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Portland Food Update April 2010

The past few months have seen some changes in the Portland food scene (I’m talking the one I’m interested in – pizza, bbq, hot dogs, bacon-dusted fries, etc., not that fancy or healthy stuff!). Here’s a quick update:

Opening almost two months ago was the Skinny Cart BBQ at 202 Washington Ave. While I was off in Austin consuming as much BBQ as I could possibly find, Portland was getting its own fill of some delicious new smoked, grilled, and messy meats. Ron Gan opened the cart in the bright green shack next to his house and plans to add more mobile carts to his arsenal before too long.

From one friend who hadn’t yet tried the food, it “looked legit.” I knew what he meant before even laying eyes on it – as many foods go, especially of the barbecue variety – the more dilapidated the restaurant/cart/truck looks, the more delicious the food is. As it turns out, this theory holds true with Skinny Cart.

The menu is very limited – to just two items, in fact. Their names seem to change, but basically you can either get a beef or pork sandwich. On this trip I had the pork – listed that day as “pulled pork” though what ended up on the bun was less the stringy stuff and more full chunks of shoulder pork, which is fine by me! I was surprised on my first bite (through some tangy peppers and onions on top) when I felt the crunch of – yes, here it comes, folks – bacon! Full, tasty, crispy strips of bacon inside the pork sandwich. Perfect!

While there’s no proper seating to rest while you enjoy your meal (I recommend stopping by on a bike trip, it’ll make you justify the meaty goodness if you’re one of those calorie-conscious people – I’m not) though there are some concrete blocks by the driveway which provide a partial view of the city. Hours are 11am-3pm (I think…) most days.

In other food news, my favorite pizza joint in town, Otto, is growing up a bit. The owners have opened Enzo next door. The beer-and-wine bar has table where you can order drinks and full pies from next door, which are passed through a pizza-sized window in the wall.

Finally, in what will certainly be even more of a bummer in the summer, when cheap hot dogs and onion rings are what you want at 2 am, Papaya King on Dana Street is long gone. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

Nosh, Almost There.

nosh photo by Bryan Bruchman

Nosh, the new “Kitchen Bar” opening in the space at 551 Congress Street formerly occupied by The White Heart, looks like it’s just about ready to open (anybody out there have a firm date? Perhaps this weekend? word is a soft “friends and family” opening now – or rather already tonight – with a full opening this weekend or Monday at the latest, depending on who you ask). Their menu looks interesting, with a wide range of moderately priced burgers and snacks (including a whole “noshing” menu of small items to be combined into platters), creative fries (bacon dusted?!), and a slew of sandwiches on the higher end ($8-$10). The menu lists the hours 11am-1am, so it sounds like this will be the new go-to late night food option (though in that crucial 1am-2am hour, Otto will still be the only game in the Arts District – which reminds me, how exciting it is that Otto is expanding into the space next door? Word is they’ll have a bar of some sort in there..). Though a lot of people certainly miss the White Heart in its heyday, Nosh definitely looks to be aiming pretty high, and I’m curious to see how it does.

Figa?

figarestuarant-sign

I noticed that the new Figa Restaurant on Congress Street has a sign up and it looks like the interior is coming along nicely, with chairs and other furniture in place… but when is the opening? If you know, please share!

In other food news, the Phoenix recently featured my favorite pizza joint, Otto (who appear to have a fancy new website!).

Portland Cookie Review: Big Sky Bakery

review by Biscuit Wakefield – please read “Biscuit On Cookies

Big Sky Bakery
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Walnut Cookie
(I purchased mine from the Public Market, but it’s available at the Woodfords location as well)
(My apologies, I forgot the price. Again! It was reasonable, though, I remember that. Good cookies are so distracting.)
bigsky_trio
Now that the air has cooled I find myself turning to that old breakfast standby: oatmeal. Such simple food, yet so nourishing, so satisfying. Amazing how a few cents’ worth of oats will tide you over until lunch, even if you have a busy morning and lots of leaves to rake.

