of course I’m going to talk about
the secret menu. What am I, new here?<o:p></o:p></div>
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In and Out has the same limited menu it had the day
it opened; Burger, Cheeseburger, Double Double (as in double meat double cheese-get
in my mouth double time!), french fries, ice cream shakes and a slew of sodas. BUT,
if you are a person in the know, you can make your double double a 3x3, 4x4 ad
infitum, you can go animal style, go protein style (thank you LA diet jagoffs),
make your fries extra American and insane by adding 1000 island dressing,
cheese and grilled onion. I mean, the list goes on and on- anyone willing to do
a Google search on “secret In and Out menu” is going to be richly rewarded for
their burger sleuthing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In summation; EAT THIS BURGER, DAMNIT. WE’RE ALL
GOING TO DIE.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Afterword:</span></b> I know that Los Angeles has many, many fantastic burgers. These were the best burgers of the burgers that were most convenient for me to eat. One day I will make a trip down south for no reason other than eating burgers all day every day for a couple of days (because any more than a couple of days will probably kill me). PS, any LA readers who are planning a trip to PDX, holler at me and I will blow your burger socks off. </div>
<span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-79176248423095410862013-08-13T16:00:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:06:19.445-07:00Portland Burger Week in Review!<b><span style="color: red;">I ALMOST ATE THE WHOLE THING;</span></b> And I really would have had a handful of kitchens not grossly underestimated the sheer burger consuming power of Portland during burger week. Victory Bar sold out of their burger an hour after they opened their doors and, understandably, quickly threw in the towel. Widmer Bros had signs in their windows regretfully declining burger specials after lunch time and Rockin Robyn strait called in sick. I bullied my way up to the bar at The White Owl 3 nights in a row attempting to secure their vegan beet burger, but they had repeatedly sold out. Obviously, I was denied all three times. All things considered, I still managed to do some respectable damage to my lower GI tract at Foster Burger, Ate-Oh-Ate, TILT, Club 21, The Alberta St. Pub, Slow Bar and Pause. My biggest takeaways from Burger Week are:<br />
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<li>Some places are gonna shine, other places are gonna whine</li>
<li>There is a thing as too much cheese</li>
<li>It's maybe not a great idea to eat burgers 7 days in a row.</li>
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Damnit, there were some life changing, event burgers happening during burger week. If I may, my top 3 Portland Burger Week burgers are (drumroll)..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvYXYBcBaV_3MCl7qp3BCHRn4DpgE3L4DCx0SRiuydyW9ygc7VbjjOuz2QShZxJbPtPNtvATQmf3nBitajzLgMOp4-tL-oYZGON7PBVLZeoOizmgnFWtiSZStYwvfH74o20g1XDUyi7ug/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvYXYBcBaV_3MCl7qp3BCHRn4DpgE3L4DCx0SRiuydyW9ygc7VbjjOuz2QShZxJbPtPNtvATQmf3nBitajzLgMOp4-tL-oYZGON7PBVLZeoOizmgnFWtiSZStYwvfH74o20g1XDUyi7ug/s320/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">#3 TILT's The BIG TILT</span></b></div>
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Welcome to swan island A.K.A. layer upon layer of sloppy burger mayhem. Double patties? Check. Triple buns? Check. Bigger than your face? Check. Even though a little part of me wants to never see it again (probably the part that lives in my GI tract), the bigger part is like, "I'm gonna eat that burger so hard, like, once, maybe twice a year". Here's to hoping this beast-mode-big-mac will make it's way on to their everyday menu.<br />
<a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/burger-week-edition-big-tilt.html" target="_blank">Click here for the review of the BIGTILT</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6P028WnlqQwqz1-qAmGZLsB0Oi03xU_tU7UY_kKR0VWa9oG1qLTN6v_a09lNMlAKS4LDdYjBIdZWn2euy3_FGfNAgqlr7nYtNHzWUjflk68_TUbK7haJq29W4ywe2Hs3CVV21B8Cf0rsg/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6P028WnlqQwqz1-qAmGZLsB0Oi03xU_tU7UY_kKR0VWa9oG1qLTN6v_a09lNMlAKS4LDdYjBIdZWn2euy3_FGfNAgqlr7nYtNHzWUjflk68_TUbK7haJq29W4ywe2Hs3CVV21B8Cf0rsg/s320/photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">#2 Alberta St. Pub's Elk Burger</span></b><br />
