The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More

The Cart Pod Part Dos – El Brasero

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $9 I don't particularly like to eat outside. I hate eating outside. I don't care about the autumn breeze. In fact, that's part of why I hate it. My ungroomed, overly long hair ends up in my face, and there's no telling what's going to land in your food next. I tend to leave picnics to the birds, but that's just me. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, today was likely one of the last "nice" days of the fall/winter season, and we figured hitting up Hawthorne's cart pods was best done in the…
Read More

The Cart Pod- Bubba Bernie’s

12th and Hawthorne Date of visit: November 4, 2009 Price for 1: $10 It was a lovely and unseasonably warm fall day in Portland, so we decided it was time to try the carts on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne. I should note that this is really more of a "drunk at 1 am" kind of spot than a lunch spot, but a few of the carts are open for business during lunch hours. The only real reason we'd never eaten at any of them before is Jared hates eating outside. But I will let him explain that because he going to guest blog about the Mexican cart he…
Read More

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

915 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.luckylab.com Date of visit: Nov 2, 2009 Price for 2 $19.20 With all of our Hawthorning, this week we decided to mix it up a little bit. So on Monday, after staring at each other for a bit trying to decide where else we should go, we eventually gave up and drove towards Hawthorne. But as we got close, brilliance struck! We decided to go the OTHER WAY, and see what 1st through 10th aves had to offered. As it turns out, not too much. One seedy looking bar, one seedy looking strip club and the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub. Since I wasn't in the mood…
Read More

Cha Cha Cha

3433 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 30, 2009 Price for 2: $16 Cha Cha Cha is the best local baja-style Mexican chain around. Specific enough for you? Ok, so it's the only place that fits all those criteria. But it is pretty good; sort of like a local Baja Fresh with better, more sustainable ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Obviously there is no shortage of Mexican restaurants on Hawthorne, but there are a few reasons to hit up Cha Cha Cha instead of the others. The menu is quite extensive, it's fairly reasonably priced, and as I've already mentioned, the ingredients change with the season. There is also…
Read More

Urban’ Boardin on Halloween: The 2009 Backyard Bang

Johnnie Paxon man handling the rail. photo: Geery I have been to some miserable inner city rail jams in my day. I’m talking bitter cold and/or pouring rain, and because you are there simply to spectate, you are never dressed for such elements. But this year’s Backyard Bang was actually the most pleasant urban snowboard experience I have ever had. Not only was there a VIP area with free food and beer, provided by Kona Brewing, who also gave away a trip to Hawaii to some lucky bastard, but the jam was short, sweet and interesting. The new and improved SnowBoy productions set up included a brand new box jump,…
Read More

Thanh Thao

4005 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 29, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Though there was nothing particularly Vietnamese or Thai (as the sign implies) about the lunch I ate at Thanh Thao, it definitely is in the running for my favorite new lunch spot on Hawthorne. Today's visit was actually our second attempt to each there. The first was on Tuesday, the one day a week they are closed. That day, we ended up eating at No Fish, Go Fish right across the street instead, so it wasn't all bad. Thanh Thao is decent sized and was nearly full with diners, which is always a good…
Read More

Kabobi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 28, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip): $22.80 It's official: we need to stop bombing Afghanistan. Not only because it doesn't seem to be making a damn difference, but because after my first experience with Afghani cuisine at Kabobi, I must say the food is damn good. I had no idea what to expect walking into Kabobi (other than that they had a $5.95 lunch special, thanks to an outdoor a frame.) We'd actually been curious about this place before, but never went in, in case Afghani food was like chicken feet or something. Well, as it turns out, it's basically Indian…
Read More

No Fish, Go Fish

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.nofishgofish.com Date of Visit: Oct 27, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip) $16.50 The concept of No Fish, Go Fish is great. A lunch place that basically just serves soup and sandwiches. Ingenious really. For $6 you get a giant bowl of your choice of the 4 soups of the day and your choice of two sammies from the lengthy menu. I am sorry that I just referred them as "sammies," but when you get a petite pressed sandwich shaped like a fish, I really feel like it's the appropriate term. There are a also a few other items on the menu (fried stuff, pasta and…
Read More

Oasis Cafe

3701 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.oasispizza.com Date of Visit: October 26, 2009 Price for 2: $16.75 I was trying to decide what makes a slice of pizza perfect for me and I realized I don't know. It's just the sort of thing where you bite into and say, damn this is a great slice of pizza. But like everything in life, it's going to be different for everyone. And honestly, I don't even really like pizza that much. Call me un-American, but rarely when we head off for lunch do I say, I really want a slice of pizza right now! But unfortunately for me, there are two people on this…
Read More

McMenamin’s Bagdad Pub

3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 Date of visit: October 23, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip and lunch beer): $23.70 Today was the final day of our goal within a goal of the 4600 block of Hawthorne, but as we drove towards Thai Thai, we passed the Bagdad Pub. Seeing the big windows filled with happy dinners enjoying their microbrews on a miserable, rainy Portland day made me realize: I wanted a lunch beer! So we turned the car around and headed back to Bagdad, one of two McMenamin's options on Hawthorne Bvld. The Bagdad (they spell it wrong, not me) is part of the chain of Portland restaurants famous…
Read More