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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2007)
MAY 18,200.’ eatingout Epiqueerean eatingout eatingout eatingout eatingout CAFFE MINGO BY JENNY NGUYEN Where to Get Your "Oohs" and "Ahhs" eatingout jUStOUt 31 eatingout We love diversity. serving dinner nightly (a 5pm nyone who has ever gotten a profession in northwest Portland, we don’t do reservations al massage might understand what it means to physically restrain from moaning in pleasure. Such is the same when I eat. Usually the din is just loud enough to muffle my mewl; then again, sometimes the sounds escape. Here are three places whose names will not only evoke those aforementioned sounds (e.g., Vindal-“ooh”), hut the fcxxl’ll have you and your belly grumbling for more. A simple Italian cooking simple Italian food Purple Tooth Lounge • 938 N. Cook St. also find us M i Di G 0 Soaps, Solods, Pastries, Panini I told Sandwiches on Grand Central Breads, Gift Baskets & Certificates available GRAND JETÇ CAFE in Be.nctton w e do reseiA .H ioiis lull bar. big lx>ulcs of w inc great i duo li. >ns ,ii in in'.’ow co .oiui 5 I 0 St Morrison St. Portland, OR 97214 Mon-Fri 7:30 am to 6 pm Sot 8:30 am to 3 pm Less than a mile from his first baby, Lauro Kitchen, David Machado has nailed some prime location in this corner spot with his Indian-style Vindalho. The floor-to-ceiling windows and bamboo-like tabletops are classy yet unpretentious. Thankfully, the theme runs true throughout both the menu and the service. The chicken pakora features perfectly golden fritters of diced chicken with spices, chickpea flour and a tart tamarind and mango chutney. The pork Vindalho is meltingly braised and packin’ the heat, served with a pyramid of cumin-infused basmati. Tender nuggets of meat are ccxikSd on a yard-long metal skewer in an 800- plus-degree tandoori oven, locking in juices to make the lamb and mahi mahi unbeatable, not to men tion naan like none other. Terrific island-inspired cocktails and side orders of everything from chut- neys to onion rings make dining at V-ho a must. Encanto • 5225 N. Lombard St. Move over, Tex-Mex, this new NoPo spot is turn ing heads with the cuisine of New Mexico. Eat the sopapaipillas, com mass cakes fried golden brown (like a sweet com doughnut, yum) served with honey but ter. Or eat it chock full of braised pork (came adova- da) in red chile sauce; just know the New Mexico red chile sauce is 100 percent ka-ZING! The green chile stew with pork and wann tortillas is milder, while the I buffalo short ribs in cherry-pasilla sauce are sweeter. I The sauteed black mussels with Spanish chortzo in I a sour orange-serrano broth are utterly perfect. I Whatever you have, it’ll he gixxl. Hell, they could I sauté riKk shrimp in chipotle-butter sauce and serve I it over a deep-fried avi cado if they wanted to and get I away with it...oh wait, they do and they do. © | I sharing entrees and reader comments. Write to her at I epiqueerean@camcast.net. I id . FREE WI-FI BIPARTISAN GfiPg NEW HOURS! WE RE OPEN TIL 9 pm • 7901 SE STARK STREET * 503 253 1051 B..... .......................... ......... — ■ X - -- ------- 3 s r u m p r o w n c o f f e f . » s a n d w t t n f s SOUP * HOME-MADE PIE * FREE WI-FI Sunday Ham 7pm. Saturday /am 9pm Monday Friday 6 30am 9pm :____ _ __ S03 445 0143 it >oti can find it 503 M6 MM valley MlXUAs xatbApas serving lunch mon-fri. dinner 7 nights happy hour in between Vindalho • 2038 S.E. Clinton St J enny N guyen believes in leftovers, chilled soups, beaverton / eugene / medford / sun Espresso & Wally Biscotti, voted the best Biscatli in the U.S. Comfy-cozy in new pink digs (which once housed the famous Lovely Hula Hands), proprietor Kelly Stewart has turned the once-cute Victorian into a snazzy, posh two-story lush nest. Dark walls, copper countertops and zebra prints give a lil’ down town glitz to the otherwise low-key Mississippi area. The bevies score big time, with ludicrously tasty libations like the Purple Nurple (blueberry puree and marionberry-infused vodka) and the Love Bite (Godiva chocolate liqueur and cayenne pepper). The menu could use some work, with a teensy hap py hour list and a below-par dinner set. Go for the swank space and devilishly delish drinks. A r? in i