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Once I got over the shocking renovation of what used to be one of the more dependable dives on Alberta, I could really enjoy this gamey take on burger week. Though the fancy dressings were lost behind the grassy meat, the patty was fantastic enough to more than make up for the lack of pickled cherrys and chaterelle aioli.<br />
<a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/portland-burger-week-edition-alberta-st.html" target="_blank">Click here for the review of Alberta St. Pub.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-KNRQ_H8CZwLGuGjsBJAaIUrR3Njph8M_qHb2OYh5syECRoycgIZUSnE2cksy_vDXjx-y1INqsOIG3LOQU7G4RfFuwVJ0bFTPtaN-lC0Sn2axLD2RevakZs8R7uyhofF27V8iHXwbR_3/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-KNRQ_H8CZwLGuGjsBJAaIUrR3Njph8M_qHb2OYh5syECRoycgIZUSnE2cksy_vDXjx-y1INqsOIG3LOQU7G4RfFuwVJ0bFTPtaN-lC0Sn2axLD2RevakZs8R7uyhofF27V8iHXwbR_3/s320/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">#1 Ate-Oh-Ate's Spam Musubi Burger</span></b><br />
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Truly the one transcendent, eye rolling, tear jerking moment of Portland Burger Week. Whereas I have never been a fan of spam, I am now a convert. Everything about this burger was harmonious. It was simple greatness. Dear Ate-Oh-Ate, Please-Oh-Please put the spam musubi burger on your regular menu.<br />
<a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/burger-week-edition-spam-musubi-burger.html" target="_blank">Click here for my review of Ate-Oh-Ate</a><br />
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Naturally there were some disappointing moments during burger week; the aforementioned premature closures, some less than awesome offerings and the wait times. Honorable mentions include:<br />
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<li>Slow Bar (duh)</li>
<li>Club 21 (who knew?)</li>
<li>Pause (what up dark horse?)</li>
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My last burger of burger week was had at Pause. In a bittersweet moment of closure, one of the chefs came and chatted with me about what a cluster f*ck burger week was for all the participating restaurants. How nearly none of them had anticipated just how slammed their dining rooms would be, or how backed up their tiny kitchens would get, or how exhausted their entire staffs would be before dinner service was halfway through. Though I know just how tough it was for some of these places, the reward must be so much greater. People going all the way to swan island for a burger? Heck yeah! Scene kids, punks and foodies all hunched over Perkins Burgers at perennial old man bar, Club 21. Diversity! A line out the door at Foster Burger? Well, that's just annoying, but you catch my drift. I can only imagine how many people who may never have seen the inside of these restaurants otherwise, now might have a new favorite restaurant. I know I do (I'm looking at you Ate-Oh-Ate)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-28937780263058071822013-08-10T13:49:00.003-07:002014-02-16T14:21:59.319-08:00Portland Burger Week Edition! That's My Slow Jam: With Guest Blogger Jenny Keene<b><span style="color: red;">( EDITORS NOTE)</span></b> I have enlisted one of my favorite buddies to tap me out for this burger blog- but don't get it twisted, I ate this bad boy, and it was ah-mah-zing. As always , Slow Bar burgers are a joy and I highly recommend that you drop what you're doing and go eat any one of their stellar burgers. Wait, though, don't leave just yet. Finish reading this sweet blog first.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Brave New Burger Blogger</span></b><br />
Well, our dear friend and burger blogger, Brianna, has been working so tirelessly and is surely taking one (or a dozen) for the team during this uber-eventful Portland Burger Week, dining and dutifully reporting on all of the delectable offerings. But I wanted to give her blogging muscles a little break, so I volunteered to cover one of these babies for her. Yes, when the opportunity to chow down on a brand new and all original Slowburger from the infamous Slow Bar arose, I sort of pounced on that mother faster than you can say "atsa spicy meatahball!"<br />
