#76: Blind Onion Pizza & Pub

What is there not to say about this pizza joint?!  I'm obsessed, that is the only way to put it simply.  I don't like to consider myself a pizza connoisseur because I'm about as boring as they come with my pizza preferences.  I am on the search for the best cheese pizza.  In my opinion, this is the hardest pizza to make.  The ingredients are few and they have to count.  

This said, Blind Onion Pizza has the BEST cheese pizza I've had in Portland hands down.  They know how to do the classics well and I'm never disappointed.  They work with amazing ingredients, and don't get me started on their  crust (the crust HAS to be amazing or you haven't sold me, sorry).  My husband loves their pepperoni pizza ("It's got a good spice to it," he says), and we drive 45 minutes to go to it.  Anytime were in Vancouver, WA we visit Blind Onion.  We are that committed people!  

There is a location in NE Portland off Broadway.  I've never visited that location, but I've heard there are two separate owners, one for the Washington locations and one for the Oregon locations.  Do they make their pizza differently in Portland now after the split?  I can't answer this question!  My only sadness is that there isn't a Blind Onion near me.

PS.  Fred is the name of their onion (yes, their onion).  If your name is Fred, you will receive a discount on the price of draft beer anytime.  Lucky.....

#7: Pine State Biscuits

Having lived in the south with my father for several years I have learned to appreciate good southern style cooking.  My stepmother Jami opened up a world of sweet tea, grits, fried chicken, and gravy... love me some gravy!  

Pine State Biscuits brings me back!  Every time we're there I think of my family down in Texas.  There is literally NO WHERE else in Portland that I have found sweet tea.  Every time Jami visits she asks for sweet tea and the poor waiters look confused.  We have tea and we have sweetener, that's what it is right??  Wrong.  Check it out peeps, it's good (though not good for you.. I did mentioned it's called sweet tea).   

For all of you out there who love and miss fried green tomatoes, collard greens, grits and the like, head over to Pine State Biscuits!  For all of you Food Network junkies, this is also a 'Triple D' (Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives) PDX spot.  You can go to the Pine State Biscuit website to see the episode and what Guy Fieri thought of it.

My husband got the 'Reggie' and gobbled it up.  His opinion?  "Amazing".  I got the 'Moneyball' and it was also very tasty although too much for me to finish.  That wasn't a problem though, my husband and I did a little plate swap and he cleaned up my plate too!  

Cost: Pretty cheap eats.  Average cost per plate is $6-$8.  I have heard some complain that is expensive for what you get... depends on the person I guess.
Menu: Nice options for such a focused menu.  There are so many combinations I can think of for biscuits and gravy.  Vegetarian gravy is an option for those who wish it.
Food:  Delicious biscuits and gravy, which is the very purpose of their restaurant.  I'd give it a 5/5
Service: BIG WARNING.  Pine State Biscuits is SMALL.  You will wait outside and with the Portland rainy weather, it can be a HUGE bummer.  They have a system.  Your whole party has to order at the same time (eg. you must ALL be there or you won't eat together).  There is VERY limited seating inside and many take it to go.  The idea is that you order as a group, receive your items together and sit together (if you can find a seat).  They ask you don't linger.  This is not a place to chat and hang out.  People are hovering around you waiting for your seat.  

 

#48: Gravy

I have now had two experiences with Gravy.  The first time, my husband and I invited two of our close friends Mike and Mandy with us.  We went on a Sunday afternoon (our mistake) and sat for, wait for it, two and a half hours!    By the time we had been sat, ordered and received our food I'm pretty sure anything would have sufficed.  We were even more pleased when we took that first bite.  It was good.  I'm not talking sufficient, but clean up the plate good.  Another important note:  If you get a hankering for breakfast and are hoping for some 'brinner', no such luck.  Gravy closes by 3:00PM. 

