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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Mrs. Burgerdogboy and I were on our way out to meet some folks for dinner at Wong’s King - so, as we do on occasion, we stopped to get a bit of pre-dinner and cocktails nearby.

The afternoon’s “victim” was Buckely’s Catch, a sports bar and grill in Mt. Tabor/SE.  We were just looking for a ‘cool’ place to escape Portland’s ‘heatwave’, douse the fire in my belly for something to eat after sitting through a local college graduation – and to get Mrs. BDB a bump or two.

If there is one thing Portland doesn’t have a shortage of, it’s neighborhood bars/saloons/dives, and Buckley’s fits the bill for any number of reasons.  Regular patrons, cheap drinks, and a bar food menu that is a combination of both the usual fare and in house pot cooking.  (Add to that the mound of TVs, games, a patio, and a cigarette machine!)

I could tell from the first glance that the chili mound on top of the taters was brewed up in house, and in fact, Ms. Julie confirmed this without me asking.

It’s a respectable contestant for Portland’s best chili cheese fries.  We barely made a dent before having to shuffle off to our chinese cuisine encounter.

If you’re looking for a cold quaff and some decent cheap bar food, check out Buckley’s Catch, I say.

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Are the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver and the Heathman Hotel in downtown related? I can’t tell from trying to research that question online. If I am left to judge, based on my experiences at restaurants in both hotels, the answer would be a resounding, “NO!”

“Compare and contrast”, as they used to say in debate tourneys at school.

Let’s see – Heathman Hotel downtown Portland – exemplary service, appealing ambiance, over-the-top food, good value for the spend.

Heathman Lodge – possibly the worst service I’ve experienced in Portland, the ambiance of a ski lodge cafe, meh on the food, spendy.

I was delighted to learn from Mrs. Burgerdogboy we were headed out for Saturday brunch with some dear friends, but was dreading the potential for the “Portlandia style” weekend brunch crowds. Happy to hear we were going to the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, because I ASSUMED it was related to the Heathman Hotel, where we’ve had excellent food and service in the past. (Probably one of the best happy hours in Portland, as well).

The similarities between the two properties ends with the name. Period.

While my reviews almost always have a positive spin, being that I was able to find some redeeming quality about a dining experience, regretfully, today is not one of those times.

If I was a member of a younger demographic, my entire review could have been a single word: “meh.”

The two best things about our experience at Hudson’s Bar and Grill were 1) being seated promptly by an amiable hostess, and 2) leaving.

There were apparently 3 wait-persons working the room, which had about a dozen diners at 1030 on a Saturday morning. We apparently drew the short straw with our waitress, starting with a polite remark to her that one of the coffee cups was dirty, and her reply of “Hmm, I don’t see anything wrong with it!” Wot wot? Lesson one of hospitality biz, waitress, you’re reply should have been “Dreadfully sorry, I’ll get a clean one at once.”

Drink orders. Delay. We ordered: two of us opted for the burgers with cheese, medium rare. The menu states “fresh Angus beef, house seasonings, Tillamook white cheddar, brioche. The menu might have stated: fresh Angus, highly overpowering seasonings, prepared however the f*** we feel like it. That’s what we received (after a lengthy delay). I have nothing good to say about the cooked to the max burger, ‘powerfully seasoned’. Fries were bathed in season salt. I’m a big salt eater, but it was too much for even me.

Of all the choices of rice one can use for risotto, arborio, is one of the easiest to overcook. The kitchen did their best to prove the could overcook the rice.

Corned beef hash, while esthetically plated, was over salted.

But even the most mediocre food can sometimes be overcome by good service; regretfully, we were not blessed with that.

Our waitress was AWOL for long stretches at a time, had to be reminded several times that the table wanted water served (she succeeded on the 3rd try).

There was, however, one benefactor of our waitress, a single male sitting nearby was over coddled with both service and personal attention. Lucky him.

Our companions picked up the check, $64 for four brunches, 3 coffees, two cocktails. We ‘quibbled’ over the amount of the tip, it was one of those view times when I would have voted for a big fat zero, but I was overruled by the table.

