Dinner with Carrie: Pecan Penny's BBQ

Carrie and I finally made it to a BBQ spot we've been meaning to try a few blocks away from our apartment, and the weather decided to cooperate tonight. 

I decided to try as much as I could for this review, so I ordered the "Downtown Sampler", which for $21.99 gives you generous portions of brisket, pulled pork, and a 1/4 chicken plus two sides. For my sides I chose to go for the carbs, adding hush puppies and mac & cheese.

The meat arrived unsauced but perfectly prepared, giving me the opportunity to try all five sauces on the table. The Carolina vinegar sauce was almost straight vinegar instead of  the spicy vinegar sauce I was expecting. The Memphis tomato sauce was good, but a little sweeter than I prefer. The Daddy-G, their house BBQ sauce was good but didn't have enough spice to rise above the tomatoes and brown sugar. The spicy grandpa, a spicy version of their house sauce was better at rising above the tomatoes but still wasn't great.  Surprising me was the eastern Carolina mustard sauce, which gave me everything I was looking for on all three meats.

Turning to the sides, the mac & cheese was good but not great because the cheese broke during preparation leaving clumps of cheddar and oil. The hush puppies were perfectly cooked, served light and fluffy as they should be but rarely are.

In all it was a good meal with better company, but I'm still looking for perfect BBQ in Columbus. You can try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Pecan Penny's

Fathers day brunch: The Market: Italian Village

Carrie took me to brunch for Father's day since the kids aren't with us. I decided on a restaurant we've been wanting to try for months, The Market: Italian Village.

They were fairly full when we arrived for our one o'clock reservations but we were quickly seated.  The Market is a classic small market/bottle shop, with coolers and shelves of wine along the outer walls, and a deli counter in back by the kitchen.  They atmosphere was friendly and warm, and we'll likely be back soon.

We started with bacon wrapped dates, today filled with blue cheese and plated on top of an espresso creme and maple syrup.  Damn they were good. I could have eaten 20-30 and called it good but there were other temptations on the menu.

My main course was Biscuits and gravy, which today was lamb sausage gravy over za'atar seasoned savory biscuits. Amazing flavor and seasoning in the gravy, and nice crunchy biscuits with great flavor and soft centers. Maybe the best gravy I've ever had over biscuits.

In all it was a great meal with my beautiful wife, and a new favorite restaurant to add to our go-to list here in Columbus. 

Dirty Oscars brings bar brunch to a new level

Having brunch at Dirty Oscars, and if you like food you gotta check these guys out.Rich, silky chorizo broth with shrimp and grits that were pefectly prepared.

This old street side bar in West Tacoma is bringing its A game when it comes to brunch, and I'm happy to say it's best id's far better than anything else I've had in the area.  The grits were perfectly cooked, soft and creamy.  The velvety smooth broth was crafted with just the right amount of butter to enhance the texture.  Mixing chorizo and bacon into a traditionally southern recipe like this was a gamble that paid off big.

If you wake up in Tacoma looking for brunch after a long night on the town or a concert asst the dome, head west and find parking.

9 Dang Fine Thai

  After recording the video this afternoon for Old World Whiskey Society I needed some food so  I headed to my favorite spot for a quick lunch, 9Dang at Orenco Station in Hillsboro.

Thai iced tea is a beautiful thing

  The crab and cheese puffs are great as an appetizer

Spicy Drunken noodles with Beef are always a great choice for good meal

The Original Dineraunt is also a classic

The Original at 300 SW 6th Ave. in downtown Portland is rich in hometown diner nostalgia, with more modern takes on some old favorites combining with traditional diner fare to round out a great menu.
We were there for Sunday brunch, and sampled a variety of there menu.  Overall it was great, with just one low point out of four meals.

Polenta cakes with candied bacon were tremendous

I had the grilled polenta cakes with candied bacon.  The preparation was great, with big thick slices of polenta that had obviously been cooked and formed in a loaf pan then sliced and grilled for service.  The flavor was bold and wonderful, with lots of sharp cheddar cheese and milk giving it a smooth and rich texture.  Served with 3 slices of candied bacon and then drizzled with real maple syrup it was a wonderful take on the old fashioned Johnny cakes my grandmother would make for Sunday breakfast when I was young.  A definite hit.

