Anna is feeling the love at the Blue Plate
Lunch Counter and Soda Fountain

I’ve passed through Portland, Oregon many times in my life, but never spent any time there to speak of, and certainly not for the food.  That was all about to change. Portland was now a destination and we were looking forward to having some great food and meeting new people.  Besides food, I just love to have fun and go on adventures; and Portland is just as good a place as any other to go exploring.  Portland is fast becoming known as a foodie destination, and we were happy to get in on the action and check out the local offerings.  We were rewarded handily.

Combo Platter at Podnah’s Pit
(after we split the plate)

Anna and I had spent the day touring Astoria, the Lewis & Clark museum and the Tillamook Cheese factory.  By the time we rolled into Portland, it was dark and the traffic was heavy.  We still didn’t have GPS and it was no easy feat to navigate ourselves over to Podnah’s Pit for dinner.  It was worth the trouble though because it was some of the best barbeque we’ve ever had (and still is).  We started with a Frito Pie and then shared a combo plate of brisket, pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw and cornbread.  (The picture is a split plate)  It’s hard to imagine getting Q that good outside of the South, but they’re doing it right.  Podnah’s Pit gets our highest marks.  Great atmosphere and excellent service.  If you can save room for dessert, they have Pecan Pie (and with a dessert that good, that’s all they need on the menu).  We didn’t save room for the pie, but we will make a better effort next time.

Northwest Sliders with Mac & Cheese
at Blue Plate Lunch Counter

As if Podnah’s Pit wasn’t enough of a treat, we were absolutely delighted when we arrived the next day at the Blue Plate Lunch Counter.  I ordered the sliders from the show (with Tillamook cheddar, bacon and basil mayo) and Anna ordered the grilled cheese with tomato soup combo.  The sliders were right on the money, hot and juicy.  It’s not the best picture of burgers that I’ve ever taken, but don’t let that throw you off.  These sliders are some of the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever had the pleasure to shove in my mouth. Being a soda fountain, we also ordered a pair of milk shakes and they were to die for.  Anna ordered a chocolate malted and I ordered a butterscotch.  Crazy good.  It’s a good thing we spent the rest of the day walking around downtown Portland (except for the hour that we waited in line at Voodoo Donuts…Shhh). Continue reading →

Anna at Pike Place Market
Downtown Seattle

Seattle—misty and overcast, kind of the typical dreary morning people expect in Seattle.  One quickly learns to appreciate sunshine when you can get it.  I lived there for a few years and absolutely loved it.  I didn’t want to leave, but returned to California to finish college.  I was excited to get back to Seattle and see all my old stomping grounds.

Our first stop was Voula’s Offshore Café for breakfast.  The place was packed and we had to wait nearly an hour.  They had self-serve coffee out front, which was hot and satisfying.  We got a good table and a good waitress.  Unfortunately, Voula herself was not there that morning and we were really hoping to meet her.

The Hobo Breakfast at
Voula’s Offshore Cafe

It was quite a wait for our order to come, but it was worth it.  I ordered the “Hobo” and Anna had the Piñata Eggs Benedict with smoked pork and chipotle hollandaise.  Both dishes were fabulous and they served us enough hash browns for six people.  As you can see from the pictures, all the food was perfectly cooked.  The smoked pork is still some of the best we’ve had anywhere.  We must have been there close to two hours, but we rolled out of there happy.

Pinata Eggs Benedict with Smoked Pork and
Chipotle Hollandaise at Voula’s Offshore Cafe

We had dinner with my brother and his wife at Southern Kitchen in Tacoma.  Sadly, they were just getting ready to close and the food wasn’t their best.  We did get to meet the owner, Gloria Martin, and she was very gracious.  I sampled the fried chicken and Anna ordered the catfish.  We sampled a few other goodies and Anna enjoyed a glass of the strawberry lemonade with whipped cream (what’s not to love about that?). Continue reading →

After visiting an old friend in Moscow, Idaho, we arrived in Spokane in time for dinner.  We chose Hill’s Restaurant and settled in for some haute cuisine.  We didn’t get to meet the chef, but we did get to meet his brother and co-owner (who was tending bar).  At this point in time, DDD had filmed about six or seven restaurants in the Spokane area; but none of them had aired yet (and so they couldn’t advertise it).

