Well, I’ve officially flipped over – to dirty old man status, where leering at the waitress and hanging on her every word becomes one of the more important elements of my dining out.   At least I haven’t gotten to the point where I’m the kind of guy making the disgusting suggestive comments.

Point?  My waitress was the highlight of my visit to an Applebee’s yesterday.  Everything else is a blur. Almost.

Colleague and I stopped by for lunch, he suggested I’d like the “Cowboy Burger,”  which features a patty topped with onion strings, cheddar, bacon, and bbq sauce.

The waitress (what did you say?) overruled him and suggested I go for the Bourbon Black and Blue – with blackened seasoning, blue cheese crumbles, bourbon caramelized onions,  mushrooms, bell peppers, jack cheese, Applewood bacon, with smoky mayo.

I had her leave the vegetables in the kitchen, and the burger, in and by itself, was pretty good.  Obviously hand-formed, served to my preference when she asked “do you like it pink or not?”

The fresh toasted buns are a nice touch at Applebee’s too.   I don’t think I have been in one of their restaurants (there are about 1300 worldwide) for a couple decades, and it’s as good a choice as any in the fast casual arena.

The fries were doused with a seasoned salt, a little too much for my taste, the taters cut on the chubby side, bordering on crispy.

Service was prompt and friendly, with the burger weighing in at just over a sawbuck.

I’d go again.

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Look, down in Southeast! It’s a bar! It’s a restaurant! It’s a tavern! According to Wikipedia, a tavern is a business establishment where people gather to be served drinks and food. Back where I come from (no, it’s not Kansas, Dorothy), a tavern is a place that sells low alcohol beer, and the food ranges from pickled eggs to microwave pizzas.

Neither of these definitions are apt to describe the Woodsman, an effort by Stumptown Coffee founder Duane Sorenson, and in fact, the Woodsman is next to the original Stumptown location, which debuted in 1999.Sorenson is often credited with being the godfather of the ‘next wave’ of coffee roasters and purveyors, and his Stumptown went on to open in other cities, and attract a large investment from a prominent private equity group.

The Woodsman serves creative Americana cuisine, and matches it with equally creative cocktails.

The stars of the show are American artisan hams and Pacific NW oysters, an unlikely pairing, it would seem, but one that works in the diners favor.

Mrs. Burgerdogboy and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and I made reservations through Open Table, which I always use (and you should too!).

Mrs. BDB started her ordering with one of Woodsman’s signature cocktails, the “Omaha Sour”, comprised of bourbon, lime juice, lavender, and vanilla sugar. A discriminating cocktailer, Mrs. BDB pronounced it fine, and polished off a couple.  I went with a Czechvar beer, which has been brewed in Bohemia continuously since the beginning of recorded history. The beer and cocktail clocked in at a reasonable $3 and $9, respectively.

On to the appetizers (“drinking snacks” on the menu), the Woodsman offers four at dinner, and we sampled them all: deviled eggs, deer sausage ‘pigs in a blanket’, Fried Pork Nuggets, and a Smoked Salmon Rillettes and pickled herring sampler.  All were tasty and aesthetically pleasing, my favorite was the deer sausage (in fact, we gathered some up from the Woodsman market, next door, on the way home), and the Mrs. enjoyed the pickled herring.

Next mi’ lady went with a dozen oysters, sampling 3 each of 4 different regional oysters, tops for me on the platter was the local Yaquina.   The oysters are spendy at $16 for 6, which is slightly more than other offerings locally, and since we moved to Portland from New Orleans, a bit of a hard swallow to us, on the price, where for $32 in NOLA, we could have consumed, depending on venue, anywhere from 48 – 128 oysters!   Nevertheless, Woodsman’s selections were superb.

I opted for the ham plate, a sampling  of four different American “prosciutto style” artisan hams;  from hog butchers in Iowa, NC, KY, and TN.  They are arranged in particular order on the plate, and our over the top competent and congenial server “Senna” recommended we consume them in order of ‘saltiness’, from left to right, and we might have, except of course, I opted to jump right to the end, looking for the most flavorful ham on the platter.

