Little Bird Bistro - Portland, OR

Less than a 3 hour drive from Seattle, I had to spend at least one day in Portland on my trip. The drive was worth it and I had a delightful time into Portland, but that was not without a stop at Little Bird for lunch.

As soon as we walked into Little Bird, we were greeted by the gentleman behind the bar. Right after that, two ladies came out and after a bit of confusion amongst themselves, we were finally seated. I won't say service was bad, but throughout the meal, I didn't get that warm feeling and I could have sworn I was being served by a drone. I don't think she ever cracked a smile, a blink, anything.

The restaurant is pretty small. There is not much room for seating and I felt like I was sitting on top of the table next to me. When you have to pull out tables (not chairs) for people to be seated, tables are clearly too close for comfort.

Once I was able to settle in, I looked over the menu and ended up ordering the Steamed Clams. The broth was Parmesan based with bacon, breadcrumbs and peppers. It had rich flavor without being overpowering. It didn't come with anything nor was I given any heads up or options so I had to request more of the complimentary bread to eat it with.

My burger obsessed boyfriend ordered the ‘Le Pigeon’ Burger with fries (you also have the choice of lettuce instead). He was very impressed with the burger.

The food was simply delicious (no complaints there), but I felt a bit distracted by the service and atmosphere.

Little Bird Bistro

The Flaming Torch - Uptown - New Orleans, LA

The Flaming Torch is a casually elegant restaurant located just steps from historic Magazine Street that serves a nice selection of French inspired dishes.

My boyfriend and I made reservations at the restaurant for a early date night dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted by a nice gentleman who was also our server. Upon seating us, we were presented with the drink menu. While looking over the wine list, I noted that there were a few bottles that were reasonably priced. I will admit I have drank an entire bottle of wine by myself but since my boyfriend isn't one for wine (and I didn't want to get drunk at a restaurant), I opted with just a glass of Merlot. With French cuisine, you may not be looking to pair with beer, but that is an option.

Our very attentive server went over all the specials with us and hyped the French Onion Soup they are famous for so I decided to give it a try. It was divine but way too cheesy. The cheese was clumping and could have become a choking hazard if I was not careful but by eating around some of the cheese, I was able to enjoy it.

For my main course, I had the Scallops with Chimichurri Sauce and Corn Hash. The scallops were perfectly pan seared and when paired with the sauce and hash it was a heavenly dish I could eat over and over again.

My boyfriend had Filet Mignon with Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus. He ordered it medium but it was actually cooked medium well. Despite that the meat was still tender and juicy. He loved it and talked about wanting to come back.

Although not on the menu, they have dessert options. My boyfriend is obsessed with Bread Pudding so we shared one. He thoroughly enjoyed it but since it is not a dessert I love I found the sauce to be the main draw of the dessert. It was a decent bread pudding.

I may have gone at a great or bad time (depending on how you see it), because the place was empty but as a result the I found the service and atmosphere were excellent. It was a bit pricey but the food was fantastic so money ain't a thang.


The Flaming Torch

737 Octavia St New Orleans, LA 70115 (504) 895-0900 www.flamingtorchnola.com

Emeril Lagasse's NOLA Restaurant - French Quarter - New Orleans, LA

During the week, I am always on the road and by midday, I am asking myself “what shall I eat for lunch?" Most of the time, I end up choosing the quick option to avoid wasting time at a sit-down restaurant, but frankly someone like me, who loves trying new restaurants and food, should take the time to enjoy a delicious meal!

NOLA restaurant is the creation of Emeril Lagasse, who is credited for introducing Cajun cuisine to the masses and despite having two restaurants in New Orleans and restaurants in other cities I have been, I never experienced the "Bam"!

Well, I finally experience it and the Prince Edward Island Mussels I ordered were some of the best I have ever had. The broth, made of Garlic and White Wine, was rocking and the housemade Andouille was perfection!

My dining partner ordered the Braised Pork Cheek Poboy and seemed to enjoy it!

Inticed by the dessert we spotted someone eating across the room, we went ahead and ordered the Warm Ooey Gooey Cake. Eating a warm dessert straight out of the over is like foreplay!

I do not know what took me so long but I am glad I finally got on the Emeril train! In addition to great food, the service is impeccable and the space (a renovated warehouse) is a cool dining environment.

NOLA Restaurant

534 St Louis St New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 522-6652 www.emerilsrestaurants.com/nola-restaurant

Lüke: A Chef John Besh Restaurant - Central Business District - New Orleans, LA

If you are looking to be impressed by French-German dishes in New Orleans, please go to Luke Restaurant, I know I was. 

The restaurant is located in the Central Business District, next to the Hilton and in the former Masonic Temple Building, so there is that historic vibe to the restaurant. The front room is a lot more grand than the back room (where we were seated), but that is offset by views of the open kitchen. 

Apparently they only want to seat people with reservations, so since we did not have one, we were refused seating until 9:15pm (it was 6:45pm) but with a little back and forth, we ended up waiting only 15 minutes before we were seated. However, as we walked through the restaurant to the back room, way too many tables were empty that it made no sense that they acted that way. A lot of tables still remained empty throughout the meal.

I decided to start out my meal with a cocktail. I originally wanted the Mint Julep but they were out so I had the Riverbend (vodka, lemon juice, basil syrup, blueberries & ginger ale) at the recommendation of the server. It was a relatively sweet cocktail, with the ginger ale being the most powering flavor, but you could still taste the alcohol.

My friend choose a regular starter and ordered a cup of the Crawfish Bisque. She ate all of it so I am assuming she liked it, but she did complain of a sour aftertaste.

My boyfriend skipped the appetizers and went straight for the entree. He always seems to find the most basic item on the menu and order it. He had the Luke Burger (bacon, caramelized onions, tomatoes, Swiss cheese) and was raving about it. One thing I can tell you, it was a very good size. 

My friend had the Jumbo Louisiana Shrimp "En Cocotte" with lump crab meat, roasted jalapeño cheese grits, andouille & green onion sausages. She loved it.

I have an obsession with mussels so I had the classic Moules et Frites. Although only having two simply ingredients (garlic & thyme) in the broth, the flavors stood out and the taste was a lot bolder than others I have had with a lot more ingredients. The house-made fries were scrumptious. These are the best kind.

Even with all that food, we still made room for dessert. We first had the Bread Pudding which was delicious but quite sweet. I am also not a fan of over sauced foods.

One wasn't enough so we also ordered the Bourbon Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. It was superb and not too sweet which is a plus for me. The little cookies on top added nothing to the dessert and if anything could have been left off.

All that good food, I still have to give props to our server. He was amazing and engaging. The front desk soured the mood a little bit a first but he more than made up for it. I couldn't have asked for anyone better.


Luke Restaurant

333 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 378-2840 www.lukeneworleans.com