Kabba’s Kitchen - Portland, OR

It's our last meal in Portland so it's bittersweet and it better be good. No pressure.

Oh, it's all good, even this Ndambe Sandwich, which I had serious doubts about. It looks like a less sloppy black-eyed-bean sloppy joe, but it's so much better. The beans have real flavor in a kickin' tomato and onion sauce for a lighter lunch that is bean-tasically messy to eat. 

A tart Hibiscus drink and a bold Ginger drink both go great with all the spices. 

The Mafe Yapp is a hearty, slightly more hefty selection. Shredded beef is tender in a thick peanut sauce, a stew so thick it's practically solid. Serve over rice to savor.

And a side of sweet Plantains is a must.

It's all so good, but you're really here for Fataya. Flaky, crispy crust encasing a fabulous filling, full of spice. Dip in a chunky onion chutney for best results.

African food is an adventure for us, the perfect conclusion to our adventure in Portland. A lot of great things to be discovered in this crafty kitchen at Kabba's, just go with an open mind and eat.  

Oregon Trip - Day 11 - Barista - Portland, OR

A cute coffee shop on Alberta, one of several in this local chain. 

An iced coffee with ube salted cream calls my name. The cream is mustache-making thick and cushions the coffee that filters through.

Shrub, a drinking vinegar, carbonates an iced coffee, cutting out the bitterness and creating a smoother soft drink. 

Pastries from a nearby bakery include a still-chewy Black Sesame Mochi Donut, a fluffy Croissant, and a crumbly Marionberry scone. Great little snacks to grab before or during your Alberta art adventure.

Ruthie’s - Portland, OR

Hailed by critics as Portland's most ambitious food truck, Ruthie's realizes a level of potential that most food trucks never reach. Food is seared in a scorching wood-fired oven, and during Portland's heat wave, I imagine this is how fanning the flames of hell might feel. 

When you subject coal to a hellfire, i.e. a lot of heat and pressure, it turns into a diamond, and Ruthie's is an undoubtable gem. Seemingly simple stables like Grandma Ruth’s Rolls are much more special than they seem. These fluffy, fold-overs are a wonder, and I swear I've never had a better roll.

Sandwich a slab of rockfish for a Slider you won't soon forget. Well-seasoned, perfectly cooked, wish the fish had been less fishy.

The Cucumber Salad is a staple of summer, cool cukes beaming with blueberry. 

The Pork Chop is a bone-in beauty, toasted tender and evenly sliced. It sits in a bed of tomato garlic basil, topped with fresh arugula.

They keep it simple at Ruthie's, with rolls, salad, and just a single entree. They do what they do well, and it's fine dining-quality food sold out of a stall. Grab it to go or sit in the shade. It's worth the trek and it's worth wait.

Oregon Trip - Day 10 - Voodoo Doughnut - Portland, OR

Well, that was unexpected. I was all worked up for Voodoo and wow, what a letdown. 

To start, the donuts were stale. Sat-out-for-more-than-a-day stale. We ordered them early in the morning so there’s no reason they shouldn't have a fresher batch. 

Sadly, the donuts had some potential, had they not been old. Not nearly as creative as Blue Star and very gimicky but could have at least tasted good. The Voodoo Doll was cute, the jelly filling was great, but even that pretzel stick was stale. Great cream in the Portland Cream and the Canolo, which reminds me of those cream horns I loved as a kid. Bacon Maple Butter was a would-be winner as well - gotta love the combo of sweet and salty. 

Meh on the Apple Fritter, especially compared to Blue Star’s masterpiece. Oh Captain, My Captain was a surprising favorite. Less stale than the others and the cereal crunch was key. 

I cared less about the creativity and more about the fact that every donut was really old. Freshness matters in all things fried, and these really missed the mark. 

Breakside Brewing - Portland, OR

A Slabtown brewery all about the beer. Lots of interesting selections, and a six-serving flight is the best way to try them.

The menu descriptions are incredibly accurate, comprehensively cataloging and capturing every flavor to a tee. 

All the IPAs are insanely bitter, and descriptions like “dank” and “marijuana” are on the nose. There’s also a Pilsner that tastes like a textbook Pilsner and a passion fruit sour that finishes like fruit juice.

Food comes in generous portions - only order what you need. 

The Bavarian Pretzel is the size of a torso. Okay pretzel, cheese sauce has the texture of something over-stirred. 

Chicken Tenders are generic, though my toddler is a fan. 

They make a great patty for the Cheeseburger, and you have your choice of cheese. 

Come for the brews, not for the food. They make bar food just fine, but they only make food to help you drink. 

Fifty Licks - Portland, OR

I am obsessed with this ice cream! Subtler flavors are almost understated but precisely balanced.  

