The Luddites were 19th-century English textile artisans, who violently protested against the machinery introduced during the Industrial Revolution. Chef Jason French pays homage to their mascot, Ned Ludd, for whom the movement was named, and cooks everything from a wood-fired oven. No other source of heat is used; it’s all very Portland. The kitchen is tightly focused on a few items that they […]
Grade C
Review: Ate-Oh-Ate Restaurant
Nostalgia can do odd things to people. It can turn strong men weepy, and make normally sensible folks act with puzzlingly sentimental yearnings. The word “nostalgia” literally means a sickness for home, and when Ben Dyer set out to re-create the food (no one ever accused it of being a “cuisine”) of his native Hawaii, […]
Review: Kinara Thai Bistro
It seems like there are hundreds of Thai restaurants in Portland, with little to differentiate them. Pasty noodles, dried out meat, and curry paste from a jar seem to be the norm. When I stumble across one that is actually good, I am always surprised. Kinara Thai Bistro, next to the Lincoln High athletic field in the Goose Hollow area of Portland, is one of those restaurants.
In Thai mythology, the name Kinara, comes from the fabled half-human half-bird that represents purity, mystery and excellence of character. According to their website, they have patterned the restaurant on those qualities: they
Review: Karam Lebanese Restaurant
I first took a look at Karam back in early 2005. I think it is time for a much longer review and update.
Lebanon is a small country on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean. The name is from Lubnan, the word for white, to describe the snow covered peaks of the Mount Lebanon Range. Working from Egyptian hieroglyphs, early settlers in the area made a contribution to history by developing the basis of the alphabet used today throughout the Western world.
Review: Miss Delta
A review of Miss Delta in Portland If you’d like to skip past memories of my childhood, just scroll down – the review is clearly marked. I’ve written before about the time I spent growing up in Maypearl Texas, but I never mentioned the boiled chicken death march, and my plot to get even. In […]