Comments

1
This article was the biggest waste of newspaper space I've come across in a long time. Shari's has pie! Who would have thought? Old Spaghetti Factory has pasta? And a view? Boy, I better get on over there. Taco Time has tacos to rival the trucks. Let's see, this is not April Fools Day, so all I can say is WTF?
2
"GIVE ME 24 HOUR ACCESS TO PIE OR GIVE ME DEATH."
- Patrick Henry: freedom fighter, non-foodie, real American
3
THIS IS WHY YOU'RE AN ELITIST LAME STREAM MEDIA MARXIST!!!!
4
Yeah this is lame. But I don't agree that people shouldn't have access to pie 24 hours a day. Yes, people should have access to pie around the clock. It's pie! Who doesn't want some organic, vegan, locally made, sustainable pie??
5
You kids and your new fangled tight pants wearing taco trucks and your email phone pods! Get off my lawn!
6
Remember, this is the Snoregonian. The right wing paper in town. Their readers are the same people who would prefer a stupid politician over an intelligent one, all other things being equal, on the basis that they've got more in common with them. It makes perfect sense that their readers would prefer a dumbed down chain over something the same price and better quality, simply because it's more "common".

Popularity / mass appeal isn't good or bad per se, but it shouldn't be the deciding factor for whether you like somewhere or not.
7
OMG this article is brilliant. You hit on almost all the reason why this O article is one of the worst things ever written in a daily newspaper. That and calling foodies "rich, america hating, snobs". Wow.
8
Agree with the O's article. I *adore* seeing foodies getting upset over this.
9
Strategically, The Merc has a future in media - the O article is a prime example of why their publication does not.
10
I was with you till the 24 hour access to pie bit.

That's what separates us from the beasts, Ezra.
11
The dumbshit who wrote the article claimed that foodies don't like American cheese (and "ultimately," hate America -perhaps in a shit attempt at a joke). Well, foodies like locally produced cheese, but tend to dislike orange vegetable oil solids (or "American Cheese").

And I dunno: Sayler's Country Kitchen? Maybe you're not "on the radar" because you're not very interesting. Ever think of that? Hell, ever think that there's nothing wrong with looking for food that tastes good?
12
Come on, people. It's not about price (an awesome breakfast at Tin Shed or Helser's costs the same as a plate of bland shit at Shari's), or about access (The Roxy and Hotcake House are both open 24 hours a day), or even about simplicity and common-man authenticity (Fuller's coffee shop has that in spades and didn't get name checked).

It's about ADVERTISING, pure and simple. All the chains mentioned have huge, pendulous ad budgets. Local restos don't. The Oregonian (shit, all print media, more or less) is moribund. This is a last-gasp cash-grab that went over the edge from tasteful wooing of potential advertisers to embarrassingly blatant corporate cocksuckery.

Rehashing it in terms of an "Us vs. Them" battle between so-called Foodies and Regular Joes just encourages this kind of advertorial in the guise of class-baiting. That said, I anxiously await the Oregonian's comparison of the various local establishments owned by Restaurants Unlimited. I wonder if Kincaid's preparation of Sysco boxed kibble will be noticeably superior to that of Stanford's... stay tuned!
13
Portland pie enthusiasts: There is a two-and-a-half hour darkness period for quality pie in this town. Whiffles closes at 4am and Random Order (their pie is remarkable) opens at 6:30am. If you cannot make it through this horrible pie-less void without a mouthful of crust and filling, by all means go to Shari's, or eat a Hostess pie in an empty Shell station while sobbing. (Not that I have personal experience in the latter.)
14
As Graham mentioned before, pure pandering to their advertisers. But the attempt to stir up divisiveness with an "us vs. them" tone is just silly.

And for once, the Oregonlive commentators get it (sort of) right.
15
I don't know about a blind taste test but those crisp burritos at Taco Time are the bomb! Shari's makes a decent potato pancake too.

Why can't everything just have it's time and place?
16
Do some residents of Oregon really take pride in Sheri's, TacoTime etc. having started here? Who cares? It's not as though the founders own or operate the restaurants that now bear those names. Why doesn't the Oregonian just go all the way with this and review the food at various locations of Carl's Jr., P.F. Chang's, Denny's, etc.?
17
Why'd Saylers have to be on the O's list of shit establishments to avoid? I like hanging out with the elderly eating a 2-3 pound steak.
Oh, wait, they actually meant to go to these places. I'm torn.

(but really, I do like Saylers. mmm massive steak.)
18
If you ask me, it's fucking brilliant. When was the last time anyone under 50 read an article in the A&E.?
19
Time and Place have a great deal to do with it, indeed. Sometimes I want the most amazing thing in the world, and price is not a factor. Other times, I want movie theater nachos.