The Fig & Chevre, for example, has to be the best  cream I’ve had to date. Figs frolic with goat cheese cream, and it tastes like something you’d spread across a toast point at teatime. 

My least favorite is the Lavender Salted Caramel, which is lively with lavender but needs more caramel. 

Cornbread Honey Butter is just crumbly cornbread mixed into buttery ice cream, like buttering your bread but more like breading your butter.

Mango Sticky Rice is a marvel. A vegan ice cream but you can’t even tell they subbed the milk. It tastes exactly like that beloved Thai dessert, down to the authentic streaks of yellow mango. 

Amazing ice cream, best I’ve had to date. I’d take 12 pints home if I could. 

Rollin’ Fresh - Portland, OR

Curiosity was killing me - I just had to try a sushi burrito.

Decided on the Spidey Sense, and it had a soft shelled crab that was to die for. But here’s the thing; I didn’t care for or care about anything else. The rice wasn’t seasoned like sushi rice, and some bites were bland because the burrito was thick and didn’t distribute the ingredients evenly. The Fresca slaw was weird and the salsa didn’t go with the theme. 

Spam Musubi was a pleasant surprise. A simple slab of spam on rice and wrapped in nori. They fried every surface crispy, just the right contrast of texture and taste. 

I liked Rollin’ Fresh in general, but I won’t be rollin’ up again. I didn’t mind it, but I also didn’t need it and certainly don’t need it again. Great idea and a fun concept but not the best in execution. 

Bing Mi - Portland, OR

Bing Mi brings me to Knob Hill for the food cart collection. 

Known for their Jianbing, a floppy Chinese pancake smeared with egg, spread with hoisin-like “bing sauce”, and stuffed with crispy sheets of fried wonton wrappers, this corner-cart creates irresistibly easy-to-eat lunchtime fare. 

Plain is great, duck is even better, and if you’re really looking for something substantial, I can only imagine the loaded version, with an extra egg, would be amazing. 

Drinks are optional, but the Guava Lemonade Iced Tea is refreshing and well-balanced. 

Love the jianbing, adore this truck. Would come back and request extra wonton and try a loaded bing. 

Eem - Portland, OR

The only thing better than fried chicken or curry is both, and Eem has it all. Born from the brains of some of Portland’s brightest chefs, Eem is both innovative and inventive, a collective breath of fresh air. 

The Sweet and Sour Fried Chicken is a little soggy by the time it arrives, but the batter is still bomb. A good balance between sweet and tangy with a touch of spice, it’s bigger pieces with a sauce like Pok Pok lite. 

The White Curry is where it’s at. Smoky burnt ends permeate a sweet and creamy coconut, all soaked up by cauliflower chunks with a mouth-watering char. The spice level is Thai-nothing but American medium so order some extra rice to drink every drop. 

Massaman Curry is equally mind-blowing, earthy and sweet, full of deeply-smoked shredded lamb shoulder, meat that melts in your mouth. 

Wok-Fried Greens are pricey, but the portion is perfect, and the bitter greens are an ideal accompaniment to any entree. 

“It’s just rice, how good can it be?” I said, stupidly. Don’t miss the BBQ Fried Rice - they make the most of every single grain, coating each piece with smoky brisket drippings.

Collaboration curry is the best thing I’ve eaten in Portland to date, and that is saying something. I love everything about Eem, from the concept the flawless execution.

Salt & Straw - Portland, OR

A visit to Portland feels incomplete without a trip to Salt & Straw.

Choosing a flavor is pure agony - everything you don’t try is an opportunity missed. 

I did sample the cookie dough and the berry birthday cake and got neither - both were more generically great and I was looking for something more signature. 

Final decision: Strawberry Balsamic with Black Pepper and Pear and Blue Cheese. The strawberry tastes fresh from the field with the sweet finish of real balsamic, and the pepper makes it pop. The other scoop has chunks of poached pear interspersed with bits of blue cheese, just enough to make you pause. 

I forget how much I love Salt & Straw sometimes. Always grateful for a reminder!

The Block - Portland, OR

Three sandwiches to choose from; simple, straightforward…and spectacular. 

Their Turkey & Brie is a perfect sandwich, with thick slices of roasted breast topped with slabs of gooey brie, a shower of sweet-as-honey mustard, and an aliquot of arugula. 

The Philly Cheesesteak is better than anything I ever ate in Philly. It’s a very generous serving for what they call a “small”. Chopped steak stays soft on the griddle, and sautéed mushrooms, onions, and peppers pile into a fluffy hoagie. 

Now THIS is what a sandwich should be. Small menu, big impression. 