Carrie's Red Flannel Hash looked fabulous, but she reported the potatoes undercooked and seasoning in short supply

My wife had the "Red Flannel Hash" and wasn't as impressed.  The potatoes were undercooked and seasoning was non existent.  For a dressed up corned beef hash with beets, red peppers, and potato it should have had flavor to spare but clearly something was missing. It was the one low point for the table.

The signature Chicken & Waffles takes things to a new level with chicken confit in place of fried chicken

Our niece Megan ordered their house chicken& waffles, taken up a notch with chicken confite instead of fried chicken, and the combination of a great malty waffle and the chicken was scrumptious.

Jeff created his own chicken and waffle combo by pairing a bacon cornbread waffle with a fried chicken breast.  Truly a heavenly combo that had me hooked at bacon....

Her husband Jeff had the bacon cornmeal waffle topped with a boneless fried chicken breast.  I'll have to take his word for how amazing it was because he inhaled it, but it looked fabulous.  He said the waffle was full of flavor and the chicken cooked perfectly.
If you are looking for a terrific brunch and great character, forget Mother's next weekend and give The Original a try.

Portland's "Iron Chef" raises the bar again, this time for Seafood

Being named runner-up in a newspaper's "readers poll" of new restaurants may not seem very prestigious, but when the paper is Willamette Week and the city is PDX it's really saying something special.  Portland has more than it's share of amazing chefs and fabulous dining experiences opening every year.  One of those chefs is Vitally Paley, and when he opens a new joint people will always show up.  To keep them raving and coming back takes skill that few chefs possess, but Chef Paley has been doing it for years, and his 4th restaurant is truly something special.

When the Heathman shut down their lobby restaurant in 2016 there was a lot of attention, and it went up a few notches when it was announced that Chef Paley and his wife and business partner Kimberly Paley would be opening a seafood restaurant there.

I finally had a chance to visit this week, and it definitely lived up to it's reputation.  Featuring a few staples like fresh clams and mussels, an amazing seafood tower, and an amazing 14oz steak would be enough to keep people coming back.  Adding amazing catch-of-the-day specials and live crab and lobster along side a "Russian Tea Experience" on Sunday afternoons makes it a must visit.  Chef Paley has another winner and the city is better for it.

When you do it perfectly, a steak can stand by itself on any dinner plate

I had the amazing 14oz ribeye from Brandt Farms, served simply rubbed with roasted garlic before being grilled to a perfect medium rare and accompanied by a wonderfully creamy Sauce Bernaise.  The steak was perfectly cooked and not choosing to clutter the plate with a lot of side dishes or garnish shows the understanding of the ingredients that the staff has in the kitchen.  It's surprising how few chefs in this city are willing to let a gorgeous steak be a steak without dressing it up too much.

I ordered the braised market greens and sweet corn grits as side dishes, and both were great if not what I expected.  The greens had a decidedly asian flavor with the combination of coconut milk and chilies.  The sweet corn grits I expected to be ground sweet corn grits, but ended up being whole kernel corn prepared the way grits would be.  It was a surprise but perfect in it's flavor profile and simple presentation.

The braised market greens were soft and creamy

The sweet corn grits were a pleasant surprise

Overall it was a great dining experience, and one I will have again soon.  Headwaters is definitely "Fat Boy Approved"

Burger mecca launches first franchise in Happy Valley

Saturday the first franchise in the Killer Burger chain had their "Friends and Family" night, and my wife and I were on the guest list. Located at 147th and Sunnyside Rd. in Happy Valley this newest location is sure to bring local diners to the Killer Burger bandwagon.

With a Killer new design esthetic and a full bar this is my kind of burger joint! 

A fresh faced young crew works the main food counter, but grizzled veterans run the bar and keep the peace.  With a great selection of punch drinks and beer on the menu and a full bar for those over 21 it's a burger joint concept for a new generation.

Fast food burger joints with full bars? Bye bye McDonald's  

With burgers ranging from the basic "Purist" (with just onions, pickles, lettuce, mayo, and ketchup adorning the 1/3rd pound patty) to the "Barnyard" (which adds bacon, ham, egg, and a second patty along with Smokey house sauce in place of mayo)  these burgers are built to appeal to every craving.  Every sandwich includes unlimited fries as well.

