Sunday, July 17, 2005
Eater on "Bowens Island Restaurant"
During a visit to the Charleston, SC area, this was the spot that almost broke the bank (or the marriage)...night after night of eating in and at dive restaurants, one member of our party was ready for something beyond fried shrimp. Fortunately, that member was overruled (she would rise and conquer the following evening). Instead, we backtracked from the beach to this spot about 15 minutes outside of Charleston SC, Bowens Island Restaurant.It looked casual enough from the outside, the "kind of place where you grab your own beer out of the cooler," explained our driver. Upon walking through the front entryway, however, we were surprised to find something...else. For a brief moment, panic fell over this party of six, as though stumbling upon squatters in the vacation home rental.The heavyset gentleman seated at the table in front of the counter stared at us, while a grizzled stringbean of a middle-aged man advanced by his wispy Spanish Moss-esque beard walked around behind the counter and stared at us.
He was funny, in the the vein of "bitterly resentful," suggesting that the sign over his head instructing visitors to order and pay at the counter should be printed in braille, as evidenced by the apparent number of blind people that made their way to his kitchen (we inadvertently asked not one but two questions answered by that sign). He was funny, also, in how surprised he seemed to be to see us, as though the last folks he expected to walk through the door would be diners.We ordered and then made our way out to picnic benches out back, overlooking the intercoastal waterway and a boat dock. We waited, swatting at apprehension buzzing about us in the early evening haze. Other diners made their ways out onto the deck, smiling, and when
dinner came, it was all worth while. Fried shrimp was outstanding, probably the best of the places we visited, with a light crisp batter neither too oil-y or greasy, and the slaw was creamy and not overloaded with cabbage. The hush puppies and fries were exactly what you might expect...golden and crispy and straight from the fryer.Bowens Island Restaurant does not have a Web site, but they do have an address. Also, I believe that it is a cash-only joint. Recommended on and on.
Bowens Island Restaurant, 1870 Bowens Island Road, Charleston, SC 29412; (843) 795-2757.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Eater on "pizza-faced panic in Portland"
[Originally published May 22, 2005]
Lines pour out the front door as locals salivate at the heady aroma of hype. Three toppings and a cloud of smoke from the pizza oven. Can you dig (in) it?
Recently relocated from its suburban netherland location, Apizza Scholls , shoehorned in a location of some Ethnic restaurant on Upper Southeast Hawthorne, serves its flinty-crusted pies at a three-topping max. Which is enough. Pizza aficionados engage in a race to the edge of thinness and this spot embraces that aesthetic.
Crowds can be long for this small spot with no take-out. Whole pies delivered to your table while you drink. The place opened to salivacious reviews, but some Oregonians upset that there were no local wines served (and few if any beers). The official line: they are working on it. The behind-the-scenes, smoking by the dumpster rumor? Northwest wines are too expensive for the value and don't pair well. I mean, if you REALLY want Oregon wine....
I drank Anchor Steam beer. I vaguely recall a certain dissatisfaction at the menu, mostly stemming from some confusion over what the Italian-sounding ingredient was on the Marguerita?
It's been a few weeks. It was good.
Tip: thin crusts mean you can eat about 15% more than normal, even from a place like Escape from New York, where you have to be careful not to roll the paper plate up with your slice as you stuff it into your face.
Extra tip: new spot opens in June from the folks at Gino's, playing the same thin-crust gig.
Lines pour out the front door as locals salivate at the heady aroma of hype. Three toppings and a cloud of smoke from the pizza oven. Can you dig (in) it?
Recently relocated from its suburban netherland location, Apizza Scholls , shoehorned in a location of some Ethnic restaurant on Upper Southeast Hawthorne, serves its flinty-crusted pies at a three-topping max. Which is enough. Pizza aficionados engage in a race to the edge of thinness and this spot embraces that aesthetic.