Oregon Trip - Day 8 - Dinolandia

Next it’s affordable entertainment at Dinolandia, with the cutest, cartooniest derp-dinos. 

Mike Bennet makes an extensive collection of pop-art species and only charges $5 per person to see them. They work hard to make this a family-friendly exhibit, turning the elevator into a time machine and allowing kids under 8 free of charge. 

Izzy is about as impressed as the little guys in this art exhibit, 

But these guys sure are cute. 

Pioneer Courthouse Square sits right across the street, and we catch a summer concert. 

The Rae Gordon band plays swing, led by a lady who can surely sing. She belts out some big songs and has a sweet stage presence from which you just can’t step away.  

Oregon Trip - Day 8 - Never Coffee, Portland, OR

You’ll never know if you never try, and Never Coffee is a fun one to try. They make a lovely Cold Brew and fascinating artisan lattes. Mine is an iced Yuzu & Salt, where fruit goes with the fruity and sour and salt turn bitter to sweet. 

Don’t know anything about them, happy to have tried them, love their creativity. These coffee drinks are a little out there for someone who just got off Starbucks last year, but I’m really glad I got to try this one. 

Oregon Trip - Day 7 - Powell’s City of Books, Portland, OR

 

Ending the evening at Powell’s City of Books. It’s like Barnes n’ Nobles x200, and getting lost browsing the endless shelves is therapy. 

Fun books, serious books, every title imaginable on every floor. 

Unfortunately it’s not the best with a toddler and a stroller but I guess that’s life. Glad I got to see it, not sure I need to see it again.

Tierra Del Sol - Portland, OR

Another small food stall, part of Portland’s deep field of no-frills dining. This one serves the spoils of Oaxaca, known for tlayuda and mole.

The Tlayuda comes in a pizza box, topped with whatever you choose. Fried tortillas cradle smears of black beans sprinkled with generous chunks of a pretty good asada and chicken smeared with sweet black mole. It’s essentially nachos, but it’s a bit bland without the shots of spicy red and spicier green salsa. I like it but I’m not impressed. I can see how its the best drunk selection/hangover cure but they just didn’t make it that well. Both the tortillas and chicken are dry, especially around the edges and can be hard to chew.  

Mole Amarillo is another noteworthy dish, and this one has a real wow factor. Its more like a soup or stew and is an exceptional combination of savory and sweet-pepper notes, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. That flavor gets all the way through those tender chunks of chicken, and those chunks of soupy squash are the real show-stealers here. Its a fantastic bowl of food, but the highly-anticipated side of handmade blue corn tortillas is a little dry.

My favorite thing might be the 7-dollar Tetela. A simple blue corn tortilla with savory black beans and a sprinkle of cheese comes alive with a fiery red or scorching green. 

The mango-pineapple Agua Fresca is too sweet, but the Horchata is a good one. 

A better-then-mediocre meal overall, though not my favorite. Overall a pretty strong showing for Mexican food this far north, and that mole amarillo is worth a visit. 

Oregon Trip - Day 7 - Alberta Arts District

A stroll around Alberta Arts District allows us to walk off a hefty meal. 

Full of murals and fun little shops, this is by far our favorite part of the trip, and we went back every other night. 

Oregon Trip - Day 7 - Proud Mary Coffee - Portland, OR

One look into this coffee shop, and I can only conclude that I’m not cool enough for this city. 10 am on a Monday morning and they’re already packed to the gills.

It’s busy without being crowded, a relaxed ambiance overall. Service is swift despite our Pourovers taking a while to come out. Mine is the Geisha, a gorgeous Honduran mild roast, fruity and floral, and the card describing the source is a nice touch.  

We had no complaints, but they sent us some muffins for the coffee delay. And these muffins are magical. 

This may be the only Carrot Cake I’ve ever not hated. 

An order of Toast to start things off. It’s our first time trying Vegemite, and it’s the most terribly great thing I’ve ever had. The taste is of tar and salt, what I imagine licking the La Brea Tar Pits would taste like. But there’s something about it that makes you want to eat more. And the toast is great, btw.

It’s more a dessert than a meal, but I can’t resist a Pavlova. This one is a chip-away circle of perfection with a sweet and tangy passion fruit syrup to top.

A side of Hash is possibly the best hash I’ve ever had, with max potato flavor. 

It’s never too early to eat a Katsu Sandwich, and this one is something special. Not graduations but a memorable interpretation. The breading enhances the flavor of a juicy, sweet-meat chicken thigh, and the bread is paper-thin for an ideal protein:carb ratio. It’s not really katsu but it is really delicious. 

Amazing food, familiar yet creative, crafted with care. Beautiful preparation, great presentation.