" The Lineup" 

I went with the above mentioned Barnyard, and overall was impressed.  The burger itself was juicy and full of flavor, with plenty of fat to deliver the flavor you would expect from a premium burger.  Constructed with a great balance of toppings  there wasn't too much lettuce or too little sauce, and the tomatoes were firm and flavorful. I would have preferred a fuller flavored pickle, but no burger is perfect.  In my opinion, an egg on a burger should be runny so that the yolk creates a sauce for the burger and this was served over medium and firm, again a matter of preference not a deal breaker.

" The Barnyard Burger" 

The fries were crisp and delicious, cooked all the way through in the center without being too starchy. 

Overall it was a great dining experience in a great new venue that will spell a great new future for a PDX favorite.  Franchisees Wes and Coral Welterman can be proud of their new project.  If what I saw tonight it's any indication they have a hit on their hands.

Coral and Wes Welterman pose in front of the kitchen at Killer Burger - Sunnyside  

Fat Boy Summer Road Trip, part 2

Day 5

We left St. Louis after a great time catching up with the Golden family and headed south to Memphis.  Alongthe way we stopped at Stonie's Sausage Shop for some road snacks.  They had a great selection of fresh made smoked meats and sausages, great homemade jerky, and a wide selection of local area products from pickles to pork rinds, wine, and sodas.  It was a great find.  We picked up some cheese, some snack sticks, and some bologna and sausage to thow in the cooler for the drive to Memphis.

Even on a Monday evening Beale Street was busy.

After a long drive we made it to Memphis around 8pm and headed straight to Beale St., starting at the West end at the Hard Rock Cafe.  If you have never been to Memphis, TN it really is a trip every music lover should take.  The sights and sounds even on a Monday night were spectacular, with live music coming from every juke joint on Beale.  We walked "with our boots ten feet off of Beale" taking in the sights and sounds until we reached the end of the entertainment district and were waived into Coyote Ugly by their manager T.  It was quiet on a Monday night, but we ended up having a ton of fun and closing the place down with Morgan and Evee.

In this job attitude is everything, and the Memphis Coyotes had it.  Evee was fiesty and up for a challenge.

Morgan was pure attitude, running the bartop like it was a circus tent at times to try and get tips from a small crowd while drawing people in off of the street.

Some customers relucktently dance on the bar for a photo....

Other customers are much more enthusiastic!

What's a guy to do when his buddy wanders away and the next round comes?

This fat boy drinks them both and hopes his boy comes back before the next round hits the bar....

And then your bartenders steal your phone off the bar to take a selfie!

Day 6

Left Memphis for Shreveport, LA.  The long night had us so tired we forgot to set the alarm and were woken up by the guy at the front desk telling us it was checkout time.  Fortunately he gave us a late checkout without a hassle.  We had a huge breakfast at Cracker Barrel and were on our way.

It was a long drive, but we made it into Shreveport and got checked into our hotel.  It was right next to the Louisiana Downs racetrack and casino, so we walked over there to find dinner.

Fuddruckers was the only restaurant in the casino still open, but they have always made an amazing burger so we had a nice meal.  We played the slots for a few minutes after dinner then called it an early night.

Day 7

After an early night we got up and packed after a decent breakfast buffet at the hotel.  After a long drive made it to Austin, TX.

Stubbs BBQ has quickly become one of the premiere music venues in Austin, and they proudly have decorated with concert posters from previous shows.

I had the 3-meat combo with spare ribs, brisket, and classic sausage.  On the side I had Serrano Cheese spinach and mashed sweet potatoes.  

No trip to Austin is complete for me without a trip to Stubbs BBQ.  Stubbs Legendary BBQ has been doing pit style BBQ right since Mr. Stubblefield opened the original (and now closed) joint in Lubbock in 1968.  He was instrumental in breaking musical talent like Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughn back then and ever since live music has been almost as important as the food to Stubbs' customers and fans worldwide.

After a great dinner at Stubbs we headed for 6th Street to find a party.  We walked the North side of the block then crossed to come back to Chuggin' Monkey to get a look at the band that we could hear from across the street.

The Blues Posse were tearing it up! Their lead guitar, Jack Edery was pulling blues licks from all over the spectrum and doing them well.  Vocals from Mr. Jamie van Beek were tight and accurate.  A great show.  On to the next spot.

Blues Posse blew the roof off of The Chuggin' Monkey during their first set

We left the Chuggin' Monkey and wandered into Pete's Dueling Piano Bar.  It was packed, with hundreds of people all singing along and shouting requests spanning the decades.

