It's been quiet around these parts—I haven't been eating out much and haven't even had a recent restaurant opening to bring you! But there's still a few tidbits to share, so here's what I've been up to lately in food.
Weekday Lunch at Mami
I always think of Mami on Fore Street as a lunch spot. Maybe it's due to its origins as a food truck, but since I don't work in Portland, I don't go out to for lunch often. But when I was passing through town after a program, I stopped in and grabbed A. from East End Cupcakes and we checked Mami out.
She had a salmon poké bowl ($13) (but Big Fin Poké still has our hearts) and I had pork buns ($5) and okonomiyake ($12). Both dishes were rich and contained mayonnaise—I should have skipped the savory pancake and ordered some shishito peppers. But I loved Mami's counter service, making it a quick option for lunch or a great happy hour where you won't have to wait for a beer refill.
Brunch at Local 188
Original Roomie A. and I went to the farmers' market bright and early on a Saturday for some plants, then found ourselves considering "brunch" (meaning we wanted a sit-down experience) options at the decidedly non-brunch hour of 9 am. We thought of Local 188 and it was a stroke of genius.
We had the place to ourselves, our bartender was so friendly and attentive, and the food came out quickly and was perfect. I've experienced some lackluster brunches at Local, probably due to the fact that they were slammed, and so going early was a fantastic experience. A. and I both had the scramble ($11), which that day was with mushrooms, herbs, and goat cheese. We shared a fruit plate ($6), and I really felt like I'd reached peak adulting.
And we are due for a flurry of summer openings, so stay tuned for some previews!