The hotel itself seems interesting – a cheerful ‘rustic lodge’ decor, but it’s located in an office park, with zero nature nearby. I checked the rates on line, and they run from about $100 – $150, which seems reasonable, I guess. Most hotels these days offer guests at least a free continental breakfast, if not more. The Heathman Lodge? A sign at the front desk boasts “free coffee for overnight guests only.” My observation of that perk was that one must ask the desk clerk for the cuppa, and they will happily provide it – from the ‘vending style’ coffee machine behind the desk.

The upside? If one is so inclined, one could walk to the Vancouver Mall, located a few blocks to the east.

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I have opined on my take on AM/PM Mini Mart ready to eat foods in the past, my opinion hasn’t changed – adequate hot food, great value proposition.

There are few dollar menus that can beat the proposition AM/FM has to offer – two hot dogs for $1.50, two larger dogs or burgers for $2.50.  It’s a “dress your own” affair with a condiment bar that offers pickle chips, relish, mayo, mustard, ketchup, jalapenos, cheese, and chili.  Some stores have diced onions as well.

My affair with this food started in Los Angeles in the mid-80s, occasionally I would grab two burgers for breakfast (seems like they were 2/ $1 at the time, IIRC,  and while the price has edged up a little, the quality has improved by light years. (Not that they were bad then, just that heat and eat technology has improved.

I had a dog and a burger yesterday, $2.50.   The ultimate of “dining in on  the hood’.

I like ‘em.  So sue me.  ”Hey kids, wanna go out to dinner?”

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We were rescuing a new “hot” dog from a shelter in Salem, to add to our family, so Mrs. Burgerdogboy suggested I “rescue” a burger on the way home to add to my waistline.

Point taken, mission accomplished. I’d been to Rock N Rogers once before, and for this old guy, RNR fits the bill for old timey diner.

I went with the “International” burger, so named because it is two type of cheeses, cheddar and the “international” Swiss. I opted to upgrade the side to an order of O-Rings.

You’ll read in other reviews that service can be a little pokey and the prices are a little spendy. Right on both cases, but neither drawback contributed to my enjoyment of the hand-made patty cooked and dressed to my order, as well as the over-sized crispy rings.

A new dog, and a great burger. A fine day all around.

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The name literary is a contradiction, “Veritable” means ‘something of certainty”, and “Quandary”  means ‘difficult to predict, or uncertainty,’  and the restaurant of the same name near Portland’s waterfront, is anything but.

VQ, as locals refer to it, was created in 1971 and for decades has consistently hammered out some of the most innovative takes on America’s regional fares while utilizing local ingredients.

The menu varies from time to time, and can be found online.

I was meeting some business colleagues for a quick lunch, and VQ was geographically desirable to their office location(s).

One of my colleagues said in advance he had been jonesing for the seafood stew, a rich broth full of fish, mollusks, and shellfish.  From the smile on his face and the interruption in the conversation, I can only surmise it was delicious and I have made a note to try it next time.

And me?  Why, I went with the highly-acclaimed VQ burger, Cascade Range beef on a ciabatta that leaned towards the softer side, accompanied by some pickled vegetables, and house-cut fries.

It was cooked to my medium rare preference, and plated beautifully.

One of my companions said it was one of the best burgers in Portland, and opined he thought they put some sausage or sausage-like seasonings in the meat.   I wouldn’t disagree on his judgement, but I don’t believe the burger had an sausage (pork) in it, or the menu or waiter would have stated so.   Wait-service was great, by the way.

The beef was seasoned, and the flavor reminded me of burgers I have had in the  Caribbean, tho I cannnot pinpoint the flavor for you.  It’s not strong or unplesanant at all;  I may guess that the seasoning is onion-related.

The burger was crowned with a medium white cheddar, and the entire experience was on the high end of the scale.

Definitely now one of my top 5 burgers in Portland.  I shall return.  It’s said the VQ has a great weekend brunch, and it’s within an easy hike of most downtown hotels, as well.

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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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I love ‘em.  Whether you call them dives, diners, greasy spoons, those all night places that dish up bacon and eggs 24/7?  My second home.  I have lots of favorites:  Mickey’s in St. Paul.  The Hummingbird (RIP) in New Orleans.

