Podnah’s Pit Barbecue - Portland, Oregon

Rating: 5 

With the lovely Oregon springs we have in Portland & their unpredictable weather, it is nice to have a “go to” BBQ place, especially when you can’t use your grill in a down pour or an unexpected late snow storm.   Podnah's Pit is a great solution to these sometimes far too often northwest occurrences. 

The first time I went to Podnah’s, they were located in a very small building on Prescott with just a few tables, my family took up half the place, and there was only 9 of us.  But they have since moved to 16^th and Killingsworth, and have a big dining room with a great open family atmosphere.   The pictures on the website are from the old place so don’t let that deter you from going.  Podhah’s also has a small bar area, if you like Ginger Beer try the Texas Mule, Ginger Beer – Vodka & Lime.  It accrual taste like a really good margarita and is one of those drinks that will get you in trouble.

The wait staff is great and knowledgeable about the menu, and the cooks are super cool too.  I was really happy when one of the cooks told me that I could have the ribs, which are divine.

 

 

They were very helpful with my allergies and pulled out the recipes and we looked at them together to make sure those pesky red round things weren’t in what I wanted.  So just ask and I know they will accommodate you anyway they can.  If you need to bring food in because of the allergy you should be fine, they are very understanding an down to earth here. 

This is even a place that I can go and have breakfast, which is a rarity, Trout Hash (less eggs of course) or the Chilaquiles Rojos fit the bill just great.  I think there are plenty of choices, for all meals of the day, which should allow dining for most allergy restrictions. 

So pack up your family an appetite and head on out for some of the BBQ in the city.
Food-wise, Services-wise and Allergy Awareness-wise they rank 5 out of 5. 

Now the Details:

Value - price:

BBQ is never cheap a ¼ rack (3 ribs) is $12 but this includes 2 sides and cornbread so it is a good value.  The trick I have learned is to make my own combo, I get two meats and then a side, which can be about $10 and more than enough to fill me up.  Watch the special board at the entrance too, when I was there last week ribs were $1.75 instead of $2.50, great value and 3 is a lot, as they are pretty big.  They also had a meatloaf sandwich that I was told was super good.

Tipping:

I usually leave between 20%-25%

Best hours to go:

Since Podnah’s moved I have only been for lunch, and usually it isn’t super full so that is a good time I know for sure.  Parking is an issue as there is only street parking and some of that is on a residential street.  So do take that into consideration.

Tips:

Be prepared to hunt for the parking.

Extras or places that are close by:

You can hop over to Alberta Street a few blocks south and you will find a nice little shopping district with pubs, galleries and shops.  Alberta street also has a lot of street fairs, so Podnah’s could be a place to go before or after so you could dine away from the crowds.

There is also a New Seasons on 33^rd and Killingsworth.

Restaurant info:

Podnah’s Pit Barbecue
1625 NE Killingsworth
Portland, OR 97211
503.281.3700

Hours:

Breakfast:
     Sat-Sun 9am-1pm
Lunch:
     Mon-Fri 11am-5pm
     Sat-Sun noon-5pm
Dinner:
     Sun-Thu 5pm-9pm
     Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm

Por Que No & 3 Doors Down- Portland, Oregon

Rating: Both 5’s hands down (ratings are between 0 - 5)

Sorry for the long delay between postings but been a little distracted.  So for your patience you get a twofer today, one that is perfect for a beautiful spring day (hope that is tomorrow as it sure isn’t today).

Por Que No & Mississippi Ave

I did this little day trip for spring break a few weeks ago, with a very special young friend, Bailey.  We had a great time, ate too much and spent just a little on shopping.  We started our day at Por que No  it is on Mississippi Ave, which is a great little street to window shop on.  Por que No makes the best tacos in Portland that I have had hands down, actually maybe the best anywhere.  The selection is great and I have tried them all, even the vegetarian with beets, which I don’t like.  The place is really small, 7 tables and a bar with 4 stools (think) in the main building, with 5 tables in the annex.  There are also 4 picnic tables outside on the sidewalk.  If you are going for lunch be there early, by noon there is a line down the block.  Make sure you check out the specials menu above the bar.  And if you dare try the Sangria or one of their other special drinks both alcoholic and non.

