Miss Delta

Howdy partners! Since we don't get much southern love in Vancouver, I like to try as much of it as possible in Portland.

Miss Delta restaurant

Miss Delta says that they make everything from scratch and the four of us that night were all so excited to try their food. The restaurant is located at 3950 North Mississippi Ave. in Portland. The area around the restaurant seemed very adorable and had a lot of fun restaurants around the place as well. Miss Delta is a decent size with about 10 tables or more. It had old black and white pictures that showed the restaurant's past as a butcher's shop. Modernized, the restaurant was rather hipster-esque with its adorable brick walls.

My fried chicken dish

When enjoying southern food I feel I must have fried chicken. I was lucky to be able to choose two sides with my combo dish ($14), and I chose mac and cheese and coleslaw. The portion of my dinner wasn't big as Screen Door and I would have to say Miss Delta isn't as tasty as the other restaurant. The chicken was too fried, the layers of the fried chicken were very thick. When I use my knife to cut the chicken it was just all crispiness and it wasn't as meaty as I would've liked inside. I thought the meat available was moist, however. The mac and cheese was simple and I was very happy with it. I could tell it was home made, it was cheesy and surprisingly didn't feel heavy. I felt that the coleslaw was tasty as well, the dressing was creamy like a traditional coleslaw should be like and had a light horseradish taste to it as well.

Steak of the day

Michael had the steak ($16) which was no surprise at all, there are daily cuts and Mondays was sliced flank steak. It was served with blue cheese butter on top, he got mashers on the side with greens with apple vinaigrette dressed on top. He wished there was more greens but the steak was absolutely so good. He said it was tender and tasted delicious with the butter on top. It was served at a decent portion, the outside of the meat was darkened just enough and the inside was slightly pink. The mashers tasted like any other mashed potatoes with gravy, except there was a slight peppery seasoning in there with a little heat. We thought it was a unique little surprise.

Pulled pork sandwich

My best friend has always wanted to eat some good southern food. She chose the pulled pork sandwich from the Monday special ($8). She thought the pork wasn't pulled enough because there were some pork bits that were a little too big. The barbeque sauce that was dressed on the pork was delicious but a little more on the spicy side. She didn't mind it though. This was definitely a messy dinner for her. She felt that her sandwich bread should have been more enclosed, like a hot dog bun. She said the bun was a bit rough, it scratched the roof of her mouth, but towards the middle of her sandwich the bun didn't seem to be that bad after all. She also got the mashers on the side for a small extra fee ($3 cup).

Mac and cheese with sausages

Last but not least, it was her boyfriend's first time in Portland eating southern food. He had the Trashy Mac which was also the Monday special ($8). It was the traditional mac and cheese served with ambrose sausages. He thought there was a lot of strong flavours to the sausage which was particularly memorable. He also said the mac and cheese had a lot of creamy texture and it beats instant mac and cheese out of a box any day.

We'll be back, Miss Delta

I thought Miss Delta was a fun place to go with all my friends and I am eager to come back to try other southern dishes since I felt that the fried chicken was mediocre. See ya later.

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Mother's Bistro and Bar

Michael and I did some brainstorming Portland's tourism map and found a list of restaurants that were highly recommended. We noticed that many of the restaurants were very overpriced, but I came across one restaurant called Mother's Bistro and Bar and found numerous good reviews online.

Welcome to Mother's!

Mother's is located at 212 SW Stark St in Portland downtown. The restaurant was gorgeous and gave me the feeling of having tea at grandma's house. The place had such a cozy home environment - with beautiful chandiliers hanging down from the ceiling - and a theme of featuring a different local mother's dishes on the menu each month. Michael and I think it was so clever, and of course we knew a lot of thought and effort was put in to this.

The restaurant

Mother's menu offer a wide of range of classic comfort food that a mother would cook. To play off their mothers' theme, you'll also notice witty typical-mom quotes scattered around on the menu like, "Have you had your greens today?"

$15,000 crab cake

For appetizers, Michael ordered the $15,000 crab cake ($6.95). Our waiter was ever so kind and explained to us on just why they're so expensively titled. Turns out, the Mother's executive chef went to culinary school and spent $30,000 on tuition, but out of that she only learned two dishes, one of them the crab cakes. Our waiter even joked the crab cakes have diamonds on them. Michael thought that these were the best crab cakes ever. They were crispy on the outside but filled with crab and what seemed like bacon bits. Just a punch of flavour.

