Ice cream or cupcake? It's blinging BOTH!!

Well maybe not both, but its a cupcake baked in a cake ice cream cone. Genius!!! I had a hankering to bake something today and wanted to experiment. I Googled "cupcake cone" and got a recipe to make this. I LOVE IT. You can eat a cupcake anywhere and not have to worry about disposing that annoying paper wrapping or even accidentally eating it. Oh the possibilities!!!

Cascina Spinasse

Hello from up north!!! Portland-Seattle-Vancouver, B.C. have been described as the Three Sister Cities. Portland being the young laid back granola type gal, while Vancouver is the eldest sophisticated woman, and Seattle being the twit-like sorority sister. So welcome to my twitty view of food in Seattle. I am honored to be part of the BBT gang. I hope I can add a little bling to the tacos down south.

I stumbled onto Cascina Spinasse, a tiny Italian restaurant on Capital Hill, one day on the way to a girly treatment of manis and pedis. A friend and I decided to check it out and were quickly denied since they had not “officially” opened yet. As a girl with an “ignore me and I’m yours” problem, I knew that I NEEDED to eat there.

For weeks I played hard-to-get, walking by the restaurant front sneaking glances at its rustic interior, antique pasta making tools, and back kitchen where you can watch the chef and cooks whirl around making sauces and pasta with dramatic flair. Finally I broke down and made the first move. Stepping through the doors we were promptly greeted by an Italian rocke

r chick named Simona. She had a great accent and a killer tat on her shoulder. Seated at one of the few communal tables in the room, we were presented with crostinis, one topped with ricotta cheese and basil and the other with rabbit pate and a splash of port wine. The rabbit pate was smooth and rich with a slight hint of sweetness from the port. All the pastas are handmade by chef/owner Justin Neidermeyer who used to sell his handmade thin beauties at Farmer’s Markets.

We ordered two appetizers, the anchovies in piemontese green sauce with crumbled egg yolk. The sauce was a mixture of herbs and olive oil which balance out the salty anchovies. I could just eat this alone with a loaf of bread and nothing else. Second were marinated beets with dill, fennel, and faro, a type of barely like grain. I liked the sweet beets with the fennel, but the faro had an annoying chew to it.

As our entrees arrived, the Maltagliatti came out in a wonderful presentation. They brought out a large bowl of random cuts of pasta topped with lamb shanks and cherry tomatoes. The server had a pitcher in the other hand filled with a rich savory broth and poured it over the noodles. The papery thin noodles swimming in one of the most flavorful broth made me just want to take the bowl straight to my mouth.

The ravioli was filled with rapini in a sage butter with toasted pine nuts. A warning for those who do not dig bitter vegetables: it may not be the dish for you, but I thoroughly enjoyed it since I was a child that grew up eating bitter melons and dandelion weeds (yes I was that kid). The first initial bite was bitter, then after masticating for a while sweetness comes through the leafy green.

Don’t expect the usual Italian desserts served in this establishment. No sugary sweet tiramisu, cannoli or gelato. We shared a peach roasted in moscato and dripping in local honey and toasted hazelnut, a perfect end to a dinner that was long awaited. After dinner, I gave Simona a hug and dragged my heavy stomach out of there.

Arosa Cafe - Hans' Waffles

Across the street from Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Arosa cafe specializes in hand held waffles coated in a thin sugary topping. Actually.... that's pretty much all they do. That and coffee. It's also they need to do. The cafe was originally started many years ago (some say decades) by Hans, a german (belgian?) expatriot who spent that time perfecting his waffle batter recipe. The business has since changed hands to a lovely young woman but the batter is still being mixed by the same man so the magic hasn't changed a bit. The waffles are about the size of your hand, and are crunchy, warm and just a little bit sweet. I went back two days in a row for breakfast while on a recent business trip to the area.

Ziba's Pitas - Authentic Bosnian Food

Ziba's Pitas is one of BBT's favorite places to visit in Portland's downtown cart area.  The cart location in general is best visited on bike to avoid the snarls of downtown traffic and if you do bike or bring your own container many places will give you a discount on your order.  Ziba's is especially pleasant with three tables (many carts have none) and BY FAR the cutest employee in the neighborhood (if the carts had a beauty pageant she would easily be the queen and the runner up).

On my first visit here I was expecting something quite different but it turns out

Bosnian pitas are not at all the same as the Greek pitas I know and love.  The Bosnian pita looks something like a braided danish stuffed with vegetables, meat, and/or cheese.  The result is a hot and delicious combination of crunchy pastry and soft filling.  I was a little disappointed today however because my zucchini and cheese pita was a little too salty.  Not a deal breaker but after the goddamn salty prime rib I had last night it was a little too much for me.  Fellow Editor in Taco, Erin (prime rib free and loving it), felt the same way.

