Liliana "rules make me nauseated" G.'s Profile

this is a very good burger.  they cook it so it's crispy on the outside and still juicy in the middle.  the onions are shaved paper thin.  it could be bigger, but by the time i scarf down all the amazing extra crispy fries, i still have enough room for dessert (or a few drinky drinks) and won't feel like i need to be wheeled out of the place.  speaking of fries, if you don't see it on the table, be sure to ask for some fry sauce, as theirs is very tasty.  
on my last visit i had a coke float, my first in years. it was a pretty good accompaniment to the burger, but i do wish they served milkshakes.  i know people have complained about the item prices, but the only thing i think is overpriced is an order of fries.  it would be nice if they offered some type of combo discount, but they seem to be doing just fine without it.
3 stars because i can't seem to raise my rate of eating here over once a year. i mean if it were 5 stars good, i'd be here all the time, right?

skip breakfast on the strip.  skip waiting over an hour for some buffet.  just come here and get friendly fast service and great food.  the cinnamon toast pancakes are out of this world.  and don't even get me started on the insanely thick, extra crispy bacon.
yummmmmmmmmmm!  i drooling just remembering this place.

this scenic spot in willamette wine country is about 45 minutes outside of eugene, so you'd think it'd be pretty desolate on a november evening.  not so. apparently everybody else knows king estate is worth the drive.  i had been here several times, but always in spring or summer (for the view) and usually for just a wine tasting or happy hour nosh.  i knew enough to know we'd get a good dinner, but i was not prepared for the experience i had last month.  we were seated in a side room with a fire place, away from the hustle and bustle of the main dining area and tasting bar.  the menu has a little something for everyone, but is definitely a little friendlier to meat/poultry eaters.  a big focus on the menu is that everything is local.  the names of the farms are printed right there for you to see.  all of the food we had was delicious!  the fillet i ordered was easily the best i've had in many years and my grampa's short ribs were gorgeous.  it's nice to know that even if you can't enjoy the view thanks to an early winter sundown, the food, service, and atmosphere will still lead to an amazing king estate experience.

went to central on a chilly 1st thursday night.  it's a nice warm space that serves a quality product, but there were a couple of glaring flaws.

first, the good:

the food was delish.  the menu is all small plates. we had the tuna crudo and toasted onion soup.  the crudo was some of the best i've had in pdx.  while most places choose to give an asian flavor to this dish, central's version is clean and light.  the soup was smooth and creamy and perfect for a winter night snack.  

we also sampled a few cocktails and were quite impressed.  in particular, we loved the fig rum & coke, the orange juliette, a drink i can't remember the name of that was a fancy twist on the whiskey sour (it was the clear winner of the night).

the not so good:

the food menu is pretty limited and a little on the pricey side. my step-dad was interested in trying a meat dish, but didn't since it was $16 for a small portion. having everything be small plates turns central into a pre-dinner/ happy-hour-only stop for me. in fact, we spent exactly as much on happy hour at central as we did for a full dinner at ping afterwards.

and now the awful:

i really don't know what the owners were thinking when they bought the seating.  maybe they got it from some unattended psu classroom. perhaps they thought the industrial-looking stools fit  with the exposed brick aesthetic of the space.  the problem is that these stools don't just look industrial, they feel it.  after 30-45 minutes of sitting on one of these, despite the yummy drinks, your ass will be begging you to move on to the next stop on your evening's itinerary.

you know how they say even bad chinese food is good chinese food?  well i'm pretty sure whoever coined that phrase did so after eating at lok yuan.  the portions are huge, the prices are cheap (combo meals are the way to go)  and the food is pretty damn tasty.  the only thing i have found to complain about is the pork fried rice, which doesn't have any veggies in it an has barely any pork.  to be honest, it kinda looks like they scrape the crumbs off chopping board from when they were slicing the bbq pork for other dishes.  the rest of it is scrumptious, even if it is totally americanized and inauthentic.  the service is always super fast and friendly.  i eat here almost every time i'm in eugene, and prefer lok yuan over anywhere i have been in pdx.

some of the best fried calamari in town and def one of the best (food) happy hours.
only 3 stars because, despite it being very good, it's isn't exceptional  enough to get me to become a regular.

