The Big Egg Runeth Over

It's been a fun activity of mine to explore different breakfast haunts in my neighborhood since I'm now privy to waking up early with baby.  Getting to know my area even more intimately has been a lot of fun and I've made some new mommy friends along the way who've joined me for some delicious breakfast adventures.  This one, at the Big Egg was accompanied by Eva and her lovely little daughter Sophia, who I hope Edie can play with soon.

But...about the food!

Atmosphere:
Previously a food pod on N. Mississippi Ave, The Big Egg was always a challenge to try because of its popularity, and they always sold out early.  However, about 3 months ago that all changed, as they opened up their first brick and mortar location on NE Alberta St. and 30th Avenue.  What a treat for the neighborhood!  

While the storefront is small (it used to be the old Sugar Cube space), it's lovely and inviting and sports their quintessential yellow and brown motif.  The interior is friendly and seats about 20 people, with a variety of booth style and counter seating.  It's kid friendly, which is fabulous for me right now, and needless to say, I frequent it often.

Food:
I've tried a number of their sandwiches already, each being more delicious than the next that I now thought I should give their French Toast a whirl.  Really happy with my decision, I marveled at this crunchy breakfast sandwich that was wrapped in crunchy panko and then stuffed with smoked ham and a hint of gorgonzola dolce.  It was unlike any breakfast sandwich I had and certainly the most unique french toast.  A little taste of vanilla and cardamom in the brioche bread gave it that sophistication and something a little special that'll keep me coming back for more.

Service and Cost:
I usually experience really good service here and this time was no different.  Like a lot of restaurants in Portland, you order up at the counter and then wait for your order to be called out.  While it's not traditional restaurant service, I far prefer it, as it makes for a more casual experience.

Costs are on the expensive side for breakfast sandwiches but given the high quality of their ingredients, I really don't mind.  My French Toast and coffee set me back about $12 total.

3 Mmmms

The Big Egg - 3039 NE Alberta Street, Portland OR 97211
971.373.8098
thebigegg.com

Paadee/Langbaan Action + $1 Beers at Lardo = Success!

Yesterday, Dan, Sonya and I took advantage of one of those stellar Portland deals that's just unacceptable to pass up - $1 draft beers!  The place of honor for this doozy of a deal was Lardo sandwich shop, which has three locations in Portland, and we went to the most convenient for us, which is on North Williams Street.  Also, let me not forget to mention that they also brought back the Paadee/Langbaan Thai chicken sandwich, so that in itself was a big draw.

Atmosphere:
Set in the heart of North Portland, on North Williams street between Mason and Shaver streets, Lardo North is accessible and has that brand spankin' new feeling.  The actual space is combined with Philippe's Bread/Frice Pastry, which is a gorgeous pastry shop that you can hit up after for dessert.  

The space itself is long and narrow and seats about 50 people if I had to guesstimate.  In addition to traditional tables, there's also lots of bar seating, which is a good option especially if you're eating solo.  The no frills service suits well if you're in the mood for casual dining, as you order at the counter, grab one of the long wooden spoons you see above and wait for your sandwiches to be brought to you.  You're supposed to bus your dishes after you're done too, which most folks adhere to, except for a few lazy customers who we encountered yesterday.

Food:
Even though their sandwich menu is plentiful and enticing, we knew what we came for and didn't mess around.  All three of us ordered the special Chefwich inspired by Paadee/Langbaan and a side of herb fries and those beers I mentioned.  

Paadee/Langbaan Thai Chicken Sandwich - There's nothing not to like about this Thai coconut fried curry chicken sandwich, topped with fresh veggies such as bright butter lettuce, pickled slaw, cilantro and basil.  It's a sophisticated banh mi that's perfectly filling and a wonderful way to end the week.  My favorite aspect was the chicken, which was thick cut, tender and juicy on the inside.  While I couldn't get enough of it, the portion was just right, including the meat to fixins ratio.

Herb Fries - While simple, they were cooked perfectly to crunchy bite sized pieces and bejeweled with all sorts of fried herbs such as sage and rosemary among some others.  I found myself reaching into the nearly empty container, scraping off those herby bits and devouring each bite.

Lardo Lager - In collaboration with Oakshire Brewing, Lardo launched its special lager just last week and in its honor was offering $1 pints.  This deal is simply impossible to refuse so we took advantage.  Dan loved the beer and said it was super light, as did Sonya who compared it to a tasty Stella.

Service and Cost:
Since this is an order at the counter kind of place, the service is very straightforward but even having said that, everything was on point.  I mentioned that some sloppy customers left their dirty dishes on the table, but the gracious staff quickly helped us clean those up and all was well again.

Costs are expensive for the sandwiches at $11 a pop but super cheap for the beer at $1 and about average for the fries at $4.  Overall, another dinner under $30 on a weekend eve isn't too shabby.

3 Mmmms

Lardo - 4090 North Williams, Portland OR 97227
503.841.5373
lardosandwiches.com

The Sandwich Bar Delivers a Cozy Lunch Treat

Walking around Ditmars the other week, indulging in some retail therapy got me pretty hungry.  I do love me a good sandwich, and have been meaning to stop in at The Sandwich Bar for quite a while.  Noticing that they had a nice lunch special for just $7.50 got me excited, so I decided to stay and try it out.

