Canyon Grill

“Voted Best Burgers in Town!” the sign outside says. Doesn’t say by whom, or what town. I’ve driven by this place a million times, on Canyon Rd, or “Car Dealer Row”, or more appropriately these days, “Empty Car Dealer Buildings Row”, as quite a few are in the wind these days.

I first spotted the Canyon when I was at Chicago Windy City Hot Dogs for an Italian Beef. Regretfully, the Chicago spot has gone to hot dog heaven as well. Tough crowd, tough neighborhood.

The Canyon is one of those places where you immediately have the impression that they have been around forever, and always will be, attended to by some loyal family, generation 1 or 2. It’s neat inside, with a small seating area, but a large patio outdoors, with heaters in the winter. Basic condiments adorn each table, along with a small jar of free peanuts for noshing on while you are waiting for your order.

After I ordered and paid, I sat in the sun with the NY Times Saturday puzzle, munched a few peanuts, and wandered in after awhile, and was pleasantly told by the help that they would bring my burger out when it was ready. “It’s done when it’s done” said the cook, but with a smile. Kinda different from the gruff treatment one has come to expect at another local institution, Giant Drive-In, Lake O.

I said “no problem” and also smiled, to let them know I wasn’t being pushy or impatient, as Mrs. BDB says I am on occasion. I apparently get “the look.” In short order (get it?) my bacon cheeseburger and fries were delivered, the burger perched betwixt a soft kaiser, with shredded lettuce on both top and bottom, tomatoes on top, dill chips on the bottom.

Canyon Grill Bacon Cheeseburgern short order (get it?) my bacon cheeseburger and fries were delivered, the burger perched betwixt a soft kaiser, with shredded lettuce on both top and bottom, tomatoes on top, dill chips on the bottom.

The fries were seasoned with a (house-made?) salt/pepper seasoning, with a bit of kick, reminiscent of Tony Chachere, but not – this had larger flakes of the spices. A lot of this seasoning ended up in the bottom of the basket, lowest layer of fries, and a few of them were kinda hot, but not in an offensive way. The shoestrings themselves were fried perfectly, in one of the “lighter” oils, and I suspect most burger boys would say are equal to McDonalds, the gold standard for many people.  Lagniappe:  they throw in a little ramekin of ranch for your fries.

The owner has chosen a high quality beef, and a bacon equal to it, as the (not frozen) patties are cooked to just south of medium, if you don’t specify.

It’s a good burger, and a good value. Worthy of a return trip for me, or a first trip, for you. He has weekend breakfasts, which if we have another nice Saturday, I think I’ll give a whirl as well.

Canyon Grill Portland

Canyon Grill Bacon Cheeseburger

Saturday was a “way too much” food day for the Burgerdogboy family, due to relatives being in town.  I wasn’t able to document it all, a general ‘walking food coma’ overtook me at some point.  Problem with eating so much yesterday, is I have to still deal with what’s on the plate for us today!  WHOA!   Gonna have to take a couple days off from eating.  (OK, I’ll start tomorrow).

In no particular order yesterday, it started at the Saturday market, launched in to happy

Kincaid Sliders

hour at Kincaid’s, on to Sushiland,  moved over to PGE stadium, before ending at Serrato on 21st.

Kincaid’s has three beef sliders for $9 (happy hour price $4), and at the happy hour price they’d be a better deal. They are tiny burgers on oversized buns, with a olive mayo that is ver nice, and a sweet hot mustard that is not so nice. We wandered in there because Mrs. BDB’s unquenchable thirst was hollering out for a couple of lemon drops ($9 per), and Portland’s unseasonably hot weather streak made the AC a welcome relief.

At Sushi Land we set the record for the number of stacked empty plates, I believe, with

PGE Park Zenner Hot Dog

Mrs. BDB and my daughter leading the charge.

Burgerdogboy’s daughter, the vegetarian (harumph!) had the boyfriend du jour in tow this trip,who partook of a Zenner’s hotdog at the baseball game, and pronounced it so amazing, his eyes popped out.

We ended the evening on the sidewalk at Serrato, nobody was feeling very hungry but me, they had a antipasti platter ($18) on the menu, which had my name on it, and it included some salami, olives, and possibly the best cheese I have ever had, a high fat soft concoction called Humboldt Fog, from Cypress Grove Cheeses, Arcata, CA.  Absolutely marvelous.

A typically wonderful diverse Portland food day!

