Bubble Bubble Tea

So, yes, this entry is old, but it's still good! Last summer my coworker introduced me to bubble tea. Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with bubble tea, it's not regular tea. Nor are the bubbles regular bubbles. At Bubble Bubble, you can get cold tea, hot tea, tea smoothies, tea with cream, anything. You don't have to get the bubbles, of course, but if you don't, why did you come to a bubble tea shop?

The bubbles are large --and in this case, black-- tapioca balls that settle down to the bottom of your drink. You are given a large straw in which to slurp up the bubbles. I am still not sure whether I love the bubbles or not. I will not lie: they are WEIRD. But SO GOOD.




I think the tea in this photo is a pineapple cream tea thingy, but in my visits since, I have decided that the green tea smoothie is my favorite!

Poll Results

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your participation in the microbrew poll. I was completely blown away by how many people turned out for it! Thank you to those of you who sent me comments and messages about breweries that slipped my mind! I will keep them in mind for next time, and for future tasting and blogging!

Here are the results:

Microbrew Poll:

Ninkasi: 148 votes, 81% - Way to go! Freakin' landslide! One of these votes was mine, I must admit. Ninkasi is great. This calls for a special trip to Eugene. See if I can do a special article on the brewery!

Deschutes: 27 votes, 14%

Rogue Ales: 21 votes, 11%

Full Sail: 8 votes, 4%

Widmer Bros: 5 votes, 2%

McMenamin’s: 5 votes, 2%

Terminal Gravity: 3 votes, 1% - For those of you who are unfamiliar with this brewery, it's located ALL the way the heck over in Enterprise, OR (East-side). They've got a great IPA, a rye beer, a breakfast porter, and Belgian triple-style, among others. Check them out!

Bridgeport: 3 votes, 1%

Rock Bottom: 0 - I'm sure you're out there, guys! Must've just forgotten to vote, yeah?

Gravy

So, I've heard a lot about the popular breakfast restaurant, Gravy. But never visited it before. A deterring number of horror stories about lines and waiting around an hour or more for a table have kept me at bay thus far. However, the prospect of a smoked salmon something-or-other made me change my mind!

As amazing as it sounds, all my mental preparations for the long, mundane queue were for nothing. Dad and I showed up, opened the door, and promptly received a table for two.

Not quite the Hollywood drama I was aiming for.

I tried to look at everything on the menu besides the smoked salmon. I really did. But it was no use. Dad had no luck on that front, either.

Not that the other items weren't intriguing - salmon is just *that* good.

I made up my own scramble with house smoked salmon, mushrooms, and green onions. Dad had a similar hash with salmon and assortments. And a side of gravy -- can't forget the gravy! Saaavory. Yum.

They serve breakfast all day - including variations on traditional breakfast foods like french toast, pancakes and yogurt and granola. Their coffee's pretty good, too.

As for the venue itself, you'll be happy to learn that sustainability and locale are priorities at Gravy. They have furnished the restaurant with recycled furniture and decor, making for a quirky little place. Funky gravy boats line the walls, and mismatched lamps shed some light at the bar. Most -- not all, but *most*-- of the food served is local and seasonal, creating a unique menu selection.

So, make plans to make it out to Gravy sometime! If it's a nice day, or a weekend, expect a waiting period for a table. But it's worth it!

Laughing Planet - SE Woodstock

So, Che Guevara. He's a pretty neat guy, yeah? He's on everyone's t-shirts with his little beret thing, staring out at you with his oh-so-Socialist eyes; you know Che.

What you maybe didn't know what that he is also a burrito. Yes, that is correct. A burrito. Not the little donkey kind. The delicious, bean-filled, rice-populated, sweet-potato-packed, barbecue-y kind. And he lives at Laughing Planet. On Woodstock.

He wears a space blanket, and has dalliances with I'm Peachy, that pink seductress of a smoothie. Here they are on the right, chillin' with Laughing Planet's house T-Rex.

Wow! Thanks, Twitter!

Just by tweeting about my microbrew poll on Twitter, and tagging some folks over at Ninkasi and Hopworks, my poll numbers jumped from 8 to 99 - in an hour!

Thank you guys! Just know that Portland loves you! Great brews, great fans.

There are a couple days left to vote; I'll post the results soon after! Thank you for your participation!

Cha! Cha! Cha!

Cha! Cha! Cha! is a kinda authentic, kinda contrived little Mexican restaurant in the Pearl District of Portland.

There are a couple other links in the chain around Portland, including one downtown, on Hawthorne, in Sellwood, and on Belmont.








Their food is authentically Mexican, but also made with many local ingredients, and they keep with Portland tradition by being environmentally friendly!

I ordered chicken tamales with verde (that's "green" in Spanish, folks!) sauce.



This came topped with crumbly cheese. What Mexican dish would be complete without guava-flavored Jarritos soda?



"Um, none?" Would be the answer to that question.

Microbrew Poll!

If you check out the right-hand side of your screen there, you will see an opportunity to vote for your favorite Oregon microbrewery (I know, I know! They're not all there - leave a comment if you don't see yours!) in my handy dandy poll.

I'm itching for some audience participatory action, here! So, set down your brew for a sec, and vote for it! This is me, setting down my seasonal Ninkasi "Spring Reign..."