Matzo Ball soup

 

For myself, I'd heard from a pal of mine to try Matzo Ball soup when I get the chance and this was my first tine coming across the traditional soup. The soup tasted very fresh and light with little bits of carrots and celery. The Matzo ball was something different though, there wasn't much taste to it, but the soft texture went well with the soup. 

Mac and cheese du jour

For entree I had the macaroni and cheese du jour (13.95). Friday's mac and cheese, instead of having the classic macaroni pasta, the Mac and cheese du jour was served on bow tie pasta with bacon bits, chopped onions, sour cream and of course lots of cheese. The taste reminded me of eating food court fries with the works. But of course, this tasted much better. The cheese wasn't as thick as regular mac and cheese would be, kind of runny but the sour cream held the texture together well and added a distinctive flavour. The chopped onions helped counter the creaminess, with the bacon adding a nice crunch and meat element to the dish.

Beef pot roast

Michael ordered the "Cascade Natural" Beef Pot Roast ($18.95), boneless short rib that braised for four hours and served with rich gravy. It arrived with mashed red potatoes and seasonal vegetables on the side, and Michael was happy to see it was served in a very generous portion and fell apart easily to the fork. The mashed potatoes came with bits of onions and tasted very homemade. The corn and zucchini tasted light and simple, and seemed to be just lightly drizzled with olive oil. Simple yet creative.

Cookies!

After this fantastic meal, Michael and I were both really full and was ready to walk back to Canada. When we asked for the bill, instead of having the usual mint it came with two homemade cookies, a oatmeal cookie and a ginger snap cookie. I thought this was just pure genius, this idea was so mother-esque this concept was just brilliant.

Michael and I simply cannot wait to return to Mother's, the staff is great and the food is fantastic, their menu is creative and there is so much more we must try.

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Screen Door

Open up your Screen Door because they're ready for business! Michael and I are in Portland right now, the kind boyfriend he is, he thought he would take me there on a mini-trip as a birthday treat.

Screen Door restaurant and bar

Michael did some digging around to see where the local hotspots to eat were, and he found a little place called Screen Door, serving many Southern classics, such as creamy grits and jambalaya. I always see Paula Deen from Food Network making Southern food and I had always wondered when I'd be able to try it out.

Screen Door is  located at 2337 East Burnside St. in Portland, near the community of Kern. Michael and I were stuck in traffic tonight and by the time we got to the restaurant we were starving. It wasn't too packed when we arrived, but we did have to wait a little.

We got to sit beside the kitchen :)

I would say the ambiance of the restaurant was hipster-grungy, it was like the restaurant was operated out of a garage which I thought was a really cool, and is something we would rarely get to experience back home. We sat right beside the kitchen and got a really good view of where the magic happens.

Pimiento Cheese

 
I needed to get an appetizer to just stabilize my hunger, and since I had a cheese craving I ordered the Pimiento Cheese ($6.50), a cheese spread that had a Southern smokey Tex-Mex taste with a hint of chipotle taste. We spread the delicious cheese on crackers with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

Fried chicken plate

For entrees, Screen Door really know how to pull out the big guns. And of course, with Southern food I have to get the fried chicken. The order of crispy fried buttermilk battered chicken ($15.75) was served with mashed potatoes, ham gravy and collards. It was my first time eating collards and it reminded me of a type of Chinese spinach. I liked the first few bites of the collards because of the sourness, but afterwards I thought it was a little much. The mashed potatoes, however, were creamy like a pureed heaven. The chicken didn't disappoint either, it had a spicy taste and the chicken was extremely tender and juicy.

Screen Door plate

Michael got the Screen Door Plate ($13.95) where he got a choice of three house sides with a slice of corn bread. His choices were fried catfish, buttery mashed potatoes, and the smoked chicken jambalaya. He didn't realize how heavy his choices were when his plate came, but he thought the catfish was done very well, made similar to fish and chips but it seemed like the dish was cooked longer, though the fish wasn't tough, and the batter had spices added to it. Their tartar sauce also tasted unique and was a lot thicker than he expected. He thought the jambalaya tasted like Thai fried rice, which was nice. But the mashed potatoes tasted very chickeny so he assumes it's from the gravy.

