Yokohama Skyline Eatery

 Yokohama Skyline Eatery

Oct 3 - Saturday

Another beautiful day - still in birthday mode. Though we had gone to Banning's Pie House for dinner (and awesome cake - enough for four treats) - we still planned dinner out for Saturday. But first a stop at the Saturday Market. I chose this restaurant  - "an authentic ramen restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Nestled in the heart of the city, we offer a one-of-a-kind ramen experience that you won't find elsewhere. From carefully selected ingredients to rich, flavorful broth and cooked noodles, every element of our dishes reflects the authenticity and tradition of Japanese cuisine. We were the only patrons when we arrived - the place was immaculate and inviting - very simple. So simple in fact we ordered at the counter and waited for our ramen to arrive.

That's all we had - a simple and satisfying meal and a fun day all around.

8 for food

6 for atmosphere

Belle Pente Winery and Filbert Farmhouse Kitchen

Belle Pente Winery and Filbert Farmhouse Kitchen

Sunday Sept 27

Gorgeous day to be out in wine country. First stop was an appointment at the winery that produces the wine that H enjoyed so much at the Filbert farmhouse. Then the plan was to return to that restaurant for dinner and a chance to reserve the restaurant for our party of nine Anniversary dinner.

All went according to plan. We had a private meet with the vintner, a very nice man originally from NY - Fordham University. Seventy sunlit acres had been harvested and glowed with yellow. The winery is a farm complete with goats and at least three gorgeous white geese.

I was not a fan of the white wines - too dry, but we bought three reds.

On to dinner. Indoors this time. The restaurant was full and busy on this lovely Sunday afternoon. Steelhead pate, chicken and dumplings, beef ribs - food was comforting and filling if not exciting. Free dessert - hazelnut panna cotta. No wine because we had tasted our fill.

A lovely day.

7 for food, 10 for the day

&$79 + 2.37 credit card charge

$100

Brooklyn Trattoria

 

Brooklyn Trattoria

Sep 21

This was the first restaurant we did not like. And for a fairly inconsequential reason. On arrival in Bethany, entering a nicer and larger than expected restaurant, we were led through two largely empty rooms, to our table for two facing a large, well-stocked and tended bar. On the table was a small laptop computer and a VR code image. No menu. We were instructed that everything was online.

Since the place promotes itself on "It’s our take on NYC Italian food," I was quite interested to see what was offered. So, two of us, who read at different speeds, and like different things to eat, had to scroll up and down and around the screen to find anything that caught our eye. I asked for a paper menu but was told in no uncertain terms that this was the only way. Why this set the wrong tone for our enjoyment is not really clear, but though the food was good enough, the vibe was off. I think the online menu takes away a sense of human graciousness - aka class -  in a place that is trying to have atmosphere.

H had cioppino (no surprise) and I had chicken piccata which was over rich but tasty. No starters, in part because of the way info was organized. 

We shared dessert and brought home the leftovers. there was a table of four seniors next to us as we ate. I watched as they fiddled with the online menu as well.

So 6 from both of us

Dahlias and Filbert Farmhouse Kitchen

 Dahlias and Filbert Farmhouse Kitchen

 

Sept 10

In preparation for H's birthday and in appreciation for the beautiful weather, we decided to visit the Dahlia festival in Canby. The place, the array of colors and bloom is simply uplifting. The abundance of flowers and colors fills me with joy -  and my camera with beauty.

As I was taking pix, H searched for a place to eat and discovered a place with a name so perfect, and a write up so inviting, we knew we could not resist. 

"Filberts Farmhouse Kitchen was born from a love of quality food, exceptional service and a sense of community. We serve classic American comfort food executed with culinary expertise and Farmhouse flavor. Cultivated from a passion for high-quality cuisine, outstanding hospitality, and fostering community ties, Filberts Farmhouse Kitchen embodies these values at its core."

This was our favorite celebration dinner so far. We drove up to a sparkling white farmhouse. Parked in front of a full hedge of bright yellow roses. As we entered the lovely dining room, we noticed a veranda set with tables through the windows. Can we sit out there? We had it to ourselves (which we loved) - giving us an unobstructed view of the filbert orchard in which the farmhouse is set, and the perfect weather for dining outdoors.

One of the things that impressed us is that the menu and the wine list include information about the source and location of ingredients and wines. We each had a local wine - mine was 4.2 miles distant, and H's Gamay Noir, (which he loved) was from another local winery.

