Pine State Biscuits

So this post marks a FIRST.  I used my iPhone to take these pictures!  You may have noticed, but I ain't eating out as much these days.  So I don't just leave my camera in my purse anymore because it's just too heavy even though it's just a point and shoot.  People rave about this place, but I've shied away from Pine State Biscuits because I heard the weekend brunch wait and be pretty horrendous and I'm not a fan of heavy greasy breakfast foods like biscuits slathered in gravy, cheese, etc.  But when Quack Man T came to visit with his friends, he said this place was a must.  Lucky for me, Pine State Biscuits is a regular at the weekend PSU Farmer's Market AND the line wasn't so long.

I'm not sure if the menu is quite the same at their brick and mortar location.  I had only one thing in mind, The Reggie, so it didn't make a difference to me.  Quack Man T couldn't stop raving about it.

The Reggie fried chicken, bacon, cheese, topped with gravy
OK, it is pretty darn delicious.  The biscuit is just the right amount of flakiness and butteriness.  The chicken was crispy and moist.  The bacon was smoky.  I could have done without the cheese.  The gravy was definitely made with a lot of love, not like that cafeteria gravy or the stuff that comes from powder.  I wish there was more gravy because it got kinda dry in my mouth.

I can see why people LOVE Pine State Biscuits so much.  It's everything Americans love in their food, rich, comforting, and simple.  The heaviness of something like this was not lost on me though.  I shared this with Dumpling Man, and toward the end he had to finish up on his own.  I actually went to another food stand to get get a plate of vegetables to wash down all the grease or lard.  If you LOVE food like this, you'll love Pine State Biscuits, but for me it was a bit on the gut busting side so it's not gonna be a regular stop for me.  Still though, it is a must visit for visitors to Portland.  And BTW, these photos are pretty good for iPhone, eh??

Pine State Biscuits

PSU Farmers Market 

or 

2204 NE Alberta 

Portland, OR 97211

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Riffle NW

I cook a lot.  I only say that because I don't know anybody else who cooks as much as I do.  As a result, I get really tired of my own food.  I try to cook as many new things as possible but I run out of ideas and I certainly get tired of chicken, beef, and pork.  I was excited to FINALLY get a date night for the first time in a while and definitely wanted seafood.  Somehow, trying all that is new and delicious in Portland is not so much a priority for Dumpling Man anymore.  Yeah, sadface.

Tuna Pallard green goddess dressing
Our decision to come to Riffle was somewhat of a last minute decision so we didn't have reservations and had to be seated at the counter.  It actually turned out nice because we were up close and personal with the kitchen.  Maybe the chefs felt sorry for us being the lonesome couple at the counter while everyone else got a table so they gave us free food!  It wasn't even like we were waiting for a long time.    Anyways, the tuna was just seared on one side and served very simply with a lightly dressed salad.  It was a nice starter and two thumbs up for being free!

Grilled Pacific Shrimp braised pork belly
This was probably the best dish of the night, a little surf and turf.

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