7 January 2011

Breakfast - Village Inn, 1621 Northeast 10th Avenue, Portland, Oregon.

• Ate:  Had to try the fried chicken steak with country gravy.  This seems to be a popular item on many restaurant menus in the US, so I just had to try.
• Positives:  The building was older but premises were clean.  Server was friendly.  Carafe of coffee was left at the table so you have immediate access to more.  Good for first thing in the morning!
• Negatives:  Not used to fried chicken topped with a heavy white sauce for breakfast.  Flavour was not bad; just too much grease for the first meal of the day.
• URL:  http://www.villageinn.com/

Lunch - Elmer's Restaurant, 255 Arney Road, Woodburn, Oregon.

• Ate:  Hazelnut-Crusted Alaskan Cod with rice pilaf and seasonal vegetable.
• Positives:  Hard to come up with any!
• Negatives:  Young server literally threw the menus onto the table ahead of us.  Bad omen!  After a greasy breakfast, I wanted a healthier choice, so went with the cod.  It tasted like a frozen product that was microwaved.  The rice pilaf was not very appetizing.  The seasonal vegetable was a small dish of frozen corn.  Gross all around!
• URL:  http://elmers-restaurants.com/menu.html

Dinner - Ping, 102 NW 4th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

• Ate:  Skewers of Kobe beef, boar, fish balls, prawns and lamb.  Also had a bowl of laksa (laksa nonya), green beans in spicy coconut curry (nonya-style green beans), duck medallions.  Finished with dessert of roti and bananas covered in chocolate syrup.
• Positives:  Delicious meal all-around!  Wish I had a larger appetite to try more of their items!  Kobe beef to die for!  Lamb was superb!  Dessert was decadent!  Nothing disappointed!  Service was again solid.  Excellent way to end the day and to turn around the disappointing meals for breakfast and for lunch!
• Negatives:  None.  I'm a fan!
• URL:  http://www.pingpdx.com/