However, in my mind, there is a clear distinction between a chocolate-chip cookie and an oatmeal chocolate-chip cookie. Oats lend sturdiness, texture, and yes – flavor. Oats in a CCC aren’t an ‘add-in.’ They’re a revision (OCCC). Mind you, it can be a tasty revision, as this OCCC from Big Sky proves.

Butter fans, take note! Real creamery taste shines in this cookie, and there’s just enough salt to cut the rich sweetness. Big Sky is, of course, known for its breads – the Honey Whole Wheat is a staple of the Wakefield household – and while it seems odd to say this, it’s possible to detect the quality flour in Big Sky’s cookie. It’s oaty, yes, but wheaty too; I’d be curious to taste a version of this cookie sans oats, just for comparison’s sake.

Walnut fans, also take note! I do not, for the record, prefer walnuts in my cookies. But these are fresh and flavorful, lacking the bitter tang that plagues cheap (or aged) nuts. As for the chocolate, it’s dark and assertive enough to mingle with all these other flavors, though I wish there’d been more of it. I say that, though. What really grabbed me about this cookie, and what I’m remembering now as I write about it, is the phenomenal, comforting, homey taste and mouthfeel of the grains surrounding said chocolate.

I guess this is the only cookie that’s ever made me crave a bowl of oatmeal. I mean this as a great compliment.

Luke’s Lobster In NYC

review by Biscuit Wakefield

lukesoutside
Eaters of Portland!

I realize that Bryan, Hilly Town’s owner, asked me to review chocolate-chip cookies for this fine web site. I am sorry that my CCC reviews have slowed of late — the summer was busy, my garden was suffering, and other obligations interfered. I promise I will have more cookies to discuss with you soon but first, a brief detour into the world of the savory.

As I have mentioned previously, Mr. Wakefield’s boat business takes him occasionally to New York City. I accompanied him on a recent trip and while we were there we decided to visit Luke’s Lobster, a new spot run by a man whose family is from Cape Elizabeth. According to the New Yorkers, this place guaranteed a “real” Maine lobster roll at a reasonable price. I hear this is something of a rarity in New York, those poor souls! But is this “real” lobster roll really real, and is the price reasonably reasonable? Only one way to find out. Below the jump, you will see the results of my investigation.

Read on…

Music Fans Need Food Too: Otto’s Pizza

Let’s get one more food post in, while we’re on a roll.

ottos-pizza-1

Again we take an optimistic look at late night pizza options in Portland. The other day I spotted this Craigslist ad (thanks, job search rss feed!), and then the Psst! confirmed it: a new restaurant by the name of Otto’s Pizza would be opening up at 576 Congress Street. Today was apparently the soft opening, advertised by a cute sign constructed with paper plates.

Read on for the full review and more photos! Read on…

Some People Get Thirsty: El Rayo Michelada

I know, two food-related posts in a row? I thought this was a music blog! Don’t worry, it is. I just enjoy food, as you may have noticed. Drinks, too.

At El Rayo Taqueria (aka that new taco joint in Portland that’s really good) yesterday I noticed an interesting beverage on the drink menu: a Michelada. It was described as “Beer of choice served over ice with Worcestershire sauce, lime, tabasco, and salt.” Sounded perfect to me.
El Rayo Taqueria Michelada

When I ordered it I was asked “are you from the Southwest?”

No.

“Have you lived in Mexico?”

Nope.

“Been there?”

Not once.

“Oh. Usually those are the only people that drink this.”


Seemed like a good sign to me! The chili powder and salt along the top rim was pretty intense – I described it as tasting like licking a barbecue grill (not that I’ve done that), but the drink overall was really delicious and refreshing. The spice is great (I’m also a fan of Bloody Marys) and the concept of beer over ice/in a mixed drink is great. I had mine with Dos Equis and that seemed to work out pretty well.

Now if only someone would open up a late-night taco truck in Portland, all my Mexican food-related needs would be fulfilled!