Tag Archives: portland

Restaurant Review: Homegrown Smoker [Portland]

February 26, 2014 scottmcnamara Leave a comment

OFFROAD VEGAN TOP 5!

There is a small, obscure, sea-foam green food cart tucked into the corner of the Mississippi cart pod. To the untrained eye, it is yet another cart slinging hipster chow. To the vegans of Portland, it is a shining beacon of real-deal, home-smoked, vegan BBQ.

And it is amazing.

I have been a fan of Homegrown Smoker (HGS) since they had a spot down in SW Portland. Ever since those early days, Homegrown has been a pinnacle of the vegan scene in Portland and is one of my Top 5 spots in the US.

My favorite used to be the Loafaroni, a “meat”loaf sandwich made up of a slathering of BBQ sauce, a heaping scoop of mac no cheese, meatloaf, and two buttered, crispy buns. It is still my favorite, but I accidentally read the fat content of the Field Roast meat loaf they use, and well….the nutrition facts were a little startling. Even for vegan food, it was a little “rich.”

HGS also revised their menu and the Loafaroni took a bit of a sabbatical. During that time I became pretty enamored with the SlowSmoMoFo, a BBQ sandwich of seasoned soy c urls, cole slaw and maple bourbon BBQ sauce. Order it with a side of Mac no Cheese and you have a winner.

The menu at HGS is a collection of southern-esque BBQ fare; with offerings such as the Carolina Chicken Sandwich (BBQ and Beyond Meat together in a sammy), Smoked Tempeh Burger, Sweet Potato Fries, and a Combo Platter.

The menu has a decent variety of food for the regulars, but the specials are really where the tough decisions need to be made.

With specials like “Another Good Burrito” (A grilled wheat tortilla filled with psstrami, sweet potato fries, Daiya, Mac No Cheese, Broccoli, Grilled Peppers, onions and mellow yellow sauce) and the “Buff Burrito” (Tempeh Facon, smoked Beyond Meat, Buff Sauce, Mac no Cheese, french fries, tomato, raw greens, and creamy ranch), it can often be hard to choose your lunch.

There really aren’t any complaints with HGS. Their food is top notch, vegan BBQ comfort food. Their hours can be a bit flimsy, but that is to be expected with a food cart operation. If you are traveling in from a distance, be sure they are open (the cart life seems to be plagued with closures for many issues).

My personal goal is to try more of their options, and not the same ol’ slow smo mo fo. Honestly, though it is really hard when you have an absolute favorite!

Homegrown Smoker is a pillar of the vegan food scene in Portland. I hope one day to see them mature out of the cart and into something more permanent…so I can sleep better at night.

Eat & Drink Here

Restaurant Review: A.N.D. Cafe [Portland]

January 2, 2014 scottmcnamara 7 Comments

As many people know, brunching in Portland is something of an olympic sport. It is part of our heritage, much like good espresso, grey Winter days, and cold craft beer. And, just like never owning an umbrella, people have come to look at standing in a long line as something that actually defines a true Portlander.

So, when you can find an amazing vegan brunchery (not a word until just now) with not much of a wait, it is like the heavens have opened up and a thousand angels are singing.

This sign beckons me in my dreams. Is that creepy?

A.N.D. Cafe rarely has a long line of hungry souls, but that is not due to the food, atmosphere, or service. I tend to think it is due to being “farther out” on Burnside than most fixie riders are willing to go.

Let them have the Screen Doors and Tin Sheds of the World. We’ll fill up the Jeep and barrel her down Burnside for some of the best vegan food Portland has to offer.

A.N.D. Cafe is, by default vegan. However, upon request, vegetarians and omnis can elect to have eggs and dairy cheese subbed.

Let’s talk food.

I cannot recommend enough, anything with their walnut meat loaf. My personal fav is the Meatloaf Benedict, but the sammy is great also. On their menu, the MB is defined as “herb tofu or two poached eggs, walnut meatloaf, hollandaise, toast.”

The Florentine waffle is an amazing choice, with chicken (Beyond Meat), gravy, scrambled tofu, hollandaise, and tomatoes. It also is stuffed with cheese (I’m thinking Daiya) and spinach.

Just today I tried the Buffalo Blue Hoagie, a buffalo chicken (ala Beyond Meat) sandwich with homemade blue cheese and spinach. The soft, velvety bread makes this easy to eat. It is a top contender for possibly being one of my favorite all-time vegan sandwiches. And I don’t just throw that around all willy-nilly.

