Tuesday, April 30, 2013

San Diego Taco Company - North on Liberty (just before Salem Pkwy) in Salem, OR


Closed

Good Mexican food. Big burritos, delicious fish tacos and shrimp tacos, great decor, reasonable prices, nice people. There are some people that hate on this place, but this is authentic Mexican food. They should go back to Baja Fresh and Chipolte if they can't handle the real deal.

Yelp

San Diego Taco Company on Urbanspoon

House of Teriyaki II - SE corner off exit 283 in Wilsonville, OR

Pretty good teriyaki, nothing amazing though. I wouldn't make a special trip for it, but I would go back if I was in the area. It's a clean place, the people are nice, and the food is reasonably priced.

Yelp

House of Teriyaki II on Urbanspoon

Love Teriyaki - Near Fry's in Wilsonville, OR

I was able to eat it, but I won't go back. It really wasn't very good at all. House of Teriyaki is across the street and is so much better, though not amazing itself. If that wasn't an option, I would drive to another town before going back to Love Teriyaki.

Yelp

Love Teriyaki on Urbanspoon

Yang's Teriyaki Plus - At the south end of WOU campus, near Main St in Monmouth, OR

I used to go here almost daily as a student. The food here is cheap and yummy, which are the two things that most college students look for. The staff is super friendly and they have been around for a while. All of this makes Yang's a sort of a legend among students.

The menu items come in two sizes, large and small. I always get the small, because the large is huge.

Yelp

Yang's Teriyaki Plus on Urbanspoon

Monday, April 29, 2013

Serendipity 3 - Near the corner of 3rd Ave and E 60th in Manhattan, NY

I had The Haight-Ashbury (Sliced turkey, tomato, avocado and alfalfa sprouts with melted muenster on raisin pumpernickel with Russian dressing) and it was one of the greatest sandwiches of my life. The food was fresh and the atmosphere was great. I love their menu items, the ingredients are nothing less than fantastic. Too many places offer such limited options. However, this place isn't afraid to be bold with the flavor and they don't over-do any one thing so you can still taste everything.

Yelp

Serendipity 3 Website

Serendipity 3 on Urbanspoon

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Old Ebbitt Grill - Near the White House in Washington, DC

For dinner, plan to spend $25 per person at the very least for absolutely amazing food. If you are in town, this is one of the places you should definitely eat at. It's the kind of classy place that has been around for a long time and it's not uncommon to see politicians and their friends here, if that's the kind of thing that gives you a buzz. Plan to dress up - like I said, it's a classy place.

They have a great menu with lots of variety and flavor, the ingredients are fresh, and the bourgeoisie atmosphere is fantastic.

Yelp

Old Ebbitt Grill on Urbanspoon
Toi on Sunset - On W Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles, CA

Not the best, most authentic Thai food ever, but it wasn't bad. What I liked about this place was that it's open very late and the atmosphere is great. The experience was more about the place than the food I guess. I would go back if I was out late with a fun group of people again, but if I was looking for really good Thai food during the day, I would probably go somewhere else.

Yelp

Toi on Sunset Website

Toi on Sunset on Urbanspoon
C & O Trattoria - On the Venice boardwalk in Marina del Ray, CA

This place is legendary! I like Italian food, but I rarely get excited about it. This place is the exception though. Their garlic bread balls are unspeakably delicious and my favorite part. The pasta plates come in generous portions and are also very good. It's right off the boardwalk, so after enjoying the beach and the shops, you can fill up on great Italian food.


C & O Trattoria on Urbanspoon
Kneaders Bakery - On Bulldog Blvd in Provo, UT

This is a great soup-sandwich place - good breads, good meats and greens, great desserts, good service. I'm very picky about turkey, but they even do that right. I've never had a bad experience here.

Yelp

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe on Urbanspoon
Café Zupas - On the corner of University Pkwy and 2230 N in Provo, UT

A really good, although fairly typical, soup-salad-sandwich place. I refused to go for a long time because the patrons seemed to be of a stock that I prefer not to be around - the sort of neanderthal that travels in herds and know very little about anything other than how to consume. It usually isn't a problem because that sort tend to stick to places like Chili's and Appleby's. However, once I went here, I realized that I had been missing out.