And hey: only a boring person wants movie theater nachos all the time.
20
The O's question, "When was the last time you got a smile out of Stumptown barista?" reminded me of something: Was it a Portland Mercury "best of" list that once identified Stumptown baristas as "Most Fuckable" -- or am I imagining that? Please don't tell me it was a WW list.
21
I accept your apology, Ezra.
22
Also the Stumptown at the Ace has very friendly service.

I still like me a good drive through Starbucks though.

23
I find stuff like Stumptown and Barista a little overhyped...so I simply go to any number of other little coffee shops that are just fine. If you're really worked up about overhyped stuff like Stumptown Coffee or Voodoo Doughnuts, you're likely a tourist.

The fact of the matter is, Portland has a food scene because it has young (sometimes hip) people interested in eating unique, well-crafted food. I don't like all of it. I sneer when appropriate. But I don't run screaming to Shari's Diarrhea Hut every time a douchey new tapas place opens. I eat at the "foodie" places I like and can afford. The rest get ignored. It's not that difficult.

The author of this article could have at least clued her boring audience in on some boring-new-restaurants they might have overlooked. There's got to be dozens of crappy Italian or Mexican family restaurants out there in the suburbs...but she picks Old Spaghetti Barn and motherfucking Taco Time?! Just...wow. What a waste of energy.
24
I really think the dude who eats two tacos a day at the Lloyd Center food court Taco Time because "It's quick and it's close" sums this article up.

Also, this quote:
"Pedersen says the company's test kitchen is striving to keep roots in authentic Mexican fare: habanero pops up in a Limeade Splash on the menu, and they're developing their own torta."
25
I eagerly await their review of the new Danielle Steel novel.
26
Did you all see that Lee Williams is the same dude who shut down that pirate radio station?

http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2010/10/15/lee…
27
"Like it or not, better get it while it's hot."
28
"Who doesn't want some organic, vegan, locally made, sustainable pie??"

I just want pie, I don't care if it's organic or non-organic, I just want PIE!

I like all those places, but that O article is asinine.
29
Have you ever noticed that the ends of the crisp bean burritos from Taco Time look like cat anuses. Dip them in their red "salsa" and they look like bloody cat anuses.
30
And delicious cat ani they are...
31
The last time I got a smile from someone at Stumptown was when I said "thank you."

More than anything else, this reminds me of that vile Christine O'Donnell ad where she says that she "didn't go to Yale." This is the same aw-shucks wannabe-blue collar pretend authenticity that we've seen for years. It's snobbery. No, it's worse than that. This is arrogance predicated on the superiority of unsophistication.
32
Joe, you're right. It reminds me of the looooong open letter that David Cross once wrote to Larry the Cable Guy. Lemme see if I can find it....http://www.bobanddavid.com/2007/10/an_open_letter_to_larry_the_ca.html

Dude, you're from Massachusetts and you went to private school. Now you're a billionaire by fooling "blue collar" folks into thinking you're one of them.
33
The Oregonian serves three major interest groups: old people, far-away rural folks, and advertisers. On all of those counts, this article is a huge success.
34
I ain't no foodie y'all, but this seems to me like uhhh...
-More false populism and false cultural dichotomies from the 'gonian. In the tradition of Bike v. Car.
When you lack writing skills, thinking skills or the ability to review restaurants, invoke the image of the regular, common man against _______.
This warn out cliche has become the consensus of tea baggery
35
Perfect flakey pie crust requires lard and vodka. So the only vegan pie I want to eat has hair on it.
36
A larger question is -- where can the millions of us who live outside of the food cart and foodie restaurant zone go? I live in Vancouver, as part of my own sustainable lifestyle (no commute, low housing cost, low taxes). To get to any food cart zone, I have to drive 15 miles. To get to the great foodie restaurants, again, 15 miles. I DO make the trip and enjoy it, but it isn't sustainable to do that daily.
What other local chains offer good food? It is weird that they left out Burgerville, as that is my first choice, and I love Taco Time's street tacos -- they are great. Shari's quiche is very good. But I am left to cook at home most of the time if I don't want to cross the river. Suggest to me some great places we in the 'burbs and the 'Couv can find.
37
Dude, you live in the 'Couv -- you're fucked. I can't bring the good food to you, you have to come to it. Tough titties.
38
I did fine when I lived in Vancouver and even wrote a couple articles for the Vancouver Voice on just this sort of thing. Some options:

* Roots & Lapellah (both owned by the same people) for mid/upscale.
* The many taquerias along 4th Plain between I-5 and 205
* There are a few Thai restaurants around that are decent, my favorite happens to be one of the oldest with the simplest and cheapest dishes, Thai Little Home
* I believe there's a Pho Dalat now, for decent Vietnamese

More stuff here:

http://portlandfood.org/index.php?/topic/1…

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