My Hot Lips Cherry Soda

Michael washed his meal down with a pale ale beer and I got the Hot Lips Cheery Soda. I have never tried this before and it tasted much different other soda around - it wasn't sweet at all and tasted very refreshing.

We definitely weren't the only ones who couldn't finish

After our attempt to devour this never-ending meal, Michael thinks for the amount you pay for the food is totally worth the trip. Almost everyone we saw leave the restaurant left with a doggy bag in their hands.

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Burgoo Bistro

For the longest time Michael and I thought Burgoo was a hipster burger joint, but we were really wrong. I really considered going to Burgoo after an art buddy of mine had recommended the place to me since she told me she works there. Why not.

We began at the Burgoo on the Main Street location, but it was such a long wait and I was super duper hungry. So Michael decided to search for their other location at 4434 W. 10th in Vancouver. It was smaller and quieter inside, but the ambiance was so cozy with their fireplace and wooden walls. It was like going to grandmas house for dinner, and a hip grandma at that too. The pleasant smell of food when we walked inside was enough to make us hungry, very inviting and not overwhelming at all.

The restaurant has a small bar section too

I discovered that Burgoo was voted "the best place to hang out on a rainy day" by the Georgia Straight, and I agree since Burgoo is known for the bowls of soup, all you want to do is snuggle up to  nice hot soup on a rainy cold Vancouver day. Michael also thought their menu was interesting, it notes exactly which country every dish originates from.

Crab croquette

For starters, Michael and I shared the crab croquette ($8), originating from France. It's similar to a crab cake - a clump of fried goodness, filled with crab, cheese, potato bits and served with a tomato jam. Michael thought the croquette was the best part of the meal. Not only was it a good price for what was served to us, there was a generous amount of moist crab and he really liked the dipping sauce. I have to agree with him, it was very juicy and flavourful, especially with the cheese inside. I thought the dipping sauce was mediocre though. It was a nice sauce but it was just a little too sweet that it over powered the nice flavours the crab and cheese had to offer together. Why hide their natural flavours?

Dos Diablos

For entrees, I really had a hard time deciding what I wanted: sandwiches, soups, salads? Decisions, decisions, decisions! I went with the soup and sandwich ($15) and contemplated between the vegetarian - a sandwich with hummus, bell peppers, cucumbers, feta, artichoke and a vinaigrette dressing - or my other choice, the Dos Diablos, two slices of bread with melted spicy cheddar, chorizo sausage, and roasted bell peppers. Since Michael and I are going away together soon for somewhere with a decent beach, I have been really watching with what I eat. But faced with my weakness and kryptonite, ooey gooey cheese, I decided to go with the Dos Diablos. I loved that ooey gooey goodness and the crunchiness from the grilled sandwich was a nice bonus. I guess my diet will start tomorrow.

Tomato soup

I paired my sandwich with the tomato soup, my favourite. Tomatoes, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil, it was so rich in flavour and I could clearly taste the tanginess from the tomato. It wasn't too sour either, spot on.

Beef bouguignon

Michael got the classic French dish, the beef bourguignon ($18), when Michael told me he was going to order that,  for some reason I thought of Julia Child. Michael thought there was lots of meat on his plate and the beef was easy to chew. The sauce was nice and wasn't overwhelming. But I thought the mashed potatoes was a little underdone.

Strawberry lemonade

To wash everything down Michael had the Burgoo Brew ($5) and I had the strawberry lemonade ($3).

Yet another clever way to present the bill :)

The portions at Burgoo was so big that we weren't able to finish. Michael and I can't wait to come back to Burgoo and try the other selections on the menu. Everything sounds so good, we just want a taste of everything. Another thing I like about Burgoo is that after chatting with our waitress, I learned that Burgoo offers to a wide range of eaters, they offer gluten free, vegan, and vegetarians. How thoughtful.


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Tomahawk Restaurant

A novelty gift shop, Canadian map place mats, all day breakfast and a First Nations theme defined our experience today at the award-winning Tomahawk on the North Shore. It's somewhere that I've been wanting to go to ever since I saw it on Diners, Drive ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri. When I saw one of my favourite Food Network hosts, John Catucci, take a try himeself, I thought to myself now I really have to go!

Tomahawk is located at 1550 Phillip Ave, North Vancouver. The exterior of the place looks nothing like an ordinary restaurant and it blends in with a residential neighbourhood. The totem poles in the front are what you'll have to look for to find the place.