 

If you tell the staff when you order about your allergies, they will take great care of you.  If you have to bring in food for your kids that shouldn’t be an issue, this group is so down to earth and super friendly.  Oh this is a walkup counter to order and then you take your seat, then they bring the food to you.  Make sure to order enough the first time if it is lunch time, as you won’t want to wait in line for seconds!!!  This is a great place to bring the kids, especially on a nice day, you can sit outside and people watch, or the picnic tables in the annex are great too.  The value here is great, tacos are $3 and worth every penny.

Once you are done with your lunch, do take a stroll up Mississippi Ave, there as some really great shops like:

Gypsy Chic  Great little store and my new favorite place to shop.
Zahara Boutique This is the sister store to Gypsy Chic, they have cool shoes.   
Gumbo  Lots of fun gifts
The Meadow How can you go wrong with a shop that sells Wine, Chocolate, Salts & Flowers.  
Pastaworks  This is one of the best places in the city to get Italian foods, the selection of cheeses is outstanding with lots of non cow choices, they also have a nice selection of meats, wines and fresh pasta to name a few.  They also have non gluten pasta.  If you miss out on this one, there is one on Hawthorne too!
Little Big Burger If you plan your walk right you can end it with a great root beer from this great little place, they have 6 things on the menu and one of them is a float with vanilla bean ice cream.  Yummy! 

If you have lunch at 11:30ish you can eat, walk the street have your root beer float and be done by 2ish.  I always park at the south end of Mississippi just south of Fremont, usually don’t have to parallel park down at the end.

3 Doors Down & Hawthorne Blvd

Once Bailey and I had finished our first walk of the morning we headed off to Hawthorne to do more window shopping and have dinner with my good friend Amy, Bailey’s mom.  When the three of us are out on the town we like to go to different types of places to expose Bailey to the vast wonders of the culinary world.  This time I picked 3 Doors Down a nice little Bistro “3 doors” north of Hawthorne on 37^th.  (I usually park in the Fred Meyer parking lot and walk down a block)

The menu changes on a regular basis so check the website.  The food is great, the staff knowledgeable and will make allergy substitution with no problem.  It is a nice place but one that kids would easily feel welcome in.  They have wine and a drink of the day on tap.   The food is fresh northern Italian with a Pacific NW influence.  

If you take a walk on Hawthorne before your dinner and you finish a little early have a glass a wine at the Hawthorne location of Pastaworks, it is bigger than the one on Mississippi so it carries a lot more yummies.  Evoe is the little restaurant off the right of the cash registers, prefect for a break.

There are so many cute little stores along the street here are a small few:

The Gold Door Great jewelry shop right across the street for 3 doors down.
Powell’s Books need I say more
Powell’s Home and Garden yep even more books
There is a great hat shop, but I don’t remember the name of it, it is right across the street from
Kids at Heart a great toy store
There are a ton more just enjoy the afternoon and stroll along, but watch that pocket book. 

Both Por Que No & 3 Doors Down rate the same  Food-wise, Services-wise and Allergy Awareness-wise they rank 5 out of 5.   Have a great day doing both walks or maybe just one.

Restaurant info:

Por Que No

3524 N Mississippi Ave
Portland Or 97215
503.467.4149

4635 SE Hawthorne Blvd (yep there is one on Hawthorne too!)

Portland Or 97215
503.954.3138

Hours

Sun-Weds 11am – 9:30pm
Thu –Sat 11am – 10pm

3 Doors Down

1429 SE 37^th Ave
Portland Or 97215
503.236.6886

Hours

Tue-Sat 5pm – 9:30pm
Sun 4pm – 9pm
Closed Mon

Agave Azul - Gresham, Oregon

Rating: 3  (ratings are between 0 - 5)

When I was growing up and most of my early adulthood, my father was in the restaurant business, I think that gives me a different prospective on my dining experiences.  To say I am picky is not exactly true, I just know how a good restaurant should be run.  One of my favorite things to do when my dad worked for Taco Bell, was to do "shoppers".  My high school boyfriend and I would go get food at one of my dad's places (he covered 11 states total) and then we would have to do a report on everything from the food temperature to service, and best part dad paid!  Cheap date and lots of fun, something we both still remember today.  

