Brooke Geery

Author: Brooke

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
Read More

Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
Read More

Vincente’s Gourmet Pizza

1935 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 15, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $20 It is my firm belief that when you see the words "gourmet" and "pizza" together, you should not even consider going inside. But since the goal of this blog is to eat at every restaurant on Hawthorne, we were going to have to bite the gourmet bullet and eat at Vincente's eventually, so today was the day. I should also note I have been here before, but only for drinking purposes while waiting for movies to start and Cinemagic across the street. But this was my first pizza/lunch experience. The slice options were limited,…
Read More

Pho Van

3404 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: October 14, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $26 Though we've been to Pho Van's 82nd Ave location many times, this was the first visit to the somewhat more swank Hawthorne location. On the corner of 34th and Hawthorne, the booths here are divided by ornate woodwork, and the light fixtures are especially awesome, but this is a food blog, not about interior design. And since I've been to another Pho Van location, I knew what to expect in terms of food quality. The real test was the ambiance, and of course, the lunch specials. Ironically, Pho Van seems to have an anti-lunch…
Read More

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://hawthornefishhouse.com/ Date of visit: October 13, 2009 Cost for 2 (with tip) $28.25 ($28.50 w/ dessert) On a cold, stormy Portland day I wanted something hearty and wholesome, so I figured fish and chips would be just the ticket. So we headed to Hawthorne Fish House, just for the halibut. No wait, because we cod. Ahahahahaha. Ok, I'm done now. The sign on Hawthorne Fish House (sister location to Corbett Fish House on the west side) says "Portland's Best Fish and Chips." Now this isn't a small claim, since this city is filled with amazing food. To say you have the BEST of anything is quite…
Read More

Lek Thai Food

3145 SE Hawthorne Blvd Cost for 2 (with tip) $21.50 If we're in the mood for Thai, we normally don't venture to Hawthorne, as our office is one block from Thai Thai on Stark. But when I saw the building that was formerly The Italian Joint had been painted lime green and purple and filled by Lek Thai, I figured I might as well throw myself on the fire and try it out. Like Chinese places, Thai restaurants usually have bitchin' lunch specials, so I expected a discounted menu, which they had. Unfortunately, the specials weren't all that great, all over $7 for a single dish. Since most of the…
Read More

Who’s Paying for This?

Since starting a food blog I have been asked the same questions over and over, so I figured I might as well write a blog and answer them. 1) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to get free food? The first part of this question is answered here, but basically, we want to eat lunch at every restaurant on Hawthorne because it's a fun project and nothing else. Everyone wants a free lunch, but as you may have heard, there is no such thing. So no, we are not trying to get free food. 2) Who is paying for this? We are. Jared and I alternate who pays…
Read More

Mio Sushi

3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.miosushi.com Date of visit: October 9, 2009 Cost for two (with tip) $36.10 Sometimes at the end of a long, hard week, you just have to treat yourself to a really bitchin' lunch. For me, sushi is the ultimate extravagance because I am 100% incapable of doing anything less than completely over ordering. In fact the only real difference between sushi lunch and such dinner is I am much less likely to opt for a saki bomb mid day, so I guess that makes it a bit more affordable. Mio has been a favorite sushi place in Portland for awhile now, and actually has several locations…
Read More

Bridgeport Ale House

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: October 8, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $27 If this was a Happy Hour blog, I'd probably give Bridgeport Ale House an A- overall, but this is a lunch blog, and as lunch goes, it was a C, tops. The Hawthorne location, Bridgeport Ale House, is not to be confused with Bridgeport Brew Pub on NW Marshall, where I have also eaten on a previous occasion. The Ale House is an overall much smaller location, with a smaller menu selection. There is no bakery on the premises, just your basic upscale pub atmosphere. On my visit to the west side location I…
Read More

Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill

3832 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.pepinos.org/ Date of visit: Oct 7, 2009 Price for 2: $11.50 After a few days out off town, we opted against somewhere new and headed to Pepino's, by far one of my favorite lunch spots. The taqueria is quick, cheap, and one of the few places on Hawthorne with an actual parking lot. (If you've been to Hawthorne you know parking can be a real pain.) Unlike the nearby, over-hyped Por Que No, Pepino's is seriously cheap. I almost always go for the taqeria taco combo: two tacos, chips and a drink for $4.50. The tacos themselves are super basic. Two corn tortillas, meat (I get…
Read More

Fu Jin

3549 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Price for two (with tip): $20.50 From the outside Fu Jin looks like it’s either going to be amazingly seedy and gross, or amazingly seedy and good. But inside the dining room is basically like a really dressed-up cafeteria, and the food over all was decent, so it’s actually much more boring than that. If there is one thing I can say for Chinese places, they do lunch right. The lunch menu included a $5.95 lunch special with your choice of soups, an entrée and rice. If you’re wondering how we managed to spend $21, we ordered a pot sticker…
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Rovente Pizza

3240 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: September 28, 2009 Cost for two: $15 (with leftovers) West coast pizza places tend to have one thing in common: shitty pizza. So either Rovente is an exception, or I have been here too long, because I was pleasantly surprised with the offerings at this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint. Rovente apparently as two locations in Portland. The one on Hawthorne is tiny, with only a few indoor bar seats to speak of. Most of the dining room is taken up by a huge glass case displaying the day’s pizza selections. Luckily, the day we hit up Rovente it was nice out, and we were…
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