Thought it was a good nite to take my favorite bride out to dinner, and knew she would be down for a round of raw oysters, so we opted for Corbett Fish House, a place we go on occasion. She likes it for the oysters, I like it because you can get a typical fish dinner from my native Minnesota, Walleye Pike, which isn’t actually a pike, but a member of the perch family, which Corbett also serves.

Corbett has a couple of things going for it, preparing some foods in a typical Midwestern style, and the fact that all breaded items are done with brown rice flour, resulting in a lot of choices not usually available to those who insist on a gluten-free menu.

We met up with our pal and local gardening expert, Sara Pool, a gluten free fanatic.

We started with a round (or two) of deep fried cheese curds, one of my favorite preparations in all of Portland.   This is a Wisconsin ‘treatment’, here employing local cheese fave, Tillamook brand.  These monsters, I could eat pounds of, and in fact, we did order a second round of them, which through some waiter described “kitchen incident” actually didn’t show up til the end of the meal.  No matter, we polished them off anyway.

The ladies had some oyster shooters, Sara went with traditional cod for fish and chips, Mrs. BDB had more oysters, fried this round, along with Wasabi cole slaw, and I had the perch.

Expect to pay a little more for the gluten free menu compared to other ‘fish and chip’ offerings around town.  I’m not complaining.  4 appetizers, 3 entrees, 4 beers and a glass of wine set us back $80, which ends up being pretty reasonable.

If you’re on a budget, like most places, Corbett offers a decent happy hour menu which allows you to sample some great things at bargain prices.

The happy hour/dinner time, even on weekdays, gets a good crowd, so be prepared for that.  If you don’t feel like a drive west of the river, co-owned Hawthorne Fish House has the same menu.

Wisconsin Style Cheese Curds

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“It is what it is,” people say all the time these days.  Juan Colorado fits into that bracket, if you’re looking for typical Americanized Mexican foods at a reasonable price.

It’s in our neighborhood, so we get in there on occasion, and last nite, it was just what the doctor (er, wife) ordered.

One of my “jokes” about Taco Bell is actually my admiration for how they have taken the same five ingredients, made them into different shapes, slapped a made-up Mexican sounding name on it, and called it “new.”

Such is my taste for the typical US versions of Mexican food, so I get something silly, unless we are at someplace really authentic.  (to wit).

So I went with one of those reconfigured shapes of the regular ingredients, and had the Mexican “pizza.”

No complaints, except it was really filling and a lot of it made it home – but mysteriously vanished sometime during my absence today.  Dog? Cat? Wife?

Juan Colorado is a-ok.

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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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Been here before, but then, what Portlandian hasn’t?  Waiting on a biz meeting in downtown, ambled through Pioneer Courthouse Square and grabbed a polish sausage to soothe the savage b(r)east prior to the meet.

“It is what it is” people are fond of saying these days, and Jean’s certainly fits in that category.

Value pricing, suitable product, the only exception I noted to Jean’s on this day, was her offer of the “traditional Chicago hot dog.”

Something has gone amiss in Jean’s education of said animal.  Any hot dog aficionado knows the intimate details of constructing a Chicago style dog.  If you don’t, check out the blueprints on Vienna Beef’s website.

Jean’s version includes ketchup (!!!) mustard, mayo (!!!), onion, kraut, sour cream and applesauce.  Judging by the two last condiments, maybe Jean knows of a Chicago in Germany?

Anyway, of no matter.  My polish with yellow mustard was just fine.

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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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Not a review, per se,  just a note that if you’ve been running all over the Portland metro area looking for a genuine Vienna Beef hot dog from Chicago, look no further than Jamie’s Chicago Dogs cart at 2nd and Main in downtown Hillsboro.

As far as I know, Jamie is the only guy peddling Vienna dogs in all of Oregon!  Jamie is on site from 10-3 M-F, weather permitting.  He’s got the real deal poppy seed buns, too, and if you’re not in the mood for a regular dog, try one of Vienna’s polish sausages.   Jamie’s whole story is here.

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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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Upon sitting down, I knew instantly that I would regret not being able to order (or consume) the entire menu. It smelled that good, it felt that right.

We were off for a rare midday lunch together, and there are few things Mrs. Burgerdogboy likes better than ribs, and few things I like better than keeping Mrs. BDB happy. Took me a long time to learn “happy wife, happy life”, but it has sure paid off in spades in our house!

So U-Licious it was. I had not heard of it until a few weeks ago, cruising the general area for other pleasures.

She went with the rib platter, side of slaw, I went with the pulled pork, side of greens.  We added two more sides (tho certainly didn’t need to, portions are ample and relatively inexpensive) mac n cheese, and beans and rice.

The pulled pork sandwich was divine.  Crispy charred bits of pork in with sweet delicious hunks of savory meat and a slightly sweet (but not overpowering) bbq sauce.  Both the pork and ribs obviously spent a good portion of their lives on the smoker – the flavor permeates every bite.

The crispy bits reminded me of the delicious offerings of “Mother”" in New Orleans, famous for their own crispiness – the charred black ham, or the roast beef debris (pronounced there as de BRIS.

I put some slaw on my sandwich in a good Carolina fashion. The beans and rice were flavorful – this isn’t a traditional ‘red beans and rice’ recipe, but two dishes served together, much more common in Creole influenced countries.

The rib meat was fall off the bone tender, and the mac and cheese filling and delicious.

I’m told this guy has been here awhile, and it was easy for us to understand why.

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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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