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So, first of all, Slow Bar is one of my favorite bars in Portland. As Brianna has mentioned in previous blogs, it's a pretty impressive and foolproof place to show to out-of-towners. But as a straight single lady, I would like to talk with you for a second about how Slow Bar's clientele is ALWAYS 85% men, and a solid 60% of those are stylish, sexy dudes in skinny jeans. I will admit that, for me, personally, sometimes the indisputably excellent burgers are the second best feature of Slow Bar. Single ladies, please note: the Slow Burger is basically catnip to plaid-shirted men with hip side-parts and tasteful high tops. Go forth and get yo flaahhh-hirrrrt on, girl.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">The Beef;</span></b><br />
Okay, SO. The burger. The burger was clearly aiming for an Italian theme. Slow Bar's signature 1/2 pound Painted Hills beef patty is topped with Finochianna salami, provolone, arugula, caramelized onions, and a kicky spread that bursts with fresh basil and oregano. My first bite made me think of spaghetti! But in a pleasing, comforting way, not in the weird way that you would expect of a spaghetti burger. <br />
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Prior to reading the description of the burger, Brianna thought the salami was actually prosciutto. It was so thinly sliced and delicately spiced with fennel and pepper, it could have been prosciutto's more complex twin. The provolone was satisfyingly chewy, and slightly sharper than one might expect. The onions were thick and sweet, just the right balance for the juicy, salty patty, although perhaps just a wee bit overdone. <br />
This, my friends, was a satisfying burger. Slow Bar had clear Italy-centric goals for this burger concept, and it reached all of those goals with aplomb. My only complaint was that the fat, rounded patty and slippery arugula caused one of those pitiful situations where the patty fell out from between the buns when I gripped the burger. Jeez, round patties, get it together! <br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>The Fries</b></span>; My side of fries was pretty tasty, and went peachily with what I shall forthwith refer to as my spaghetti burger. I was going to whine to you about how the ketchup that accompanied the fries was clearly store-bought, but then I realized how embarrassing and prissy that sounds when you say it out loud, so pretend I said something poignant about neo-marxism instead.<br />
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I recommend staying tuned to the action as it happens, as Brianna is going to eat as many of the remaining four Burger Week entries as is physically possible, and she'll be back blogging tomorrow!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">WHERE;</span></b> <span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">533 SE Grand Avenue, Portland. </span><a href="http://www.slowbar.net/" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #7d181e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">slowbar.net</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">EPILOUGE</span></b>; This blog posting was sponsored by James "Bobo" Fay of Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot. And when I say sponsored, I mean he bought all of our burgers. Guest Blogger Jenny Keene is a content specialist who really kept her verbosity in check for this blog (thanks, yo!), you can see more of her fine work <a href="http://jennykeene.wordpress.com/profile/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-83859141941181848482013-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:06:37.864-07:00Portland Burger Week Edition! Club 21's Perkin Burger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu2mL86KIF4auzmP6V-_UJGLASMPNIKteXAGEMNQw3B92bXHxuAtCxr6DNC6aaWWOYmyOIiGHo56O5d9Gla8OnIKho2NZLYQGn_fTdtMo6cvfSr4T86Onn84L9yp9_cBSEkr3UP70KLgW/s1600/picstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu2mL86KIF4auzmP6V-_UJGLASMPNIKteXAGEMNQw3B92bXHxuAtCxr6DNC6aaWWOYmyOIiGHo56O5d9Gla8OnIKho2NZLYQGn_fTdtMo6cvfSr4T86Onn84L9yp9_cBSEkr3UP70KLgW/s320/picstitch.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">An Old Guy Walks Into A Bar:</span></b> And orders a hybrid patty melt/french dip. The bartender gapes, the cooks cheer, the patrons rejoice, for this man had created a wanton beast of a burger that will live in infamy for the rest of Club 21's existence. I have been to Club 21 on a few occasions, and I find it to be an authentic PDX dive. Honorable and legacied and done up with all the best vintage beer lamps and mounted stag trophies, and rightfully co-opted by the next generation of hard drinking, hard living, chain smoking badasses. This is not your ultra modern Portland pub of today, it is LEGIT.