Brad "beerad" C.'s Profile

I can usually be found grabbing coffee at Coava when I'm in town, but if I want to sit down and pull out the laptop then Heart makes for a better spot. The decor is great, feeling very modern but still casual enough to just hang out. If you're driving then finding a spot on burnside can be a tad tricky but you'll usually find something on one of the streets within a block.

I was really happy to see a local coffee shop here in Chicago, Caffe Streets is carrying Heart so I can get my fix without heading out to Portland.

Last night was the first time I've been to Usagi Ya in about three years. I wasn't impressed the first time and with so many other options I just didn't make it back. Well last night we had planned to go to Sea dog down the street but the wait on a Saturday was over an hour. And we only had an hour to eat, so waiting an hour wasn't an option for us. Still wanting Sushi we walked over to Usagi Ya. The place was busy but wasn't packed, we had no problem getting a table for four. With us we had a bag full of beer and were pleasantly surprised to find that Usagi Ya was BYOB.

The four of us quickly ordered up a good twenty rolls and a few appetizers. Everything came out quickly and was really tasty, nothing amazing but better than the rolls I had at Sushi Wabi  just a few nights before. The service was great and pretty affordable. We were in and out in an hour, boozed up and full. You'll still more likely find me at Seadog for sushi but it's nice knowing Usagi Ya is there as a backup for decent sushi at a pretty good price.

The place was packed when my lady and I walked in but there were a few open spaces at the counter. I would rather of had a table but I really don't usually mind sitting at the sushi bar. But at Sushi Wabi it's awful. We were seated right in front of the sushi chefs (which is usually a great spot at a sushi restaurant) but in this case it was just awkward. It felt cramped and the waiters and waitresses were constantly reaching over our head to pick up other peoples orders from the sushi chef. I know the place is small but they really needed a place at one end of the bar to pick up the orders. You also would have thought since they were always picking up orders over our head we would have had great service but I had a really hard time getting any ones attention to get the check when we were finished.

Overall the sushi tasted fresh, but nothing really blew me away. If you are tempted by the truffle tuna on the menu I'd skip it, for the prices it's not worth it. It wasn't amazing.

You're better off at other sushi spots in the city, this place is really loud, busy, and on the expensive side. It was good just not great.

I've been wanting to check out The Whistler for awhile and my wish finally came true last weekend. I stopped in just as they opened at 5 on Friday. There was already a few people there and I had been warned the place gets pretty crazy later at night. But being there early was fantastic. I was able to sit at the bar have a great conversation with Paul who was making some amazing drinks that night. Paul knows his stuff, his drinks were stellar even the few he made us that weren't on the menu.

Overall loved The Whistler and can't wait till I can make it back but I'll probably get there early again and skip the crowd.

Pork, Beer & Bourbon, Yum!

When you first walk in it's a little confusing if you've never been since the menu hanging over the register is the beer and bourbon menu and then the food menus are on the counter for you to look over. But once you're past that its smooth sailing. The menu is simple so it makes ordering pretty easy and fast. I had to give the pork belly pastrami a try. Might not get it again but it was really good. The BBQ sauces they have are ok, not amazing, but good. I recommend grabbing a side since the portions aren't giant... the mac and cheese was my pick.

I made it in for brunch while I was in Portland and was really impressed. Overall good service and excellent food. But the one thing that stood out for me at Veritable Quandary was their bloody mary. If you're in for brunch don't pass this up, its perfect after that long night of drinking.

I'm not a sports bar fan so I have to question why I was even there. Its more likely that you'd find me across the street at Bangers & Lace. But overall Anthem is a great place to watch a game especially with the huge TVs, the space is really open so it's easy to see from anywhere. I never went to Fuel or Makisu when it was there but seems like Anthem has the right idea. I understand they are new so they are still working out some issues but the staff could really work on being a bit friendlier.  Anthem has a decent beer selection and some tasty eats, the pork belly sliders are a must try and while you're on the pork binge, get the pork rinds too.

I think this place got a bit too over-hyped for me. Don't get me wrong it was good but not as good as I imagined. Just about everything we ordered tasted great and it was hard to find a plate on our table that wasn't empty. I love that they are using so many locally and home grown veggies. Nothing really wow'd me but it was all solid. The portions were all good sizes and I was shocked at how big the mussels were.

The place is small so make sure you make reservations, you might want to wait for the weather to warm up so you can sit outside. The service is excellent and if you have some extra cash to spend on a meal then give Ned Ludd a try.

If you're looking to give Laurelhurst Market a try without dropping $100 on a meal, I'd recommend going for lunch. Now it's not the same experience but it will at least help you get your fix. During lunch hours you can head to the deli corner and order any of the ten sandwiches they might be offering that day. You can even grab a seat at a table and eat your sandwich there while you watch the staff run around and prep for dinner. If you need a sandwich recommendation you can't go wrong with the hot pastrami sandwich. Yum!

Even after reading the reviews I was still shocked at how long it took to make my PDX Sandwich with bacon. The friendly girl who took my order said 15 minutes but it ended up being a little over 30. Once I took that first bite it was all worth it. The sandwich looked and tasted fantastic. I don't know why it took so long to make an egg sandwich but it seemed like a ton of care went into it.  If you can stand the wait, give The Big Egg a try.