Crowds can be long for this small spot with no take-out. Whole pies delivered to your table while you drink. The place opened to salivacious reviews, but some Oregonians upset that there were no local wines served (and few if any beers). The official line: they are working on it. The behind-the-scenes, smoking by the dumpster rumor? Northwest wines are too expensive for the value and don't pair well. I mean, if you REALLY want Oregon wine....
I drank Anchor Steam beer. I vaguely recall a certain dissatisfaction at the menu, mostly stemming from some confusion over what the Italian-sounding ingredient was on the Marguerita?
It's been a few weeks. It was good.
Tip: thin crusts mean you can eat about 15% more than normal, even from a place like Escape from New York, where you have to be careful not to roll the paper plate up with your slice as you stuff it into your face.
Extra tip: new spot opens in June from the folks at Gino's, playing the same thin-crust gig.
Eater on "fried ducks eggs"
[Originally published May 22, 2005.]
Hate eating all that white part of fried eggs? Try fried duck's egg.
The fried duck's egg sat atop the grilled asparagus, its massive yellow yolks straining and gleaming. Panic, it seemed to say, as if it might burst at first fork-prick and gush across the plate, over the edge and onto the table cloth in an adhesive mess.
Sufficed to say the grilled asparagus, tiny and bundled, was delicious, and the egg?
Tasted like chicken.
Found on the menu at Union , in Seattle. Also worth noting: the servers aren't mutes, they just walk that way. And the one we had looked to be an actor paying the bills, with an accent that hinted of Ireland and mannerisms that one might expect in a book about a restaurant. Also, as far as the standard cheese/pasta combo that restaurants endlessly turn out for children tired of chicken nuggets, Union's was one of the best two found in the region of late (Fife in NE Portland also represents). The secret? They put peas in with their (forgot the kind of) noodles. Yum, said the boy, age 9.
Obligatory note: dinner cost a small fortune. The beef was chief, and dessert? Caramel apples from a place up the street in downtown Seattle, and then a gallon of beer at the SeaMonster Lounge in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.
Hate eating all that white part of fried eggs? Try fried duck's egg.
The fried duck's egg sat atop the grilled asparagus, its massive yellow yolks straining and gleaming. Panic, it seemed to say, as if it might burst at first fork-prick and gush across the plate, over the edge and onto the table cloth in an adhesive mess.
Sufficed to say the grilled asparagus, tiny and bundled, was delicious, and the egg?
Tasted like chicken.
Found on the menu at Union , in Seattle. Also worth noting: the servers aren't mutes, they just walk that way. And the one we had looked to be an actor paying the bills, with an accent that hinted of Ireland and mannerisms that one might expect in a book about a restaurant. Also, as far as the standard cheese/pasta combo that restaurants endlessly turn out for children tired of chicken nuggets, Union's was one of the best two found in the region of late (Fife in NE Portland also represents). The secret? They put peas in with their (forgot the kind of) noodles. Yum, said the boy, age 9.
Obligatory note: dinner cost a small fortune. The beef was chief, and dessert? Caramel apples from a place up the street in downtown Seattle, and then a gallon of beer at the SeaMonster Lounge in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Eater on "The Original Halibut's"
[Originally published June 11, 2005.]
Previous efforts to find a fish fry place in the Portland market have met with Limited Success. Halibut fish and chips is standard faire on local menus. But finding a fish fry joint? Not much here. Even the Skippers chain seems to have been left gasping on the dock (although there is a Long John Silvers somewhere in the suburbs). One place, Corbett Fish House, has adequately filled Timber Town's need for Midwestern lake perch, battered and fried. A single visit suggests that its nice for those who grew up with it and need such a fix every now and again, but conversions are likely few and far between.
HOWEVER, Northeast Alberta, which has seen some fried fish in its time, now has a new basket in the grease: The Original Halibut's—Fish/Chips and Chowder.
The space is a hole in the wall more often occupied by taquerias in these parts, a couple of tables squeezed in between the counter and serve-yourself fridge (no beer in sight?).