With Mexican food being one thing I was raised around, because of my dad's work and growing up in California, with neighbors that cooked the real deal, finding a place that meets my high expectations is really tough (and no Taco Bell isn't an example of high expectations, lol).  I have only found 2 in recent years and only one of those is in Oregon, I'll review it next week.  So anytime I review Mexican take that into consideration.

Last week I was looking for something local and family oriented to review and I decided to try someplace new.   Agave Azul is hidden away just off Powell Blvd in Gresham, if you blink you will be a mile past it.  It is right behind Dogwood Pet Hospital and has a bright blue and gold fence around it.   There is a very small parking lot in the back, and street parking as well.

It is a small place, maybe 10 tables in the dining area, and more in the bar but I didn't go in there to see how many.  The noise volume was a little loud but it was right at noon and it was nearly full.  Great place to bring a family I would say.  I would also say that if you had to bring your own food, it shouldn't be a problem.

 As you can imagine Mexican is difficult for me because most places use a ton of tomatoes, so like with Pizza and Italian food I always have to make sure I make that very clear to the wait staff.  The waitress we had did good, she knew the ingredients in the menu items without having to check with the cooks, one big advantage to a small place.   Agave Azul does not serve chips and salsa like most places, they serve a single tortilla filled with beans and a small cup of salsa for the table.  This was really good, wish I could have had more, but they did not have an option for a salsa verde (salsa made with tomatillos).  So for me there was nothing to add spice to my meal at all, very sad as I am a habanero loving type of girl.  I ordered Agave Azul Tacos $5.95 Traditional grilled carne asada or chicken breast, served with corn tortillas, diced Onions, queso fresco and avocado. Your choice of borracho beans or black beans. (I had the black beans).  It was two tacos with lots of meat, so the portion size was good, the meat was tasty just missed a little or a lot of  heat. 

Because I have a tenancy worry about tomatoes and less about flour when I am in a Mexican place it never occurs for me to ask if the corn tortillas are 100% corn, I really need to do that as either the tortilla with beans at the begin was all flour or their corn ones are dusted with flour, so BEWARE Gluten-Free people to either ask or steer clear of them.  Really hate those symptoms from eating gluten.  The food was good, but not sure I will go back as the menu is very tight for what I can have.  Food-wise 3 out of 5, Services-wise and Allergy Awareness-wise they rank 4 out of 5. 

Now the Details

Value - price:

For $12 I got 2 tacos and 2 drinks, my cousin didn't eat anything.  That is a little pricey for lunch, but the food quality was good and service was prompt.

Tipping:

I left a 25% tip, as they did take good care of us.

Best hours to go:

I'd say anytime would be good. 
Their hours are:
Sun-Mon 11am to 9pm
Tue-Sat 11am to 10pm

Tips:

Ask about the tortillas if gluten is a problem for you.

Extras or places that are close by:

Houses and that is about it.

Restaurant info:

Agave Azul
155 Southeast Vista Avenue
Gresham, OR 97080
(503) 674-0654

Stanley & Seaford’s - Tacoma, Washington

Rating: 5!!!  (ratings are between 0 - 5)

A couple of weekend ago my mom and I did a road trip to Puyallup Washington for a sewing expo.  With mom retiring in less than 70 work days (yes she is counting) she is stocking up on projects to enjoy during the next phase of her life.  As for me, I can’t sew a stitch; I just got more projects for mom to do!

Since we were staying in Tacoma it gave us the opportunity to go to a restaurant that I have wanted to go to since I was 4.  It is one of those places when you are little your parents say “When you grow up you can go, it just isn’t for kids”.  Which translates to it is expensive and kids aren’t allowed.  Well that was in the 60’s and the place has changed hands twice since those days of my begging to go to fancy restaurants.  The draw of Stanley and Seafort's is the location.  Perched on the hill at the intersection of I5 & 705, overlooking downtown Tacoma, the Tacoma Dome and the Harbor.  You have to pass it anytime you travel I5 to Seattle, which for me has been a lot of drives.