Another music town, another Coyote Ugly! Rosalyn, Morgan, and Ashley were fun but didn't match the energy or fun of the great ladies we met a couple of days ago in Memphis. 

We closed Coyote Ugly down again, and headed back to the hotel.

Day 8

We got up and moving planning on heading for Amarillo, but plans to see a friend fell through so we changed our routing a bit, heading to Roswell, NM instead. It was a long drive, but we made Roswell about 7:30 local time.  We had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant recommended by the girl at the front desk called Los Cerritos.

I had a great stuffed sopapilla with all the trimmings.  The recommendation if anything undersold the food.  I love New Mexican food, with the great use of hatch green chiles and a unique addition of fried dough.

Fat Boy Summer Road Trip

Day One

The Fat Boy Summer Road Trip started out with a day of flight from PDX to Kansas City. 

After my arrival we went to dinner at a local spot called Nick & Nino's Pub. I Continued celebrating the #OldFashionedFortnight with a strong but decent Old Fashioned made with Makers 46. For an appetizer we had the Fried Trio, a combination of fried pickles, fried zucchini, and fried green beans. Dinner was a 16oz Rib eye, served with mashed potatoes and fresh sauteed veggies. The rib eye was perfectly cooked and seasoned, in addition to being tender enough that I didn't realize I was using my butter knife until the second bite.

The atmosphere at Nick & Nino's was great, with friendly staff and live music from a decent band.  Not a bad start to the adventure. 

Day Two

Our second day started on base at Ft. Leavenworth for Maj. Michael Cooper's graduation from the United States Army's Command and General Staff College.  It was great to be able to be here and see Coop reach another milestone in his military career.

The keynote address was provided by Gen. Abrams, Commanding General, U.S Army Forces Command.  His address focused on the bonds forged by graduates with each other and with graduates from the 93 nations represented in this year's class, the threats they will face in a faster paced global environment than his generation of staff officers had to deal with, and the relationships that would change to the organizations graduates would return to or be joining.

After graduation breakfast was in order, so we headed to downtown Leavenworth to a restaurant that opened just a couple years ago in the old railroad depot, appropriately named The Depot. 

​My breakfast special included a biscuit with gravy, crispy and perfectly fried hashbrowns, two eggs, and two slices of crispy bacon.  The biscuits were flaky and amazing, gravy was peppery beauty.  One of the best classically dine breakfast Atos I've had in a long time.  Definitely worth a stop if you find yourself in Leavenworth, KS.

That evening we went out to celebrate before leaving town, and spent must of our​ evening at DraftCade in Kansas City's Zona Rosa mall.  Featuring 60 taps of craft brew goodness, classic pinball and arcade games, and a decent bar menu it was a fun place to hang out.

  From there we headed out to local dive Arthur's for karaoke and drinks with some old friends to end the night.

Day Three

Day Three dawned with a delay after finding that the Uhaul had been stolen from the parking lot over night.  After a three hour delay to file the police report and track down a replacement trailer we were finally on the road to St. Louis and a home cooked meal with the Golden family.  Bob worked for Coop in New York, and I met them on our last trip West three years ago.  Since then they have become good friends.

 We arrived to advance amazing meal and great time catching up with the whole family. We stayed up until after 3am laughing and talking around the fire out back.  It was the perfect end to a day that started out so crazy.

Day Four​

We woke up and had a light breakfast before heading out to see a little bit of the city.  We stayed at Anheiser-Busch's Grants Farm.  The historic home if general US Grant's in-laws it became the country home of the Busch family in the early 1900's.

 We expected to see the Clydesdale horses so famous for pulling the beer wagons.  We didn't expect to find camels, elephants, buffalo, and exotic birds.

 From Grants Farm we headed downtown to visit the Arch.​

 the old courthouse in St Louis

We were all hot and tired so headed back to Bob and Rinku's house for dinner.  On the way we grabbed pizza from local favorite Imo's.  Featuring a cracker thin crust and light sauce it is unique but a nice might take on a take out staple.

Day Five

We left St. Louis after a great time catching up with the Golden family and headed south to Memphis.  Along  the way we stopped at Stonie's Sausage.

Snack stix and sweet bologna were my favorite finds, but a great selection of meat and sausage aft decent prices.

