This is another one of those “I can’t believe I didn’t share it earlier” reviews. Tia Betty Blue’s opened about three years ago on a neglected stretch of San Mateo not far from Gibson, in a two-story building that used to house a cleaning business. It was a surprise to see someone try a restaurant…
Soulful Japanese Food at Kokoro Restaurant
Once upon a time, I read in a now-forgotten cookbook that “There is no such thing as al dente in Japanese noodles.” That author had never had a proper bowl of ramen. To be fair, a proper bowl of ramen is a rare thing. As viewers of the classic Japanese film Tampopo and the less classic…
Eating ABQ: Humble Coffee
I’ve been hearing a little buzz lately about Humble Coffee, and passed it a couple times as I cruised down Lomas on various shopping expeditions. But when my friend Christina, responding to my quest for Albuquerque’s best lattes and mochas, recommended Humble Coffee, I took notice. It was a priority this weekend to make a…
Eating PDX: Holdfast Dining, Part 2
foie gras, turnip, persimmon Last week I told you about the first half of our amazing experience at fine-dining pop-up Holdfast Dining in Portland, OR. (Read Part 1 here.) I ended that post with the first of three courses of duck. The second course of duck was listed on the menu as “foie gras, turnip,…
Eating ABQ: Lunch at Street Food Market
It was a gorgeous day today in Albuquerque, one of those perfect blue-sky-and-sunshine fall days where you just have to get outside. It was so warm that no jacket was necessary, especially if you strolled with a warm cup of coffee in hand. (I chose a Mike’s Mocha from Michael Thomas Coffee.) After we wandered…
Eating ABQ: Albuquerque’s Best Lattes
Zendo’s Zia Latte I was a latecomer to coffee. Throughout college and grad school, I didn’t drink it at all. But I kept taking sips of Arne’s, and eventually decided those mochas were pretty darn good. (This keep-trying-it method has not reaped similar dividends with beer.) Arne started making me cafe au lait and lattes…
Eating PDX: Blue Star Donuts
Voodoo Doughnut, it seems, is over. I can’t remember where I read that, but it certainly came up a couple of times as I was studying the best and hottest places to eat in Portland. Voodoo Doughnut, apparently, is for tourists. (Fine, hipsters, but I challenge you to argue with a Maple-Bacon doughnut. But I…
Eating PDX: Holdfast Dining, Part 1
scallop, cauliflower, caper, grape Every once in a while, life gifts us with an experience that is purely wonderful from beginning to end. This one started as I was researching places to eat on our trip to Portland: I found an article from The Oregonian naming the 2014 Restaurant of the Year. Such a thing…
They put what in my soda?
I was walking through the beverage section of Talin Market when I saw it. I didn’t believe it at first. Buffalo wing soda. Now, I love Buffalo wings. And I like soda well enough, though I don’t drink it like I used to. Just a few a month, really. (Oddly, I have a can…
A Facelift for Banh Mi Coda
I stop in at Banh Mi Coda so often – not just for lunch, but to pick up fresh tofu, the best baguettes in town, and occasionally other ingredients – that if I don’t show up for a couple of weeks the counter staff asks me where I’ve been. So it was a surprise…