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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Out with some business colleagues for lunch the other day, this is a regular haunt of said colleagues, close to their office.  Galliano’s  in the “fast casual’ category with table service, counter ordering.

They offer a fairly full-line Italian style menu, with sandwiches, pizza, salads, pasta and selected entrees.

A large menu board, replete with misspellings (“avacado”, “muscles”) is behind the counter, place your order, pay, and in short order, your food will be brought to your table.

Our party of five managed to sample a broad selection of the foods,  two of us had meatball sandwiches, one a pizza, another the chopped salad.

All of the food was aesthetically and palate pleasing.  I was one of the meatball sammie guys, something I would ordinarily never order (for no particular reason), and it was delicious.   Wedges of flavorful meatballs, red sauce, cheese,  on a very high quality roll.  The meatballs were (I am guessing) a blend of veal and pork, with Italian herbs, slight fennel.   Side choices were soup, salad, or waffle fries (not sure I have ever had the latter in Italy, but probably a normal add-on for American tastes.)

The colleague immediately to my left went with the small (11″ ) Supreme pizza, and I was drooling over (but not offered any) the obviously hand-pulled Italian sausage, and thin crusts.

Verdict?  I liked it.   I’m in the area on occasion, and will hog a large pizza for myself next time I am in Tukwila.  They have a 2nd location near Sea-Tac, as well.

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The fine folks at Wendy’s contacted me and asked me to try out their new Spicy Guacamole Chicken Club sandwich, and furnished me with the means to do that.

They describe their newest sandwich as  ”Made with a seasoned spicy chicken breast, authentic guacamole, crisp Applewood smoked bacon and pepper jack cheese.”

Chicken is rarely on my fast food radar, and a chicken sandwich even less often,  so I was game for the experience.

Wendy’s has been on a tear lately, with a top to bottom updating, examining their menu, adding new items, building prototype new outlets, and taking a hard look at their staffing as well, and so far, they get a A+ for the effort.

Customers have lauded and rewarded the efforts, as it was recently announced Wendy’s passed BK to become America’s second largest fast food chain.

I was more than happy with the sandwich.   The bun was bakery soft, the guac ultra fresh, with just a little bit of kick, and the chicken filet nicely fried with a crispy coating with a slight bit of black pepper accent.

Don’t be mislead by the term “spicy” in the description.  Some chicken chains use of the word (and accompanying spices) turns out a blazin’ hot (to my palate) piece of bird, but Wendy’s has built a sandwich designed to appeal to the masses – so you can take the word “spicy” in this instance to mean “flavorful.”

I went with the combo, and for my money, Wendy’s “new” sea salt natural cut fries continue to be one of the best offerings in the fast food side segment. Their applewood smoked bacon, available on a variety of offerings, continues to be some of the best in the biz, as well.

Recommended.

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Now how I have missed this place? In the parking lot of Whole Foods on SE Burnside, Franks A Lot has been dishing up specialty dogs for years – long before the whole Portland food cart craze.

We were in the neighborhood, biding our time waiting on Portland’s extraordinary garden consultant, Sara Pool, to plan the annual Burgerdogboy condiment garden.  We planned to meet for snacks or dinner, but I was feeling a might peckish, and Mrs. BDB suggested she buy me a dog to tide me over.

Who was I to argue?

Offering a myriad of my favorite types of dogs and toppings, I opted for P&S (my initials, but also “plain and simple”) and went with the big beef dog with a schmear of yellow mustard, and nothing else.

It was absolutely delish!  Thanks a lot, Franks a lot.  I’ll be back!  Often.  Might even consider moving to your ‘hood!

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Annie’s, manufacturer of good tasting, natural food products, started in New England over 20 years ago.  The company is committed to sustainability and providing a healthier bent on a full range of products.

They’ve recently launched a new entry into the frozen pizza segment, a certified organic, rising crust pizza, in four varieties, four cheese, pepperoni, spinach/mushroom, and supreme.

To kick off the product, representatives of the company are touring the country, handing out slices, and showing off their “herb garden in a pickup” truck!

Yesterday, they stopped at the Whole Foods on SE Burnside in Portland, OR, and the knowledgeable and charming reps not only handed out slices from their tricked out pizza trailer, but also cruised the parking lot with plates full of delicious slices.