Sushi Land

Rogue Brew Pub and Eatery

In the midst of elephant garlic territory (you missed the festival last week, btw), in the center of town….ok, in the center of the one block of town, sits the Rogue Brew Pub and Eatery, which i don’t believe is any relation to the Rogue Ales brewer type guys. Tho they do serve those quaffs.

This is a neighborhood bar w/o a neighborhood, out in the middle of elephant garlic heaven, Oregon. We were on our way to the coast, when hunger pains struck, but regretfully, far past the exit for the Helvetia Tavern.

So it was either grab a couple of burgers from the AM/PM mini mart, or check out this place. It was mid afternoon, so the place was empty, but that didn’t deter the waitress from popping the top on a new case of attitude, just for us.

You know what I mean, the waitress (or waiter) who rolls their eyes so hard, you think you can HEAR IT, when they say to themselves, “oh great, customers.” After delivering the menus, and taking our drink orders, she had to return a number of times to get our order, and despite being the only customers, despite repetition, despite her successfully (one assumes) passing it off to the cook, after a considerable length of time, it was at last delivered……wrong.

Fuck it, we say, let’s eat, and we did. I ordered the elephant garlic burger, a 1/3 pound food service patty adorned with elephant garlic pureed with a little basil, wine and mayo. This was plopped atop an over-sized slice of genoa salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and raw onion.

While the menu cautioned this burger is for “garlic lovers only,” elephant garlic is not really a member of the garlic family, closer to leeks, and thus milder in flavor. I didn’t find it entirely unpleasant, and will try and concoct same at home, but using a higher quality meat, and a harder salami. Just personal preference.

The burgers come standard with run of the mill chips, fries or rings $2.00 extra. We tried the rings, and they weren’t particularly memorable, either.

There were three of us, two burgers, one rings, two beers, one soda, one calamari, one side salad, $33, plus tip.

Kind of spendy.

I’m glad I went, so I can go “oh, pshaw,” when someone brags to me about what a good burger this place has.

It’s a good burger if you happen to be in North Plains and run out of gas or get a flat tire, maybe. Otherwise, “this isn’t the burger you are looking for, move along.”

Rogue Brew Pub Elephant Garlic Burger

Cooling my heels waiting for Mrs. BDB to finish an appointment downtown, wandered around a little before perching myself at an outdoor table at the Lotus Card Room & Cafe. According to their website, they have been around since prohibition, when they opened as a “soda bar.” (Why don’t we have soda bars today?).

Lotus is part of Portland’s Concept Entertainment Group, which operates 8 unique, local restaurant/bar concepts.

The menu offers the standard variety of bar fare, appys, burgers, sandwiches, and a few larger entrees. Lotus’ menu claims there are committed to using local and Northwest ingredients; for instance, it’s the second time in a week I have seen a restaurant promote local sausage manufacturer, Zenner’s.

Service was good for a bar; sitting where I was, I had one server and one server-in-training wait on me, so the duty was performed cheerfully by rote.

I ordered the trio of beef sliders, which come dressed with chipotle aioli, shredded lettuce, (and you know how I feel about shredded lettuce on a burger!) and a pickle slice. The server said that fries (or tots) were extra, even tho the sliders are in the same price as the regular burgers, which come w/ fries. She asked if I would like anything else with the fries, like ketchup or hot sauce, and I replied “just salt and pepper.”

After a short wait, the burgers and tots arrived, and the waitress said, “I couldn’t remember what condiment you said you wanted, so I brought ranch dressing for the tater tots.” Ambitious, but off the mark, and I repeated my request for salt and pepper, which she fetched promptly.

The burgers were pretty tasty, the chipotle aioli not so much, and one thing I liked about the burgers is they were hand-formed patties, with buns sized to fit the burgers. Often restaurants idea of a slider is to take one of their standard-sized burgers, cook it, and tear or cut it into three pieces. Unacceptable!

The soft buns were bakery fresh, and the tots, evenly deep-fried to the crispness factor I prefer.

I finished my plate, and the waitress brought the check, stating she was going off duty, and could I take care of it, which I did. With a Diet coke, the burgers and tots came to about $12, avec gratuity. The waitress said she would tell her shift replacement I was outside, so if I wanted anything else, the next server would take care of me, but I was there another hour, and didn’t see hide nor hair of another server.

I’m not sure if Lotus has a happy hour menu, these sliders would be great at about $4, but were a little spendy at $7.95.

I have had a couple of good burgers at another Concept Entertainment bar, but haven’t scratched the list of all their offerings around town, and the menus seem fairly similar.

But the Lotus is a nice oasis for that part of the city, with the notable exception being the parking ramp across the street is $5 per hour, so look to park on the street near by if you are driving.

