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The View
Through The Windshield
About Cars ... and Everything Else I See
by Joe Sherlock

Greatest Hits: Restaurant Reviews
(updated 7/9/2008)

Here is a collection of restaurant impressions (in chronological order):

Bugatti's Ristorante; West Linn, OR: Simple, trendy decor combined with homemade Italian food and good service made for a good dining experience. The portions are adequate but the taste is delicious, with some unusual combinations offered. It's a bit pricey but we'd return here again if we're in the area. (7/9/08)

Bing Crosby; Rancho Mirage, CA: The decor, food, service and wine selection were outstanding. The cocktails are traditional and generous. We'll be going back again and again. (2/1/08)

Castelli's; Palm Desert, CA: Joe Pesci eats here when in town. So do many other stars. The walls are filled with framed photos of them. This establishment offers well-prepared pasta dishes, delicious garlic bread and excellent service from friendly, knowledgeable waiters. The atmosphere is lively and owner Michael Castelli is on premises to make sure that everything is up to standards. He personally thanked us for our patronage. We look forward to our next visit. (2/1/08)

Cheesecake Factory; Rancho Mirage, CA: I had never been to this chain before but, the service and food was very good and reasonably priced. The decor was fascinatingly over the top. Located in The River shopping center. (2/1/08)

Keedy's Fountain Grill; Palm Desert, CA: This institution has been in business for over 50 years. Once patronized by the likes of Bing Crosby and Hopalong Cassidy and now on many 'must go to' lists, it is a kinda dumpy burger joint with old posters and news clippings on the wall. Meh. You can get better burgers elsewhere. (2/1/08)

LG's Prime Steakhouse; Palm Desert, CA: Best steaks in town. Beef is aged on premises - said premises also happens to be the oldest adobe structure in Palm Desert. It's quite nice though. Owned by Leon and Gail Greenberg; they were dining at the very next table when we visited - a good sign. (2/1/08)

Meercat Cafe; Palm Desert, CA: Look, nobody expects good food from a zoo, museum or similar attraction. (Although, the restaurant at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris is nothing short of spectacular. Ditto for the Louvre.) Anyway, when you go to The Living Desert, you're stuck with dining at one of their facilities, unless you bring your own lunch.

The Meercat Cafe offers overpriced cafeteria meals of unexceptional food served by uncaring drones. I can handle that. What I couldn't handle was the response when I asked for a straw for my Diet Coke. I was given a look of mock horror mixed with sanctimoniousness as the reply was delivered: "We don't supply straws ... for the sake of the animals."

WTF?!

I was hungry and not interested in a debate with a counter clerk so I walked away, although I was pissed that I paid $2.50 for a soft drink and didn't even get a #$@% straw. I later Googled 'drinking straws animal deaths' but found nothing. Yes, I know that every time an Escalade drives down the street, a polar bear dies. And Fur is Murder. Blah, blah, blah. But I hadn't heard of the panda population being decimated by drinking straws. I mean, straws are made from extruded polyethylene, not bamboo.

Are the extruders operated by animals? If so, maybe they just work themselves to death or something.

The Living Desert has much to offer - a very nice zoo and a spectacular train layout. Just pack your own lunch. And bring your own straw. (2/1/08)

---- 2007 ----

The Black Hole Of Dining: Sometimes I think its mass center is in Vancouver Washington. So many chain restaurants have their very worst examples sited there. We'll never go back to Chevy's Mexican Restaurant off Route 500, although the one in Beaverton, OR is apparently OK. The Vancouver Olive Garden provided us with one of the worst dining experiences ever. Ruby Tuesday's is on our never goin' back list, too.

Stuart Anderson's Black Angus downtown isn't bad but the ones nearer Seattle are several notches higher in both food quality and service. Same for Red Robin and TGI Friday's - we don't bother patronizing the ones in Vancouver anymore, although both chains are just fine for convenient, out-of-town lunch breaks. Outback Steakhouse (in the Vancouver Mall) seems to be slipping noticeably.

The Applebee's in Vancouver is so bad (triple ptui!), that I've never dared to eat at one when traveling. Elmer's Restaurants, headquartered in Portland, offers a pretty decent local alternative but the best Elmer's meal I ever had was in Palm Springs, CA. Go figure.

Recently, we dined at German-themed Gustav's on 164th. The service was atrociously slow; it took well over two hours at this casual dining spot. I've been there once before; it took twice as long as a business lunch elsewhere. I have been told that the Gustav's in Oregon operate at much closer to normal speed.

