What to eat? Brunch is delightful, but I can’t tolerate lines. Saturday in Portland, a brunch city, I decide it’s best to lay low and avoid the crowds. Bunk Sandwiches fits the bill perfectly. It’s a super tiny spot, seems to be mostly takeout and quick bites. There are a few tables and a bar counter if you choose to dine in. This may have been one of the best cups of coffee I had in Portland (Stumptown beans with a nice coffee to water ratio) and I found out eating potato chips for breakfast is not that weird. The pork belly sandwich (the special that day!) is definitely going to be recreated in my very own kitchen.
Chalkboard menu at Bunk
Pork Belly al Pastor w/pineapple, pintos, and cotija cheese (left), Egg, Cheese, Bacon on a hard roll (right)
It’s chilly and raining all day so obviously we want ice cream. Well, not really, but you can’t walk by Salt & Straw and not get ice cream!! A well-deserved line has formed which gives me time to decide the flavor I want (or do I want 2, or a split scoop?). They encourage sampling and work very hard to get you the perfect sample bite (this applies to flavors with fixings). I try the coffee and bourbon and one of the chef’s specials, coconut milk with cashew brittle and pandan (created by Departure’s Gregory Gourdet). Coconut all the way! Creamy, not too sweet, just the right amount of heat from the chilies; it was perfection (and I was so excited to eat it that I didn’t bother snapping a picture).
Shopping can be tiring and frustrating; paired with drenching rain these feelings are exacerbated. It was pouring when we left Lizard Lounge. Luckily, Irving Street Kitchen was just next door and we made it just in time for Happy Hour. The space is large, airy, and modern. The food smells and looks great, but we save our appetites for Screen Door.
Irving Street Kitchen
We arrive, wet and cold, at Screen Door. The wait is about thirty minutes, but we end up with a table in five minutes since nobody wanted the patio table with the broken heater. We do!
Appetizer:
Fried oysters – good, oysters are huge
*devoured them, but wanted to capture the last one*
Mains:
Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Collards – Chicken is great, sides are just okay. In the end I wish I had the choice of potato salad instead. Nothing on the plate really stood out to me.
Brisket, Green Bean Casserole, Potato Salad, Fried Onions – Brisket is delicious, green bean casserole is overcooked for my taste, potato salad is good, fried onions are a tasty accompaniment. This dish was definitely more exciting than the chicken.
Dessert: Chocolate cake – decadent, we are happy and full!
Pic