Once you step inside in to the restaurant there is a counter where you can purchase little novelty items such as t-shirts, hats, and a rubber duck. The restaurant decor gives the diner a cozy homely feeling, with lots of First Nations style decorations, such as dream catchers, masks, drums, and many other interesting items. When you sit down at your table, the place mat is a map laid out that shows the different parts of B.C. and how the rest of Canada relates to our fabulous province.

I had the Yukon Style bacon and eggs from the all day breakfast menu for $11.95 and thought the meal was pretty good.  I was served with four pieces of toast buttered to perfection, five round slices of bacon, egg whites and instead of hash browns I got French fries. Yum! I loved the toast, it was so fluffy and soft and it went so well with the generous amount of butter that arrived already slathered on. The bacon was interesting, it tasted like a regular piece of bacon but it was in a circular shape. It was little dry to my liking, but it paired nicely with my toast. The egg tasted good, nothing too special, after all they are just eggs. The French fries were nice and crispy and I poured a generous amount of vinegar. Absolute perfection!

Michael had the Salisbury Steak for $15.20 which was a beef steak served with mashed potatoes with beef gravy and veggies on the side. Michael thinks the beef was around 7 or 8 ounces, a generous portion considering everything else on the plate. The beef was very tasty, and inside were onions and other veggies with seasoning. Nicely marinated and easy to chew - can't beat that. The mashed potatoes were served in a huge portion, I was lucky enough to try some, it was creamy, soft and had texture. It was clearly home made and it went really well with the rich creamy gravy. Everything was so well seasoned. Michael didn't have room left for the seasonal veggies that came with the dish though. Maybe next time.

After today, we would love to come back to Tomahawk, there are so much more things we would like to try on the menu and see their heaping amount of serving sizes. Today’s lunch affair was treated by my fabulous aunt and we would both like to say thank you to her. Michael says its his treat next time! 

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Save On Meats

It's the second place we visited through learning about it on Mr. Guy Feieri's Diners, Drive In's, and Dives.

Save On Meats is located on 43 West Hastings, there's usually street parking available in the block around the store, and the entrance is easy to find by the a row of patterned lights in front of the restaurant. The walk to the restaurant was interesting too, passing through the Downtown Eastside, I now can say that I walked through the crowded streets of East Hastings.

The decor of Save On Meats looked like a diner from the 1950's with the bar stools lining up, I can just already picture young people wearing suspenders and high waist skirts sitting along the bar stools eating their ice cream sundaes and fountain drinks. I really had trouble  deciding what to get at the menu but I tried to get something out of the ordinary for me. I had the Bangers and Mash for $9, which was two sausages with mashed potatoes drenched in gravy. I loved the mashed potatoes it was nice and creamy, it went really well with the gravy. As for the sausages, I wasn't sure what kind of sausage it was but I think it could have been pork. The sausage was good, but towards the end I think I got kind of sick of the taste, I ended up not finishing my plate.

Michael got the Open Faced Roast Chicken Sandwich with french fries on the side for $8. Michael said it was very good but he felt that there should have been more chicken. The gravy was very delightful, the gravy was everywhere. As for the fries, I have to agree with Michael they were quite good, crunchy, well seasoned, and cooked to perfection. Having said all that, the food did seem a bit too homemade and simple. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the food as much as when we went to go visit Jethros, another Vancouver restaurant Guy Feier' visited. Michael also thought the food at Jethros seemed to be made with more passion.

The bill came to a total of $25 with two cokes plus tip. Although the menu looks tasty I don't think it is tasty enough for me to return to the restaurant. Also the fact that the location seemed out of the way where me and Michael usually go when we are in downtown.  Sorry Guy Feieri, we'll look forward to the next location.

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Diner No. 1

Its been awhile since me and Michael have dined out, I have so many places that I would like to go and I just don't know where to begin. So tonight we ended up going to  a little diner place in Steveston Village called Diner No.1 on 12251 No.1 Road. It use to be a little Italian place, but the new restaurant took over around October last year.