Especially high praise from me for the Iowa offering, La Quercia, as a former Iowa resident and terribly fond of anything pork that comes out of that state.

But they were all good.   As an afterthought, Mrs. BDB thought I needed an order of fries, which come with a  sriracha mayo providing a bit of kick as a condiment.  (Sriracha is a type of Thai hot sauce, made from chili peppers, vinegar, sugar and salt).

We polished off our evening repast with the Kale Caesar (tres European!), and it was a salad easy on the eyes and palate.  We lacked the capacity to even try the mains, but many of them sound intriguing, including the trout, and the “rabbit and biscuit.”   Note:  said biscuit came along with the ham plate, and was light, flaky, and imparted a nice smoky flavor as well.

Total tab for the evening, $120, including tip.   Some local reviews I have read have called it a “spendy” place, but we were more than satisfied.

There were no leftovers to take home, though both Mrs BDB and I would have been happy to invite server Senna out for an evening of sin and whimsy.  Her attention, knowledge and personality boosted great food to a memorable evening, and for that, we thank her.

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I’m all about old-timey and garish. The outside of

Pietro’s fits the latter, the inside the former. Almost as old as I am, Pietro’s has been serving pizza to Oregonians for over 60 years, and is constantly at the top of most local favorite lists.

Having noticed its list ranking, not having tried it, and finding myself in the area, Friday, I stopped in for a to-go pie, and almost had second thoughts upon seeing the ultra-jammed parking lot at midday.

But figured that must be a good thing, as well. The place was chock-a-block with a wide variety of diners, construction workers, office colleagues, families with kids running amok in the large game room.

I opted for one of the specials, the 5 meat combo, with Canadian bcon, salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage and beef.  I added sliced green olives for good measure, one of my personal favorite pizza toppings and a rarity in the Pacific NW.  The price topped $25.

The counter clerk did not ask me whether I preferred thin or thick crust, so I  didn’t know that was an option until I read the menu at home.  I’m guessing mine was on the ‘thick’ side (by my definition) not one of my usual preferences, but this was a crust I really enjoyed.   Crispy on the bottom and edges, a dusting of cornmeal, and chewy as you worked your way through the pie.  OK, a further examination of the menu shows a surcharge for thick crust, so this was their variety of thin after all!

Ample toppings, great cheese and sauce, and Mrs. Burgerdogboy opined that she detected a hint of anchovy paste in the sauce.  I couldn’t say, but it does have a unique flavor which I found very appealing.

The slices held up well, hot or cold, very little “hang’ and no toppings or cheese sliding off the slice when held up for examination.  A good sign.

Pietro’s also has wings, a salad bar, grinders (aka heroes, subs, hoagies) and spaghetti or lasagna for a pasta choice.

Hand-crafted microbrews, domestic beers and house wine round off the beverage choices.

It’s a great pie. Looks like a fun place for the whole family.  I shall return.

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Strada is an egg-custard type casserole, frequently served for breakfast or lunch.  It’s a riff on the word “strata”, which mean ‘layers’ as found in natural formations of geology.

My mother first introduced me to the dish, which she made on occasion for her social gatherings – using a relatively common standard list of ingredients of eggs, milk,  ham, cheese, and crust-less bread.   One layers the bread in the bottom of a baking dish, layers ham on top of the bread, and fills the remainder of the dish with a mixture of eggs, milk (or cream) and cheese, which is whipped into a frenzy.  Refrigerate overnight before baking in the morning.  The end result is reminiscent of quiche.

I created my own variation later in life, with a “reuben” strada, using corned beef, swiss, and kraut.   I squeeze as much moisture out of the kraut as possible, lest the dish become a mushy mess, and substitute rye bread.  It’s pretty damned good.

One of the great things about living in Portland is the plethora of a choice of gourmet markets, and one of my favorite is “Market of Choice,” a decidedly upscale grocery, with the requisite separate counters for a fishmonger, butcher, and deli.  The deli (and bakery) have a bevy of prepared dishes designed to delight the taste buds and seriously injure your bank account.

We picked up a single serving of their asparagus and prosciutto strada yesterday for our Easter breakfast.  It was a very hefty serving, easily enough for two, and the register topped $7.50 f0r the slice.

