Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More

Toney Bento

1423 SE 37th Date of visit: June 28, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $20 Our "new" options on Hawthorne are limited, so there have been a lot of trips to the same old places lately, but yesterday we finally decided to get back on blog-wagon and try out something new. Toney Bento is tucked just off the strip on 37th, and is one of the few places left on our list that isn't a dingy-looking sports bar. In fact, it looks quite appealing and even has sweet samurai swords on display. How can you go wrong with swords!? Despite the name, there is also more on the menu than…
Read More

Mulligan’s

3518 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: March 11, 2010 Cost for 2 (with tip): $21 Since it's getting close to St. Patrick's day, it seems fitting we'd finally make it to Mulligan's, although, the impending holiday actually has nothing to do with why we went there. A combination of attempting to be less fat and attempting not to spend so much money has slowed the lunch blogging, but there are a few places still to cross off. Mulligan's was one of them. We showed up promptly at noon and were officially the only customers in there. The bar is big, with a couple pool tables, and apparently on Thursday…
Read More

Cafe Magnolia

1522 SE 32nd Ave Date of visit: February 3, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $20 We're really winding down this project -- basically the places left to go are either not really on Hawthorne, or just plain scary. Magnolia fell into the former category with it's slightly off-the-beaten-path location on 32nd. We were actually trying to go to Chance of Rain cafe, the former occupant, but it's gone, Magnolia is open and there we were. I gathered this was more of a breakfast spot, the waitress was sure to let us know they served it all day, although the menu options were not very extensive for either meal. I…
Read More

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of visit: January 13, 2010 Price for 2 (with tip) $18.50 Jam on Hawthorne is a pretty typical Portland breakfast joint, and if you know any thing about Portland, that's a good thing, at least foodwise. Ample portions, lots of variety and a full bar with all sorts of specialty cocktails are a must for any go-to breakfast spot in this town. But of course, there is a dark side to almost all of the good ones: the are small and usually crowded, and unfortunately, this much is also true for Jam. We managed to arrive at prime lunch time, and had to put our…
Read More

The Space Room/ Brite Spot Cafe

4800 SE Hawthorne Blvd http://www.spaceroomlounge.com/ Date of Visit: 1/12/2010 Price for 2 (with tip): $14.50 After yesterday's round up of places yet to go, it became clear we're pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel on Hawthorne. 80% of remaining restaurants are of the scummy bar variety, and, well, my ass is already fat enough. But one place I hadn't thought of was Big Bertha's; a-ten-dollar-and-under gyro sounded mighty delicious today. It turned out though, that there was a reason we hadn't tried it: this is is exclusively a late night spot. So we hastily opted for the Space Room, directly across the street. I've been to this bar…
Read More

Chopsticks

3616 SE Hawthorne Blvd Price for 2 (with tip) $16 Date of visit: 12/21/09 The Chopsticks on Hawthorne is one of four restaurants so named in Portland. Is it a chain or just a common name? I have no idea. But I do know it was a place we drove by a million times without even thinking of eating at. Sandwiched between the Bridgeport Ale House, and some sort of retail establishment, the somewhat classy Asian restaurant almost just blends in. Once we did tune into it, there was still some hesitation, because from the fancy sign and ornate decorations, frankly it looked expensive. But we finally made it inside…
Read More

Noah’s Bagels

3541 Southeast Hawthorne http://www.noahs.com/ Date of visit: November 29, 2009 Cost for 2: $18 Noah's bagels was one of those gray areas in this (lately somewhat neglected) blog project, which is probably why it's taken me so long to get around to writing it up (that and I am lazy.) Since it's technically a chain, it wasn't really necessary for us to eat there to reach our goal, but on this random day, it seemed like a good idea. But since I'm obviously not overly inspired by a bagel chain I'll keep this short. Bagels in Portland, like pizza, aren't great. So Noah's NY-style bagels are about as good as…
Read More

The Whole Bowl

4409 SE Hawthorne Blvd www.thewholebowl.com Date of Visit: December 17, 2009 Price for 2: $13 The first visit to the Whole Bowl is an interesting experience, because it's definitely not your normal restaurant. After all, there is a grand total of one thing on the menu. Your choices include what size and an option to omit any of the standard ingredients. You can also choose to get chips (of the basic tortilla variety served up in an unimpressive ziplock bag) or not. And they have a variety of drinks including Hansen's soda, which is always a plus. Personally, I really like one item on the menu, but Jared was not…
Read More

Rice Junkies

3535 SE Hawthorne blvd Date of Visit: November 23, 2009 Price for 2: $16.50 The first time I went to Rice Junkies I had gotten a thai chicken wrap. I think it was an homage-order to the weird-hippie-burrito place we used to go to in Burlington, VT, because that's what I always got there. And like the food at the weird-hippie-burrito place it wasn't really that great. My main complaint people there was too much tortilla and it wasn't heated up enough to be soft. So on this visit, I figured I'd give one of the bento bowls a shot. They basically have the option of any sort of bento…
Read More

Tabor Hill Cafe

3766 SE Hawthorne Blvd Date of Visit: November 19, 2009 Price for 2 (with tip): $19 Eating at Tabor Hill Cafe was sort of like eating at your grandmother's house. Well, if your grandmother was a Chinese man, who cooked very basic American food, and also sold bamboo trinkets. Since it's one of those places neither I, nor anyone I know would ever think to go to, I didn't really know what to expect, and I definitely wasn't let down. Perplexed is more like it. The menu is full of your basic American fare, but for some reason is exceptionally thick. When I got to page 3 I realized why:…
Read More