Brant "The Lime" W.'s Profile

For my 30th Birthday we decided to have food catered, and we stopped by to see if Star of India would be up to the task.

Simply put, they were wonderful to work with.  Helped plan a menu, and get this - they offered to deliver it on the day because we were so busy and some people were late arriving to the party!  Great service and the food was a big hit at the party.  Also got a gallon jug of fresh Mango Lassi, yum!

An update:  They are getting into the swing of things.  Different scones for breakfast every day.  Today, on a Friday, it was a Four Cheese scone - really delicious!  Also, the White Chocolate Mochas (with Peppermint) they make me from non-fat milk taste WAY better than the Starbucks equivilent.  Not sure how they do it, but I don't care!

They said to come by at noon today to see the bakery case "full" - so I'll go by and take some more pictures!

They are one of the fastest Subway's in the Salem area, and the manager is awesome!

I asked HafTohn to design me a logo for my consulting business that was clear, concise and modern.  Gerry delivered a fantastic logo that has become the cornerstone of my brand image.  I'm so impressed that our entire website is going to be next.  Sit down and have coffee with HafTohn and you won't be surprised how easy it is for me to recommend.

My party of 8 was attending a theater performance next door at the Scottish Rite Temple, and as one of us had a broken ankle, we decided that Gracie's, at the Hotel DeLuxe would be very convenient.  

My wife and I arrived a few minutes early, so we ducked into the hotel bar, the "Driftwood Room" for a drink.  The bartender here ignored us as we sat patiently at the bar, and it got worse when a bunch of her friends came in and she started making them all personal drinks.  Eventually a waiter came to us and apologized for the wait and I ordered a couple of glasses of wine, which by the time we got them - we took right into Gracie's with the rest of our party.

Gracie's was decorated superbly in the same Golden Era theme that the lobby uses, and it works well.  Tables dot the center of the restaurant, whereas large half padded booth, half chair tables are the majority.  I found the booth seating comfortable, if a little deep.  If you need good back support, sit in a chair.

The menu was simple, clean and displayed about 10 appetizers and 10 entrees.  The prices range from $12 for a Gorgonzola stuffed ravioli, to $28 for the Kobe Fillet.  

We were asked by our waitress if we were attending a show, and she timed the meal accordingly, as well as told us that they had a special that included an appetizer, entree and dessert for $18!  Anything on the menu was fair game, and portions were to be reduced somewhat.  Everyone in my group went for the deal.  For value, it was one of the best meals I've had in Portland.  

For my starter, I had a chilled salad of Roasted Beets ($8.5) with candied walnuts, poached pears, fresh goat cheese and arugula  The portion was small, but I found it to be just right.  The main courses came out shortly after, and it was then that after consulting the tickets, we realized the show was actually 30 mins earlier than we had initially told our waitress.  She was understanding and offered up the bill quickly, and invited us to come back after the show for our dessert course.

For mains, I ordered the Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with blue corn and wild rice pancakes, cranberry, apple and pear chutney with winter beans. ($18 by itself if not for the special)  I'm not sure how this was a smaller portion, perhaps 2 breasts instead of the one?  The chicken arrived with the breast on the bone, which normally is a turn off for me, but a quick cut with the knife took care of that, and after I took the first bite, I wouldn't have cared if I had to eat it directly off the entire chicken carcass, lol.  This was the tastiest, most moist chicken I've had in a long, long time.  The stuffing was very nice, light enough not to overpower, and there was just enough of it.  The pancakes were an interesting addition, about the size of silver dollars, but the topping was a little sweet.  The winter beans were green beans that were very firm.

During the entire meal, the service was quick, efficient and was nearly invisible in the way that water got refilled, plates came and left, and silverware was replaced.  I especially enjoyed that I was not requested to "keep my fork" as in so many other restaurants, (yes, even the nicer ones!)

We left for the show, and our waitress said just to come back and ask for her for our desserts, or if we were very late, and the restaurant closed, she would let the bar know to take care of us.  

We returned at just after 10pm, and the restaurant closes at 10.  We actually ran into our waitress as she shuttled a tuna dish to a customer at the bar and she invited us to sit in the lobby area for coffee and dessert.

With the same deft service, we indulged in some coffee, several Creme Brulee's, Pecan Pie, Bread pudding, Chocolate Espresso Cake, and my order of Caramel Apple Crisp.  I should note here that the desserts are NOT a reduced portion as part of the 3 for 18 deal, they are full size.  Everything was very good, and we all cleaned our plates.

I asked the waitress for her name, Natalie, so that I could include it in this review and encourage you to make a reservation with her in the future.  I did notice that they are a member of OpenTable, so if you use that service (check out the iPhone app) it's very convenient to setup a reservation at the last minute.

Overall, despite mixed reviews here, we had an excellent experience at Gracie's and will not hesitate to return.