Tabor Food Cart and their Original Schnitzelwich

Tabor Food Cart offers Czech Cuisine, and most notably, Schnitzelwich, from their foodcart located by 5th and SW Stark, right kitty-corner from the US Bank (or Big Pink) building that is part of the Portland Skyline. They are only open for lunch on the weekdays, geared towards serving the office workers downtown. As part of this cart pod at 5th and SW Stark, they are a part of the many cart options in just one block that give you an opportunity to taste foods from around the world. Besides the schnitzelwich, they also let you “Czech out Czech food” in the form of other specialties like goulash, halusky, spaetzle, and more.

Tabor Food Cart and their Original Schnitzelwich Tabor Food Cart and their Original Schnitzelwich

This glorious Schnitzelwich sandwich is their main offering. The sandwich starts with a huge breaded pork loin (or chicken breast is another option) that is pan fried crisp and golden while keeping the meat still so tender and moist on the inside, almost as if it had been poached on the inside. If you have had katsu in Japan, it is very similar, although the breading used here is much more a solid layer around, almost like my pork grew a full layer of fried chicken skin that was all breading. The fact that Tabor can accomplish this while being a food cart, not a full kitchen, and does so daily and has been doing so for years, is an amazing feat in prep and execution. You will have to wait as they create this sandwich for 5-7 minutes (depending on the line ahead of you), but wouldn’t you want this fresh?

This medley of textures of a “meat patty” is then placed in a soft doughy Grand Central bakery ciabatta roll with fresh crisp lettuce, sautéed and caramelized onions, and their sweet and tangy homemade paprika spread  that adds both tartness and sweetness remiscent of romesco, as well as creamy horseradish thinned with sour cream drizzled all around for a little burn kick here. I had the Presidential Schnitzelwich, which adds an additional slab of melted Munster cheese on top for a little gooey extra.

No matter what angle you look at it, this sandwich, handed to you
lovingly swaddled in paper and you need two hands to hold it, is
beautiful and makes you happy. This sandwich is definitely enough for two.Even if you are vegetarian, they have an eggplant or muenster version as well so you won’t miss out on their gigantic sandwich that offers incredible textures and a medley of tasty flavors.

Tabor Food Cart and their Original Schnitzelwich Tabor Food Cart and their Original Schnitzelwich Tabor Food Cart and their Original SchnitzelwichTabor Food Cart and their Original Schnitzelwich

Tabor Food Cart and their Original Schnitzelwich

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A brunch at Lola’s in Seattle

Tom Douglas, I don’t know how you keep doing it, but bless you for all the scrumptiousness you bring with your restaurant empire in Seattle. This time, we went to his outpost of Lola for a Sunday brunch.

Below, you see Tom’s big breakfast, a mix of roasted corn, walla walla onion, green beans, poached egg, garlic yogurt, toast, and Mediterranean octopus. And, they are generous with that soft tender octopus.They call it big breakfast, but you don’t feel uncomfortably full from it either, it almost seems healthy. Well, probably before the toast with butter and the potatoes I ordered extra on the side…

It seems simple, just a scramble, but the flavors and textures give you tickle of your taste sensations. Seasoned wonderfully, it explodes and swirls on your tastebuds as a a mix of sweet and savory and spicy with octopus as tender as scallop and crunchy caramelized onions and green beans  and bursts of corn kernals, and then the ooze of yolk from the egg and also some cool creaminess from the greek yogurt to tame the stimulating sensation with all this. You can compose each of your spoonfuls (and you bet I ate this with a spoon) to be this.

Tom's Big Breakfast octopus hash Brunch at Lola, Seattle

Meanwhile, my friend had the Greek scramble with feta, tomatoes, basil, bacon, smashed garlic potatoes, toast. The feta was a great touch of saltiness for the egg. We were drawn to Lola’s in the first place by the Smashed garlic-fried potatoes, which we were surprised given how well flavored our two dishes were, how bland these potatoes were. She added salt and pepper to hers, while I let my get swirled around on my plate to absorb the Tom Big Breakfast seasoning.

Greek Scramble Brunch at Lola, Seattle

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A Chef’s dinner at Mistral Kitchen

After arriving earlier that day in Seattle, meeting up with Amy, and attending the Cider Summit and visiting the Great Wheel and killing some time on Fremont, it was finally time for our special delicious date. All day we had been carefully trying to hold ourselves back from eating (which we wanted to do everywhere, to a point where we didn’t quite know what to do with ourselves if we couldn’t eat as part of the activity) to save ourselves for this meal experience, a fine dining meal that lasted from 7 to almost 10:30 pm.

