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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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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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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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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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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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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