by Quinn Viladas I’m in a quandary. A veritable quandary (!). You see, I’m trying to be a better person, and I’ve realized that all this time I’ve been scoffing at Veritable Quandary because of its idiotic name. What if the best restaurant in the universe is right under my nose and I’m too busy […]
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Cool Me Off
I’m Burning With Love for Cool Runnings
Cool Runnings 4100 NE Fremont 282-2118 Alright, let’s just get it over with. Doug E. Doug will not be serving you your entrée at Cool Runnings. Now let us proceed. A mix of Jamaican, Caribbean, and Cajun food (three genres you never see enough of), Cool Runnings’ fare is prepared with care, skill, marvel, and […]
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Buoy oh Buoy!
The Fishwife Attempts to Reel ‘Em In
Yes, the Fishwife has crabs, so don’t bother calling to ask. While coastal towns enjoy a variety of places like the Fishwife, River City only has a couple of these homespun seafood shanties, and that’s a shame. Inside, her walls are decked with the usual maritime flotsam and jetsam, offering plenty of eye candy upon […]
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Self-Hell
Analysis for People on the Go
Do I Have Graduation Anxiety? It’s May. And even as you read this, millions of high school seniors are preparing to take their last wobbly steps through the safe, warm womb of childhood before entering the screaming white light of the real world. Perhaps you are one of them. Scared shitless? You should be! A […]
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Not Such a Wallflower
Breakfast Cafe Gets the Point
Utopia Café 3308 SE Belmont 235-7606 There’s no angle on the Utopia Café. It’s not a good place to take Grandma, it’s not great for a date, it’s not healthy, it’s not vegan, it doesn’t have great ambiance and they don’t allow dogs. It’s just really good food. If you haven’t been there before, the […]
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Affordable Affluence
Eat Like a King, Without Pawning a Ring
The Farm Café 10 SE 7th 736-FARM I know how it is, Romeo: you’re tired of taking your sweet Juliet to the burrito shack. You want to treat your bon bon with a little tenderness, for once, and the lunch buffet at Swagat just isn’t cutting it anymore. Only problem is, you’re broker than the […]
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Seoul Food
Find Out You Love It
by Phil Amara Sorabol 7901 SE Powell 771-5842 Why hasn’t Korean food caught on yet? Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese all have secured a place in the hearts of the hungry. All have identifiable dishes: sushi, dim sum, pad thai, and pho, respectively. Korea brings kimchi to the table, sure. But there’s much more than that […]
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Long Live Lebanon
No Bullets in My Baby
by Karen Green Al-Amir 223 SW Stark 274-0010 After George Bush invades Syria, who do you think will be next? My bet is Lebanon. Its capitol, Beirut, is the site of many violent conflicts between Israel and the Hezbollah resistance. I sincerely hope that we never invade Lebanon, and I’ll tell you why: Portland (“Little […]
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Self-Hell
Analysis for People on the Go
Do I Have Post-War Depression? After months of mounting unease and emotional angst surrounding the war in Iraq, many Americans have had to face a startling truth. That was IT? Just as soon as you allow yourself to start enjoying the live war extravaganza, it’s over. Think you might be suffering from the post-war blues? […]
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The Ancient Pit
Or… What’s Summer Without a Pig Roast?
Scenario: Fifty people are coming over to your house or military compound and you must feed them; you are having a party. While there is a certain amount of grace within the pastoral aesthetic of the furnished patio–arranged just-so in the warm, safe glow of an even-cooking gas grill amidst a yard replete with croquet […]
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Drink
drink 21st Ave Bar & Grill 721 NW 21st, 222-4121. Lots of foliage and a Koi pond!! Ash Street Saloon 219 SW Ash, 226-0430. One of the most magical patios in all of Portland. The walls are so tall you might think you’re still inside. Then you look up. What’s that? It’s a blanket of […]
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Our Spring Eatin’ Guide to Restaurant Patios
A Aalto Lounge 3356 SE Belmont, 235-6041 Located in the heart of SE Belmont, and described by one nearby resident as being a good place to go “when I want to feel like I’m getting out of my neighborhood.” The Aalto has nice, retro mood lighting, a great counter area, and a cozy little patio […]