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"

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.

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. 

FeastPDX Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

FeastPDX is the Northwest's premier food and beverage event.   Founded in 2012 by Mike Thelin and Carrie Welch, Feast Portland showcases local culinary talent and Pacific Northwest ingredients alongside internationally recognized chefs, culinary professionals and industry leaders. Feast Portland is also a festival with a mission, donating its net proceeds towards ending childhood hunger in Oregon and around the country through Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Share Our Strength.

The centerpiece of the festival is the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, a two day event in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.  

This is the second year Fat Boy Heaven has attended this amazing event, and this year was even better than last year.  It is easy to see why everyone from Zagat to Forbes has lauded it as one of the nation's premiere food events, and while naming it one of America's top 15 food events Fodor's Travel said it was "done to such perfection you’d think one of the Pacific Coast’s biggest-catch food events was in its 30th year.”

I could write for days about the flavors and sights of this amazing event, but wiser men than I for generations have said a picture is worth a thousand words so I will give you- the sights of Feast Portland:

Bambuza was making fresh shrimp spring rolls that amazed even a meat and potatoes guy like me

BatchPDX specializes in handmade chocolates

Featuring sweet and savory baked goods Pacific Pie served an amazing sausage roll.

redDuck Foods brought some great sauces, but the most interesting was their Pumpkin Spice ketchup

Whole Foods, a featured sponsor of the event had a large tent set up on the upper level of the square featuring local products they were debuting in their styles from Portland vendors.

And there you have it, the sites and food of Feast Portland's Grand Tasting for 2014.  I'm already looking forward to next year's event. Up next, a new event for this year, the Tillamook Brunch Village.

Thrillist Strikes Again: Portland's 8 Best Whisky Bars

Thrillist today posted their choices for the eight best whiskey bars in Portland, and they took the easy way out in a town known for great food and drink by naming their favorites in eight categories instead of ranking the top eight.

From the article:  

PDX's 8 best whiskey bars

You can drink whiskey pretty much anywhere... except in your car, or at work, or in public, or at the library (unless it's Multnomah Whiskey Library!), but literally almost ANYWHERE else. Portland's best places though, are right here...

Thrillist Rate's Portland's Best Mac & Cheese options

Woke up today to find a great article in my inbox rating the best Mac & Cheese dishes in PDX.  Some great choices here, but my favorite Lobster Mac & Cheese from Ringside Fish House missed the cut.  You can see how your favorite ranked at the link below.

Food Cart Review: Bro Dogs

Bro Dogs came out to cater my 20 year high-school reunion, and they did not disappoint.  I had The Dude - a Hand made sausage topped with cream-cheese, onions, mushrooms, bacon, cheddar, and jalapeño peppers on a custom made roll that holds up well to the toppings.

Strangely, it was the cream cheese smeared on the bun that really pulls this dog together.  The creaminess blends with the onions and peppers to provide a saucy feel to the dog.

The cart has a wider menu than he brought out on site to our event, and I will be looking them up next time I'm downtown to give them a try.  This is Fat Boy Heaven on a bun folks.