All that said, nobody will be cleaning up their plate because the portion sizes are HUMONGOUS, but all in all a great experience.  My husband got the challah french toast, I got banana chocolate chip pancakes, and we shared a portion of biscuits and gravy.  Is this why its called Gravy?  I sure hope not.  It was okay.  Nothing to call home about though.  If you're looking for some good biscuits and gravy, check out Pine State Biscuits(I'm drooling just thinking about it).  The banana chocolate chip pancakes were delicious although very sweet.  Banana chunks were hidden inside the batter and each cut had a nice slice of real banana.  Slightly melted chocolate chips and fresh banana slices were on top for a nice touch.  The highlight of our meal?  The challah french toast... wow.  This is not only the best french toast I've had in Portland thus far, but the best french toast hands down.  Perfectly cooked and amazing flavor.  If you like french toast, you MUST GO!  

I'm trying to remember what our friends got.. I believe it was one of the signature 'Scrambles & Omelets' in addition to the veggie version of the biscuits and gravy.  The veggie gravy was much better than the country gravy, but still nothing spectacular.  I didn't hear any complaints about the scramble either.

Our second visit was less successful.  I was determined to order the french toast for myself, a half order of course.  My husband, wanting to venture out asked for the 'Country fried steak & eggs' with a side of buttermilk pancakes.  Again, remember the portion sizes are HUGE.  If you're unhappy, a lot of food goes to waste.
  

I was pleased as punch with my french toast.. another ten in my book.  My husband, was less than happy with his dish.  The country fried steak was thick and chewy and the fried shell was broken and thin.  He ended up having two bites and moving his eggs to his pancakes plate.  The pancakes he liked, but wasn't impressed.  He is a breakfast critic and expected more with how amazing the french toast is.  All in all, one left satisfied the other disgruntled and grumbling that Gravy is only good for one thing... french toast.

Cost: decently priced for the portions.  Average cost per plate is $8-$12
Menu: Nice breakfast breakdown with sweet and savory food for everyone.  Vegan and vegetarian options also included.
Food:  There are some gems on the menu that make this rating higher than it might be if we tried everything on the menu.  I would rate it a 4/5
Service: The wait stinks, but there is no way around it with these popular one of a kind restaurants.  Know about it and be prepared.  Service is relaxed and not a good place to go if you're looking for quick and attentive.  You're not ignored and the staff are pleasant, but you're going to be there a while.  

Urban Spoon Challenge

Over this past year, my husband and I have been trying to find a way to connect with each other and our city in the midst of busy lives.  I, a graduate student, avid reader, Junior League member and volunteer, and my husband, an Intel computer nerd, on the side video game aficionado, hockey player and Red Wing fanatic are trying to find something that we both enjoy that brings us closer.  As you can see, our interests are terribly similar and we were dripping with options... not!  Food, in the end, is what brought us together on this date nights turned Sunday institution.  I hope to update this weekly, but lets be honest, my first blog hasn't been updated in seven months!  

I'll do my best to take notes regarding cost, menu, food (obviously), and service of the places we've tried and hopefully tackle the Urbanspoon 100 Best Portland Restaurants list while we're at it.  Being someone who follows what sounds delicious, I can't imagine this list will always work for me.  Sometimes the suggestion given on the fly is more appetizing then the long list I've had on my iPhone Wishlist that ironically keeps getting longer every week!  That said, here is the current list.  I realize you might be thinking, "Don't they update that"?  I'm sure, but I can't possibly catch up.. 100 places on a grad school budget!  We'll see where this adventure takes us.  Here is the list as of today:

Best restaurants in Portland

Congratulations!

Want to brag about your ranking? Go to your restaurant's page on Urbanspoon and click "Is this your restaurant?" in the upper right hand corner to learn how.