I ❤️ Kentucky

Carrie and I spent the weekend in Louisville, and the visit reinforced the fact that I love Kentucky like it was where I was born to live.  From the small-town feel of the big city you get in Louisville to the rolling bluegrass fields and horse ranches of the countryside it's an amazing place that reminds me of my real home in Portland, Oregon but adds so much charm and history, not to mention actual seasons.  And we can't forget the bourbon.  From great bourbon bars to the largest and best bourbon distillers in the world both Louisville and Lexington are amazing whiskey towns. 

Mar 3, 2017

Day one of our anniversary trip to Louisville was a long drive, where we checked into the historic Seelbach Hotel followed by a great bowl of Burgoo and cocktails at one of the best hotel bars in the country, The Old Seelbach Bar.

The Old Seelbach Bar features an amazing whiskey selection in addition to being one of the oldest bars on Louisville's Urban Bourbon tour. 

Traditional burgoo was made using whatever meats and vegetables were available—typically, venison, squirrel, opossum, raccoon or game birds, and was often associated with autumn and the harvest season. Today, local barbecue restaurants use a specific meat in their recipes, usually pork, chicken, or mutton, which, along with the spices used, creates a flavor unique to each restaurant.​

The Seelbach takes things to a new level featuring pork, rabbit, and venison in their burgoo. This combination of meats with the traditional okra, corn, and potatoes whose starches leech out to thicken this amazing soup create a concoction thick enough to stand your spoon up while still leaving an ample amount of broth to be soaked up by their amazing bourbon bread.​

The Old Seelbach Bar features an amazing burgoo

​March 4, 2017

​We started with a quiet morning and breakfast in bed from the amazing Gatsby's on Fourth Cafe in the hotel. We then took a drive through historic Louisville. We tried to get in for a tour of the Angels Envy distillery that opened across from Slugger Stadium since the last time we were in town, but tours were sold out for the day. Instead we took a drive out Old Bardstown Road through the historic neighborhoods East of Downtown known as The Highlands.

​We came back early afternoon and walked down the street from the Seelbach to another historic Louisville hotel, The Brown for lunch. Our favorite spot in the hotel, the Lobby Bar wasn't open yet but I got some pictures before heading down to the historic J. Graham's Cafe on the first floor.

The Lobby Bar at The Brown Hotel

Lobby and mezzanine from The Brown Hotel's front desk

​J. Graham's Cafe is the originator of the Hot Brown, the city's signature sandwich which was developed in the 1920's to satisfy late night diners looking for more glamorous than ham and eggs after attending the historic dinner dances hosted in the 4,300 sqft Crystal Ballroom which regularly accommodated more than 1,200 guests per night.

The J. Graham cafe in the Brown Hotel's daylight basement is one of Downtown Louisville's oldest

​We of course both chose the Hot Brown for our lunch, and as always were not disappointed. The amazing mornay sauce is as ever the centerpiece of this amazing open faced sandwich, combining Pecorino Romano cheese with a perfectly made cream sauce with just a hint of nutmeg to draw out the nutty flavors of the cheese. This sauce covers the base of Texas toast and Turkey before being sprinkled with more cheese and thrown under a broiler. The sandwich is then covered with 2 strips of bacon before being garnished and served. There is no better sandwich in my experience, and I've eaten some amazing sandwiches in my travels.

The world famous Hot Brown originated in this historic cafe

Mar 5, 2017

Wallace Station

Country Ham and Pimento cheese on wheat from Wallace Station is an amazingly well constructed sandwich.  The salt and sweet from the ham are the perfect foil for the creamy spice of the pimento cheese.  Pimento cheese is one of those southern creations we just don't find most places in Oregon unless we make it like Grandma did.

Wallace Station's Country Ham & Pimento cheese sandwich features a house made white cheddar pimento cheese. 

Carrie had the Turkey Rachel, Roast turkey, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese and creamy slaw.  A southern take on the Ruben with house made slaw that takes it to a whole new level.  She said it was a great sandwich, and her clean plate said she wasn't just being polite.

The Turkey Rachel from Wallace Station features an awesome house made slaw

Country Cat takes flight

Mar 2, 2017

Service was great when I seated myself, and my order was promptly taken at Country Cat's new second location in the E concourse at PDX just as you clear TSA hell.  Country Cat's great menu of southern flavored comfort food is pared down a bit for. this venue but loses none of it's quality.  I was served a wonderful plate of Beef Hash and my cocktail was delivered quickly.