Market of Choice’s variation is heavier on bread than my own, and also heavier on savory, creamy cheese.  On a per ounce basis, it’s not very economical, but then, there is no measure on “cents per taste sensation”, otherwise this version would be very economical.

It’s a delight.

One thing you can’t tell from the photo is the size of the piece, it’s more than ample.

Here’s a basic recipe for strada; you might try your own variations, like salmon and cream cheese, for instance.

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Fresh out of a session of wandering around my past lives, I continued my roaming in this life, and was driving down SE Foster in Portland when I spotted this gem of a market. With an odd little name, Overseas Taste is tucked off Foster in a small building with a kitschy painting on the front, and “European products” hand painted in Russian fronting the small, off-street parking lot on SE 64th Avenue. I didn’t have time to stop at that moment, but we returned on a Saturday afternoon to see what was up with this place. I do love me an old fashioned meat market. (Of the four-legged kind).

Walking in, your olfactory senses start to tango at the deep earthy small of myriad smoked meats, displayed in the counter and hanging from the ceiling.

Peruse the small selection of shelved groceries from the former SSR’s like biscuits, soup mixes, pickled vegetables and a small selection of caviar, while your are waiting for your turn at the butcher counter.

Prepare to take your time when selecting your meats, as there is plenty to choose from.

We went with at least a half-dozen selections, including Hungarian sausage and bulk bologna for me, and honest-to-goodness beef jerky and a smoked chicken thigh for Mrs. Burgerdogboy to nosh on in the car for the trip home.

Bulk bologna you say? Yes, I had been thinking about looking for some lately, in order to introduce Mrs. Burgerdogboy to the delicacy of Newfoundland, a genuine fried bologna sandwich, which can is a thick slab of meat in a fry pan or on the grill, smashed between two slices of nutritionally-deprived white bread, and decorated with mayo, mustard, and lettuce, tomato, and if you like, a slice of cheddar.

Mrs. BDB counts jerky among her personal vices, but has grown weary of the pressed, chopped, formed or extruded varieties, so we were delighted to find actual strips of beef available of the smokehouse variety at Overseas Taste.

We picked up a couple of other sausages and some double-smoked bacon as well.

This is my new favorite Eastern European market, although I regularly stop at Victor’s, on 99w in Tigard as well. Victor’s has the advantage (for us) as being both geographically close, and he also makes our favorite South African style jerky “Biltong.”

Specialty meat purveyors are making their way back into the mainstream, and Portlandians are fortunate to have many to choose from.

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In a press release this week, Wendy’s announced their newest offering, the Chicken Guacamole Club.   It’s described as:

The rockin’ hot sandwich features the heat of Wendy’s original Spicy Chicken whole filet and all-natural pepper jack cheese balanced by cool zesty ranch sauce and creamy, natural guacamole. The Spicy Chicken Guacamole club is topped off with Wendy’s thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, a full slice of tomato and crisp, hand-leafed lettuce between a freshly buttered, toasted bun.

I’ll be sampling it in the next week or so, sounds terrific.  Wendy’s continues their top to bottom updating/reconfiguring and results are a resounding success, quality and taste are up several notches, in my opinion.

I continue a love affair with their natural cut, sea salt fries.  The guys at work frequently hit Wendys for take-out, and brought me a bacon double deluxe meal this week, and it’s a fine burger, on a nice buttered bun.

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Colleague and I popped in here for a quick bite. Gilliano’s is a very family oriented pizza and ice cream establishment, with seating galore and a large game room for the kids.

We split the Gilliano’s Special, Canadian Bacon, salami, pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese, and were quite satisfied.  The crust is medium thickness, buttery flavor, ample toppings.

Order at the counter, and they deliver to your table, rather quickly.  Prices are lower than most Portland/Vancouver area independents, with most larges (16″) coming in at the $17-$18 range.

Menu.

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As a regular reader, you know one of my “acid tests” for how much I like a pizza, is how it holds up to eating the next morning.  I might add a similar criteria for burgers.  Tho I seldom like “leftovers”, I do admit to putting a few extra patties in a frying pan when I am cooking burgers at home, and on occasion, eat those patties out of the frig in the morning.    But restaurant food?  Nah, not for me.  Or so I thought.