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Lotus Cardroom and Cafe

Mrs. Burgerdogboy and I have switched our weekly happy hour nite out to Tuesdays, instead of Wednesdays, as she has a crack o’ dawn biz obligation every Thursday, and works entirely at home on Wednesdays. So we can be a little footloose on Tuesday nites.

We stayed close to home tonight and went to downtown Lake Oswego to hit Five Spice Seafood & Wine Bar, sit outside overlooking the lake, and have a few happy hour noshes and quaffs.

The menu is similar to many Portland happy hour offerings these days, with everything from roasted nuts, marinated olives, beet salad to grilled squid, or some various tartares, oysters, and of course a burger. Five Spice pretty much sticks to a $5 price point, for cocktails and wine, and $2- $13 for the food items from 3-6P.

Mrs. BDB had a couple of pours of the happy hour French Rose, and I went with one glass of Trumer’s Pilsner.  Trumer is an old label from Salzburg, which also brews in Berkeley, CA, claiming the water at the California location is nearly identical to the Austrian site.   To me, beer is beer.

I opened with the marinated olives at $2, Mrs. BDB went for five on the half-shell for $6,  sourced in the  NW, with a vinegar peppercorn marinade, which she adored.

Next up was a trio of tartares for her, beef (grand), seared ahi (left something to be desired) and a pureed edamame with rosemary-orange oil, the latter which should have been left in the test kitchen.

For $8, I went with the cheeseburger, with hand-cut fries, the fries were great, the burger, served plain on a charred bun, was a hand-formed patty of at least a third pound, overcooked to the point of producing its own arid-like ecosystem on the plate.  The sesame bun was very similar in taste and texture to the buns Foster Burger fetches from their neighbor Vietnamese bakery.  As the burger was so overcooked, I really am unable to comment on the flavor of the meat. Nice pickle, tho.

Curious footnote:  no salt or pepper on any table in the joint, but available upon request.

Total tab, including tip, was $46, spending for happy hour, not as bad at the tab at the Benson the other week, but service was pleasant as are the surroundings.  The ambiance is modern/tech, but the air of sophistication was clouded with two televisions in the bar with sports airing on them, totally not necessary for the place or the zip code.

We finished the evening with a coffee and pastry from the St. Honore bakery, which is nestled underneath the restaurant, along the shores of the big lake they call Kitchigumee,  er, Oswego. Coffee and pastries at St. Honore are over the top, as French as one might find in Western Oregon.

Will we return to Five Spice? Possibly we’ll try their dinner offerings at some point.

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My less than fun experience revisiting Violetta this week got me to wondering about how other “new” “hot” places fare over time, so decided to head back to Foster Burger, the current burger of all burgers here in Portland.

My dining companion for the night, Mr. Portland Attorney Deal Maker Extraordinaire, (PADME) was along for the ride (and to pick up the check)…Foster had been in his sites for some time but he hadn’t managed to make the trek all the way across the river.

We arrived about 5:40, and the joint was “busy”, but not “crowded”.   As it was a near hundred degree temp day, we opted for the outside covered patio, which seemed “cooler” for some reason.  Large pitchers of ice water adorned the tops of each of the dozen or so picnic tables on the rear patio.

I knew Mr PADME would want to check out the shakes (he is a hound for shakes) and especially because Foster is one of the few places that offers the precious “malt powder” as an additive.  (By the way, at Foster you can also add a shot of liquor to your shake, if that’s your pleasure).

I went with a diet soda, of course, but leapt at the offer to drink a spoonful of the malted, and it was superb.  I was envious of Mr. PADME, but then, I am most days.

We both ordered bacon/cheddar Foster Burgers, medium rare (they come medium if you don’t specify), and I skipped the special sauce and PADME skipped the tomato.   OK, I skipped the veggies too (except the pickle), but since they come on the side, didn’t bother to ask the waitress to leave them in the kitchen. (Wasteful!).  Oh well.

Mr. PADME opted for the regular fries, uttered an “OMG” the moment he bit into one, and I reprised my previous visit’s choice of the Black and White fries, dusted with parmesan, garlic,white truffle oil, and accompanied by a ramikin of garlic aioli mixed in with squid ink. (Yes, a black dipping sauce).

The burgers more than lived up to their reputation and my previous visit. Cooked as specified, house ground meat and house made pickles, there is no reason this guy can’t have multiple locations, if that’s his dream.  It sure beats the heck out of any of the current crop of rapidly expanding burger joints.   Some days I wonder if those places are being too aggressive.  Some days I think the current burger fad is born out of economic madness, rather than a change in America’s tastes.  Time will tell.

