Nov 24, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Like the name implies, Mississippi Pizza serves pizza and is located on Mississippi Avenue. Sometimes, simplicity can be a good thing.
Where is it?
Address: 3552 North Mississippi Avenue, Portland, OR 97227
Phone: 503-288-3231
Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am-12am, Fri-Sat: 11am-1am
Website: www.mississippipizza.com
How is it?
Let’s say you want pizza and you’re walking in Portland’s up-and-coming Mississippi District. Plus, it’d be extra nice if you could get your food quick. Where do you go? Mississippi Pizza’s neon sign pierces the night to provide an electric beacon signifying safe haven to hungry passersby.
Not ostentatious, not pretentious – just pizza, beer and live music in a friendly environment with good people. I know what you’re thinking – what’s this place doing in Portland? It so doesn’t fit in.
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Nov 19, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Gravy offers a wide selection of breakfast fare and sandwiches. It also happens to be located within Portland’s up-and-coming Mississippi district (so-named because of the street with the biggest main drag – N. Mississippi Avenue) smack in the middle of NoPo.
Where is it?
Address: 3957 North Mississippi Avenue, Portland, OR 97227
Phone: 503-287-8800
Hours: Daily from 7:30am to 3:00pm
Website: None (at least none that we could find).
How is it?
You might think that a restaurant that focuses on breakfast food is nothing new and can’t possibly be that special. I wouldn’t blame you because this is exactly how I felt when I first heard of Gravy. Then, I tried to get in on a weekend.
First lesson: be prepared to wait. Lines out the door are the norm – even in torrential downpours – and you shouldn’t be surprised to have a wait time of upwards of two hours to seat your party of four. This was my first hint that Gravy might not be your average breakfast restaurant.
Second lesson: ignore any preconceptions you might have about personal space. Gravy has a limited amount of real estate to work with, and they try to fit in as many people as possible to attempt to reduce the wait time. Cuddling up to your neighbors’ tables will give you a good eye to what they’re ordering, though.
An astute observer will notice that the amount of space dedicated to the kitchen is more than half of the restaurant space. Yes, you read that right – Gravy prioritizes the kitchen over the seating area. I never truly thought about it before, but doesn’t that make perfect sense? I would later find out that a restaurant with a larger kitchen means larger portions.
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Nov 12, 2010 | Food
What is it?
The Rogue Distillery and Public House can best be described as the mothership for anyone who enjoys Rogue beer. Conveniently located on the corner of NW Flanders St and NW 14th Ave., Rogue serves a variety of food including pizza and excellent sandwiches. You shouldn’t be coming for that. You should come for the sheer bliss of 36 varieties of award-winning beer on tap.
Where is it?
Address: 1339 NW Flanders Street, Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503-222-5910
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11am-12am; Friday-Saturday 11am-1am
Website: www.rogue.com
How is it?
My first Rogue beer was the Hazelnut Brown Nectar, and I drank it over 2500 miles away on the east coast. Naming a beer as nectar might sound pretentious, but, despite the fact that Rogue has a significant presence in Portland, the name actually accurately describes the wonder of the beautiful, brown brew.
Granted, the very fact that I was able to get the beer all the way across the country sealed Rogue’s fate, making it oddly difficult to find residents who will admit they enjoy the beer. You see, if something a Portlander enjoys becomes popular anywhere else, s/he will no longer like it. In Portland, success is a sign of failure.
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Nov 5, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Serratto offers Mediterranean cuisine with a particular focus on Italian-inspired dishes with entrees ranging in price from the high teens to low 30s.
Where is it?
Address: 2112 NW Kearney St., Portland, OR 97210
Phone: 503-221-1195
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11am-4pm (Lunch), 4pm-6pm (Happy Hour), 4pm-10pm (Dinner – Mon-Thu), 4pm-11pm (Dinner – Fri/Sat), 4pm-9pm (Dinner – Sun)
Website: www.serratto.com
How is it?
Right off the bat, Serratto has its location going for it right there in the middle of NW 21st Avenue – there’s a lot of foot traffic wandering to and from the ritzy Portland equivalent of Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, 23rd Avenue. Parking can regularly be a problem in the Northwest quadrant, and seeing as how it’s such a beautiful area to walk in, I highly recommend heading a little off the beaten track to Pettygrove. Between 23rd and 21st, Pettygrove has a plethora of free street parking with no hour limits during the evening hours, and also gives the excuse of enjoying one of my favorite parts of Portland – its walkability.
Serratto offers a number of different seating options – from sitting at the bar to nice living-room style chairs surrounding intimate tables as well as more traditional table and chair combinations. Obviously, the soft lighting intends to relax – this is not your rush-in-grab-a-slice-of-pizza-rush-out place – you need to plan to spend a few hours here.
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Oct 29, 2010 | Food
What is it?
Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen lives up to everything you would dream a deli would be — a huge selection of fresh meats, sweet desserts, amazing sandwiches and a wonderful atmosphere.
Where is it?
Address: 1038 SW Stark St, Portland, OR 97205-2610
Phone: 503-221-1195
Hours: Monday-Thursday 7am-8pm; Friday 7am-9pm; Saturday 8am-9pm; Sunday 8am-8pm
Website: www.kennyandzukes.com
How is it?
I first heard of Kenny and Zuke’s Deli from a Serious Eats review of their pastrami cheese fries sent to me by a friend of mine who lives, quite literally, on the other side of the country. Being a huge fan of cheese, meat and french fries, I knew that I had to take a look at this restaurant that could only live in my dreams.
My first attempt was totally denied. I showed up to the deli on a Sunday evening around 7pm, and the place was empty. I sat down, ordered the pastrami cheese fries and a sandwich, and was dismayed when the waiter returned to my table and politely apologized explaining that they had experienced a huge rush that day and had run out of fries.
I took a final swig of my root beer (which was supposed to be a diet cola) and left. Lesson learned: be sure to call Kenny and Zuke’s in advance to make sure they’re not out of their signature dish.
My second trip (and subsequent third and fourth trips) fared much, much better.
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