Mrs. Burgerdogboy and a her pal Tiffany, Portland’s “hair extraordinaire lady“,  were meeting for lunch yesterday, and they went to Portland’s “Killer Burger“, an odd choice for my wife, as she doesn’t really care for ground beef and might consume two burgers in a calendar year. (But yes, in spite of this, we are still together!).

She reported that the joint is small, very small, but the food more than made up for it.   Killer is known for hand-crafted burgers to the extreme, with toppings and add-ons made in house from the highest quality ingredients.  To quote her directly, “My sandwich was delishus! (Sic)  It created a party of flavors in my mouth!”

That’s awfully high-praise from a non-burger person.  She texted me at work and said she was bringing me one, I said “don’t bother, I won’t see you for three hours, and I don’t think it will hold up all that well.”

But of course, one of her missions in life is killing me with kindness over and above what any husband deserves, and when she picked me up later, she presented me with Killer’s ‘peanut butter bacon pickle’ burger.

It had come off the griddle approximately 3 hours earlier, sitting in its take out packaging, it was……..in a word……..beautiful.

I cautiously lifted it to my burger hole, took a bite……..and swooned.  This is a burger.  A hand crafted 1/3 pound patty, smeared with peanut butter, bacon strips, their in-house smokey sauce, crispy dills, mayo, grilled onions……a delicate blend of sweet and savory on a soft, delicious, over the top bun.

Even the cold fries stood out.  The little woman told me I wouldn’t believe how they tasted just out of the fryer. “When we go back,” she started to say…… and I interrupted, “Us, go to a burger place together?  Who are you and what have you done with my wife?”

But return I am sure we will.  Together.

Thank you Mrs. BDB, and that YOU, Killer Burger!  Superb!

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You’ve probably had strada – a baked, layered egg dish, for breakfast at some point in your life.   I’ve varied this recipe to produce an entree more on the (unch) side than the (br) side for brunch.

8 slices of rye or pumpernickel bread, crusts removed

1/2 pound thin sliced, lean corned beef

8 slices swiss cheese

1 small can of sauerkraut, drained

6 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 C cream or your choice of milk

Lay bread in bottom of 9×13 casserole dish

Layer meat, cheese on top of bread

Take drained sauerkraut and SQUEEZE between your hands to remove all remaining liquid, and sprinkle on top of meat and cheese.

Combine cream and eggs, mix.

Pour cream and egg mixture on top of casserole contents.

Cover with foil, and let rest in refrigerator at least overnight.

The next day, bake at 350 for 45 minutes, remove boil, broil for 3 minutes.

Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes before slicing into squares.

Plate with fruit cup or breakfast potatoes, serve, enjoy.

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I had an urge to roast coffee today, and so I stopped by my bean purveyor of choice, Mr. Green Beans, on N. Mississippi in Portland.

On the way out, I noticed a new next door neighbor (new to me), which is called Mac! Mac and Cheesery, and I thought to myself, “Self, you’re on your way home, and who loves mac n cheese more than Mrs. Burgerdogboy? No one!). So I ambled in and perused the menu.

Myriad of combos await the discerning m & c lover, with “original” topping the list, but you may avail yourself of numerous ingredients to blend in – whether your taste buds tingle for truffles, or you salivate for “Southwestern”, have a vice for vegan, or brag about bacon.

I went with original with bacon, noting that the “b” word at our house is spoken in hushed tones, we hold it in such high regard.

I texted Mrs. BDB (not while driving!) that I was on my way home with a yummy, and delivered it to her in her home office.

She loved it, not only because it’s great mac n cheese, and had delicious pork parts in it, but also because it resembles the “baked kind” in that the top is sprinkled with bread crumbs and slightly browned.

I was offered a morsel or two, and I believe this to be a fine product, worthy of your attention. The shop also has sandwiches, burgers, and dogs, which will require an in-house visit for a complete and thorough examination.

Did I mention they have cocktails? I did not. They do. When Mrs. BDB and I get in there for a sit down repast, I predict a long and enjoyable day.

Now I’m off to roast coffee beans.

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