Anna in front of Hill’s
Restaurant & Lounge

I would have preferred to order the Ribeye Steak, but I settled for a cheesesteak sandwich.  We didn’t have time to drink wine and savor a steak.  The sandwich was good.  The flavor and texture of the meat was as close to perfect as anyone can get, but the bread was just a touch on the dry side for my taste.  Unless you have oven-fresh bread, I guess a cheesesteak sandwich needs to be wrapped in paper before it is eaten (so the moisture and flavor of the meat infuses the bread).  Anna had an order of the chicken and smoked-Jack phyllo wraps, which were fabulous.  I would definitely look forward to dining at Hill’s again, and I’m sure I will the next time I get to Spokane.  I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the place—elegant but casual; and the menu is impeccable. Our server took good care of us.

Our next day began with lunch at Elk—a local eatery and taproom in an old residential neighborhood.  The bar was impressive, as was the food.  The place was very busy and our waitress was attentive and friendly.  Despite a big lunch rush, they seemed to have a hard time making change for a $100 bill (or making change at all for that matter).  We started with an appetizer of BBQ chicken quesadilla with a dipping sauce.  Cheesy goodness.  I ordered a beer-braised Reuben sandwich and Anna ordered a chicken Caesar wrap with a chipotle corn pasta (which tasted as odd as it sounds).  The wrap was good, and the Reuben was outstanding.  My only objection was I would have liked to see a little more meat on the sandwich—even if they needed to charge a little more.  I’d be happy to visit Elk again (especially at happy hour) but there are so many great places to eat in Spokane, I doubt I’ll ever get the chance.

Cactus Burger at Picabu Bistro

We drove down to South Hill for dinner at the Picabu Bistro.  The place was a bit snug, and they were packed (although DDD hadn’t aired yet).  The tables were turning fast and we didn’t have to wait too long.  Our server, Nicole, was great and I ordered the Cactus Burger which turned out to be crazy good.  They top it with a concoction of caramelized onions, peppers and spices all sauteed in bacon fat—with the bacon.  It was super rich, super tasty, with a peppery finish that bites you back.  It was a hamburger elevated to its highest form (and it was so good I had to go back later and get another one). Continue reading →

Anna at Sandy Point Beach

We started the day off with a guided tour of the Chris Reeve Knife factory, which was an unexpected treat.  The head machinist, Keith Wilson, gave us his undivided attention for over an hour while I asked question after question.  It was the most impressive array of machinery and group of people I had ever seen.  If you want a good knife and are willing to pay for the quality of something made in America with pride, I would highly recommend Chris Reeve Knives.  Personally, I carry a Kershaw/Ken Onion knife which was also made in the USA.  It’s a little pocket worn, but good as new and deadly sharp.  I never leave home without it, but you’d be amazed at how many places where honest Americans aren’t allowed to carry a simple pocketknife.  It’s a telling fact about what this country is turning into.  But I digress.  We left the knife factory and headed up for the Kodiak Grill, a few miles out of town.  On the way up, we drove past a park at the reservoir that was so beautiful we just had to stop and get a better look.  We took pictures and vowed that if we ever made it back to Boise, we would go to that park and enjoy some sun and fun.

Kodiak Burger with Fries
and Garlic Aioli

We opened the Kodiak Grill and what a gorgeous place it was.  I ordered the Kodiak Burger (which was made on the show) and Anna ordered the roast beef sandwich with sweet potato fries and maple pecan butter.  Anna and I toured the place and they had a photo collage of the DDD shoot (a fun treat).  Danarae Clor, the owner, was not there that day.  I was really hoping to meet her because she was so witty and entertaining on the show with Guy Fieri.  He has a lightning wit and she was able to keep up.  I hear Guy likes to be kept on his toes, and Danarae did that in spades. Continue reading →

Guy Ate Here tag at Pizzal-Chick

O-dark-thirty arrived on September 26, 2010 as we climbed into our trusty steed and headed for the high desert and the road to Reno; destination—the Gold N Silver Inn, our very first DDD spot.  Sadly, the experience was not a good one, fair at best.  Anna had Eggs Florentine which were bland and uninspired.  I just knew my life wouldn’t be complete until I sampled the homemade veal gravy that takes two days to make.  I’ve worked in some high-end restaurants (waiter) and I know all about demi-glace.  I should have tried my luck with the one-pound beef patty (which is what they made on the show) but I was afraid I would get bored with it and so I ordered the meatloaf.  Sadly, the meatloaf was bland and appeared to be nuked. The real disappointment was the gravy.    Most of the time, places with huge menus that are open 24/7 don’t have good food.  This place was good enough to make it on DDD however, so one thing or another has turned out to be a fluke.  Other than the fact that we were there at breakfast time, I don’t know what went wrong. 

It was an inauspicious start, but our server was friendly and we got an amusing story out of it.  Guy mentioned that the place had been closed only one day since they opened in 1956 (incredible).  Our waitress told us that the one day they closed—they were robbed! Continue reading →