From then on I became invisible.  40 minutes later waitress checked back for the first time to take my dish and ask if if I wanted another drink. After a 20 minute wait in a fairly empty restaurant my second cocktail is yet to arrive. After 35 minutes it finally got there, but that's not acceptable.

​The beef hash was amazing, with soft and tender beef mixed with crisped and deliciously crunchy potatoes and served beneath a perfectly poached egg. Hash is rarely done this well, and it would be worth a return trip of service were better.

So, I obviously had to eat while I was in Columbus right?

It just happened to be restaurant week in Columbus, Ohio this week while I was there with Carrie and we had the opportunity to sample some great food from some restaurants that we might not have otherwise tried.  We also tried some new pizza places and delivery services to get a better idea of the food options in a downtown area that is pretty quiet after dark.

Our first delivery option was pizza, and we decided to give OH Brew & Pizza a try.  It was a Friday night and ended up being the first night of OhioCon which just happened to be a couple blocks away from the restaurant we ordered from.  This led to a 90 minute delivery time, which was less than thrilling for us but the restaurant was good about keeping us informed.

The pizza itself was pretty good, with a crisp crust and just enough sauce to add good flavor without overwhelming the cheese and toppings.  Meat quantity and quality was great, with even coverage and solid flavor.  Overall quite good and we will order from them again.  We tried a couple of their side items, both loaded tots and fried crustables.  Both arrived a little cold and a lot greasy.  The fryer temperature was too low and they took too long to arrive for them to be any good to me.  We may try them again at the restaurant but won't order them out again.

The next night Carrie had a working dinner so I had dinner with my cousin and his wife at a popular Mexican restaurant near the OSU campus called MadMex.  I went with the carnitas burrito and I was pleased but not wowed.  After growing up with so much great authentic mexican food Midwest college town versions of Mexican food don't excite me.  There was ok flavor but no heat, and the citrus was nowhere to be tasted in a dish that normally would hinge on it being front and center.  Portions were huge and quality was decent but uninspiring.

The Carnitas Burrito is served with roasted green chilis inside, blue cornbread, pico and sweet-n-sour slaw on the side.

The only other real meal out that we had was our last night in town.  Quite a few restaurants had special three course menus at reduced prices to encourage people to try new places for restaurant week, so we gave BareBurger on High Street a try.  Located just across from the convention center at the beginning of Columbus' Short North arts district BareBurger has quickly made a name for themselves serving organic and free range menu items while being careful to cater to dietary and allergy restrictions.

While limited the 3 Course menu BareBurger featured for Restaurant Week actually presented quite a range of options

Since I cant have onions my first course was the Pickles & Slaw appetizer.  Featuring bread and butter, sour, garlic, and hot pickles along with a brussel sprout slaw it is actually a great sampler if you like pickles (which I do).  All of their pickles are made in house and are very good.  I love a good bread and butter pickle and BareBurgers offering reminded me quite a bit of the pickles my grandmother used to make when I was a kid.  The sour and garlic pickles were about average, and the hot pickles could have used more pepper and less garlic but were quite good as well.  In all it was a good start to the dinner.

The Pickle & Slaw sampler

For my second course I had the Wiki Wiki - a wild boar burger with duck bacon, gouda, and grilled pineapple on a brioche bun.  The boar was perfectly seasoned, allowing some of the gaminess of the meat to come through without allowing it to overpower the sandwich.  Their duck bacon is a treat.  Crisp and just the right amount of fatiness it adds just the right amount of flavor to the sandwich and is cut just right by the acid of the pineapple.  This is a well designed and balanced sandwich.

In all our dining experiences in Columbus were again pretty average.  Next trip I'll try to hit some of the more trendy spots in the Short North and Downtown, but we haven't had a bad meal in our visits yet.

Serendipity ala Groupon brings Indian pizza home for dinner tonight

I was trying to decide what I wanted to do about dinner tonight when Groupon popped up telling me there was an offer nearby.  I pulled off of Cornell and up came an offer from Curry & Crust, an Indian restaurant with a twist...pizza(?!?) of all things.  I had seen the name driving past a few times but had never had a chance to stop before so I decided to give the offer a try. 

I got my large Butter Chicken Pizza to go and took it home. 

The pizza was topped with Home made sauce with  Onions, Green Peppers, Cheese,chicken  and topped with makhani sauce.  I have to say that first of all Butter Chicken is one of my favorite Indian dishes.  Putting it on top of pizza is a gimmick for sure, but one that works.  The flavor was smooth and creamy, with just enough curry and chili to balance the butter and make this a winner.  They got me there with the intrigue of pizza, but I'll be going back in to try a more traditional Indian meal with a variety of dishes after the flavor and quality of this pizza.