If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m quite snobbish about frozen pizza, and I have to say, Annie’s has my attention.   We sampled three varieties, the cheese, pepperoni, and spinach, and all were reminiscent of a high-quality ingredient pizzeria offering.

The quality of the toppings was apparent, from the uncured pepperoni to the real cheese, and the self-rising crust was far better than most offerings in that category, crispy and chewy at the same time.

Social media followers of the campaign have an opportunity to walk away with a cute bonus gift by saying the secret word (spoiler alert, today it was “mushroom,”, delightful little herb packets for your home garden.

Good product folks!   And thanks to your agency for telling the story, and letting us know. (Note they are from my home state of Minnesota, where great things are always born!)

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SuperValu, a Minnesota based grocery chain (# 3 in US) is the owner of Albertson’s who carry SV’s in-house line of “Culinary Circle” products.  CC makes several varieties of frozen pizzas, including the ultra flat bread pizza for one product.

5.8 oz, microwave or conventional oven, I always choose the latter, which called for about 12 minutes at 425, but it took less than that in our oven.

The crust is cracker thin, the pepperoni and sausage is flavorful, I would have preferred more cheese.  The sauce leans to the “sweet” side, and overall, the pie flavor is reminiscent of any of the budget offerings in frozen pizza.

It doesn’t weigh in on the frozen pizza value for me, at about 50 cents per ounce.

I’ll buy it again when I see it as a sale item, it does provide a hot small meal adequate for most palates.

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I’ve been blessed to have lived in some of the great food cities of the world; and there’s always at least one local favorite I miss when I have moved away from those burgs – Italian beef from Chicago, po-boys from New Orleans to mention two.

Heating roast beef correctly in au jus is an art form, if the temp is just a 1/10th of a degree too hot (it seems to me) it’s easy for your beef to end up curled and chewy.   Many in Portland have tried to master the art of the basic dip sandwich, purportedly invented in Los Angeles at either Cole’s or Philippes, both of whom claim bragging rights.

In both Chicago and New Orleans, who has the best beef dip (respectively, “Italian Beef” or “Roast Beef Po-Boy”) can lead to heated arguments, if not downright brawls.

In Portland, there can seem to be no question, the title goes to relative newcomer “Wagsy’s Hot Beef Sandwiches”, a cart at SW Fifth and Oak.  I’ve tried the rest, and now I’ve found the best.

These guys have created a menu based around different variations of beef dip, and after the first bite of the “Chi-Town”, I was hooked.   An ample quantity of quality, thin-sliced roast beef, on very fresh bread, served “wet”, and in beef dip terms, that means the loaf is dipped in the au jus slightly for a taste and texture sensation.

The home town version in Chicago is highly flavored with garlic and herbs, but Wagsy’s have toned this down, I suspect, for a wider audience, and for my palate, it’s just perfect.

For five bucks, it’s a very filling sandwich, and it comes with a small ramekin of a vegetable medley (giardiniera) which you may dress the sandwich with if that’s your preference.

A nice finishing touch is provided with a wet nap and toothpick taped to the sandwich box.

Wagsy’s offers some other interpretations of the dip, a Philly style, and a BBQ one, as well as a veggie choice.

Good job guys.  You’ve a winning combination.  I can easily see a leap to multiple city brick and mortars in your future.

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This is our “go to” neighborhood sushi place. Mrs. Burgerdogboy loves to get her sushi on, and Sho (formerly an outlet of KOJI) fills the bill with fresh, made-to-order sushi  at a nominal price.

Mrs. BDB always gets the deluxe sushi assortment, which comes with a variety of pieces and miso;  I generally go for the panko chicken breast dinner, which comes with (wait for it) – a  helluvalot of chicken strips, miso, 4 pieces of california roll, a green salad, potato salad (?) and rice.   We escape for less than $35.

We’re both happy with the joint, and have also dined in on occasion; the service is usually fast and courteous, the restaurant is clean.  SHO has a full bar, an adequate wine list, and over 20 varieties of saki.

They are open for lunch and dinner seven days, later on Friday and Saturday.   We recommend you patronize these nice people when you are in SW.

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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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