When I travel I always check trip advisor to see what the reviews are for the area.  I always read the bad ones, because those are going to be the worse the place can possible be.  After many years of doing this I can weed out the crybabies and the real issues.  When I read the reviews of Stanley & Seafort’s I was a little concerned, so we only made plans to go for happy hour if we had time.  Well we had time, and so we ordered some apps, I had the Warm Brie with Macadamia Nut Crust, and mom had the Oven Roasted Crab and Artichoke Dip.  Both were divine, and the happy hour Mojitos, addictive.  We had reservations at another restaurant for dinner, but we were enjoying the food, drinks and view so much we decided to stay at Stanley’s instead.  When I called to cancel my reservations at the other restaurant the hostess said “whatever” and hung up on me, so glad we didn’t go there!  Tanya was our waitress and she was more than happy to let us stay and eat in the bar and enjoy our window seat and view. 

Stanley and Seafort’s is a Steak, Chop and Seafood house.  It is a good size restaurant with a medium sized bar. Is it kid friendly? Well yes and no, it is still expensive and kind of a grown up place, but of course kids are welcome.  Lunch would be okay, they have burgers and sandwiches, but they are kind of high end.  I didn’t ask but I am sure they have a kids menu.  This is another place that I am sure allows you to bring in your own food for allergy reasons, but one that you might not want too. 

When I told Tanya about my allergies she was AMAZING!!!  The first two things I ordered had tomatoes hidden in them; did you know that a lot of demi-glazes have small amounts of tomatoes in them?  Groan another thing to watch for,  When Tanya came back  to tell me my second request was a no go, she told me that the executive chef, sous chef and her had a pow wow and went through the menu and came up with safe things, and ways to alter a few if I chose them.  Wow, how impressive is that?  I ended up with one of their March specials a Surf and Turf - a small filet mignon, salmon, garlic shrimp, mashed potatoes and a crab succotash that was to die for.  I was so stuffed I actually had to leave food behind.  So Sad.  Food-wise, Services-wise and Allergy Awareness-wise they rank 10 out of 5 oh yeah I only go to 5, so make that a 12! 

Happy Eating!

Now the Details:

Value - price:

Just to give you an idea, of the cost, for the two of us it was $109, but that included 5 - $4 Mojitos, a glass of wine, two appetizers (about $7.95 & $8.75 and yeah that is the happy hour price), we could have easily stopped there.  Mom had a small plate with two scallops and mash potatoes $17.95, she could hardly walk out the car she was so stuffed.  My special was $40. There was also Tax, boo hoo.  My only regret is that I didn’t ask for a doggie bag, but I wasn’t sure there was a microwave at the hotel.  Oh they also have free valet parking!!!

Tipping:

I was so impressed with the way Tanya and the chefs handled my order I left nearly a 30% tip, rounding caused it to fall short by a hair.

Best hours to go:

They are open for lunch and happy hour starts at 3.  If you want a window seat go early or make reservations.

Hours:
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-4pm
Dinner: Mon-Thurs 4pm-10pm, Fri 4pm-11pm, Sat 2pm-11pm,Sun 2pm-10pm
Lounge: Our lounge closes Sun-Thurs 11pm, and Fri-Sat 12am
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 3pm-6pm and 9pm-close,Sat-Sun 2pm-6pm and 9pm-close

Tips:

Make reservations early
Request window seating when making reservations
Make it a date night
Talk to your waiter/waitress about your allergies and they will take care of you.
If you are going to eat in the bar ask for Tanya!

Allergy Extras or places that are close by:

Stanley and Seafort’s is in a residential neighborhood mostly, and I didn’t see much around it.

Restaurant info:

Stanley & Seafort’s

115 East 34th
Tacoma, WA 98404
253-473-7300

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits- Oregon, Washington, Colorado & Canada

Rating: 1 (ratings are between 0 - 5)

As I have stated in previous installments, I am a pizza junkie, so when a new place comes to town and they advertise that they have Gluten-Free, I am there! 

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits has location in three Western States and Canada, with more on the way.  The one that I visited was in Fairview Oregon in a relatively new shopping center.     

 I would say that this restaurant is more on the lines with the “Spirits” in the name than the Pizza.  It is dark (bring a flashlight to read the menu in any booth away from the windows) and it has a heavy metal kind of feel.  None of this is bad, just feels more like the “House of Blues” then a family friendly pizza kind of place, so it is grownup pizza.  The restaurant is good size but I only looked at a small portion of it.  Also the tables have rivets on them and they like to eat sweaters and such.

