Retail giants Walmart and Costco are dealing with the fallout from a Guardian investigation that has uncovered the use of slaves in the production of shrimp that they buy from Thailand. Migrant workers, who thought they were going to work in factories, told of being bought by boat captains and then enslaved, suffering terrible conditions […]
MJ Skegg
Posted inFood and Drink
Oyster Talk
Oysters are one of the few foods that we, in the West, eat alive—the cultural historian Felipe Fernádez-Armesto reckons that oysters, eaten plain and raw, are one of the few foods our distant ancestors would recognize (almost all other nourishment today has been altered by selective breeding over the centuries). They’re good for you, too—lots […]
Posted inFood and Drink
On Sandwiches: Keep it Simple
So I’m talking to a guy in a bar (as one often does) and he tells me he makes the finest sandwich in town. I assume (a) he’s drunk (b) he’s looking for a fight (c) he works at Bunk or Lardo (d) all of the above. It turned out I was wrong on all […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Another Food Cart Pod Bites the Dust
Further bad news for food cart fans—it appears the popular downtown pod at SW 6th and Columbia is slated for closure. Vendors, including Aybla Grill, Love Belizean and E-San Thai were given just 30 days notice last Friday. Andrew Love, co-proprietor of Love Belizean, is both angry and bemused by the eviction as he says […]
Posted inDrunk
More Reasons to Drink More
Portland Beer Week—it’s actually a 10-day extravaganza—kicks off on Thursday and there’s plenty for hops heads to get excited about, including many free events. Highlights include the previously mentioned Fruit Beer Fest (7 – 8 June) and a Rye Beer Fest (13 June); Bailey’s Taproom are hosting The New School’s pick of Oregon’s newest breweries […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Two Gustatory Anniversaries of Note
Anniversary 1 Steak lovers take note: the RingSide Steakhouse is celebrating its 70th anniversary with some special events and menus. In the rough and tumble world of the restaurant business, 70 years is, well, a lifetime, especially one that has managed to stay at the top of its game. It remains a barometer of quality […]
Posted inFood and Drink
A View From Abroad, or More Portland Love from the Guardian
It’s always interesting how our city is viewed by others, especially when it comes to food. The New York Times seems to rediscover Portland’s culinary scene once a year, while the UK-based Guardian has a particular hard on for anything PDX—the latest is an enthusiastic, slightly gushing endorsement of our food carts (though that’s understandable […]
Posted inFood and Drink
The Latest Installment of Nice People Doing Good Things on TV
The Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking was in town yesterday to shed (another) spotlight on Portland’s food scene, in particular chefs Gabriel Rucker (Le Pigeon) and Greg Denton (Ox) as they spent the day sourcing ingredients and cooking a feast for friends and family. For Rucker, a natural when it comes to […]
Posted inDrunk
Expect the Unexpected: Cocktails in an Urban Winery
On a recent visit to Cooper’s Hall, the new keg winery/taproom in Southeast, there were a couple of nice surprises. Firstly, despite publicity shots suggesting the space had all the charm of an aircraft hanger, the taproom has been skillfully designed to convey a warm, almost intimate quality… even at a time when it wasn’t […]
Posted inFood and Drink
From Russia (and Beyond) With Love
One of the worst meals I ever had was at a super-expensive (now defunct) Ukrainian restaurant in London that seemed to be trying to entice émigré oligarchs with a taste of home cooking (if mamma used to make soup of tepid water and vegetables, that is). Fortunately, I subsequently discovered the delights of Eastern European […]
Posted inFood and Drink
The Best Airport Bar in the World
The search for good food and drink at an airport is usually a tale of woe and misery: tacky bars with uninspired tap lists, crowded and overpriced restaurants—generally chains—that you would never walk in to if it wasn’t for the fact that you’re stuck in a rotten concourse with no place to sit. (O’Hare, LAX […]
Posted inFood and Drink
This Week’s Food and Drink Events
Monday, May 19– Taco experts Uno Mas have the grand opening of their new Westside restaurant. Situated conveniently close to Providence Park, they offer an expanded menu (including breakfast tacos) and a full bar. 1914 W Burnside, 11 am-12 am Tuesday, May 20 – The folks at Ned Ludd are in the process of developing […]