Despite the fun name and the Ciabatta bread they make their sandwiches with, the food is more American than anything else. They use some good ingredients and have some great menu items. Their desserts are dang good too.

Yelp

Café Zupas Website

Cafe Zupas on Urbanspoon
Malt Shoppe - On University Ave in Provo, UT

I like their food, but I love their malts. It's pretty typical food for a burger-and-shake kind of place, and the quality is on the higher end compared to other similar places in the area. A lot of people complain about the place not being "clean" but it never bothered me. I didn't find the state of things concerning. If it was a five-star restaurant I would expect more. The hot, dry Utah summer makes this a great summer-time place.

Yelp

Malt Shoppe on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Brick Oven Restaurant - Near the corner of 800 N and University Ave in Provo, UT

A Provo classic. It's pretty basic and generic - pizza, pasta, salads, etc - but still pretty good. My favorite items are the Ranch Chicken Pizza and the oven-fired garlic bread. The M&M cookies are delightful as well. Try the Brown Cow if you want a drink-treat.

Yelp

Brick Oven - Provo on Urbanspoon
Shirley's Homemades Bakery - On Freedom Blvd in Provo, UT

This place has changed a lot, but their baked goods are still delicious. Once upon a time, they had a sandwich area where they would build you a custom for a very reasonable price. The sandwiches were among the best in town. It was a sad day when they were done away with. Their pull-aparts are to die for...

Yelp

Shirley's Homemades on Urbanspoon
Hickory Kist Deli - Near the corner of Center and Freedom blvd in Provo, UT

This is one of those places where you get a list of items available - bread, meats, toppings, dressings, etc - and you check what you want. I've read some unfortunate reviews, but last time I was in town, this place was still delicious. I hope people are just being haters and they haven't really destroyed another good place. I remember the breads and meats being fresh and not tasting like preservatives, and the service being good.

Yelp

Hickory Kist on Urbanspoon
Diego's Taco Shop - On 300 N just off University Ave in Provo, UT

This is one of those typical small Mexican restaurants that I never feel healthy after eating at. Unlike many others, however, I actually enjoy the food at this place. At least as far as Mexican food goes, it's pretty good. If you are a poor college student in this town of seemingly millions of other poor college students, get the nachos. The portion is tremendous and the price is incredible, considering what you get. However, I never had anything here I did not like.

Yelp

Diego's Taco Shop on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Pizza Factory - On University Pkwy in Provo, UT

A Provo classic and one of the first nicer places I ate at in this town as a starving college student. On par with Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, etc. It's reasonably good food, but pretty generic in terms of the menu - pizza, pasta, salads, etc. Get some breadtwists, they are easily the best part of this place.

Yelp

Pizza Factory Website

Pizza Factory on Urbanspoon
Bombay House - On University Ave. in Provo, UT

This is a small-town treasure. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys Indian food and is in the area. The first time I had Indian food was here, and I had the Lamb Saag. It was fantastic then and there, and is still one of my favorite dishes.

Yelp

Bombay House Website

Bombay House on Urbanspoon
Red Iguana - Just west of I-15 on W N Temple in Salt Lake City, UT

I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food, but I really enjoyed this place and would go back in an instant. The place is kind of small and crowded. And sometimes you have to wait outside for a while, and in Utah in the winter, that can be cold, to say the least. But they have large heaters outside and I think that the food is worth the wait. Plus, the atmosphere is very social so time flies.

Yelp

Red Iguana on Urbanspoon
Phở Viet BBQ and Noodle House - On Hwy 26 in Sandy, OR

A pretty mediocre bowl of Pho. Favor wise, it was not bad but nothing amazing. The thing that made it extraordinary was the size of the bowl - it was huge. Furthermore, the price was right, and the place was clean.