We started with a fig flat bread - local figs, which was good enough for a complete meal. H had fish and chips, and I had a chicken and cherry salad. All delicious. In honor of a birthday, we were comped a chocolate hazelnut pot o creme - yum.

All in all, a perfect part of a lovely day. We hope to go back - and to celebrate our anniversary there with family. 

$90  + $18

10 of 10

Screen Door

 Screen Door 9/5/26

My turn to pick. I'd seen a write up for Screen Door describing Southern food and hospitality - fried chicken, shrimp and grits, pecan pie. Oy. I needed some of that. Also, I was reading Sue Monk Kidd’s The Invention of Wings, so things southern was on my mind.

The restaurant, in the Pearl, was crowded and very noisy. I loved seeing pink and green flowered wallpaper on the side walls that matched an ancient, papered cigar box that belonged to my mother. 

I had wine. We started with hush puppies - crisp with a spicy sweet dipping sauce. H had jambalaya. My chicken dinner was huge. The chicken was perfect - succulent, spicy, crispy. Heavenly mashed potatoes and gravy. Pecan pie for dessert. Too full, too rich, too good.

But too noisy. Great leftovers for us both.

7 of 10 for noise. 10 of 10 for doing what they are known for extremely well. Good service as well.

$108 total

Cruising the Willamette on the Portland Spirit

 August 28

Cruising the Willamette on the Portland Spirit

The weather could not be more perfect, the moon fuller than on Friday evening for our Willamette River cruise. 

We drove and parked in downtown Portland, walked several blocks to the riverfront location for the large boat. Waited among a surprisingly large group to have our photographs taken and walk down the long steep ramp to board.

We entered a large window lined dining room, aroar with the sound of tables filled with people, and a pianist playing above the noise. Apparently, dinner was served immediately. We were served a nice simple salad and a plate of focaccia, then chose steelhead from the list of choices available. Our fish was excellent, a large portion with a sweet tart sauce that set it off nicely, couscous tossed with veggies on the side. Cleaned our plates, ordered cheesecake for dessert to come later and headed out onto the deck to enjoy the sweet air and the water, views and narration. It was lovely. I relished the sensation of the breeze blowing my hair.

We also enjoyed the music provided by the pianist - who played River Flows in You at my request. 

A really nice evening enhanced by a huge yellow full moon all the way home.

10 of 10

Laney is 75 Campagna

 August 23

Laney is 75

Family Dinner at Campagna Italian restaurant

Seven of us gathered at an outdoor table on an absolutely perfect evening. We started with a toast with a lovely sparkling wine, graciously served. Then we shared a tomato bruschetta, a caesar salad and excellent shrimp scampi.

We passed around plates of a variety of pasta dishes, and H ordered cod. Fish was perfect, pasta was mostly way too al dente, but well flavored. Tiramisu for dessert.

A lovely meal, a lovely time together. Levi entertained us by being himself. We sang the song and celebrated being together and healthy and hungry and aging gratefully. Then we took a walk.

10 of 10 for service, company and celebration.

7 of 10 for underdone pasta 

Two in One Week -; pancakes and ramen

 Two in One Week -; pancakes and ramen

H had been jonesing to try The Original Pancake House since reading a rave review about the Dutch Baby served there. On Thursday morning, after teaching for the three earlier days, he convinced me to go out for breakfast. I needed convincing because it is not my practice to eat heavy carbs in the morning. But, it was a cloudy day with nothing else on the agenda.

The first surprise, at 9:15 am - was an almost full parking lot, and a waiting area with 16 people in front of us and a completely full and very noisy dining room.  We sat in chairs along the wall perusing the menu. Each item had its calories listed - 900, 1200, 1800!!!  The bottom of the menu mentions that 2000 calories is the recommended daily number.  I was frankly a little put off with the idea of consuming much at one time.

When we were finally seated, we were able to see the plates being served. Everything was enormous. We ordered a dutch baby, served with whipped butter, powdered sugar and lemon sliced, and Nebraska Corn Pancakes for me - I love corn and these were only 780 calories. H added corn beef hash. I was truly astonished to be served NINE full size pancakes. I ate 2 and a half and they made three more breakfasts. The d b was big enough to feed our family, dense and eggy - H's is better. So - all in all, lots of leftovers. H is still wanting to go back to try the crepes - the size of a small train tunnel. At least, after seeing the size of the servings, I understand the enormous calorie counts, but who in the world can eat nine pancakes?