We were seated in the white tablecloth portion of the restaurant, an area (along with the Jewel Box dining area) that is located from the hostess stand to the left, past the pizza oven. The pizza oven anchors the far edge of the main open kitchen, which is part of the elongated rectangle space of Mistral Kitchen, and you see upon entry. There are even seats at counters overlooking this kitchen bar, Meanwhile the drinking bar is located further in, basically at the heart of the restaurant, with the countertop blending in from stools that overlook that kitchen to stools that overlook the work of the mixologist. This long bar ends right before stairs leading up (just 6 steps or so) leading to a slightly elevated level of small lounge areas and the restrooms.
Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner

Meanwhile, in our area, there is also an open kitchen, but one that fits one chef (we were introduced to chef Heidi) who works in the large square around her, preparing the meal only for this section with the exception of dessert. All the tables here can watch her work, though based on the way the seating was placed, not everyone has a view. To actually see the detail on the pans on the stove rather than her plating and prep work on the counter top that faces outward, you have to basically approach the station… or like I did, keep leering up to peer and think about running away with some of the ingredients piled all prepped in clear plastic containers (especially with the cheese wedge…).

Instead, the prime area to the kitchen station is an open area where there are coffee and expresso machines that would be approached by the staff to use once in a while, although they also take up window space that  is almost directly across and to the side of one of the 3 sides. At our booth, we were actually closest to the kitchen, since we were directly located aside that third side (with the last side being the wall), as you can sort of see here. In retrospect, I can’t believe even though I thought to take food photos, I did not take any of us, you know, people, with our food or with the chef kitchen area. I am not sure what that says about my idea of what to capture visually for memory. Well, she didn’t either- yet we thought of doing so earlier in the day at the Great Wheel. Hmm. Food is so distracting.

We started out with saffron infused buttered popcorn and champagne, and then an amuse bouche of a tomato pepper garlic with olive oil gazpacho (perhaps a little too much garlic as it burned slightly). The waiter had shown us a list of fresh ingredients they had on hand for the kitchen that evening and inquired about any love or hate preferences, as well as offered an option for an additional starting cocktail though he warned us there was already a lot of alcohol with the pairings to come. We decided to pass on opening with a cocktail to keep our palate fresh, as this was just the prologue.
Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, saffron infused buttered popcorn Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, amuse bouche of a tomato pepper garlic with olive oil gazpacho

Then, our first course of the 9, which started out by the waiter putting down a very cool chopstick holders in the form of a silver poke chopstick rice. And then, we were presented with a beautiful big eye tuna with grapefruit, avocado, microgreens, thinly sliced beet. I would have preferred the fish not sitting on the olive oil so I could enjoy the taste of the beautiful fish without muddying it with the olive oil. Since eating the fish at Sushi Dai by Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan, I’ve found myself more of a purist with raw fish now. Paired with a pinot gris.
Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, big eye tuna with grapefruit, avocado, microgreens, thinly sliced beet

Second course was I believe both of our favorite for the night, this gorgeous and large Maine Diver Scallop. The scallop was seared perfectly and tasted wonderfully smooth and soft and silky yet just fleshy enough, with forkfuls of the last of juicy summer tomatoes and basil and pesto and a bit of paprika parceled out between to cleanse the palate before more of that gentle scallop… That scallop felt as good in your mouth as it does to sniff and kiss a freshly bathed cute baby’s cheek as he/she giggles- you just want to keep doing it. I could and would eat a whole plate of just those scallops for any meal. The Prager gruner veltliner was the pairing with this, one that we both immediately tried to commit to memory (or I tapped into a note on my phone) so we could seek this wine out again.
Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, Maine Diver Scallop

Third course continued our array of seafood with Alaskan Halibut with potatoes in both crispy and softer form atop green beans that I could not help but admire the knife skills it took to prep, I think this was paired with a Rose. This buttery dish was good, but after the flavor pop from the scallop with the pesto, it seemed paler in comparison with its lack of bursts of flavor thanks to its more quiet approach.
Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, Alaskan Halibut with potatoes

Fourth course, since we opted out of the Hudson Valley Foie Gras (earlier when asked about our preferences while overlooking their ingredients list), chef Heidi replaced it with this thick pork belly with roasted figs and caramelized onion to still provide decadant richness before the “break” that we had been told about. Being from Portland, of course we love love pork.
Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, thick pork belly with roasted figs and caramelized onion

One of the “courses” was a tableside cocktail prepared by the bar manager Matt Bailey, this one was violet and smoke with lots of basil essential oils infused. This is a strong sipper… I wish in retrospect that we had asked for a cocktail that was more brighter, like a plate cleanser after the richness of the pork belly. It was hard to fit this into the meal arc.

Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, tableside cocktail

We relaxed for a while, sipping the cocktail, until the waiter came over (chef Heidi was just waiting in the kitchen) asking if we were ready to proceed. And so we continued to course 6, my second favorite of the dinner, the Anderson Ranch lamb atop farro and with scattering of Amaranth, paired with an amazing 1996 Bordeaux which made me wish we had received more reds during our meal- something to consider to mention and ask, even if you are open minded about trying anything the kitchen wants to prepare. Meanwhile, the seasoning and smokiness of the sear of the lamb was perfect, producing a crispy edge to each slice that was echoed in the firmness of the farro and tiny amaranth, all serving to highlight the soft strips of lamb sirloin.
Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, Anderson Ranch lamb atop farro and with scattering of Amaranth

Finally, the cheese course, the last course Heidi prepared for us, and then shortly after the kitchen station here was replaced by one of the other prep chefs in the main kitchen, apparently preparing fried rice for everyone to eat. It was Pierre Robert cheese, a triple creme that is like butter. This is where the port was poured and was supposed to carry us through the dessert courses, but the port was very sweet and I wished we had something lighter like a white dessert wine. I do like ports, but typically with tiramisu or chocolate.

This same port just didn’t seem to complement or contrast the next course with a muffin of banana nut with semi freddo, more roasted caramelized fig, and a very tart sorbetto over the crunchy crushed walnut. At this point we were really getting full- although Amy mustered the fortitude to do this dish justice and polish it clean. The finale was a little parfait of a mousse, almond crumble, and then a pearl… something. Hey, this was many glasses of wine (and that cocktail) in. Neither of us were a fan of the orange on top, which tasted somewhat mushy and sour that reminded me of ferment. Except for the fruit on top, this was a wonderful end that felt light but was a good texture to end with.
Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, Pierre Robert chees Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, muffin of banana nut with semi freddo, more roasted caramelized fig, and a very tart sorbetto over the crunchy crushed walnut Mistral Kitchen, Seattle, chef's dinner, parfait of a mousse, almond crumble

<3 <3 Thank you again Amy for such a wonderful experience <3 <3

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Bunk Bar Lunch – an appreciation of freedom

A recent lunch at Bunk Bar. Specifically, it was on Tuesday. Yes, a workday! And I drove myself! It felt so luxurious to have the Zipcar. I don’t usually have a car at all- I don’t own, and only Zip when I need it for a few hours, or rent a car from Budget (closest car rental office to the home) for day trips-. Otherwise it’s all public transit or walking, or carpooling with friends.

It is definitely cheaper- no car payments or auto insurance. It’s better for the environment and for me healthwise too to walk more. Although I can always find a Zipcar around me and available, I have to walk to the shared parking location and back (uphill…), which causes me to be more conservative on how often I rent, and deciding a rental period forces plannung to consolidate many errands into a trip.

But, recently I had it for a whole day- a full 24 hour period-  because it was too difficult to estimate how long one errand would take, and add that task to the other errands it was more cost-effective to go for a daily Zip rental for my very first time (Budget had no car available because I was informed of this group of errands just that morning, and it was Labor Day weekend. I usually price compare between these two options to find the best cost value).

Thanks to that longer 24 hour rental, this meant it was within the range that I could drive to work the next day, and even have lunch downtown. I wanted very straightforward parking and dependable and fast service as I wanted to get back to work on time- things that stumped me as I thought over my lunch destination wish list. Finally, what came to mind was Bunk Bar. I have seen it on previous visits to the area for Boke Bowl and Clark Lewis, and was curious about that larger Bunk location compared to it’s hole in the wall sandwiches only outposta. So off I went on my lunchtime trip.