Salt & Pepper Wings - a bit dry

To start, the ambiance of Diner No.1 was really modern for a place that served comfort food. When you first walk in to the restaurant you see a bar that looked very slick. I loved the funky pictures that were hung around by each of the tables, it gave a little vintage and cozy vibe to the restaurant. For the longest time I was determined to get the Mac and Cheese at the place, the sound of Mac and Cheese just seem so wonderful, creamy cheese, crunchy bread crumbs, sounds delightful doesn't it?

A poutine in everything but name

But when I got to the restaurant Michael convinced me otherwise, he saw that there was a 3 for $10 deal called the This and That. They offered 14 different choices,  I saw the Disco Fries and I just couldn't resist, cheese fries and gravy, my inner Montrealian was just screaming "take it!" So I did, but really struggled with my two other choices so I randomly just chose something. Chicken Fingers, and Salt and Pepper chicken wings with blue cheese dipping sauce. The Disco Fries wasn't bad, you can't go wrong with cheese and gravy. I found the chicken wings and chicken fingers a little dry though. Michael also got the This and That deal - ordering the Salt and  Pepper Chicken Wings, Meaty Dry Ribs which we both thought was very dry, and the Mini Fish and Chips. He thought that one was the best.

Mini Fish & Chips

I am not sure if I liked the 3 for $10 deal, but I am pretty determined to return to finally give that Mac and Cheese a try. Michael agrees with me, he would go back to try their other food on their menu, I know he had a beef sandwich he had his eye on. With the two This and That deal, the bill came to $22 plus tip.


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George's Taverna

Our day ran short today because I had school and I have a pretty pathetic Friday school schedule. So Michael and I weren't expecting much from a meal today. We decided to eat at George's Taverna at 130-3760 Moncton Street in Steveston Village, one of the local takeout restaurants.

George's Clubhouse

The restaurant can be seen in parts in the show one of my favourite shows, Once Upon a Time, you can spot it if you look close enough. This place is one of our favourite casual dining places to go when we're hungry. Michael has been going to this place since his high school days and introduced me to the place a few years ago. They serve traditional Greek style food  like pita wraps, souvlaki, and saganaki! Who doesn't like fried cheese?

Fries with honey mustard

I usually get the chicken donair but today I was really hungry. So we both ordered the Georges Clubhouse, $9.45, a mix of pork, bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes squished between two slices of pita bread. The dishes also come with sides of fries, which are absolutely to die for. They are lightly salted and seasoned with spices and goes perfecto with their house-made honey mustard - what is suppose to meant for chicken strips but we dip it in fries. It's like a taste of mustard heaven.

Calamari with tzatziki sauce

To end up off with this hearty meal we even shared an appetizer of  crispy calamari for $8.95 with fabulous tzatziki sauce.

Oh, and everything here is served in extra large portions. If you ever visit, you can also eat knowing all the cooks have been with the restaurant for years. The staff's ability to be consistent in both taste and presentation is definitely one of their strengths.


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Jethros Fine Grub

No secret Guy Fieri was here.

As seen on the Food Network, we bring you Jethros Fine Grub.

Located in the outskirts of Vancouver's posh Point Grey neighbourhood at 3420 Dunbar St., we were first attracted to try out the small "dive" through its feature on Guy Fieri's November airing of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. As the first restaurant he introduced in our home city, it seemed like it couldn't possibly disappoint.

First, the place is small. Barely capable of handling 20 seats, it should have been no surprise that we faced a 40 minute wait on a regular Friday afternoon. But don't make the mistake of letting that push you away, the food is worth it.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

With menu prices ranging from $10 to $20, this little comfort food shack is affordable and generous, considering the unforgiving portions served. I ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich ($10), which came with fresh greens or fries, and Allison had the Chicken Fried Steak ($12), served with gravy, hash browns and toast.

Fried Chicken Steak

My sandwich arrived separated on two bun halves, with BBQ sauce, apple fennel slaw, the piles of juicy, tender pork and a large sharing of caesar salad that covered the plate. The food wasn't the usual greasy affair I'd expect with comfort food, either. It was easy to digest, delicious and while very filling - I didn't feel stuffed afterward, and actually wanted more.

Allison had a hard time choosing. Her dish arrived as a breaded chicken breast topped with home-styled country gravy and garlic bits. On the side, two slices of whole-wheat toast with a thin trimming of butter and a serving of perfectly cooked egg whites. Add hash browns - really just cubed potatos - and the rest of the plate is filled.

In total with two sodas and tip, the bill came to $32. We're eager to return for more. 

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