$44.50

On Saturday evening we returned once more to NOA to try their ramen. Excellent as expected.

$46

Fogo De Chao

 Fogo De Chao   August 9

Market Table

Caipirinha Cocktails

Free Key Lime Pie Dessert 

Gorgeous place. We'd been to the one downtown last year and had enjoyed the variety of items on the salad bar/market table, and especially the tapioca cheese ball/rolls. This is a place to dress up for and enjoy the varied offerings of meat and beverages moving around the many rooms. 

we started with excellent cocktails and waited til we were done to begin visiting the choices that awaited. 

Gazpacho, which I was eager to try was too salty, all other options, including rice and beans were tasty and fresh. Lots of fruits and salads of different types.

A fun meal, not to heavy and not too pricey.

8.5 /10  Fun atmosphere, simple food great drins\ks 

$96 +15%

Noa Noa Noa Sushi

 August 1

Hank's favorite. We were back for round three and not disappointed though we powered through our meal in record time. Clams and abalone in smoky miso broth was delicious. double crunch lobster roll, shrimp tempura and an octopus dish were all, as usual, beautifully presented and excellent quality. We have yet to sample ramen - so we may be back.

I once again loved the Passion Fruit Sake.

Also purchased a drawing from a man selling his art in the walkway of the mall. 

8 of 10 - too fast service

$66 + 13 = 79 

Thien Hoang with family

 Thien Hoang Vietnamese  July 26

It started with a question about an old favorite restaurant - Thien Hong, which closed during the pandemic. It was a favorite family treat to go there for salt and pepper squid; garlic eggplant and other rotating favorites We would order vast quantities and bring lots home with us. On a recent drive-by, I noticed that it appears to be open once again. When I googled it, I discovered what turned out to be a related place, with a larger, but similar menu. 

So, in celebration of Joanna and Justin's birthdays, we all, including Levi, met there for dinner, and ordered similar versions of personal faves.

Clams first, were plump and excellent. The squid was tougher than it should be - not as good as Thien Hong. Excellent Chow Fun, my favorite and Crispy Eggplant - deep fried in rich sauce. Lots of rice - all in all - a fun meal, but not as good as I'd hoped - but reminiscent of past pleasures.

7 of 10

Seasons and Regions - Happy Hour

 Sunday July 19

We'd been here before and liked it a lot. We'd heard that Happy Hour was excellent - it was.

Arrived at four - just in time - and ordered four dishes off the menu. First tall glasses of ice-cold prosecco to set the mood. Other than being WAY too talkative, our server was excellent and enthusiastic about our choices.

Alaskan Halibut cakes - two perfectly delicious and crunchy cakes on a plate filled with roast vegetables, including radishes which I had never eaten in this way before, and really liked, and both mashed and tiny crispy fried potatoes filled a plate that would easily have been my dinner. Only $11.95

H blissed out on Mac and Cheese with BBQ pork. We also had a smoked salmon and artichoke crepe in a lovely sauce, and pesto shrimp and rice. The plan was to take some home, and it worked.

Since it was our anniversary (again? still?) we were also given a free scoop of homemade ice cream with our key lime pie for dessert. I was especially impressed by the creme anglaise served with the pie. That was a lovely extra touch.

Great meal, great deal. 

9 of 10. One dish was under seasoned and the server talked too much.

$76 = $88 total

Nebbiolo Wine Bar and BIstro

 July 11

My idea was to find a place outside of Portland. I googled best Italian restaurants and found this 

Located in Oregon City, OR, Nebbiolo Restaurant & Wine Bar specializes in locally sourced foods and drinks, including dine-in meals and takeout. Proudly serving our community for over 13 years. Sophisticated comfort foods created by our female chef. Private event catering available. Contact us now to make a reservation

Locally sourced, female chef, great comments - playing my song. And the restaurant did not disappoint.

When we arrived for our five o'clock reservation at the red brick building on a corner of the main street in Oregon City, we were the only ones - but not for long. Soon people were streaming in and filling the tables, the bar and the wine tasting space in the back.

Despite the massive wine list, I chose Sangria (love sangria) and H had a bottle of Guiness. Bread was served on the table (a rare thing).

The sangria was perfect. H had minestrone to start - a big bowl filled with veg and pasta. Really good. My salad was delicious.

My scallop dish was excellent, H loved his seafood pasta - basically cioppino over hand made noodles. The service was great, the noise level comfortable, and we had actual, baked in-house German Chocolate cake for dessert.

As we ate a live musician was setting up to play.

