As if legislators in money-strapped states needed more excuses to tax junk food in hopes of curing money woes, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests taxation could work to curb obesity and diabetes. From Yahoo! News: “While such policies will not solve the obesity epidemic in its entirety and may face […]
Patrick Alan Coleman
Posted inFood and Drink
The Mercury Food Section, Aloud: My Octopus, Myself
I generally embark on a journey of self discovery and exploration before I write Last Supper. For this week’s column on Spints Alehouse, I hooked myself up to a bio-feedback machine and coaxed my subconscious into a state of pristine quietude. When my mind was completely still, I introduced the image of an octopus. The […]
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Of Cephalopods and Sauerkraut
Behind the Keyhole of Spints Alehouse
Pan-German goodness at Spints Alehouse.
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Food News
KoiFusion, Portland’s beloved Korean taco truck(s), are going (kinda) brick and mortar. The KoiFusion @1 concept, sees owner Bo Kwon and Chef Joe Anderson taking over the kitchen and lounge space of SOLO [1300 NW Lovejoy] without actually taking ownership of the space. Meanwhile, the bar will be called Studio 1 and will be headed […]
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Of Foodie Dogma
Writer Eric Burkett breaks it down: Food is so many things: it is vital to life, it is a source of nourishment and of pleasure as well as an outlet for creativity. It fosters cultural identity and comforts those far from home. But no matter how ethical it may be, or how many antioxidants it […]
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Rainbow Trout: The Corn of the Fish World
Warm summer Sundays in Colorado would often find my father and me on Grand Mesa, casting a line into one of the many small lakes. We’d be fishing for rainbow trout. When I was a kid, I loved hanging out on the bank and watching the fish sway back and forth on the stringer—slick, speckled […]
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This Week’s Mercury Food Section: Gastro-Dives
Slingshot Burger. Yum. The Slingshot Lounge on Foster is not necessarily a dive. However, it does have some dive qualities: darkness, serious rock-laden jukebox, a battered bathroom, generous bartenders, sometimes crusty work-a-day clientele, Rainer tall boys, lots of concrete, and a good selection of pinball. That being said, it’s certainly cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing […]
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PETA’s Ten Grand Prize for Fine Faux Foie Gras
I’ve never really understood foie gras. The few preparations in which I’ve had the French delicacy didn’t really blow me away. That being said, I’ve never eaten “real” foie from Alsace, France, and therefore my perspective is somewhat flawed. I respect the culinary cultural heritage of the product, but on the other hand, I don’t […]
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Anti-Bar Food
The Slingshot Lounge’s Gastronome Heart
The Slingshot Lounge moves beyond bar food.
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Hot Coffee Fight! It Scalds!
Better than anything in Seattle. I don’t know why this amuses me so, but Seattle’s public radio station KUOW recently did a report about how Portland’s coffee scene is better than Seattle’s coffee scene. Among the reasons cited are Portland’s friendliness to small business and the ubiquitous Stumptown Coffee Roasters. The report also included this […]
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James Beard Foundation Award Nominees: Local Favorites
Outstanding Restaurant of the Year? The James Beard Foundation’s [JBF] annual awards ceremony was billed by Time magazine as “The Oscars of the Food World.” That makes my annual PAC Glutton Awards something akin to the Golden Globes—or it will as soon as I get Ricky Gervais on board, and find a place other than […]
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Pitxi to Open in North Portland
Tiny photo stolen from Oregon.live April of last year I had brunch at Pitxi in Sandy, Oregon, and was completely blown away. The soufflé was incredible, as was a dish featuring a rolled, cigar-shaped, stuffed chicken breast. I may not remember exactly how it was prepared, but it was incredibly tender and explosively flavorful. Also, […]