Tasty n Alder

Even though I am mainly on a mission to eat a healthy salad at Whole Foods every night, that can certainly get boring. During 4th of July week, I decided to take myself out to dinner at Tasty n Alder, a restaurant that I pass every day on the way to my hotel. I've previously visited its sister restaurant, Tasty n Sons, for brunch, so I knew to expect good things.

Photo credit: tastyntasty.com

Photo credit: eater.com

The restaurant was packed, but I was lucky enough to grab a seat at the bar. I started by ordering an iced tea. I really liked that the bartender gave me a whole little pitcher of tea for myself!

My own carafe of tea

 I started with a salad. This salad was huge! It came in a bowl about 10" in diameter, and had lots of good things like radishes, fennel, carrots, and arugula.

My salad

 I ordered the cowboy skirt steak. I didn't know what to expect, because the menu wasn't descriptive, but it came with a pinto bean mixture, and grilled tortillas! The steak was very nicely cooked, and perfectly seasoned.

Cowboy skirt steak

 The skirt steak also came with the BIGGEST FORK EVER. Here it is next to a normal-sized fork... I honestly didn't know what to do with the giant fork. I used it for a couple of bites of the steak, but then felt ridiculous and switched to the normal fork :)

A fork for giants!

 I also ordered a side of grilled broccolini, to get more veggies in!I really enjoyed these, even though they were smothered in Parmesan. Or maybe that's why I enjoyed them ;)

Grilled broccolini

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal. I think the menu certainly could have been more descriptive so I would have known that the steak came with sides (maybe I would have picked something else had the sides appealed to me more?) but I have no complaints about the quality of the food or the preparation. Everything was very flavorful, and very fresh.

Next time I'll try a cocktail or two, I hear they're known for them!

Tasty n Alder
580 SW 12th St, Portland OR

Gracie's

In what seems like perfect timing, it is Dining Month in Portland! In San Francisco, there is a similar program that only lasts two weeks, but Portland knows how to do it right :)  For the month of June, lots of restaurants in Portland are offering 3-course dinner menus for a set price of $29. This is definitely going to change my restaurant list a bit!  Last week, I tried two different restaurants for the Dining Month special. On Tuesday, I went to Gracie's, which is a restaurant in the Hotel Deluxe.

When you walk into the hotel, there is a big screen with a picture of Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant! Such old-school glamor.

Entrance to the hotel

For the Dining Month menu, I got to pick one appetizer, one entree and one dessert. Usually restaurants only have one or two choices for these special menus, but Gracie's had a huge selection! I was pleased :)

Dining Month menu

I really liked the interior of the restaurant. It had nice curtains, chandeliers, and a mix of tables and booths. I got my own booth which was very nice.

Inside Gracie's

I started with sizzling forest mushrooms. These were great! They were sizzling in garlic and herbs and they were fantastic spooned over the crusty bread. Gracie's is known for these mushrooms, so I knew I had to try them, and they didn't disappoint!

Sizzling forest mushrooms

But the mushrooms were even better spooned over my steak! I chose the Double R Ranch New York steak, which was served with a red wine reduction, green beans and fingerling potatoes.

Mmm steak

The steak was nicely cooked, although a bit small. But for a special menu, I'm ok with that. I liked eating the steak with the mushrooms, and was happy that I ordered both of those as my savory options!  For dessert, I opted for the strawberry rhubarb crisp. It was the seasonal option and it was delicious!  My only complaint is that it was served VERY hot, so the ice cream melted before I really got to enjoy it :(  But it was tasty while it lasted!

Strawberry rhubarb crisp

I liked Gracie's a lot. I think I will go back, even after Dining Month ends!

Gracie's Restaurant
729 SW 15th Ave, Portland OR