The Thirsty Lion Pub & Grill, Portland, Oregon

Monster Burgers

Beer Cheese Soup

Bacon Wrapped Prawns

Fish Tacos

Rueben Sliders

I got together with some friends to watch the Civil War game between Oregon and Oregon State. We decided to check out a new pub located in the old Cuchina Cuchina location at Washington Square Mall.

The Thirsty Lion Pub is a very fun and upscale sports venue that has truly great pub fare and one of  the largest selections of draught beer that I've seen in a long time. We shared some items not shown above, such as California Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls among others. The burgers are absolutely huge! One of the favorites were the bacon wrapped prawns with BBQ sauce. I found the fish tacos absolutely wonderful. And, I can't speak highly enough about the rueben sliders...

The venue is quite large and the restaurant and bar are integrated and the place can handle probably 300+ guests. As hectic as that sounds, the service was friendly and attentive. The prices are a bit spendy, however, I would recommend this place anytime.

Here is their info:

Thirsty Lion Pub & Grill

10205 SW Washington Square Road

Tigard, OR 97223

(503) 352-4030

WHITE BEAN GARLIC DIP

WHITE BEAN GARLIC DIP

Here's a dip, adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. It is delicious!!!

Serves 3 - 4, with crisps and raw veggies.

1 14-oz cans white beans, rinsed and drained

1 Tbsps minced garlic, to taste

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 Tea salt and fresh ground black pepper

3 Tbsps roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra leaves for garnish

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until smooth. Adjust seasonings with additional salt, pepper and lemon juice, if needed. Scoop into a serving bowl, garnish with parsley leaves, and serve at room temperature.

Blue Moose Cafe

I had another delightful lunch with a friend at the Blue Moose Cafe in northeast Portland. It is a small, kid friendly, neighborhood restaurant that has an excellent variety of vegetarian offerings. The service is fast and very friendly. They bring you a few small samplers of their choice of soups made fresh daily. The prices are modest and the food is outstanding.

Blue Moose Cafe

4936 NE Fremont St.

Portland, OR 97213

(503) 548-4475

Portland Blizzard

WOW... haven't seen a dump of snow like this in the 27 yrs. that I've lived here. It was actually quite nice to be snowed in for three days. I had plenty of wood for the fireplace and had gone grocery shopping the day before. Some reading, guitar playing, good sports on TV and hot buttered rum were the fine spots of the days.

Old Wives Tale Restaurant

Had a wonderful dinner with my friend Madrona at Old Wives Tale. This restaurant is always a safe bet to find veggie and gluten-free meals that you can add omnivor add-ons if you like. She had BRAISED VEGETABLES (Parsnips, rutabagas, yams, napa cabbage, red onion, white beans and roasted red pepper braised with apple juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, tamari and cornstarch) with a side of taters all of which tasted delicious. And I had CHIPOLTE ADOBO VEGETABLES (Very spicy melange of yams, zucchini, corn, fire-roasted red peppers, onion, cilantro, lime juice, epazote, oregano, coriander, cumin, garlic, a pinch of sugar and canola oil, garnished with salsa fresca and tortilla chips) with a side of black beans. It, too, was very tasty. And we shared a house salad with a cucumber vinegrette.

Old Wives Tale Restaurant

1300 E Burnside St

Portland, OR 97214

(503) 238-0470

Three Square Grill in Hillsdale, OR

Went to dinner with my daughter, Megan, at Three Square Grill in Hillsdale a suburb of Portland. It is very much a restaurant in the "slow food" tradition. The venue is small and intimate. Seems to be very much family run. The food is superb ! ! !

To start, we shared:

Potato-Leek Pancake with our Coho Salmon Lox + Cultured Creme Fraiche.

Spicy Garlic Fries with Habañero Salt and Malt Vinegar.

Fried Okra, Pickles + Hushpuppies with Jalapeño Jelly.

For dinner, I had:

Fried Catfish with Oyster, Shrimp + Crawfish Etoufée over Corn Grits and Collards.

And, Megan had:

Penne Pasta Baked with Chicken, Roast Tomato + Tiny Eggplant, Pesto and Tumalo Tomme.

They also make their own hot sauce. Both were tasty and the habenero one wasn't to hot.

Three Square Grill

6320 SW Capitol Highway

Portland, Oregon 97201

Phone: (503) 244-4467

Salvador Molly's For Lunch

Another wonderful lunch with my daughter, Erin. We always enjoy Salvador Molly's for lunch and it was a beautiful day to sit outside. I had the Fish Taco's and she had the Mojo Veggie Burrito...

BAJA FISH TACOS Sal’s Famous beer battered cod topped withEnsenada aioli, salsa fresca, Yucatan pickledonions, cotija cheese and cabbage with coconutrice and black beans.

MOJO VEGGIE BURRITO Choose from our Mojo Kalua pork, jerk chickenCaesar, Yucatan chicken, or Mojo veggie – we’llstuff it all into a huge flour tortilla with coconutrice, black beans, salsa fresca and three cheeses.Topped with cream and guacamole.

Salvador Molly's
1523 SW Sunset Blvd.
Portland, OR
(503) 293-1790

Marco's Cafe & Espresso Bar

A very nice lunch last week.

Huevos Chilaquilles - two eggs scrambled with thin strips of corn tortillas, salsa and red potato, served with black beans and jack cheese

QuicheLorraine - ham, bacon, Swiss cheese and scallions

Marco's Cafe

7910 SW 35th Ave

Portland, OR 97219

503-245-0199

Seasons and Regions Restaurant

A very nice late lunch with my daughter, Megan. From 3 pm until 5:30 pm, these are items for only $2.95 on the July Cheap Food Menu.

Pepe's Bay Shrimp Tostada:

Fresh Oregon bay shrimp Shredded cabbage, Jalapeno jack & black beans on a crispy corn tortilla. Topped with chipotle sour cream.

Wine Poached Salmon & Spiced Beet Salad:
Fresh salmon poached with fresh dill, chives & white wine. Served chilled on mixed greens with fresh beets, red onion, tomato, croutons & fresh dill sauce.

Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad:
Crisp romaine tossed with garlic croutons, fresh grated parmesan, and topped with our own fresh house smoked salmon.

6660 SW Capitol Highway

Portland, OR 97219

503.244.6400

Koreana Restaurant

My daughter, Megan, and I enjoyed a nice lunch at Koreana Restaurant in Beaverton. The food was wonderful and the service was fast and friendly. It's kind of a "hole in the wall" and located between McCormick's Fish House and Portland Music Co. on Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. And, don't park in Portland Music Co.'s parking lot or you will be towed.

Koreana Restaurant
9955 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy

Beaverton, OR 97005

Phone: (503) 646-7767

Andina Restaurant

Andina is a wonderful Peruvian spot in the Pearl District. It is a wonderful place for tapas and has a cozy bar area with a fireplace for those cold rainy days. It is reasonably priced and the menu is deep with a nice wine by the glass offering.

Andina Restaurant

1314 NW Glisan

Portland, OR 97209

(503) 228-9535