A friend of mine turned me onto Nuestra Cocina place. You’ll notice my mention of it among the top restaurants in Portland. I just wanted to share a picture of the pork chops I got there. They’re sliced thin and grilled. They come with potato wedges all on a sea of tomatillo salsa. It’s out of this world.
The site is named for a certain evening meal, but really, my favorite meal is breakfast. I think most people feel that way and that’s why bacon is showing up in all sorts of entrees and even desserts right now.
Portland is really getting the hang of breakfast. Ten years ago, the breakfast options were few. We had the Original Pancake House (which still ranks in my top 10), but that was about it. Now, there are some great place all around town… so many in fact that I think the Food Network’s Diners Drive-Ins and Dives is going to just move to Portland.
My list of best breakfasts changes over time. Sometimes it’s my tastes that are changing and other times it’s because I found someplace better. My latest favorite is a case of the latter. Podnah’s Pit BBQ is located at 1469 NE Prescott (http://www.podnahspit.com/) It’s just a hole in the wall kind of place. You don’t go for the ambiance. Why you go is for some of the most delicious and unusual breakfast fare in the city.
The biscuits and gravy is the star for me. The biscuits are huge and easily the best I’ve had. They come with smoked sausage gravy and two eggs. My only complaint is I wish there was a little more gravy for the biscuits to soak up. A must-have side dish is their house-smoked ham. It’s a giant slab of meat and the perfect accompaniment to everything.
One of the most popular items on the menu is their beef brisket. You might not think of Q as a breakfast food, but the brisket is awesome.
Service is “slowish” but that’s not the outstanding server’s fault. It’s a lot of tables for the small kitchen and everything is cooked to order. Your payment for waiting is hot and delicous grub and I promise it’s worth the wait.
In October, watch for Podnah’s on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
The purpose of this blog is to simply answer the question, “Whats for dinner?” The goal is to help people in Portland, SW Washington and the Willamette Valley, with this vital question. Each day I will post an item at a local grocery store that is on sale and a recipe or tip that uses that ingredient. So not only will you get a dinner idea, but I’ll save you some money too.
