Jam Cafe

JJ BEAN RAILTOWN DRIP COFFEE

THE CHARLIE BOWL
crumbled biscuit, hash browns, ham, bacon, corn salsa, peas, green onions, cheddar cheese and sausage gravy with two sunny eggs

BUTTERMILK BISCUIT SANDWICH
buttermilk biscuit made in house served with sunny eggs, cheddar, tomato jam and hashbrowns

SUGAR-CURED BACON

Pine State Biscuits

Pine State Biscuits first launched its kitchen in 2006 as an outdoor stand at the Portland Farmers Market. Soon after, its popularity started to grow and the three founders (Walt, Kevin, and Brian) decided to open up a permanent spot to offer breakfast seven days a week to their loyal customers. Pine State now has four different locations in Portland - NE Alberta, SE Division, NE Schuyler, and Farmers Market.

On our trip to Portland, we decided to try out their NE Schuyler location (since it was closest to where we were staying). We stayed at the Quality Inn close to the Moda Center, so the restaurant was only a 10 min walk away.

We went to the restaurant on a Sunday morning. The restaurant had been recommended to us by a friend who had recently visited Portland. This location was situated in a mixed residential/industrial area of the city. As we were walking there, I remember making a comment about how it was an odd place to have a restaurant. However, it seemed to be working for them. As soon as we got there, we noticed several people standing outside the restaurant drinking beer (it was 10 am). We later discovered that it was non-alcoholic ginger-flavoured beer. Their classic red and white Pine State Biscuits sign is anchored above the entrance to their semi-exposed kitchen. Their kitchen is actually set up inside what looks like a refurbished warehouse garage that is connected to their restaurant. The actual sit down area of the restaurant is not very big. However, the high ceiling helps make the space feel bigger than it is. As with their kitchen, the seating area gave off a very industrial and warehouse-y feel. Everyone orders their food at a stand in the front and you can either have your order "for here" or "to go".  I noticed that a lot of people came in to pick up food they had ordered in advance for pick up ... which was very smart since there wasn't a lot of seating. My guess is that they were likely locals. We were lucky enough to find seats right away (although our group did have to split up 2-3). There's no table service, you have to clean up after yourself when you're done. I didn't mind it and actually thought it worked well with their casual, eat-and-go vibe.

I ordered The Moneyball, while everyone else ordered The Reggie Deluxe.

The Moneyball

The Moneyball is their biscuits and gravy dish that is topped with an over-easy egg. I had a choice between sausage gravy or shitake mushroom gravy. I wanted to go more "traditional", so I opted for the sausage gravy. Everything about The Moneyball was deeeeeelicous. Their biscuits were perfectly buttery and flaky. The gravy was creamy, but not too thick; flavourful, but not too salty. YUM. I inhaled the whole thing within 15 minutes.

The Reggie Deluxe

I tried several bites of The Reggie Deluxe ... and it was amazing as well. At first, I was a bit iffy about the idea of fried chicken and bacon sandwiched between a biscuit. However, it turned out to be a great combo. I have never craved fried chicken for breakfast, but I think I will now.

Another highlight of my meal was the coffee - Stumptown Coffee Roasters coffee. They had two choices there: 1) Trapper Creek Decaf and 2) Guatemala Finca el Injerto Bourbon. Stumptown is the coffee of Portland and is well-known for their focus on refining coffee drinker's palates and their use of high-quality coffee beans. Each of their brews feature certain "tasting notes". The tasting notes for Trapper Creek were "caramel, raisin, buttery" and "citrus, milk chocolate, clove" for Guatemala Finca. Being the caffeine lover (addict) that I am, I went with the non-decaf Guatemala blend ... and was not disappointed! Unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit Stumptown's flagship store in Portland. In hindsight, considering how much I love coffee, the missed opportunity probably saved me a lot of money.

Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar

Last night I went to Chewies with my friend Cory for dinner. There are two locations in Vancouver - Coal Harbour and Kitsilano. We went to the one at Coal Harbour. I've been here once before for my birthday this past December and I loved it the first time.

I tried an oyster shot for the first time on my birthday! It wasn't the greatest experience, but I'm glad I tried it. The method to properly ingest it does not come naturally to me - the double task of trying not to prolong having the liquor in my mouth while not choking on the oyster proved to be very difficult for me. I believe I had the Jammers Oyster Shot, which is a concoction of chilled Hurradura tequila, fresh shucked oyster, lime juice, sugar, and crystal hot sauce. The hot sauce not only got stuck in my throat, it also made the tequila burn all the way down.

The restaurant embodies a New Orleans theme and features an open kitchen. Their walls are decorated with a lot of vertical wood panels that gives off a very rustic vibe. I was a huge fan of their decorations, especially the saxophone art piece by the front entrance and the Rue Bourbon street sign that's anchored by the centre of the restaurant. Their menu offers signature New Orleans dishes such as: Fried Gator & Hush Puppies, Classic Gumbo, Southern Fried Chicken and Jambalaya. They also offer a wide selection of oysters from both the east and west coast.

We ordered half a dozen oysters to share: two Kusshi oysters (from B.C.), two Effingham oysters (from B.C.), and two Raspberry Point oysters (from PEI). I love oysters and I love trying different types of oysters to experience the different flavours and textures. I wasn't very impressed with the oysters we ordered last night. Maybe it was the type? Maybe they weren't quite in season? I typically prefer creamier oysters with sweet flavours. The Kusshi oysters were described to be creamy and sweet with a smoky finish - not the case in the ones we had. I didn't particularly like the Effingham or Raspberry Point oysters either. They both tasted briny and was similar in texture, even though the Raspberry Point oyster is known to have a "sweet finish". However, oysters are often hit and miss and even great oyster bars sometimes play host to some not-as-flavourful oysters (as I've experienced), so I'm not overly critical as long as they are fresh. I did enjoy their selection of sauces - the spicy habanero one was my favourite.

I like having caesars with oysters. I think it goes really well together ... so yes, I ordered a Chewies' Caesar. The Chewies' Caesar is made with Sobieksi Vodka, homemade hot sauce, fresh horseradish (which is scattered throughout), Worcestershire, Clamato, and garnished with a Cajun prawn (my favourite part!). Instead of regular ice cubes, the drink is chilled with crushed ice. If you like horseradish, then you'll love the Chewies' Caesar - the horseradish really adds a good kick.

Cory's glass of  Poplar Grove Pinot Gris was filled right up to the rim! No complaints there.

For my entree, I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken. I ordered this last time as well and was taken aback at how good it tasted (because who thinks to order fried chicken at an oyster bar?). It was just as awesome this time. I don't usually like fried chicken, mostly because I find the batter tends to be tasteless and too thick. The batter for this fried chicken was finished with a maple-syrupy glaze that gave it a very pleasant sweetness. The sugary flavour went together perfectly with the buttermilk mashed potatoes that it was served with. The chicken was tender and juicy and I cleared the plate, no problem.

Cory ordered the Scallops & Succotash. I was lucky because she let me have a taste :) The lemon butter was a good dressing choice for the succotash, but I thought the scallops were overcooked. The scallops tasted good, but according to the menu, they were supposed to be seared rare. To me, they seemed to be cooked all the way through. Cory also ordered a side of Chive Baby Biscuits, which she graciously offered to share.

The biscuits were phenomenal (not to sound over-dramatic) and they were only $4! The biscuits were drizzled with honey butter and garnished with chives. I would have never thought to order biscuits with dinner, but I'm glad she did. The both of us were marveling at how well they were baked. The outside still retained a bit of a crunch while the inside was soft, but still firm. Every bite was like a bite of buttery goodness.

If you're wondering about the actual size ... each one is about the size of my fist.