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Tuesday, 28 October

Oba!

Appetizer: mexican cheese plate
Bill: Mushroom risotto
Kitty: T-Bone steak
Cost: $70

Obad.

This is, by far, the most overbearing service I've ever experienced in a restaurant. Worse, the waiter wasn't necessarily there when we needed him. We were seated in the back dining room, and I was facing the door. Every few minutes, one of the staff would come in and look through the door--often making me feel quite self-conscious as they were staring in our direction. This may not sound so bad, but by few minutes, I mean about two. There was a constant whirling of waitstaff, and most of them seemed to be doing nothing. Oh, and the ~best~ part? Our waiter kept touching me. Twice, he put his hand on my back in a condescending manner. I know it's picky of me, but I really don't care to be touched--without my consent--by strangers, and at a restaurant, this is a standard no-no.

But wait, there's more. The food absolutely sucked. The steak was cooked properly, but that's as far as it goes. Once my craving for red meat was satisfied after a few bites, this gristly chunk of meat wasn't worth finishing. Bill's risotto was undercooked, featuring chunks of nearly raw carrot. Other than that, he said it was more or less flavorless.

Oba! is the very definition of trendy: someplace the middle class go because they think rich people might be there. It was too dark, too stark, too loud, and massively overpriced.

Oboo!

Fusion | Cat Connor | 28 Oct, 2003

Saturday, 25 October

Porto Terra

Where: On Sixth just south of Yamhill
Bill: Mushroom risotto
Kitty: Veggie ravioli of the day
Dessert: Flourless chocolate cake with cherry gelato; cheesecake with carmelized apples
Cost: $50

At first I was concerned about the lack of separation between the bar and the dining room, but Porto Terra makes it work. It's not your typical bar--no loud music and lots of light. It didn't bother us much.

I liked the decor, and the table was comfortable. Yes, I'm saving the best for last.

That is some damned fine food. The chef at Porto Terra understands that cooking vegetarian is not a limitation. My ravioli was stuffed with cheese, veggies, and a small amount of nuts. The sauce was a light veggie broth (my only complaint: a little too salty), and topped with slices of mozzerella that were thin enough to melt into the dish. Just heavenly.

Bill's risotto was equally fantastic. The risotto itself was covered by a layer of fried zucchini, giving it the texture of a savory pie. The risotto was cooked in the same broth as my ravioli, giving it a strong, deep flavor. As good as the ravioli was, I'm ordering the risotto next time.

The desserts were good, but not spectacular. I did enjoy the ice cream very much--it had a strong note of cinnamon. And bless them for having a human sized portion of cake--enough to eat, not die from.

We'll be visiting Porto Terra again. I'm anxious to try the rest of their fare.

Italian | Cat Connor | 25 Oct, 2003

Taste of India

Trailer on the corner of Main and 2nd.

I ordered the Saag Aloo, as it's become a favorite. Well, not here. The naan was floury, and the potatoes were in big chunks in the middle of the spinach sauce (wrong! little chunks of potatoes help flavor the sauce!) and the sauce itself was too peppery or something. Just didn't taste like Indian food.

I'd really hoped this would be good, as it's close to where I work. Alas, no.

Indian | Cat Connor | 25 Oct, 2003

Wednesday, 22 October

Park Kitchen

American on 422 NW 8th.

Want to try | Cat Connor | 22 Oct, 2003

Andina

Peruvian restuarant, 1314 NW Glisan.

Want to try | Cat Connor | 22 Oct, 2003 [Comments](1)

Vietnamese

Green Papaya

Want to try | Cat Connor | 22 Oct, 2003 [Comments](1)

Sunday, 19 October

Sylvia's

Kitty: Tortellini Alfredo
Bill: Spinach Lasagna
Dessert: Carrot cake
Cost: about $40
(from delivered dish)

Yum!

I was craving tortellini, but we'd just been stumping around Portland, and were too tired to go to Alessandro's. So we headed home and looked for a place where we could both get what we wanted from D-Dish. Sylvia's fit the bill perfectly.

The tortellini suffered a little bit during the time it took to deliver, but not so much that it wasn't delicious. Bill's lasagna was fantastic, and the carrot cake was some of the best I've had.

When we want Italian at home, this will be the place.

Italian | Cat Connor | 19 Oct, 2003

Thursday, 16 October

P.F. Changs

Appetizer: Vegetable dumplings, steamed
Bill: Ma po tofu
Kitty: Sweet and sour pork
Veggie fried rice for both
Cost: would have been about $30

Uh, no.

The decor is pretty, though a bit overdone. The waiters, though green, are attentive. But the food.

There really was nothing wrong with the dumplings. I'm allergic to large amounts of ginger (and it tastes awful to me), so I passed, but Bill enjoyed them very much. Not so with the tofu, which was too salty and had little to counteract that taste. The S&S was very fatty, and grossed me out after a few pieces. The fried rice had a smoked flavor added, and was also very greasy.

And then it hit me.

Well, he hit me. I was getting ready to pay the bill, when one of the waiters swung an empty tray and connected quite solidly my skull, just behind my left ear. I almost went down, and I'm ashamed to say I was a bit cranky with the waiter (who felt awful--I don't really blame him). We got our meal for free, but boy howdy, we are so never going back.

Chinese | Cat Connor | 16 Oct, 2003 [Comments](8)

Friday, 10 October

Rose and Raindrop

Appetizer: brie and roasted garlic on bread
Dessert: 4-layer chocolate cake
Kitty: Shoulder steak, black-bean soup
Bill: Veggie lasagna and salad
Cost: About $55

Everything was top-notch. I didn't expect a perfect delivery (we used d-dish again) steak, and it was medium rather than medium-rare, but oh boy, it was still tender and wonderful. The green beans that came with were a little too green, but the mashed potatoes were delicious without any add-ons.

Bill loved his veggie lasagna, and the salad was gorgeous. We shared my black-bean soup, which was eye-rollingly good.

The cake (we shared one piece) was rich, with a dark bite.

This will be our place to go when I have a steak craving, but we still want good vegetarian for Bill.

7/4/04 UPDATE: I don't know what happened, but we ordered again from R&R about a week ago, and the whole meal was bad. Ah well.

American | Cat Connor | 10 Oct, 2003

Monday, 06 October

India Grill

We've had a good run lately. We have found The Indian Food.

Ordered India Grill from d-dish. Had saagalu and palak paneer. We didn't realize it was basically the same dish, spinach sauce, but one with cheese and one with potato. Oh my was it ever wonderful. Great rice and yummy samosas too. Total for two with delivery: $28. This could become a habit.

Indian | Cat Connor | 06 Oct, 2003

Cha! Cha! Cha!

FINALLY! Mexican food that doesn't make us sick (well, we hope), and is delicous. And on top of that, it's incredibly cheap.

Cha! Cha! Cha! on about 12th and NW Glisan is a neat little order-at-the-counter place across from Manzana (where we no longer eat, because of the lack of veggie options). Bill had a veggie burrito ("meat brick") and I had the Cha plate. Both were yummilicious, and the whole meal was $15, including the generous tip I dropped in the jar on the way out (yep, great service).

In fact, I have some leftovers...

Mexican | Cat Connor | 06 Oct, 2003