Sidebar Thursday!

No real shout outs or rants today. Actually I do have rants, plenty of them; all are just a little too real life for the good of the blog.

Restaurant Updates:
Last Friday night we returned to one of our favorite Portland hotspots, Saucebox. However, if this were our first dining experience there we might find it hard to return. Overall the dinner was fine, the atmosphere can’t be beat – especially in the bar. I ordered the steak, which was over cooked but still had good flavor. The live in had the special three course dinner for $25, which appeared to be flavorful but nothing grand. Our service was not awesome, in fact she comped our drinks because she felt bad for “ignoring us”…hint: especially when in a recession, don’t ignore your customers. Unfortunately, until their Summer Menu debuts we will probably be putting Saucebox on the back burning.

Saturday I met the ladies for a day o’ fun. Our first stop was lunch at Jo Bar. Where the food was great, but the cocktail I had was amazing! I am serious. I have been talking about this freakin cocktail like it’s going to reverse global warming. It’s “The Cucumber”, I have no clue what is in it, but it’s rad and delicious!

And…if you guessed Helvatia Tavern you would be wrong. The mystery restaurant was Hood River Taqueria. This place is ideally enjoyed in the summer time dining al fresco, but a mid-winter craving can’t be ignored either. Their food is fresh and truly authentic (but not in the Sacramento taqueria “authentic” way, where your Visa number will get stolen). I would recommend the Chicken Fajita Salad for yummy goodness.

Next week’s mystery restaurant will be a new one to me, so it will be a true review. It’s not in my hood (in fact it’s in the opposite of my hood), but it does have an affiliation with one of my favorite Italian restaurants - which is sadly no longer open…

Eat well friends!