As far as how they handle allergies and special request, I was a little worried about what I could see into the open kitchen.  I didn’t see a lot of extra care being taken with my gluten-free pizza, unlike other previously reviewed places that will sterilize everything before they make one and use different utensils and such; I saw none of that here.  So if you have an allergy that is a cross contamination one, I would be very leery.  

The service left a ton to be desired, refills on drinks, yeah not.  Food in less than 30 mins, again not.  Over selling of the product, yep.    When the food finally gets there, the disappointment continued.  I had the Crazy Train, Pepperoni, hot Italian sausage, peppered bacon, caramelized onions, garlic, oregano and hot cherry peppers. To me this should be at least a moderately spicy pizza.  Nope tasted like caramelized onions and that is about it.  That might be because there was 4 pieces of pepperoni, a handful of sausage, and bacon, didn’t see any.  Also, cherry peppers are red, not green so again my concern about contamination if they don’t pay attention to ingredients. 

I am hoping my next review will be a better one, heading on a road trip my mom this weekend, should have a couple of cool out of town places for you next week.

Now the Details:

Value - price:

The above mentioned pizza cost 9″ – $11.49, 12″ – $18.29, 16″ – $23.29, plus add $3 for Gluten Free.  So my 9” cost me $14.49.  About the same as Flying Pie but I was so hungry when I got done eating this one that I could have eaten two more if they had at least been good. 

Tipping:

I didn’t leave a tip.  Oh is that bad of me?  I hate bad service!

Best hours to go:

I wouldn’t go back

Tips:

Run and hide.

Allergy Extras or places that are close by:

In Gresham there is Lillian’s Natural Marketplace  as will Twelve Mile Kitchen & Market both cater to us Allergy Foodies.

Restaurant info:

This is the one I visited:
Wood Village
The Rock, Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits
22401 NE Glisan Street, Wood Village, OR 97060
Open daily from 11:00am – midnight
Manager: Kim Graham
503-328-8498

Andina’s - Portland, Oregon

Rating: 5!!!  (ratings are between 0 - 5)  

If I could take my very special Valentine anywhere in Portland for dinner tonight it would be Andina’s in the Pearl on 13^th and Glisan just before you go over 405.     

 Andina’s specializes in Peruvian Food, and they have a great happy hour, all set in a warm and festive atmosphere.  This is a family run restaurant and every time I have been there for dinner the owner Doris has come by the table to say hello and share a story of her homeland.  My favorite story is about how the bartender came up with the name of my favorite drink SACASYHUAMAN, it is habanero pepper infused vodka & passion fruit.  When the bartender was in Peru he fell in love with the people and the availability of fresh ingredients, he wanted to make a drink that showed the passion, heat and sweetness of what he had felt there.  When it came to naming it the Inca Empire walled complex on the outskirts of Cusco, Peru had the perfect name as it is pronounced “Sexy Human” will not literally but close enough for him.  So when you go just order the sexy human and you will get a great drink and a wink from the staff.

 The restaurant is not super big 30 tables’ maybe, so make reservations or go early.  The bar is small and intimate so if you are going for happy hour get there early to get one of the three nice booths along the back wall as they have the most room and privacy.  As far as being kid friendly, there is no reason that kids can’t go to early dinner or for lunch for sure, and bringing in your own food shouldn’t be a problem as long as you explain.  They have a great Tapas menu that has CHICHARRONES DE POLLO crispy golden chicken studded with quinoa, served with salsa agridulce, and ANTICUCHO DE POLLO marinated chicken kebobs, served with a spicy salsa de rocoto both are great and most kids like chicken.  They also have a Gluten Free Menu and a Vegetarian Menu.  My favorite dish is the QUINOTO DE HONGOS DE LA MONTANA, golden beet and local mushroom quinoa "risotto" laced with truffle oil with grilled market fresh vegetables, it is to die for and healthy to boot. 

 I have a couple of wait staff that I absolutely love here and I try to make sure I get one of their tables, but you will have to find your own because I don’t want to share mine, lol.  This is another place that if you tell them up front that you have allergies they will go to the end of the world for you.  They even have a substitute for bread for those of us that are Gluten Free, and that really says something.  They also serve several salsas with their bread, one has peanut in it and one has Gluten so make sure you tell them ahead of time if either are a problem and they will bring you a special bowl of your own with the one that you can have.  Oh and make sure you save room for dessert, if nothing else try a truffle, and there sorbets and/or ice cream are wonderful and in some really great flavors of the season.   The Sangria is dynamite too.  So Food-wise, Services-wise and Allergy Awareness-wise they rank 5 out of 5. 