The best vegan sammy in ALL of Portland? The Buffalo Bleu Hoagie.

Melanie ordered their special today, which was a fried tofu cutlet with gravy, kale and cheddar jalapeno corn bread. She liked it, but made the mistake of trying my chicken sammy first. Once she had that, the bar was set too high for the tofu cutlet to keep up.

Service is short, brisk, and very pleasant which is really what you want in a place like this. I don’t have time for clingy waiters and waitresses – get my order right, bring me my food, check on me from time to time, and let me free up that table for the next hungry group.

The people at A.N.D. Cafe are always great.

Let’s talk about the BAD parts of A.N.D. Cafe:

….

(there are none)

In conclusion, this place is a pillar of the vegan scene in PDX and should never be missed. If you are a vegan in town and have not been here yet, GO THERE. Make it a regular stop. If you have out of town guests, take them here and blow their minds.

Eat & Drink Here

Restaurant Review: Harlow [Portland]

December 3, 2013 scottmcnamara Leave a comment

Tonight we wanted something new. Not the same burrito run to El Nutri, or a quick bowl at the B&B. Melanie rolled the random dice on Yelp and we pointed the car at Harlow on SE Hawthorne.

The bright, spacious area was warm and somewhat cozy.

Walking in, I was surprised with the bright, slightly sterile atmosphere. The heavy influence of wood and twang of vintage in the space’s design plays well with the open, bright layout. They have a nice section of vegan odds and ends, and some branded clothing on one side of the restaurant. Continue reading Restaurant Review: Harlow [Portland] →

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Fur Free Friday Demonstration in Portland

November 29, 2013 scottmcnamara Leave a comment

Today, instead of joining the throngs of people in the malls, 150 fellow animal rights activists marched in Portland against fur.

Protesters wait to march outside Nordstrom’s in Downtown Portland.

We met outside of Nordstom’s in downtown Portland at 10:30, and hit the street an hour later.

The walk took us on a loop up Broadway and Taylor, back down 12th, then up 6th to Macy’s. We ended in the park blocks and enjoyed cupcakes donated by the phenomenal PDX bakery, Sweetpea Baking.

The group pauses at Macy’s to spread the message.

It was a successful march as many spectators seemed to appreciate the message.

There was a variety of signage available.

Protesters chat with a woman passing by, about the truths of the fur industry.

Free cupcakes from Sweetpea! I think I will.

Please visit In Defense of Animals (IDA) website here.

Eat & Drink Here

Bar Review: Bye & Bye [Portland]

November 19, 2013 scottmcnamara Leave a comment

Personally, I have a top 5 list of places in Portland that I simply could not live without.

The Bye & Bye is in that group’s top 3.

The drinks tend to be on the fruitier side than their sister bar (The Sweet Hereafter). Their Mojito is decent, the Stockholm is a popular choice for Melanie. I prefer the Three Liars, with mint and cucumber infused gin. Especially on a hot Portland day.

Their beer list is ever changing and okay. They could stand to get a few more taps and expand the variety a little more. That being said, they do a good job with the taps they have. Their IPAs are usually top shelf.

The ambiance is nice and chill. You never know who you may see while at the Bye and Bye – I have seen small families, older folks, the typical hipster, and all people in between.

Food wise? Phenom like penh.

The Eastern Bowl and their new sammy loaded with buffalo soy curls and amazing candied almonds are both amazing and make me want to get all Touretty. Notice how I forgot the name of the damn sandwich? That’s because it was named after something abstract and cool. It doesn’t matter, just get it and love it. (EDIT: The sammy is called “Frank’s Wild Years” and I assume there is some backstory there). It is the yin to the Sweet Hereafter’s Buffalo Soldier’s Yang, and I would say it is a tie for the best sammich.

Another thing to grab is their new(ish) pretzels. It’s good these come 2 on a plate, as I think I could eat an entire platter of these damn things. Skip the mustard and plunge that puppy right into their homemade cheesy dip. They come out warm, and with just the right amount of salt on them to make them addictive.

The biggest (albeit the only) complaint I have with them is that they are too damn cool to answer the phone. I’d love to place a quick to go order and grab an Eastern to go. But they never answer. Ah well, such is the price for awesomeness, I suppose.

You would be perfect to me if you just picked this up. It's even vintage! — You would be perfect to me if you just picked this up. It’s even vintage!

The pros far outweigh the cons (I only counted one con) for the B&B though. Great ambiance, awesome service, beautiful atmosphere. Combine that with great vegan bar food, and good drinks and we have a Portland establishment.