The pita plate included fresh cucumbers with yogurt and some kind of roasted pepper sauce, as magnificent in color as it is in flavor.  

We'll definitely be back to Ziba's sometime soon but I hope it's a little less salty in the future.  The last time we came everything was perfect. 

Clyde's Prime Rib*

Located in the Hollywood neighborhood, Clyde's Prime Rib promises casual OR fine dining with vintage decor and doesn't disappoint.   The exterior is modeled after a castle and just inside the door a suit of (very cheap) armor commemorates your entrance into what is surely the finest interior that Portland's steakhouses have to offer.

The dining room looks like what I could only hope to see if Wayne Newton went emo and tried to "curate" the bat cave.  Dim light shrouds the red velvet booths and deep blue tablecloths while the many portraits and oil paintings that adorn the walls are sufficiently lit by the crystal chandeliers hanging overhead.  

I would have been content to enjoy the scenery but you don't go to Clyde's PRIME RIB without zipping up your man-pants and settling into the main course.  I opted for the "Petite" prime rib dinner, slightly larger than the "JR" but with less risk of heart attack than the "Regular", "House", or "Clyde's" portions.

First to arrive at my table was a bowl of cream of cauliflower soup.  I am deeply suspicious that the kitchen had run out of cauliflower and substituted heavy cream in its place.  This is unimportant however when eating at a restaurant named Clyde's PRIME RIB.

Having ordered my prime rib cooked medium I was served a large cut of meat that had surely taken its last breath only moments before falling lifelessly onto my plate.  I can only imagine what the rare order must look like. That being said, the meat was edible and, in the name of Bling Bling Taco, I finished the whole goddamn thing like a *Bling*ing champ.  Sides included a creamed horseradish sauce, very starchy garlic mashed potatoes, and surprisingly well cooked green beans.

Despite being two thirds vegetarian, there is no way Bling Bling Taco won't be back (hopefully with a better camera) for more of what Clyde's is pimping. The stylish decor (did I mention that the entire place has no windows) is worth showing local friends and out of town guests alike, though I might recommend sticking to drinks in the ample lounge area and avoiding the salty, salty (salty) meat. Plus, we still have yet to fully understand the Vasaline and Right Guard Spray available in the men's room. Clyde is a man of many mysteries.

     

*Be sure to consult a physician before using Clyde's Prime Rib. A sudden rise in blood pressure may occur when consuming large quantities of sodium.

Flavor (Spot) - Home of the Dutch Taco.

Somehow "dutch taco" sounds sort of dirty to me. But anyway. These are basically waffle sandwiches. I've only ever eaten here once before, but I woke up this morning craving a waffle from here, so we went there for lunch. It was delightful. I should get a picture of the cart from the outside. It's pretty cute. They are in a parking lot on the south end of Mississippi in North Portland, but have really done up the cart and area around quite well.

Anyway! On to the Dutch Tacos! I had the special today, which was strawberries, whipped cream and nutella sandwiched (or taco'ed) in between the waffle. I'm normally more of a belgian waffle lover than the flatter variety, but the waffles here are super good, and very crispy, but moist inside. Delicious.

George had what may be the most brilliant sandwich ever conceived. Bacon, wrapped in Cheese, wrapped in turkey, wrapped in a mother-*bling*ing waffle. Holy Moses! He seemed to enjoy it. Scott had the "Lemon Pie", which was lemon curd, whipped cream and waffle. He thought it was awesome as well.

Nice work, Flavor Spot. I'll definitely be back.

¿Por Que No? Well, why the *bling* not?

Hallelujah! Blessed be those who reside near Por Que No, for they shall inherit the good tables on the sunny days.

Though PQN has amazing tacos, we've been on a big Brian's bowl kick. It's the equivalent of like 5 tacos for the price of 2. Except you only get 3 tortillas. Still though, it is delicious and quite affordable.

A couple weeks back, some nice fellow shared his chips with us though, and now we get a basket of chips to go with the bowl. The 3 tortillas, though ass kickingly awesome, never hold the mammoth amount contained in the bowl, so the chips come in handy for scooping up that deliciousness. Plus, if you get the chips a la carte, they are just $1.

There was a dog sleeping under our table today as well, and you know what they say about sleeping dogs. They say you should kick them and then feed them tacos.

This is pretty much our favorite lunch spot at the moment.

Por Que No Tacos