Yelp

Pho Viet on Urbanspoon



Mad Greek - Really far west in NW Portland, OR

This is one of those magical places from my childhood. When I was a kid, we used to go here all the time and get the most amazing sandwiches. Then we moved to Arizona for a while and then moved back Oregon, but to Salem. When I got a job in Portland, I made a trip out there to get one of those delicious sandwiches. They weren't bad, but not nearly as amazing as what I remembered. Not even good enough to make another trip out there from downtown. I think that the thing that made it disappointing was the bread, which, I admit, can change from day to day and hour to hour. The Gyro that my brother got looked a lot better.

Yelp

Mad Greek Deli on Urbanspoon

Monday, April 22, 2013

St. Honoré Boulangerie- Just off 23rd Ave. (at the north end) in Portland, OR

We have Americanized French and Italian food to the extent that that the thought of authentic French and Italian foods rarely even occur to me as being a reality or an option. So when I found this place, I was excited. I'm not sure how authentic it actually is, but it seems a lot more authentic than a lot of crappy places out there. I liked it a lot and would recommend it. The food was fresh and the place was clean. The only downside was that a lot of the patrons were the snooty sort. They are like wild animals though - if you don't bother them, they won't bother you.

Yelp

St. Honoré Boulangerie on Urbanspoon


Havana Restaurant - On Dixie Hwy in West Palm Beach, FL

Delicious Cubano food. The place was clean and the staff was very friendly. The waiter took time to offer suggestions and answer questions. The oxtail dish offered a fantastic array of flavors - the sweet plantains, the dry flavor of the black beans and rice, and the savory oxtail. Quite the combination!!

I definitely recommend this place. There were more gringos eating here than at some places in Little Havana, but the food still seemed pretty authentic to me.

Yelp

Havana Website

Havana Restaurant on Urbanspoon


Sunday, April 21, 2013

Kenny and Zuke's Delicatessen - in Portland, OR

This one of my favorite places to eat in Portland. The breakfast and the lunch menu items are delicious, the staff is friendly, and the place is clean. Sometimes there is a little bit of a wait, but it's worth waiting. The ingredients are fresh, the dishes are well contrived, and you get plenty of food for your buck. I highly recommend this place.

Yelp

Kenny and Zuke's Website

Kenny and Zuke's Delicatessen on Urbanspoon

House Of Louie - In China Town in Portland, OR

This is a really fun place to eat with a group of friends. Order a bunch of different things and everyone in your group can try a little of everything. You will get full but not the kind of full that makes you sick. Split the check between everyone and it's very reasonably priced. I think the food is delicious and the place is reasonably clean from what I can tell. I've been a few times and can't wait to go again.

Yelp

House of Louie on Urbanspoon




Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Islas Canarias Restaurante - On NW 27th (in Little Havana) in Miami, FL

We are from Oregon and wanted to find an authentic Cuban restaurant in Little Havana. We debated for a while as to which place to give our one shot to on this trip. We finally decided to go with Islas Canarias. The whole experience was excellent and I'm dying to go back! We were the only gringos in the place, luckily my dad speaks Spanish (having lived in Chile for a couple of years). It's a good sign when a restaurant is full of people from the country of the food's origin.

Definitely go here if you have a chance!! Great food and nice people!

Yelp

Islas Canarias on Urbanspoon

Monday, April 15, 2013

El Siboney Restaraunt - On Catherine St. South of Truman Ave. in Key West, FL

I dream nightly of going back to The Keys and eating at places like this again. The food was delicious and the place was clean and reasonably priced. I slowly savored every single bite. The place was very busy, probably because it's a great place. This meant that, while the servers weren't rude, they seemed to have no time for pleasantries. Honestly, it didn't bother me, as long as the food, prices, and cleanliness hit the mark, which they did. I highly recommend this place.

Yelp

El Siboney Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Tsunami Subs and Wraps - Near Federal and Woolbright in Boynton Beach, FL

Yelp

Tsunami Subs & Wraps on Urbanspoon

Two Georges Waterfront Grille - East of Federal on Ocean Ave. in Boynton Beach, FL

Yelp

Two Georges Waterfront Grille on Urbanspoon

Victoria's Peruvian Cuisine - On Federal Highway in Lantana, FL

Yelp

Victoria's Peruvian Cuisine on Urbanspoon