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BURGER;</span></b> With so much high concept burger creation happening during Burger Week, it was nice to sit down to an established low brow burger. Already popular with the bar regulars, The Perkin Burger is the best of a french dip and a patty melt, married on a soft hoagie roll and served with au jus. The swiss cheese, 1000 island and red wine caramelized onions were relatively pedestrian additions, but they imparted a tang, a necessary contrast to the soft bread and well cooked beef. It's participation in burger week, to me, seems like a reprieve from the deliciously pretentious burgers being served around town. Sure, it's a great concept burger too, but It's simple and it works. No pretense, no flamboyance, you could probably make it at home pretty easily. Like I said- LEGIT.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">FRIES</span></b>; Feeling not quite fat enough to really be LIVING burger week, I gots me some tots. They were greasy and salty and dive-bar-delicious. My only regret is that I wasn't drunk enough to enjoy them as they were truly meant to be enjoyed.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">WHERE;</span></b> Club 212035 NE Glisan Portland (503) 235-5690</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-38156226444278053122013-08-09T09:49:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:06:55.860-07:00Portland Burger Week Edition! Alberta St. Pub<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-pp3DHL9AhYFYgQrC1eGsHGBar9EabfX6lmFOVOOrWdL7z-roo0p0EF_TA21YSZJw0VveJIbe8Cp2TtQVoT5LqorDKbkVqwhhcORamKLdnf-oF3awqzHkncB-vL5RYIvizi3gcVzyvGd/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-pp3DHL9AhYFYgQrC1eGsHGBar9EabfX6lmFOVOOrWdL7z-roo0p0EF_TA21YSZJw0VveJIbe8Cp2TtQVoT5LqorDKbkVqwhhcORamKLdnf-oF3awqzHkncB-vL5RYIvizi3gcVzyvGd/s320/photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Somebody Got A Makeover!</span></b> Just a short while ago, The Alberta St Pub was the embodiment of the dark, back alley London pub. It was the perfect place for a mysteriously dapper gentleman to duck into on a stormy night to conduct some "business". Although in reality it was more trucker-hat-and-pabst than velvet-cloak-and-pipe, it could really sustain the illusion. But, alas, gone are the dark, insular wooden booths of yore. Today the Alberta St Pub is full of wide open spaces, windows for days and garage doors that roll away to reveal glorious patios. Though the scenery has changed, the vibe hasn't. I still would've like to have seen a few Sherlock Holmes pipes though. For old times sake.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BURGER</span></b>: With it's singular contribution to Burger Week, Alberta presented us with an exquisitely prepared elk burger with pickled cherries, rouge blue cheese sauce, chanterelle aioli, caramelized onion and arugula. This patty was savory and gamey, with a wild grassy finish. And though elk is remarkably easy to overcook and dry out, this burger was cooked to med. rare, juicy perfection The spectacular sounding dressage was lost beneath the dominating flavor of the elk, which was unfortunate because I was really looking forward to pickled cherries and chanterelle aioli. The brioche bun was denser than some of the other offerings this week, but it worked in favor of the burger as a whole. It was a small, sophisticated burger with a lush, natural feel. Frankly, it was a nice reprieve from a week of massive amounts of beef. Good foresight Alberta St. Pub!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">FRIES</span></b>: Fresh hand cut fries, a little droopy but well seasoned with coarse sea salt. Very au-naturel.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">SERVICE</span></b>; Between Alberta St's relaunch and Burger Week, these poor kids seem stretched pretty thin, but pleasant otherwise.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">WHERE</span></b>; 1036 NE ALBERTA STREET PORTLAND, OR <a href="http://albertastreetpub.com/">albertastreetpub.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-6588217201346419952013-08-07T23:50:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:07:24.416-07:00Portland Burger Week Edition; The Big TILT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7mB554GFhBujs9VkzvYxaTHXNDqZekCU7ZjAmzIA5ECKN_JtBepQ9Z0a7qHF_Gqug08p52L-WdwYrusg9CIZ9f94msPeZWWrHQVTtahUWbMAWHg4YWJBQR1Y9pR1nkrDTfg2aAqjm3cN/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7mB554GFhBujs9VkzvYxaTHXNDqZekCU7ZjAmzIA5ECKN_JtBepQ9Z0a7qHF_Gqug08p52L-WdwYrusg9CIZ9f94msPeZWWrHQVTtahUWbMAWHg4YWJBQR1Y9pR1nkrDTfg2aAqjm3cN/s320/photo+(6).