Fish is like BBQ in that if you don't eat it very often, you're may balk at the price. Halibut's four main dishes run from $6 to $8 for half orders and $8 to $11 for the full, all with fries:
Alaskan Halibut $8/$11
Alaskan Salmon $7/$9
Southern Catfish $6/$8
Alaskan True Cod $6/$8
You can also get coleslaw, corn on the cob (when in season), and for kids the ubiquitous chicken strips w/ fries for $3.50. Also, Halibut's Clam Chowder, which implies a fish that may or may not be present.
The folks have the battering and frying down: golden and crispy and flaky, with nice fish inside. A full order of halibut is plenty and an early favorite. The salmon was good as well, but salmon is pretty rich before you deep fry that, and I'd probably opt for a half order next time rather than trying to choke down a fourth piece.
Of course, I can't tell you how the catfish is, except to say that when you order catfish you get salmon. I figured I was making money and kept my mouth shut, but next time I'll probably give it another shot.
Fries are great.
The condiments table, in the corner as you come in, holds tartar sauce and cocktail sauce that you can pour onto your plates...a set-up that needed a little work.
The place is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you can eat in or take out. Or eat out front, which we did. Wobbly tables. It'll be interesting to see how this place fits with Alberta...it's not hip in the least and the fellow that seems to be running the place looks like a roofer collecting disability rather than a hipster with a hook in his own lip.
2525 NE Alberta
Portland, Oregon
503-808-9600/503-808-9601
Here is a link to a review by Chowhound;; a brief mention also ran in one of the local dailies or weeklies, but I don't remember which, when or where.
Previous efforts to find a fish fry place in the Portland market have met with Limited Success. Halibut fish and chips is standard faire on local menus. But finding a fish fry joint? Not much here. Even the Skippers chain seems to have been left gasping on the dock (although there is a Long John Silvers somewhere in the suburbs). One place, Corbett Fish House, has adequately filled Timber Town's need for Midwestern lake perch, battered and fried. A single visit suggests that its nice for those who grew up with it and need such a fix every now and again, but conversions are likely few and far between.
HOWEVER, Northeast Alberta, which has seen some fried fish in its time, now has a new basket in the grease: The Original Halibut's—Fish/Chips and Chowder.
The space is a hole in the wall more often occupied by taquerias in these parts, a couple of tables squeezed in between the counter and serve-yourself fridge (no beer in sight?).
Fish is like BBQ in that if you don't eat it very often, you're may balk at the price. Halibut's four main dishes run from $6 to $8 for half orders and $8 to $11 for the full, all with fries:
Alaskan Halibut $8/$11
Alaskan Salmon $7/$9
Southern Catfish $6/$8
Alaskan True Cod $6/$8
You can also get coleslaw, corn on the cob (when in season), and for kids the ubiquitous chicken strips w/ fries for $3.50. Also, Halibut's Clam Chowder, which implies a fish that may or may not be present.
The folks have the battering and frying down: golden and crispy and flaky, with nice fish inside. A full order of halibut is plenty and an early favorite. The salmon was good as well, but salmon is pretty rich before you deep fry that, and I'd probably opt for a half order next time rather than trying to choke down a fourth piece.
Of course, I can't tell you how the catfish is, except to say that when you order catfish you get salmon. I figured I was making money and kept my mouth shut, but next time I'll probably give it another shot.
Fries are great.
The condiments table, in the corner as you come in, holds tartar sauce and cocktail sauce that you can pour onto your plates...a set-up that needed a little work.
The place is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you can eat in or take out. Or eat out front, which we did. Wobbly tables. It'll be interesting to see how this place fits with Alberta...it's not hip in the least and the fellow that seems to be running the place looks like a roofer collecting disability rather than a hipster with a hook in his own lip.
2525 NE Alberta
Portland, Oregon
503-808-9600/503-808-9601
Here is a link to a review by Chowhound;; a brief mention also ran in one of the local dailies or weeklies, but I don't remember which, when or where.