And, the prices out of PDX were slightly lower. All in all10 out of 10. 

$120 +25

Thai Bloom

 Thai Bloom

Sunday June 21

PuJa - heavy dense, needed knife and dipping sauce

Crab Pad thai - too much egg wrapped around crab 

Halibut Bloom - perfectly cooked panko coated - 

All beautiful fresh vegetable

The hit of the meal was passion fruit sangria mocktail 

7.5 of 10 

108 = $130

Salty's On the Columbia

 Salty's On the Columbia

Sunday June 14 was a scorching hot and slightly hazy day, perfect for river views and seafood.

We missed dinner out the previous week for two reasons, first, we were enjoying eating the dry-roasted duck we had at home from Ranch 99, and second, we had tickets to Pink Martini at the Reser and we were feeling sufficiently celebrated for the week.

Dinner at Salty's was perfect. We started with individual little bottles of prosecco while watching boats, geese and waves from our window seat on the top floor. Our table was sprinkled with red rose petals and an anniversary card - which our dinner neighbor noticed and commented on. A nice greeting. All the service was as gracious and welcoming.

H had cioppino, served with garlic bread, which he rated a ten. I had a crab and shrimp Louie, a generously loaded salad that contained everything I like to include on my healthy diet.  

Then, were we comped a slice of cake for our anniversary. 

 All in all, a highly satisfying experience. 

8.5 of 10 (if id eaten something more adventurous, I'd have rated accordingly) 

$130 including tip

Han Oak

May 29 Week 21

 Han Oak is a communal, prix-fixe Korean barbecue restaurant emphasizing traditional flavors, seasonal ingredients, and fine technique.

Our dinner here, on a beautiful Friday evening was a unique experience. First, simply finding the obscure front door is a challenge, entering into a courtyard completely surrounded by dense green vines. The interior space - which is largely exterior, has a lovely vibe - walls painted the same soft blue green grey of our house. Our table was perfectly located in shade but enough sun for ideal temperature. More and more patrons arrived as we ate, and btw, our reservation took two weeks to get.

A prefix menu - see below - filled with unfamiliar dishes met our criteria of trying new things. Neither of us has eaten Korean food before and this restaurant is rated as one of PDX best. 

I started with a mocktail - Citron Tea - refreshing and lovely. A bamboo tray is delivered to our table containing this interesting variety of flavors and textures. We were hungry and although we did not like all the same things, everything got eaten. And yes, kimchi is spicy. I especially liked the pickles.

H ordered the pork entree, and I had the black cod. We shared each. Dessert tasted like pumpkin pie, and we were comped a non-alcoholic beverage to celebrate our anniversary. All in all, a fun and interesting adventure. Expensive but unique and a lovely place with fine service. 

$158 + 32 = $190

8.5 out of 10 

JIPBAP

plated tray of banchan & appetizers

accompanied by: kimchi, doen-jang soup and rice

smash’d cucumbers spring radish, kimchi-li crisp, garlic sauce, gim

dubu jorim braised Ota tofu in scallion soy sauce

potato salad chopped egg, k-pepper sauce, crunchy crunch

crab ’n egg steamed egg custard, picked dungeness crab, chive

dry-aged salmon hwe* citrus pepper soy, yuja cho-jang, cured salmon roe, fried shoestring potatoes

for the table

gim toasted seasoned seaweed

pickle plate daikon, cucumber, red onion

mains - choose one per guest

galbi-jjim boneless short rib, sweet potato, caroots, zucchini, pine nuts

twice cooked pork bokkeum koji cured pork coppa crispy rice cake, kimchi-chili pepper glaze, brussels sprouts, charred cabbage in kimchi butter

mae-un-tang black cod in spicy seafood broth, manilla clam, mussels, head-on shrimp, scallion, baby bok choy, chrysanthemum

mushroom ddukboki mushrooms in garlic cream sauce, parmesan, nori
* add picked dungeness crab and salmon roe

dessert

goguma mochi cake roasted sweet potato, bombay gin syrup soaked blood orange, chantilly cream, red bean misugaru

Noa Sushi Once Again

 Saturday, May 23

We skipped last week because I was not feeling well, and the next restaurant we want to try had no reservation until next week, so back to Noa, which has not failed to please. Our plan was for ramen, but we were sidetracked with our usual goal of trying something new, but first sake.

