[Note from FD. Michael seems to be in a pithy mood this week. These opinions are his and do not necessarily reflect those of PFD] Friday was a work day for me. I was feeling the effects of not enough sleep all week, but still managed to get my Feast on over the lunch hour and after work. Some further … [Read more...] about Feast 2017 Quick Hits – Day 2
Feast 2017 Quick Hits – Day 1
Another year of Feasting underway. The founders were gracious (foolish?) enough to let me retain my media credentials for the whatevereth consecutive year, despite my best efforts at subversion. So, kisses to Carrie and Mike. Naturally, not all the highlights make the usual suspects’ fawning social media accounts. Here … [Read more...] about Feast 2017 Quick Hits – Day 1
Top Ten Portland Restaurants – and Overrated May 2017
New Year, New List: Zusman's Best Restaurants in Portland - and the Overrated Ones As Jerome J. Garcia and Robert C. Hunter once wrote, “The winter was so hard and cold, froze ten feet ‘neath the ground.” Portland’s darkest season made me want to flee or sleep, in turns. But at last Springy things are sprung in … [Read more...] about Top Ten Portland Restaurants – and Overrated May 2017
Best Meals of 2016 – Michael Zusman
Worldwide: Best Meals of 2016 - Another Year of Eating Furiously Ah, 2016. Another 10 pounds around the middle after another year of eating furiously. Portland remains my home base, but airplanes fly, frequently with me on them. I’ve managed maybe 150,000 BIS (butt-in-seat) miles and more than a handful of delicious … [Read more...] about Best Meals of 2016 – Michael Zusman
Top 10 Portland Restaurants – September 2016
My Top 10 Portland Restaurants along with my next 15 for September 2016 This is the first update to my Top 10 Portland restaurants list since it was originally published in March. It’s the only local list that’s immune from p.r. and advertising pressures and is actually written by someone who’s lived in Portland … [Read more...] about Top 10 Portland Restaurants – September 2016
Dining Out Alone
“Mr. Zusman, you had the table for. . .ONE?” the hostess at the hot new place asks, flashing her best paste-on smile [Before anyone paid me to write about food, just around the Y2K bend, I wrote a few food-related essays for Food Dude. He was the first one to let me try my hand at food writing, something for which I … [Read more...] about Dining Out Alone
Zusman’s Top 10 Portland Restaurants March 2016
Michael Zusman goes to restaurants far more than I am able to, so I asked if he would be interested in an ongoing Top Ten Portland Restaurants list for the home page of the website. Fortunately he was happy to help, sending me 25. FD] Originally, my Top 10 Portland restaurants list was something I put up on … [Read more...] about Zusman’s Top 10 Portland Restaurants March 2016
Bagel Daze – Portland’s Bagel History and Recipe!
This piece was written in 2005. Since then, Michael and Nick Zukin have written an excellent book, The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home. For Jewish deli devotees and DIY food fanatics alike, the book is a collection of over 100 recipes for creating timeless deli classics, modern twists on old ideas and innovations to shock … [Read more...] about Bagel Daze – Portland’s Bagel History and Recipe!