Hawthorne Fish House

I was horribly sick this weekend with a head cold that impacted my ears, meaning I had intense vertigo. I ate fried potatoes and ramen, because they were both easy and available in the house, and there were many walls to grab on to for support. On Sunday, I decided enough was enough, and I got up, got showered and dressed, and wandered over to Hawthorne Fish House on 43rd and Hawthorne. For, um, fried potatoes.

And forgot my camera. I WAS SICK! I can’t remember everything!

This was a reconnaisance mission (as well as a feed me I’m poor and pitiful and dripping fluids from random orifices mission), as housemate Upstairs1 can’t eat a whole list of things, and at the top of that list is gluten. Hawthorne Fish House fries their fish in a rice flour batter, and all their sauces and dressings are also GF (but probably contain other things like tomatoes that will kill Upstairs1. Ah, well, we just won’t let her eat those).

The interior, even on a rare brilliantly sunny Oregon winter day, was dark. At 3pm on Sunday, there were about 7 people dining, two floor servers, and a bartender. I took a booth so I could stretch my sick bones out, and got an RC. Yum. I don’t drink soda much, but RC rocks my world so much (and this is from a woman who HATES soda). I went for the standard (and cheapest) Cod and chips basket. They’ve got, like, salmon and halibut and stuff, too, and they follow the Monterey Bay Aquarium thingie about sustainable fishies (click their webpage if you’re interested).

The fries were crispy and well-salted. The fish batter was also crispy and lovely, and the chunks of cod were solid and flaky and perfectly cooked. I think next time I’m springing for the salmon. Because when I eat fish, I usually tend more towards something that tastes like fish. And cod? No flavor at all. I blame my forgetting on the Cold o’ DOOM!

I did my little chemist’s impression and mixed up the provided vinegar, ketchup, and hot sauce till it had some tastifying effect on the cod. They have good hot sauce. I can’t remember what kind. I WAS SICK!

Cubicle Buddy (who holds a 1st degree black belt in fooding) recommends their happy hour menu, which has like bay oysters and stuff, and a Drink of the Day special.

What’s Better in Oregon? EVERYTHING!

Just in time for the St. Valentine’s Day Consumerisim Extravaganza, Harry and David Chocolates kick butt in a blind taste test. They whomped Godiva and Vosages, along with some other, less well-known, really crappy chocs (seriously, don’t waste the calories on the Target Choxies. Eat cardboard, it has more flavor.)

I wouldn’t turn down some H&D, mind, but if anyone wants get in my good favors on Feb. 14th, you gotta get me some chocs from Sahagun or Pix. This isn’t a limited time offer, neither, good favors are available year round for the right chocs…

Haagen Dazs Sticky Toffee Pudding Ice Cream

Well, I’d heard good things about it, so when I finally encountered it, I picked up a carton (even though it wasn’t on sale, GASP!)

My opinion?
Meh.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s Haagen Dazs, so it’s good. But there was something wrong with the cake bits, texture-wise, that made me cringe back from them when they found my spoon. I’m one of those freaks who won’t eat bananas, though, ’cause they’re squishy (ew!), so that may not bother you. I don’t think the flavors balanced well, either, as sweet was piled upon sweet upon more sweet until I was ready to go lick the salt shaker.

I ate the entire carton, though I don’t suspect I’ll be buying it again.

Adventures in Trai Au

You ever see a food and say to yourself, “I must eat one of these, because otherwise my life will be sad and empty”?

Just me then? Ok. Moving on!

Spiffy’s Restaurant, Chehalis, WA

Edit 8/25/08 – This is the number 1 searched post on my blog. Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment and tell me why you’re Googling for this restaurant, because I’m totally curious. Oh, and I totally ate at Spiffy’s in March of 08 again and it still is pretty good, and the pie is still awesome.

The first time I drove up to Seattle, I saw the sign by the side of the road and determined that I would be stopping, oh yes. People who know me, know why. And it’s not for the, um, ‘ethnic food’.

Hawthorne Hideaway

Of course, I had Hernando’s Hideaway stuck in my head all night.

A bunch of coworkers took our front desk person out, ’cause she’s leaving us to go work for Nike (damn them for stealing her from us by offering her a job in her field! DAMN THEM!), and I toddled along after them. Even though I was seriously low on cash, but they assured me it wouldn’t be expensive. Hey, they were right!

Meal Planning

I’m trying two things this month in regards to my food:

1) writing a menu and making my grocery list accordingly (to try and curb the going-into-the-store-for-cheese and-coming-out-with-four-pounds-of-chocolate and-a-case-of-beer-plus-some-crackers habit I’ve gotten into lately), and

2) Not eating meat on Fridays (religious thing, if you don’t like that, hah! Just wait until Feb. 21st).

However, I’ve discovered something: If I don’t eat meat on Fridays, I have to plan a meatless Thursday dinner to provide appropriate leftovers, or subsist on PB&J for Friday lunch when everyone else is bringing in lovely-smelling take-out chicken tikka masala. It also needs to be quick, since I’ve got meetings on Thursday night.

Bleh.

Anyway, I’ve got my little list in front of me. This is what I have so far:

Monday: Chicken Curry

Tuesday: Tuna melt

Wednesday: Chicken hash

Thursday: ___________

Friday:_____________

… Crap. This thinking ahead stuff is hard work!

You know you’re obsessed with food when…

Yes, that is a toilet paper cozy designed to look like a sushi roll.

I haven’t made it.

Yet.

Portland is #1. All the rest are #2, or lower.

*is cranky*

According to Slashfood, Cooking Light magazine has named Portland #2 in its Best Cities list.

Which wouldn’t suck, except that #1?

Seattle.

Oh, hells no. We kick Seattle’s butt any day of the week. And twice on Sundays.

*waves to all her Seattle friends whom I’m gonna see on Saturday!*

Resolutions for the Foodies

People keep asking me what my resolutions are for this new year.

And then they blink a little when I say, “Cultivate a sourdough starter and work on a baugette recipe.”