Once there, I was able to walk right up- no one was in line! Amazing. I felt like this was destined. Logically, I tried to choose my selection from the menu that was a chalkboard covering just only 12 feet high and fully scribbled. In the end, I rationalized that I was going to balance the mole tater tots with the vegetarian sandwich on the board. This veggie sandwich varies seasonally but inevitably is a seasonal vegetable with cheese, and this time was roasted summer squash with seasoned ricotta, arugula, and romesco.

Bunk Bar, Tommy Habetz, lunch, sandwiches, vegetarian sandwich, seasonal vegetarian summer squash sandwich

It was ok- I think it needed a lot more summer squash in both smooth and chunky form, and I found the ricotta bland (at least compared to when I make my own fresh ricotta). However, the arugula and romesco were great. Romesco sauce is a great kicky sauce that is as simple as making pesto, but for some reason is not used as much, but it really should be just as popular. It is very dependable for flavor, just like pesto.

You can see from the photo the sandwich is looking sorta flat. I tried to improve it by putting the kettle chips in the sandwich, and this helped it greatly by adding crunch texture, although it does make eating your sandwich messier. The addition made it almost the size of other Bunk sandwiches. I’m not sure why they couldn’t have been more generous with the veggies and cheese, since they seem to be with the ingredients for the meat sandwiches. I have previously loved their Roasted Chicken Salad sandwich and Pork Belly Cubano sandwich, both from Bunk Sandwiches downtown, both of which I found so thick with ingredients I had to take small bites because there was so much vertically to fit without also trying to go too far horizontally, chomping step by step like Ms Pac Man.

And look at this foodspotting photo of their summer squash sandwich before, with Roasted Squash, Caramelized Onions, Gruyere & Arugula… I have actually tried to order that specific sandwich last year, but Bunk Sandwiches was out at the time. That’s how then I ended up with the Roasted Chicken Salad, which was very tasty with its creaminess of avocodo and mayo (but not too much- they balance their mixture well), the crunch from the big chunks of celery in the chicken salad, and saltiness from the bacon. If I had seen this sandwich on their chalkboard (they regularly change almost half of their dozen sandwiches line up, and sandwich options vary by location), I probably would have ordered it again as a “backup” for later in addition to the squash sandwich.

Don’t psych yourself up looking at the website- mentally proffering. What, it’s not just me that does this. The menu on the website is usually outdated. You have to come read the chalkboard- just like everyone else, waiting until you are close enough to read it, and then when you are only a few people are ahead of you, so you hurriedly are parsing the scrawl and trying to make your decision so you don’t hold back the line behind you. Like me, you will be torn- should I get something seasonal or special because some of the standbys like the cubano or pulled pork will still be there because it may be a ephemeral treasure you happened upon this one time at the end of the Bunk rainbow? Or do you go with one of the fan favorites that has therefore gave it a permanent position in the menu?

Bunk Bar is different from Bunk Sandwiches because it offers a lot more sides to select from. I took advantage of this by zeroing in on the mole tots, promising myself I would try the Fries with Debris Gravy and Cheese in the future. I should save my calories since I know rich meals next week working from the convention center are upcoming… as well as a multiple course wine paired meal at Mistral Kitchen this weekend. The Mole tater tots with queso, crema, avocado and cilantro have greens after all… Though it did not turn out as flavorful as the advertisement of mole had promised (at least in my mind), it was interesting in its tang, like a meaty gravy/tomato sauce punched up by a tiny hint of spice… seems like I needed more of the mole.

At least I was able to enjoy the freedom in being able to drive myself to wherever I wanted for lunch. It also was a reminder to me how important it is to break outside your every day routine. Do something old or rare, something you haven’t done in years, and/or add something new, explore a place you have always passed by but never stopped. It sounds small and silly and even a bit contrived, but it adds such excitement and feeling of adventure (even if a somewhat planned adventure). And that is a part of the equation too, being conscious and acting on the empowerment to always be able to choose your own adventure.

Bunk Bar, Tommy Habetz, lunch, sandwiches, vegetarian sandwich, seasonal vegetarian summer squash sandwich

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Peppers at the Portland Farmers Market

Aren’t they gorgeous? I was tempted with visions of roasted peppers, and stuffed peppers with various rice or quinoa, and creamy pepper soups and gazpachos with peppers, all utilizing all the colors of these brightly colored bell peppers from the Portland Farmers Market. However, I already had lots of ears of corn to roast, and chicken salad, and tomatoes, and taco shells, and I am off to Seattle this weekend. There was no meal open to use with these beautiful peppers, sigh. But I still wanted to remember them.

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