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">TILT IN MY MOUF</span></b>! I'm loving Swan Island more and more these days. On my first visit to TILT, I was really taken by what I still think is some of Portland's most arresting scenery. An industrial hub nestled beside a sparkling blue river encompassed by an emerald green forest. It's like a weird, dystopian oasis that you can ride your bike through. TILT is an oasis within an oasis, not only serving some noteworthy burgers, but cranking out granny approved baked goods AND biscuit brunches for days y'all. Days...Totally worth the surreal drive to the center of everywhere/middle of nowhere.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BURGER</span></b>: A bold contribution to burger week, The Big TILT is Swan Island's answer to a Big Mac. Custom baked buns ( 3 of them! Fluffy as glazed donuts!), 2 patties, a heap of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, fresh pickles, thick cut bacon (*deep breath*), a fried egg, a curtain of gooey american cheese and, yes yes y'all, secret sauce like a muhhhh. Everything in perfect excess, balancing on the precise line between artistry and farce. Look at how glorious that monster is! I broke into a slow clap 2 bites in, and shot a double thumbs up to the entire restaurant.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">FRIES</span></b>: Spot on batter fries, but when you're playing a game like this you might want to stick to colesalw. That being said, the jalapeno slaw is a slam dunk. Spice-phobes need not fear it, the razor thin jalapenos are crisp and mild.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">SERVICE</span></b>; With a smile! And the air conditioned dining room is a dream. These cats have burger week handled. Respect.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">TILT</span></b>: <span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3449 N.Anchor St., Suite 200 Portland. </span><a href="http://www.tiltitup.com/" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #d52a33; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">www.tiltitup.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-65626177419397908612013-08-07T15:59:00.000-07:002014-02-16T01:31:34.104-08:00A Word About Portland Burger Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF6xgiq8OKrtZIefVI_W0jGQHHZEzL5GOlZ_h4sYB6rhouCQmy9XqmW1CsIvefdON2EWJM4lm6nDW1SrUQpSn5KN6dupoBxq_ZDD0eCQXNYDcoRy9HE0clPIcLjncgxDk-FKZjZzOoGmy/s320/13256_695097757173490_1452121579_n.jpg" height="155" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red;">THIS IS HAPPENING</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">; And it's awesome. And there's no way I'm going to be able to eat all of them in a week (I keep telling myself-don't be a hero).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Burger Week is sponsored by <a href="http://www.portlandmercury.com/" target="_blank">The Portland Mercury</a>, one of the fine weeklies of PDX. It's a 7 day </span>celebration<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of the burger, the burger arts, and the burger </span>aficionado<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The participating restaurants have invented some of the most interesting $5.00 burgers this town has ever seen, and many of the joints have appeared on this blog- crazy right!? I feel like it's my birthday or something.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"><b>Participating Restaurants:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/portland-burger-week-edition-alberta-st.html" target="_blank">Alberta Street Pub</a></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"> (1036 NE Alberta)</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;" /><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/burger-week-edition-spam-musubi-burger.html" target="_blank"><span style="cursor: pointer;">Ate-Oh-Ate Hawaiian Restaurant</span> </a>(2454 E Burnside)<br /><span style="cursor: pointer;"><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/portland-burger-week-edition-club-21s.html" target="_blank">Club 21</a></span> (2035 NE Glisan)<br /><span style="cursor: pointer;"><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/stick-your-mouth-on-dicks-kitchen.html" target="_blank">Dick's Kitchen</a></span> (3312 SE Belmont)<br /><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-fuk-is-foster-burger-so-awesome.html" target="_blank">Foster Burger </a>(5339 SE Foster)<br /><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/pause-on-interstate-with-miss-heather.html" target="_blank">Pause</a> (5101 N Interstate)<br /><span style="cursor: pointer;">Rockin' Robyn's Sassy Burger</span> (5221 NE Sandy)<br /><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/slow-bar-burgers-could-change-your-life.html" target="_blank"><span style="cursor: pointer;">Slow Bar</span> & Slow Burger</a> (533 SE Grand / 2329 NE Glisan)<br /><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/skyline-burgers-you-know-for-kids.html" target="_blank">Skyline Burgers on Broadway</a> (2200 NE Broadway)<br /><span style="cursor: pointer;"><a href="http://pdxburgerblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/despite-their-facade-tilt-does-indeed.html" target="_blank">TILT - Handcrafted Food, Built For The American Workforce</a>.</span> (3449 N Anchor)<br /><span style="cursor: pointer;">White Owl Social Club</span> (1305 SE 8th & Main)<br />Widmer Brothers Gasthaus Pub (955 N Russell)</span></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yeah, that's a long-azz list, but you can rely on me eating atleast 3/4ths of it. As of this blog, I'm 2 down, 10 to go. Can she do it? Will she GO ALL THE WAY?!</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Full disclosure- I'm probably going to tap out at 8)</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Check back for daily burger updates, and get on my </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/portlandburgerblog" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;" target="_blank">FB</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> & </span></span><a href="http://instagram.com/portlandburgerblog" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;" target="_blank">instagram</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> game for real time burger updates</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158765600756577643.post-55670783810400401972013-08-07T00:08:00.000-07:002014-09-15T18:07:47.310-07:00Portland Burger Week Edition! Spam Musubi Burger at Ate-Oh-Ate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAp5KThGInZm-8d5m7R5wi-_nM442FLWmSmCCfkgDfnKHzcBtxpISjS1gK_IIpKXMnpB-wiMy94glkKAEnKRNUNQ1jdh4KJ7ptarROdGt_nOf0uLvRgqW8TI0KGKd_CDEC84s0m3ZifWwL/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAp5KThGInZm-8d5m7R5wi-_nM442FLWmSmCCfkgDfnKHzcBtxpISjS1gK_IIpKXMnpB-wiMy94glkKAEnKRNUNQ1jdh4KJ7ptarROdGt_nOf0uLvRgqW8TI0KGKd_CDEC84s0m3ZifWwL/s320/photo+(5).JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Do People go to Hawaii for the food?</span></b> I don't know, but if I had to guess, I would say...maybe? That was the bottom line of the convo I was having as I crossed the threshold into Ate-Oh-Ate. Having heard fantastic thangs about their spam and egg stacked contribution to Burger Week, I was pondering my limited experience with the cuisine, admittedly confined to loco moco and weirdly sexy island fruit. Oh, and spam.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BURGER;</span></b> For anyone who rolled their eyes at a burger with fried spam on it (I was one of you), know this; spam abso-effing-lutley rivals bacon as a deliciously logical burger topper. This burger was a testimony to balance of flavor. A voluptuous patty, precisely perched on a tailor made, aioli dressed brioche. Two thick slices of grilled spam and an over easy egg that broke with the gentlest nudge, enveloping the tightly constructed burger in a veil of smooth, velvety yolk. I had the pleasure/displeasure of arriving at the tail end of a massive rush, which resulted in about an hour wait- the consequence being a burger patty that was seasoned and pressed to order. As far as I'm concerned, I got there just in time.<br />
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<b style="color: red;">FRIES: </b>Noope. But macaroni salad is a decent beach-bbq-throwback side dish. I could almost hear the waves crashing (not really).<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">SERVICE;</span></b> It's day two of Burger Week and they're overwhelmed, but dang if they're not pulling off with some serious grace. Maybe it's an island thing.<br />
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WHERE; <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">2454 E Burnside St, Portland </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">(503) 445-6101 <a href="http://www.ate-oh-ate.com/#!" target="_blank">ate-oh-ate.com</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0