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I hate it when a hot new place cools, changes things up, methods, suppliers….content to rest on their early street cred and sail into mediocrity?

I’m sorry folks, but I’ve given you several thumbs up in the past few months, here, and here, and oh yeah, over here, too, which you really deserved.

But today I had my first burger since you moved from the truck into your permanent digs in Director Park, and I have to tell you, I wasn’t impressed on any level.

You weren’t all that busy, but one would think so from all the worker bees you had scurrying about….maybe it’s the “too many cooks” thing?

I ordered the 1/3 pound burger with white cheddar, PLAIN, to which the counter lady said “you mean no vegetables, no toppings, no relishes?” I replied “exactly, burger, cheese, bun.” She replied “OK”. Somewhere between her, your POS, the cook, there was a disconnect, and my burger came with all your toppings: house burger sauce, tomato relish, onions, lettuce, pickle chips (two!). OK, I can remove the vegetables, scrap off the sauce. You could say, “why not come back inside and tell us?” I’d say “why should I have to?”

Your menu used to tell the origin of the burgers, the 1/3 and 1/2 pounders coming from different ranches. Now the menu says simply “Pasture-Raised Black Angus Beef.” Hmmm. Red flag for me folks. Change suppliers? I believe so, and here’s why. My first few burgers from you, it was all about the meat. That’s why I order my burgers mostly “plain.” I want to taste the core ingredient(s).

The past burgers were flavorful, juicy, cooked to medium rare, a rather coarse grind on the beef. Today’s very fine grind, in a machine-shaped patty, cooked just past medium, tasted like nothing. I’m so sorry, really I am. It’s like being a Milli Vanilli fan for years, and then finding out about he man behind the curtain. Or something.

My past burger orders, when i didn’t order your to die for fries (I hope they haven’t changed, too!), came w/ a handful of house-made potato chips. Today, nada. In fact, looking at your online menu today, I don’t see them, are they gone? What’s next, my choice of a bag of Tims?

Your wrapping paper – what happened to the cute printed graphics? And take a look at those spots on the paper in front of the burger in the pic, grease? That much fat in a pasture raised cow?

Ai yi yi.

But I enjoyed the sunny day, sitting at a table outside, well, mostly, until some ladies who were sitting next to me were rousted by one of your employees “These tables are for Violetta customers only,” says he.

Oh yikes.

So, Violetta, chill. Get back to your basics. Take a breath. Send some of those employees who are tripping all over each other, home. Let people order food from the take out window in the back.

Get it together! Please! Before the next time I stop by. Many thanks.

When my colleagues said “Let’s meet for lunch at the MAC,”  I was excited.  I didn’t know what the MAC was, but I thought it might stand for “Mighty Academy of Cuisine.”   Or perhaps I didn’t hear them right, and they said “Let’s meet for lunch on the MAX,” which is the local light rail system.   But it turns out, the MAC is the Multnomah Athletic Club, a hoity-toity establishment for local blue bloods seeking fitness, companionship, or ogling.  They only open membership on occasion, and you have to be nominated to join, and pass somebody’s muster.  I only like places where the only thing  I have to pass the is the mustard.

The sign on the front door says “Private Property, Members and Guests Only, Video Surveillance on site.”  Hmmmm.   Kinda brings to mind the Groucho Marx quote, “I’d never join a club that would have someone like me as a member.”   I relate.

OK, all bullshit aside, I have been here before and it’s really nice.  The dining room is tastefully decorated in flat screen tv’s and photos of athletic type activities from days of yore.  Ambiance is accented by an aroma therapy system that pumps in the odor of locker room sweat and old gym shoes.

BUT.  We’re here for the burgers, and they don’t disappoint.  A half pound fresh ground beef, on a bakery roll, with your choice of cheese, or whatever cheese the waitress thinks you said, lettuce tomato, grilled onions,  a schmear of thousand island on the bottom bun, and a couple of bread and butter pickle chips.

Mine was cooked to my specification of medium rare, and other than the lettuce, tomato, pickle chips, and thousand island, it was superb.   I used to order burgers on these excursions “plain”, but I have taken to ordering the “special” to see what the burger they brag about it like.  OK?

Fresh cut fries accompany the sandwich, and if you want tartar sauce on the side (some do), go ahead and ask for it.  Other condiments are table-side, to your own taste.

The MAC burger is a fine one.  Thanks for lunch, Willie.  I’d say I’d be back, but then, it’s not really up to me.  ( I didn’t include a map, because if you get invited, your host will tell you where it is!)