even though it's quite the jaunt from my hood, i decided to give this place a try after reading all the good reviews and not wanting to go downtown for aybla grill.  i figured this place has a parking lot and i can go to target after, so what the heck.
It seems kinda weird for a place like this (cheap, next to a nail joint, in a strip mall) to have table service. Don't get me wrong, the service is fine, its just that this is a small joint in a strip mall where ordering at the counter would not only suffice but would seem more congruous.  
here's the rundown of dishes i've had on my various visits.

lamb/beef gyro sandwich ($5.99) - this is the same yummy meat that any gyro joint worth trying is using and they do give you a good-sized portion.  comes with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, tzatziki, onions, pickles and feta (if you want it)

gyro plate ($10.99) - same meat as before only with a side salad and basmati rice and tahini.  i don't like tahini so much, so i subbed out tzatziki instead.  the side salad appears to be a smaller version of their greek salad, consisting of shredded iceberg, olives, tomatoes, cukes, onions and tzatiki, and was over all pretty bland and in need of seasonings.  the meat was hot off the rotisserie, but they did not take the extra step to throw it on the grill and crisp it up a little and that would have really helped.  that step takes just a few minutes and the crispy edges of the meat are so worth it!  oh wells.  i was expecting the rice to be just plain basmati, but it wasn't.  over seasoned with cumin and curry, i found the rice to be fairly spicy and not worth the calories.  keeping in mind that the plate is $5 more than the sandwich i would never get the plate again.  it was the same amount of meat and veg as in the sandwich, just without yummy bread and with yucky rice.

side of hummus with pita bread ($2.99) - this is the jewel of the menu.  they hide it over in the expensive plates section, hoping you won't see it and will opt for the more expensive app portion instead.  the hummus is very good - super creamy with just the right amount of tahini.  my only complaint is it was drowning in olive oil.  i can see putting a little on the top, as i know many restaurants do this, but the whole dish was covered with oil.  next time i will ask them just to leave it off, especially since i know how much they must be putting in the hummus to get it that creamy in the first place.  also, the bread is just ok and definitely NOT made in-house.

fatoush salad ($5.99) - this is one of the worst fatoush salads i have ever had.  shredded iceberg lettuce, really? and the dressing of plain lemon juice and olive oil was pretty flavorless.  it was such a disappointment since fatoush is usually one of my favorite salads to get whenever i go for lebanese food in detroit. le sigh.

baklava ($2.99) - you get a big piece for $2.99.  it has lots of nuts and is plenty sweet, but tastes as though they are using a cheap honey.  i say that because it tastes more like syrup than honey and a lot of cheap honeys use corn syrup or sugar syrup as a filler.

bottom line:  stick to the dips and sandwiches and you should be just fine.  next time i go, i am going to try a chicken dish to see how that sizes up.  i'll let you know how it works out.

sizzle pie, how much do i love you?
thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiis much!!
perfectly crispy, greasy, chewy, crunchy pizza with amazing toppings BY THE SLICE OR HALF-SLICE??!!?  what???
it's getting so that i'm looking for excuses to be on east burnside so that i can stop in here for a fix.
xoxo-
lil, the pizza addict

this is basically a step up from subway.  by that i mean the food is really good and cheap, but you aren't going to see anything i would refer to as "gourmet" on the menu.  my fave is the #9 - italian night club.  it's basically a good italian-style grinder.  they also have your standard selection of tuna, turkey, ham, etc. and you can build your own sammich if you want.
the big thing at jimmy john's is how fast they are.  i didn't think it was possible to be faster than subway, but they are.  usually they are done making my sandwich before i can pay the cashier and walk the 5 feet down the counter to pick it up.  also, they deliver which is super rare out here in the burbs.

i got the pork meatballs on a roll with marinara and cheese.
the bread was soft.  too soft. as in, there was no real crust to speak of and the mouth-feel (a phrase i never thought i'd be using) was pretty gross.  the meatballs were far spicier than i had anticipated but had otherwise ok flavor.  the bland marinara sauce tasted like it was from a jar and the cheese wasn't really melted.  i ate the balls with a fork and tossed the rest.  i won't be going back