If you want a unique pizza experience or are just looking for great Indian food give Curry & Crust a try.

It's Tuesday, so of course I found brunch on a downtown food truck in Columbus, OH

In the category of "it's a small world" we have today's lunch.I was out for a walk exploring downtown Columbus, Ohio and spotted a food truck in a parking lot down a side street.You know how I love food trucks, so I had to at least see what they had to offer.

Turns out the truck is owned and run by a Portland native who graduated from Western Culinary back in the last of the classes before it was sold to Le Cordon Blue.  He calls his truck "Broke Johnny's" and he just bought it a few weeks ago, but if he keeps serving breakfast like this he's going to have to change the name because he won't be broke for long.

I had a chance to try two items from his menu today his breakfast sandwich and what he tells me has become his signature dish, the Ham and Cheese waffle.

The breakfast sandwich from Broke Johnny's

​The breakfast sandwich is simple perfection. Thin sliced ham is thrown onto the flattop to heat up and get some caramelization. It's thrown onto toasted sourdough or marble rye, with a nice medium egg and American cheese. The beauty is in the quality of the ham and a perfectly cooked egg that is just a little runny making mayonnaise unnecessary.

Broke Johnny's Ham & Cheese Waffle  

The master stroke though was the Ham & Cheese Waffle.  A perfectly crisped waffle is spread with whipped butter then topped with cheese, chunks of fried ham, and then smothered in Johnny's bacon-bourbon sauce with big chunks of bacon.  The combination is truly amazing.  If I hadn't already had the breakfast sandwich he tells me that it's even better when you have a nice egg over the top of it (and what brunch isn't).

If you're in Columbus, track him down and give his brunch truck a try.   

Review: A.B.V. Public House

Carrie and I finally had a chance to have lunch at ABV Public House in Hillsboro, and we were impressed by the selection of both food and beverages on offer.  Founded originally as a tap house for Main Brew, the home brewing supply store adjacent to them ABV has quickly become a draw by themselves for anyone looking for hard to find bottled beer, a wide range of taps to fill the ubiquitous Northwest "Growler" from, and increasingly for those looking for a remarkably great meal. 

I had the ​Chicken Hash, which was made from Pulled Confit Chicken Thigh, Potato Hash, Onions, a Sunny Side Farm Egg + Romesco Crema.  Not the kind of dish you expect to find at a small pub that doesn't even have a sign out front.  While I prefer my hash to have crispier potatoes this was a flavorful and satisfying bowl that is sure to please anyone.  The chicken was moist and bursting with flavor while not being as greasy as confit dishes can sometimes find themselves.  The egg was perfectly cooked and when broken open over the hash provided the perfect richness to blend with the Crema to flavor the potatoes.  If you like hash of any kind stop in and give this one a try for brunch.

ABV Public House is typical Portland.  Unmarked, unknown, and uncommonly good.  A little piece of Fat Boy Heaven in a tiny strip mall between the gun range and the home brew store.  It doesn't get anymore Portland than that.  You can find ABV online here, or just go visit them at:

23588 NW Clara Lane 

Hillsboro, OR 97124

Update: April 1st, 2015

We went back a couple of weeks later with the kids to get another picture of how ABV really behaved on a weeknight.  While food quality was just as great, service dropped severely.  At 6pm on a Wednesday night we had a 40 minute wait to be seated, even though there was an open table clearly visible from the podium. 

It took nearly another hour before appetizers (Fried Cheese Curds) were brought out, and 29 minutes past that we finally got our meals. 

The fried cheese curds are served in a large bowl.  Plenty to share and perfectly breaded and prepared. 

​I ordered the 50/50 Burger, while Carrie went with the Green Chile Burger.  Both were excellent.  Both kids ordered ABV burgers, classic 1/4 pound cheese burgers.

The 50/50 Burger has a patty that is 50% Beef and 50% Bacon.  This is topped with bacon, blue cheese, and grilled onions.  Amazing. 

The cross section of my 50/50 Burger.  Look how thick and juicy that burger looks! 

1. The kids both had the ABV burger.  A classic example 1/4 pound cheese burger

Carrie's Green Chile Burger was huge, and she said full of flavor.