Bikini season is over, and thank god. For the next eight months, midriffs will be safely tucked away under sweaters, parkas, raincoats, and other warm, figure-obscuring items of clothing. So fuck the diet: It’s time for comfort food. It’s time for fat, starch, and salt. It’s time for French fries. Alberta Street Oyster Bar & […]
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NKOTB
Two Brothers Move In
I used to hate catching the bus at SE 39th and Belmont. Between the super-sketchy Chinese place on the corner, and the laundromat across the street whose initials spelled out KKK (Kwicky’s Kleen Klothes, or something), the bus stop had a distinctly seedy air. Now the scary laundromat has changed names, and the Chinese place […]
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Trust in Le Pigeon
If Chef Rucker Says, “Eat It”? Eat It
It’s stating the obvious to note that Chef Gabriel Rucker is exactly the type of chef Portland is known for: He’s young, he’s got tattoos, and he’s a cooking school dropout. He’s also P-town’s latest culinary success story. Former sous chef at Gotham Bldg. Tavern, he currently mans the open kitchen at Le Pigeon, where […]
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Tiny Tapas, Big Bill
Graze Won’t Fill You Up
Located in the former home of the reviled Nina’s Place, Graze is a dinner-oriented eatery that also features a Sunday brunch, a happy-hour menu, and a creative list of house cocktails. Graze goes for a white tableclothed but casual vibe, and it succeeds in part: Outdoor seating is pleasant, and on sunny days a great […]
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Lunching at Navarre
Don’t Fear the Cheez Whiz
Nestled next to Starbucks on NE 28th, Navarre is a cozy, unobtrusive space with high ceilings, mismatched chairs, and bowls of plums and tomatoes lining the counter. Long a dinner favorite for their unpretentious yet elegant tapas-style meals, Navarre has recently begun offering breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Unlike their dinner menu, which […]
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Happy Hours
Atlantis Lounge, 3552 N Mississippi, 288-3231, $3 micros, $3 wells, $1.50 Miller, Mon-Sat 6-8 pm, Sun 4-8 pm, Tues all night The Atlantis Lounge at the ever-happening Mississippi Pizza Pub has just reworked their happy hour, so head on over and check out the new drink deals—and don’t miss SIN night on Monday, when industry […]
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Tour de Yum
Tour de Crêpes Wraps You in Luxury
Located on the east end of Alberta, Tour de Crêpes has an unusual setup. The dining area, which includes lovely outdoor seating and a sandbox for the kiddies, is a charming wood-built hall. The hall’s roominess lends itself to relaxation; unobtrusive French music croons from the stereo. The kitchen/ordering area is housed in a sleek, […]
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Liver Let Live
Chicago Has Banned Foie Gras from its Restaurants—Is Portland Next?
Despite the outlawing of foie gras in Chicago, many Portland chefs are prouder than ever to serve the controversial culinary delicacy made from the fattened livers of overfed geese or ducks—but for how long? Chicago’s ban on actually serving foie gras—also known as goose liver pâté—went into effect on August 22, and is the first […]
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Game of Chance
Five Courses for $10? Rack ’Em Up!
Before I salivate over the five-course, $10 happy-hour menu at the Uptown Billiards Club, I have an important confession to make: I’m a GENIUS at pool. A “one-time chancer,” or hustler if you will, I just love the long shots. Once, I pulled off nine eight-ball clearances in a row, and I can, and will, […]
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Butter Makes it Better
The Screen Door: Worth Every Calorie
I admit that my only encounter with authentic Southern food took place at a Waffle House in Gainesville, Florida (I had raisin toast and “smothered” hash browns). I live in a state of complete ignorance regarding the way fried chicken, collard greens, and grits are supposed to taste—I’m actually not quite sure what a “grit” […]
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Better than Cadbury’s
Sahagún Imports Chocolate, But Not as I Know It
Until now, if there’s one thing I really missed about English food—more even than my mum’s succulent roast beef and Yorkshire puddings—it was the chocolate. So it was in a desperate state, looking for a fix, that I recently stumbled into chocolate shop Sahagún. While they don’t sell the down-market English variety I was looking […]
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Happy Hours
Bartini, 2108 NW Glisan, 4-6:30 pm daily, half-price martinis Bartini has about a gazillion martinis on the menu, ranging from the classics to froofy concoctions like the Bananas Foster. Unleash your inner sorority girl during happy hour, when all of the cocktails are half price. Night Light, 2100 SE Clinton, 3-7 pm daily, $1 off […]