Atmosphere:
Casual and rustic, The Sandwich Bar offers up a laid back atmosphere where you can stop in for a quick bite or enjoy a more leisurely meal.  When I walked in, I noticed diners of all kinds, including folks who were solo and buried in a good book or small parties of friends or couples.

The space boasts beautiful, full length windows on all sides and therefore provides tons of natural light.  Even though the day I went in was quite mild in temperature, I imagine the sunlight being a nice perk on a sub-polar day like today.  Plus the light made it easy for me to take my foodie pics, which is always a plus for us bloggers.

Food:
With nearly 30 different sandwich options on the menu, deciding on my front runner sandwich was no easy feat.  I liked how they help you narrow it down though, organizing the sandwiches by categories such as "cold," "hot," and "pressed."  I went with the latter and wasn't sorry.

Braised Brisket Grilled Cheese Sandwich - After much deliberation, I consulted my waitress for her opinion and she had great things to say about this sandwich.  I love me a good brisket (and who doesn't love grilled cheese?!) so this was an easy sell for me.  

Surprised by how large it was, it came with two generous sandwich halves as well as a salad.  Technically, the lunch deal was supposed to be a half sandwich/salad (or fries) combo, but my portion seemed extremely generous.  The bread was a crusty, delicious sourdough, which withstood the the press treatment well and held its own next to the tender brisket meat.  Loving the sharp cheddar cheese, which made its way through not only the middle but also the top of the sandwich, it created that savory indulgence that made a lasting impression.

Service and Cost:
Very happy with the level of attention I received from the staff, they are both attentive and unobtrusive.  I liked that my waitress had a clear opinion about her favorite sandwich, given the bevy of choices, and her recommendation didn't steer me wrong.

The lunch deal I just described was fabulous, setting me back just $10 for a hefty meal, including tax and tip.  Most sandwiches range between $8.50 - $9.

3 Mmmms

The Sandwich Bar - 33-01 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria NY 11105
718.777.1078
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
thesandwichbarny.com

Press 195 - Fresh, Hot, Sandwichy Goodness

Press 195 - 40-11 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361
718.281.1950
www.press195.com

My first visit to Press was when friends, James and Janel took us there in Park Slope.  But since then, I've discovered another location, right here in Queens, situated on Bayside's busy, Bell Boulevard.  I was so excited to uncover this gem in Bayside that my friend Michelle and I made brunch plans and dined there last weekend.  Their specialty, as you can tell from the above photos are paninis, and lots of 'em.

Atmosphere:
Casual, laid-back and friendly is how I'd describe the atmosphere at Press.  While the decor is nothing out of the ordinary, consisting of classic wooden tables and chairs, and a few minimalist touches, the focus is more on the food and beer.  The interior is long and narrow (just like its Park Slope sister location), but aside from that, there's a really cool, and quite extensive outdoor patio with plenty of tables, some of which are covered by trees.  We just couldn't help but feel relaxed and comfortable here, taking it easy and not rushing. 

Food:
We couldn't believe how many sandwich options there were - I counted 40 hot press sandwiches and 7 that were cold pressed (meaning just lightly toasted).  But what I really had my eye on was the Knish corner, a sandwich enveloped in hot pressed potato knishes instead of bread.  Keep reading to find out more...

Belgian Fries - Michelle drew my attention to these right away and I was happy to get them.  They seemed to be popular, as we saw a couple of neighboring diners devouring them.  Once we got our share, we understood why.  Served in a classic cone container, lined with parchment paper, the fries were just gorgeous.  They were not only the perfect size, they still had the skins on, which is just about my favorite thing in a fry. Crunchy and delectable, we really enjoyed munching on them before our sandwiches came - and the best part was the garlic sauce we ordered on the side.  Dipping each fry into this as well as ketchup was sinfully good.

Turkey Knish Press - This was the knish sandwich I briefly referenced above.  Stuffed with smoky turkey breast, Canadian bacon, gooey Swiss cheese and tomatoes, sandwiched between hot knishes with gorgeous press marks on them, it was a delight.  Since it has more starch than a regular sandwich, it was a lot more filling and that's why I shared it with Michelle. We both agreed that was a smart move and I'd recommend taking this route.

Roast Beef Press - Michelle gravitated to this panini since she's a meat lover - and as am I so I obliged.  The best part about it was the rustic sourdough bread that was wonderfully crunchy on the outside but nice and soft on the inside.  Stuffed with thick pieces of roast beef, tomato, fresh mozzarella, Bermuda onions and horseradish sauce, it had a nice bite to it and was also pretty hearty. We liked everything in it except for the main ingredient--the roast beef--because it was too chewy.  I think we'll be staying away from this sandwich next time, but we'll definitely try another one of their 39 options.

Service and Cost:
Generally speaking, our servers were helpful.  Although not overly knowledgeable, they tried their best to accommodate us and while we didn't find them to be exceptional, we didn't run into any major problems either.

Costs are affordable and include:

Belgian Fries - $6
Starters - $8 - $16
Cold Press - $8.75 - $10

Hot Press - $8.50 - $9.50
Knishes - $8.50

Salads - $5 - $11

3 Mmmms