Now the Details:

Value - price:

I have never left here hungry, I usually split a couple of tapas, dinner, drinks & dessert and it comes to about $60 a person.  That is if I have scallops it is a little less if I have the quinoa, lunch is about $20ish and I can easily have leftovers with lunch or dinner.  The food is always fresh and consistent so for me I always get more then my money’s worth here.    

Tipping:

Like I have said before I usually leave: 30% that is my max, I work down in 5% increments from there.  I think the least I have every left at Andina's is 20%, but that was a rarity.

Best hours to go:

Andina’s is great anytime, I love happy hour, but late lunch is great too.   

Tips:

Make reservations especially if you have a party bigger then 4

Allergy Extras or places that are close by:

There is a Whole Foods close by.  

Restaurant info:

Andina

1314 NW Glisan

Portland OR 97209

503.228.9535 

Hours:

Lunch:

11:30am – 2:30pm 7 days a week

Bar/Tapas:

Sun-Thu 4:00pm -11:00pm

Fri-Sat 4:00 –Midnight

Dinner:

Sun-Thu 5:00pm -9:30pm

Fri-Sat 5:00 –10:30pm

Happy Hour:

4:00pm-6:00pm 7 days a week

Flying Pie Pizzeria - Lake Oswego, Portland, Gresham & Milwaukie, Oregon

Rating: 5!!!  (Ratings are between 0 - 5)

When I was growing up the one food that played an important part in my house was Pizza.  Saturday night always seemed to be pizza night.  My family moved to Portland when I was 13, and there used to be this great place on 82^nd Ave called the Organ Grinder.  They played old silent black and white movies accompanied by a live organist; I loved the old wash barrel drums the best.   Just about the time I started high school my mom learned how to make homemade pizza.  It was by far the best thing she cooked.  Ironically her first job when I was about 20 was at a Round Table Pizza, it was perfect.  Now that she is retiring this year, she plans on making them again.  Just wish I could have them!

As you can imagine when I became allergic to tomatoes in my mid 20’s pizza was something I had to work around, very few pizza places had white or garlic sauce pizza in the 80’s.  Oops did I just date myself?  Eventually over the years there were more and more places that had it, and life was good again.  Saturday night at my house became pizza night just like when I was little; even our dog Snickers knew when the phone call was made at 4pm that the pizza would be there shortly.  She would go and stand in the window until the delivery guy arrived.  Then three years ago that all changed for me, no gluten no cheeses, meant no pizza.  The boys still ordered it and of course that drove me crazy. 

Last year I heard about a place close to home that had signs out front advertising they had Gluten Free Pizzas.  Having tried some Gluten free items before, I was skeptical that it would be something to write home about.  I was SO VERY wrong.  Flying Pie Pizzeria has once again allowed me to have my Saturday night pizza, and Monday- Tuesday- Wednesday-yeah any day of the week as I pass it on my way to and from work now.  Ah Heaven!

Flying Pie has 4 locations, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Portland and Gresham.  I have only been to the one in Gresham so my review is based on that location, but I am sure they all share the same basic philosophy. 

Like any pizza place this is a great place to bring kids, there is evidence of that on the ceiling.  You can color a cardboard pizza disk and then they put it up on the ceiling it is fun to see such great local talent.

There is a sign by the door that states that you cannot bring in your own food or drink, there are across the street from the High School so that makes a ton of sense, but if you call in ahead, are a regular or just tell the staff that you or your child has allergies they are more than happy to allow it.

The menu for the pizza toppings is very clear about what does and doesn’t have Gluten in it as well as what is low-fat.  There is only one topping that contains gluten and unfortunately that is the liguica, one of my favorites.  They also have Soy-Sation Cheese so that takes care of my dairy allergy as well.  The Gluten Free crust does have Tapioca & Yeast in it, both of these are on my intolerance list, so I can’t have it every night like I would like.  There is a list of ingredients in the crust right next to the register, so make sure you check it out or facebook them or call.   The service is always spot on and if you tell them about your allergies and that you are concerned about cross contamination they will go as far as to pull all fresh ingredients from the cooler to make your food in a clean area.  This includes the salad bar, which is always very nice and fresh.

