Even with the warm summer months coming on, it’s hard to imagine anywhere less tropical than Portland’s stretch of NW Glisan near the I-405 entrance. And yet the folks behind Callaloo, Kevin and Colleen Peck, have set up an intensely “Caribbean escape” there all the same. On the outside, Callaloo is a blandly colored corner […]
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Tastes Like Mush
A Baby Food Taste Test
Poor babies. Not only are infants forced to shit their pants, but they have to eat puréed fruits and veggies—”baby food”—for dinner. Ick. But if you are a baby—or a parent who cares which variety of crap you shove in front of your kid—the Mercury‘s here for you! We dutifully tasted a fancy organic variety […]
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Ditch the Frat Boys
Pearl Mexican Joint Needs Cojones
by Matt Davis A new Mexican restaurant needs to stand out in Portland’s crowded market. Two months after opening, La Vanguardia is still biting its nails, struggling to distinguish itself from its Pearl District neighbor, the Vault Martini Bar. Of 20 frat-boy suburbanites sitting outside on a Wednesday evening, only two were actually eating. Most […]
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“Beloved and Adorable”
Redwing is Worth the Wait
Those of you who were paying attention last week may remember that this week I promised a review of a “beloved and adorable” neighborhood dining establishment—if only I could manage to get there on a day they were open. Well, last Wednesday I checked and double-checked my schedules, then made the long, dusty trek from […]
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Best in the ‘Hood
Crema Does Everything Right
This week I was supposed to write a review of a beloved and adorable spot in inner SE Portland that will remain nameless until next week, when I visit it on a day when it’s not closed. I should have called first, I suppose (though who in the Christ closes their business on Sunday anymore?) […]
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Mediterranean Moxie
Blue Olive Stands Out on Fremont
The upper-40s blocks of NE Fremont are like a microcosm of the greater Portland area. You’ve got your hardware store for the crafters, your coffee shops for the stubbly intellects, your Pier 1-esque knickknack outlets and yuppie microbrewery for the Pearlies, and Stanich’s for the PBR-guzzling, burger-chewing retro-throwback set. With all that hubbub, it’s easy […]
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Raw Talent
Chef Stuart Reiter’s Newest Vegan Enterprise
Recently, The New York Times described the raw food movement as the newest trend in resort cuisine—lucky for Portlanders, we don’t have to head to San Benito to get raw. Blossoming Lotus, a tiny vegan cafe located in the lobby of Yoga in the Pearl, offers uncooked food options to cleanse the spirit and the […]
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Happy Hours
Goodfoot, 2845 SE Stark, 239-9292, 5-7 pm daily, $3 microbrew pints, $1.50 PBR, $1 off pitchers, food specials The Goodfoot hippie multiplex seems to be getting better by the month, especially since they started serving delicious food like the salmon burger, available for $4 at happy hour. Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy, 238-0543, Sun 11:30 […]
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Gone Mashin’
New Brewpub Finds its Groove
I had planned on reviewing Mash Tun months ago, closer to its opening, but at that time its brewing equipment was defunct, looming sadly in the corner, shiny and new and inoperative. Now it’s up and running, and Mash Tun can stand proud by its status as a “brewpub.” In the few months that have […]
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Walk the Line
Bay Leaf Balances Vegetarian Cuisine
Vegetarian dining can be tough, because most restaurants’ fare is limited to the extreme ends of the meatless spectrum. You’re either standing squarely in the world of pretend flesh, eating a tofu hot dog covered in chili and cheese, or you’re on the purist side, which largely involves steamed vegetables and maybe some nuts. Bay […]
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The 24-Hour Itch
In the Midnight Hour, You Want More, More, More
In a town where everybody drinks all the time, yet late-night restaurants are scarce, a good 24-hour joint is a precious commodity. Here are a few all-night hotspots that aren’t Denny’s or Shari’s. Okay, one’s Shari’s, but come on, you have to admit that cinnamon French toast is pretty effin’ good at four in the […]