You know I am loathe to go into any place that is “the best in the city,” or as Stanich’s would claim, the “Greatest Hamburger in the World.”    While I am all about places 50 years old, most times, my personal experience is that the rep they made their bones on, a couple decades ago, is long since a memory of days gone by, as owners, ingredients, methodologies have changed.

Certainly a place like Stanich’s, when they opened in the 40s, was using fresh ground beef, and the meat would have had a distinctly different taste to it than today’s institutionally prepared, hormone injected, meat patties.   Back in the day, the cook probably had a Lucky hanging from his lip, perched above his stubbled chin, as he took a fistful of ground beef, and squished out a patty in his armpit.  Or something like that. Or so I would surmise, since I wasn’t in there 50 years ago.

Nor was I in there last year, the first time I tried to visit this Portland “institution.”   They were closed for vacation.   Wish they would have told me before I drove over there.  Easy enough to put up on their website.

So I went back today, for a biz lunch, it was as convenient a location as any for the both of us, the crowd was thin at high noon, and the old bar stools worn from the posteriors of neighborhood regulars.

We both ordered “The World’s Greatest Hamburger,” which the menu describes as fresh ground chuck patty, cheese, ham, bacon, fried egg, tomato, lettuce, onions, etc.”    Turns out the “etc” was pickle chips perched in the basket.

These thin patties are griddle-fried, flipped once, not smashed, as the sesame buns toast along side of them, and a heapin’ helping of onions is sauteed next to them.  The ‘fixins’, the meat, cheese, and such,  are on the dress table to the left of the griddle.

Service can be described as ranging from “pokey” on the good side, to “can I get fed before I qualify for Medicare, please?”   And this on a slow day.

Fortunately, there are picnic tables out front for one to enjoy a rare sunny day in Portland, so the wait is made more pleasant with that.

Is it the “Greatest Hamburger in the World,” as the menu claims?  No.  Is it the “Greatest Hamburger in Portland,”  as the menu does not claim?   No.    It doesn’t even make the top 5, for me.   That’s not to say it’s not a perfectly adequate burger, and a good value for the price.

Fries come on the side for a little more dinero, they are fresh cut, unseasoned, and pleasant enough.  I did see people that had ordered the “large” fries, and that would keep a family busy for awhile.

Will I return?  Doubtful.  Not because anything was really “wrong,” but because each week, it seems, Portland has a new sexy burger to discover.

My top five?   Foster Burger has dethroned Violetta for the number one spot, Bamboo Sushi at number three, and I’ll have to muse over the other two for a day or two.

The weather is beautiful.  Lots of Portland restaurants have outdoor patios, for these few rare days the sun DOES shine.  Get out there and support the local food economy, folks.  Menu below.

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Oh, you know how hesitant I am to go into someplace called “the best” anything. Foster Burger has been open a few months, lots of local raves, and today was named one of the ten best new burgers in the US by Bon Appetit Magazine.

Wow. I thought I had better get there fast, before I can’t get a seat. Hoping it’s not another Umami (Los Angeles), which was also on this list, and is absolutely dreadful.

Well, spoiler alert folks. Not only is this one of the ten best in the country, this is in the top ten, nay top three, perhaps, of the greatest burgers in history! And I don’t say that lightly. Not at all.

Foster starts with a patty of house round naturdal beef and pork backfat, placed on a slightly toasted sesame roll from the An Xuyen Bakery, which is right next door.

That’s fresh.

The offer a variety of toppings, as well burgers of the lamb and turkey variety, but I went with the “works”, the Foster Road Pile Up. Note: Cheddar (or Swiss), Applewood smoked bacon, fried farm egg, caramelized onions, pickled beet, house-made pickles, lettuce, tomato, thousand island on the side, and hell, if you want, add your own ketchup and mustard. That’s a burger!

Burgers come with your choice of fries, slaw or side salad, and I upgraded to the “Black and White” fries, hand-cut fies with Parmesan, truffle oil, and squid ink aioli. Never had black mayo? Me, neither. Have now. Will crave it now.

I could not navigate this monster topside to my piehole, so I set about bisecting, then dissecting it, in order to savor each combo individually.

Fabulous. Don’t change a thing. Even with beets, which I ordinarily loathe, the combination of crunch, soft, sweet, tangy is an experience not to be missed.

Foster Burger is only open for dinners during the week, but they add lunch weekends. What? You want to know about the service, ambiance, decor? Who cares?

The food speaks for itself.  Menu is on this site under the Menu “drop down” tab.

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