The pizzas are great if I haven’t mentioned it, the Italian sausage is some of the best I have had outside of Italy, and for sure the best I have had in the States.  Besides Pizza and the salad bar, they have the traditional pizzeria fair, Subs, Calzones, Cheese Bread and even Chicken Wings.  They also have Gluten Free Beers.  Food-wise, Services-wise and Allergy Awareness-wise they rank 5 out of 5. 

Happy Eating!!!

debi

Now the Details:

Value - price:

A Gluten Free Pizza is $2.50 more than a regular 12” pizza, (the only size Gluten Free comes in) I usually get an Italian Sausage & Jalapeno; it cost $17 as the soy cheese is $1.20 extra.  ($10.60 for the cheese pizza, $1.50 for the sausage, $1.20 each for the cheese and jalapenos, and then the $2.50 for the crust) There is so much meat on this pizza that I can get 4 meals out of one pie, and I normally can inhale a 12” in one sitting.  So the value is way up there.

Tipping:

Even at a pizza joint I still tip, especially at a place I frequent a lot.  I at least leave a $1 and round up to the next dollar.  It isn’t much but they appreciate it.

Best hours to go:

Any time!  Hours are 11 am to 10pm Sun-Thurs 11am to 11pm on Fri & Sat.

Tips:
If you have allergies or need to bring in food, just let them know and they will do everything they can to make your visits as great as possible.   I have never had a cross contamination issue here, and that says a ton for a pizza place.

Allergy Extras or places that are close by:

In Gresham there is Lillian’s Natural Marketplace  as will Twelve MileKitchen & Market both cater to us Allergy Foodies.

Restaurant info: 

Lake Oswego

Phone: (503)675-7377

3 Monroe Parkway Suite S

Lake Oswego, OR 97035 

Portland

Phone: (503)254-2016

7804 SE Stark Street

Portland, OR 97215  

Gresham

      Phone: (503)328-0018

      1600 NW Fairview Drive

      Gresham, OR 97030 

Milwaukie

Phone: (503)496-3170

16691 SE McLoughlin Blvd

Milwaukie, OR 97267

Tip #1

The biggest tool I have in eating out a lot is OpenTable.com; it is a restaurant reservation site.  Not every restaurant in your city will be listed as they have to sign up for the service.  In Portland Oregon

, there is a listing for 135 places, there are locations in most states and internationally, I always review it before I travel overseas.  You can see the price range of the restaurant as well as the reviews by open table members.  There is also an extensive profile including links to the menus.  Best yet you can see immediately what times are available to reserve at multiple places at one time, helps you narrow your search if you have a firm dining time.

 If you sign up to be a member all of your profile information is added to the reservations, all this has to be is your name, phone number and email.  You can make a list of all of your favorite places so that you can view those first if you want.  You do not have to sign up to be a member, it just speeds things up and once you’ve accumulated at least 2,000 Points, you can redeem them for OpenTable Dining Cheques in the following denominations:

2,000 points = US$20 or Can$26 or £15

5,000 points = US$50 or Can$65 or £37.50
10,000 points = US$100 or Can$130 or £75

Each reservation is worth 100 to 1000 points.

Now you might be asking how does this help with my allergies.  Easy.  When you make your reservation there is a place to write special request.  I always mention my tomato allergy first thing

, and explain that cross contamination is a huge life threatening problem.  I also state that if they don’t feel they can handle my allergy to let me know and I will make other arrangements.   I have gotten only a couple of calls from managers saying that it would be hard for them, mostly small southern Italian type places.  I always identify myself by name and as the sassy redhead in the group.  If I am going with clients or business associates I always give their names and a brief description of them.  9 out of 10 times the waiters will address the table by name from the onset, makes a nice impression on people, and kids think it is great. 

Give it a try and see if it works for you, and if you do get a call from a manager to say it might not work out, be thankful that they are honest and you didn’t risk your health or your kids.  Then recommend it to a friend that can go, that is the best payback you can give them.

Happy Eating.

debi