The long list of choices includes fruit sake. I ordered wonderful Passionfruit Sake, which arrived in a lovely brandy snifter shaped glass, and was thick and sweet - like mango juice or apricot nectar, absolutely delicious with a mild kick. Drink and dessert in one.

One of the things we like about Noa is the lovely service. Our charming server helped H choose his drink and explained menu items. We started with shrimp tempura - hot, fresh, excellent and accompanied by a giant ring of onion. H had miso clam soup - intense and flavorful broth full of clams and scallop, enoki mushrooms. I ordered beef short ribs which came with excellent miso and a generous quantity and variety of vegetables and met on a cast iron plate. All in all, great dishes to share and totally satisfying. 

As always, the restaurant was busy and had a pleasing atmosphere of people enjoying great food.

Rating 10 0f 10 for hitting the spot

$79.00 + 20%

Riccardo's Ristorante

 Riccardo's Ristorante

Sunday May 3

A beautiful spring day that began with a thunder and lightning storm. I chose Riccardo's because it is a well-known and well-established local Italian restaurant with a great menu and reputation. Though I had reserved inside (see storm above) when we arrived on the beautiful afternoon we were lucky to get a table outdoors on the terrazzo patio straight out of Italy.

We started with sparkling wine, then a basket of bread and cruet of olive oil arrived. We shared a scallop appetizer in a romesco sauce. Delish. H had a succulent halibut dish, and I had pasta in a meat sauce (H wanted meat) - we shared our dishes. Good food, beautiful atmosphere. 

For dessert we drove across the street and got a key lime pie.

A good start for what turned out to be a busy and good week. Doctors appt, Mother's Day iris garden and ramen lunch with Jo, lunch and art looking with Linda and Barbara, lunch with Corey. All in all, a good week 

$108.50 + 21.50 = $130

Food 7.5  atmosphere 9

Yataimura Maru: a Japanese Izakaya

Yataimura Maru is a Japanese Izakaya in SE Portland. "We make as much of our food from scratch as possible; house-made ramen noodles, stocks and broths that are simmered all day, and sashimi sliced from whole fish. We serve the food we love to eat with the beverages we love to drink, including beer, wine, sake, and cocktails."

On our quest to experience new dishes and flavors from Japan, I found a description, and excellent reviews of a type of restaurant called izakaya -  a type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks. Izakaya are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to a pub, a Spanish tapas bar, or an American saloon or tavern.

We skipped going out last week because we were under the weather, but Saturday was both a glorious day and the perfect day for a good meal. Though we were not disappointed with our meal, neither were we especially impressed. 

The place is designed to have the welcoming feel and style of a traditional izakaya with paper lanterns and banners and a large bar area. We were in time for happy hour, which gave us the opportunity to try a number of dishes. Our very charming server was happy to explain all the dishes and pointed out the noodles and dumplings are hand made in house. We started with sake, then pork gyoza in a vibrant sauce. They turned out to be the standout dish. Next tako yaki - a fried ball with octopus. Good. The noodles in the dry ramen were plentiful and tasty but lacked lots of toppings. Chicken katsu curry was served with rice, but I still don't like curry. H ordered a side of tempura shrimp - good. Since all the dishes were small, (and we ate everything), we had room for dessert - tempura banana with vanilla ice cream. The bananas were over battered and had no sweetness. Ice cream was a good finisher.

All in all, we scarfed down the meal, but it felt like an ordinary meal.  Bar food, great snack food, but no opportunity to try new tastes and dishes. 

total $80  = 16 = $96

7 for food, 10 for service

Rave Review: Seasons and Regions

 April 12

Seasons and Regions Seafood Grill features farm to table produce, locally sourced seafood "recipes inspired by diverse global regions," was on Diners Drive ins and Dives showing the chef making cioppino   - and got rave reviews online. This is another rave.

We entered laughing because I was unable to locate the entrance, the Get In Here sign confused me (not too bright) and I walked around the restaurant twice, in the rain, until H rescued me. Were seated at a too small table in the covered area. I tried to get a better table, but the restaurant was full and busy, a very good sign.

We drank prosecco while we read the mouthwatering menu. There were at least ten things I wanted to order - Alaskan Halibut Almandine for me, cioppino for H, and a loaf of focaccia with herb butter.

Every dish was delicious - my fish had crunchy almond slivers and beurre blanc - so textures and flavor. The cioppino was rich flavorful broth, lots of seafood and topped with a fried crabcake and crunchy toast.

Our lovely server asked what we were celebrating - we got free (handmade) ice cream for dessert.

Ten out of ten from us both.