The Tik Tok was one of the first places we had brekky out after we moved here – bumped into it by accident while doing something else over that part of the world.

I got up at the end of the meal and told the chef his breakfast was “art.” And my opinion hasn’t changed.

No “brunch episode candidate” of Portlandia is this.

Just hearty, cooked-to-order meals (tho I have never had anything but breakfast) and on weekends?  A bloody mary bar.   Yowzers.

The occasion of this visit was the arrival of Mrs. Burgerdogboy’s sis from Los Angeles on an early morning plane, and we had kicked around going to Tasty, Eat, or Slappy Cakes, but sis wanted plain old crispy hash browns, so off we went to the Tik Tok (the outlet on SE Division).

I went with a burger patty (natch) and eggs, home fries, rye toast; Mrs. BDB went for the breakfast sandwich, and sis took up the giant biscuits and gravy with a side of deep-fried pickles.  (?!?!)

Both the ladies imbibed in the bloody mary bar, and put together some pretty fantastic adult beverages with nearly an entire salad bar in each glass.

My breakfast was superb, and it’s a great value as well.  I was happy as a pig in you know what, so I really didn’t care what the others thought!

Oh Tik Tok, land of 24/7 breakfasts, I will return again and again.

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Guild’s Lake Inn is a diner/cafe located in the heart of NW industrial Portland. Near to the establishment I am currently spending my days at, it’s a favorite of colleagues for both a quick lunch or take out.

Guild’s prides themselves on locally-sourced artisan breads from Marsee and Grand Central, produce, as well as burger patties from Fulton Provisions.

Today was quick bite day with Portland organic garden consultant extraordinaire Sara Pool.  In case you were wondering, yes, she manages the set-up of Burgerdogboy’s annual effort at a condiment garden at home.  Almost time to plant the seeds!

I went with the bacon/blue burger @ 7.95, which comes with a side, the choices include  Homemade Pesto Pasta, Dill Macaroni, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Green Salad, Chips, or a Piece of Fruit.  Pool opted for the chicken Caesar.   The burger patty was great, the bun was over the top, and I went with the dill macaroni (cold), which I surprisingly enjoyed.

Menu and take out order forms are online.  They also do catering.

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The first time I was on a commercial train in the US, I was about 8, and we were on a family ski vacation, taking the (then) mighty Empire Builder from Minnesota to Montana.  At the time, I recall my father telling me the reason we took the train, is he wanted us to have that experience “before it disappeared.”  Apparently he could see the future of train travel in the US, and the type of service we experienced on those family trips certainly has become a thing of the past.

Back in those days, Amtrak was all about service, and we had a personal porter that attended to our needs in our sleeping compartments, and the train had both a “bar car” and a separate dining car, where meals were prepared to order,  food was served with silver, china, and crystal by white gloved servers.

Nowadays….not so much.

We were taking the Cascades Limited from Portland to Seattle for a short biz trip, and while overall service was perfunctory, and the trip was more relaxing than driving, and one can work via free wifi, the “dining service’ has turned into a self-serve counter offering the equivalent of airline meals, at restaurant prices.  The upside for those who partake, is beer and wine is available; you can eat and drink in the dining car, or take your food to your seat.

Sidebar:  one wonders why the same security precautions that are so important at airports aren’t in place on trains?  No security, no baggage checks, no ID requests.

We had a cheeseburger, cheese tray, wine, some salty snack mix. Sandwiches, pastries, salads and snack items like hummus were also available.  The cheeseburger ran $6, wine was $14 for a split.

The cheeseburger was a microwave affair, and really not so bad.  By coincidence, our new best friend seatmates on the return trip had the cheeseburger as well, and she pronounced it “better than a gas station burger” (under her breath) and that’s exactly how I would have described it, and of course set us off on a long discussion of both ‘gas station’ burger and sandwiches.

It’s a step up from the 7-Eleven “Big Az” burger (previously reviewed), and was ample in size, beefy, on a very soft bakery roll.  The fact they could get a hamburger roll out of a microwave to taste and feel like that was the most interesting aspect of my sandwich.  I didn’t make note of the manufacturer, but for a nuked burger, it’s a respectable offering.

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