Rank	Restaurant
1	Voodoo Doughnut	Donuts
2	Andina	Latin American
3	Mother's Bistro & Bar	Breakfast/Brunch
4	Screen Door	Southern & Soul
5	Pok Pok & Whiskey Soda Lounge	Thai
6	Tin Shed Garden Cafe	American
7	Pine State Biscuits	Breakfast/Brunch
8	Pambiche	Cuban
9	Le Bistro Montage	Southern & Soul
10	Portland City Grill	Asian
11	Toro Bravo	Tapas
12	Five Guys	Burgers
13	Papa Haydn	American
14	Nicholas	Middle Eastern
15	Piazza Italia	Italian
16	¿Por Qué No?	Mexican
17	Dang's Thai Kitchen	Thai
18	Veritable Quandary	American
19	Jake's Famous Crawfish	Seafood
20	Syun Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Sake Club	Japanese
21	Henry's 12th Street Tavern	American
22	Oba	Latin American
23	Higgins	French
24	Apizza Scholls	Pizza
25	The Observatory	American
26	Fenouil	French
27	Russell Street Bar.B.Que	Barbecue
28	Ya Hala Lebanese Cuisine	Middle Eastern
29	Cha'Ba Thai	Thai
30	Kenny and Zuke's Delicatessen	Sandwiches/Subs
31	Petite Provence	Bakery
32	Farm Cafe	Vegetarian
33	Escape From New York Pizza	Pizza
34	Saburo's Sushi House	Japanese
35	Deschutes Brewery & Public House	Pub Food
36	La Bonita	Mexican
37	Red Onion Thai Cuisine	Thai
38	Bijou Cafe	American
39	Clyde Common	European
40	Ken's Artisan Pizza	Pizza
41	Bunk Sandwiches	Sandwiches/Subs
42	Podnah's Pit BBQ	Barbecue
43	Helvetia Tavern	American
44	Nuestra Cocina	Latin American
45	Ringside Steakhouse	Steakhouse
46	Seasons & Regions	American
47	Planet Thai	Thai
48	Gravy	American
49	Bete-Lukas	African
50	Fire on the Mountain	Barbecue
51	Pad Thai Kitchen	Thai
52	Salvador Molly's	Vegetarian
53	Mi Famiglia Wood Oven Pizzeria	Pizza
54	Hopworks Urban Brewery	Pub Food
55	Wong's King Seafood	Seafood
56	Besaw's	American
57	Le Pigeon	French
58	Yoko's	Asian
59	Jam on Hawthorne	American
60	Cadillac Cafe	Breakfast/Brunch
61	Pause Kitchen and Bar	American
62	¿Por Qué No?	Latin American
63	Delta Cafe	Southern & Soul
64	Ice Cream Renaissance	Desserts/Ice Cream
65	Jade Teahouse and Patisserie	Asian
66	Al Forno Ferruzza	Pizza
67	Decarli	Italian
68	Fire on the Mountain	American
69	Helser's on Alberta	American
70	Mashita Teriyaki III	Teriyaki
71	Byways Cafe	Diner
72	Zab Thai	Thai
73	Arleta Library Bakery & Cafe	Breakfast/Brunch
74	Milo's City Cafe	American
75	Nostrana	Italian
76	The Blind Onion Pizza & Pub	Pizza
77	Thai Ginger	Thai
78	50 Plates	Modern American
79	Grilled Cheese Grill (Food Cart)	Sandwiches/Subs
80	St. Honoré Boulangerie	French
81	Bamboo Grove Hawaiian Grille	Hawaiian
82	Sushi Hana	Sushi
83	Bluehour	French
84	Stepping Stone Cafe	American
85	Hall Street Bar & Grill	American
86	El Gaucho	Steakhouse
87	Doner Kebab	German
88	Tasty and Sons	Breakfast/Brunch
89	Du's Grill	Japanese
90	La Provence Bakery & Bistro	Desserts/Ice Cream
91	Three (3) Doors Down Cafe	Italian
92	Dove Vivi	Pizza
93	The Country Cat	Northwest
94	Srivichai Thai Restaurant	Thai
95	Zell's Cafe	American
96	Ken's Artisan Bakery	Bakery
97	Lucca	Italian
98	Noho's Hawaiian Cafe	Hawaiian
99	Biwa	Japanese
100	Thai Cabin	Thai