A genuine exception: Azteca (part of a northwest Mexican restaurant chain) is just as good as the ones we've tried elsewhere. Great food; prompt service. (10/3/07)

Carafe Parisian Bistro; Portland, OR: This Parisian-style bistro offers casually sophisticated dining in a lively setting with tin ceiling, cafe tables, art-deco lamps, two glass walls and a large mirror on one wall. The Bistro has good parentage; it is owned and operated by husband and wife Pascal Sauton & Julie Hunter. Pascal was formerly executive chef at the RiverPlace Hotel, where we had many enjoyable meals at the now-defunct Esplanade. Julie brings restaurant managerial experience as well.

Try one of the French wines (we had Joseph Roty Rosé - dry but flavorful) and the hangar steak and fries - excellent!! But skip the desserts which are unexceptional.

It's a touch of Paris in downtown Portland. Très Bon! (9/1/07)

Amici Bistro; Mukilteo, WA: This restaurant is located at one end of an L-shaped 1950s building; its architecture owes much to the infamous Bates Motel. The once-motel has now been converted to offices but doesn't look very impressive from the street. Step inside the restaurant and everything changes - white tablecloths, candles, nice wallcoverings, prompt service. The food was excellent and there was an extensive wine list and cellar. Owners Gianni and Rose Sassioti run a tight ship. We had a truly wonderful dinner; the lasagna is to die for. (2/26/07)

Buddy Greco's Dinner Club; Cathedral City, CA: The headliner is, of course, "Buddy Greco with guest star Lezlie Anders." Buddy, who I had always remembered as a third-tier Rat Packer at best, was the featured performer. Lezlie is his fourth wife; she's from Lake Oswego, Oregon.

---- 2006 ----

Aerie Dining Room; Malahat, B.C.: Located high in the mountains of Southern Vancouver Island, this establishment offers the best view we've ever experienced - a breathtaking 180-degree panorama of sea, mountains and river. The bill for lunch-for-two was also breathtaking - over $150!!! The food was good but unspectacular; the service (from waitpeople and kitchen) was polite but waaaay too slow. No wonder the joint was almost empty. (6/23/06)

Azteca; Vancouver, WA: This Northwest chain of Mexican restaurants features large, flavorful portions and generally good service. Their salsa is - IMHO - to die for. The biggest problem is that the Vancouver location has more morbidly obese patrons than any establishment I've ever seen. Some enter riding those heavy-duty handicapped scooters! Consider this a warning to eat sparingly or dine here infrequently - unless you want to be Rascal-bound.

Black Bear Diner; Madras, OR (and other locations, including Bend and Beaverton, OR): Prompt, friendly service, good grub, huge portions - would you like your hand-formed burger in the half, three-quarter or one-pound size? Get there early or you'll be waiting in line, drooling. (6/6/06)

Black Butte Ranch; near Sisters, OR: Nice view, overpriced wine, forgettable food, poor service. Stand outside and enjoy the view. Then drive away and spend your dining dollars elsewhere. (6/6/06)

Blind Onion Pizza, Vancouver, WA: I've read rave reviews about this neighborhood spot near downtown Vancouver. So we tried it for lunch. The ambiance was near-zero (think fast food with low lighting), the pizza was OK, but unspectacular. I think our expectations were too high. (6/6/06)

Blue Crab Bar & Grill, Victoria, B.C.: Our table had a great view of the inner harbor (that's harbour to the locals) and the food was tasty and cleverly presented on the plate. Frommer's Travel Guide rates it the "Best Seafood Restaurant for Victoria." The best? I dunno, but it's certainly very good. (6/6/06)

Bronco Billy's; Sisters, OR: Old-timey decor, decent wine, OK-but-unexceptional food, clumsy and sullen server. Overall rating: Meh. You could do worse. (6/6/06)

Cafe Brio; Victoria B.C.: A wonderful place. We were greeted by Greg Hays, co-owner, and were treated like old friends. This restaurant is trendy, upscale and bistro-like but has the feel of a "neighborhood place" where everybody seems to know everyone else. But we never felt left out because the wait staff were very attentive and the food was well prepared and contained an interesting and engaging mix of flavors (oops ... flavours).

Cafe Brio claims to offer West Coast contemporary food with inspiration from Italian and French cuisine. I don't know which was French or Italian - it just tasted good. The bread was flavorful and had an interesting texture. And the house Merlot was tasty and not the dreck one sometime gets when selecting an economy choice from the wine list. Conde Nast Travel Magazine sez, "Cafe Brio tries to satisfy rather than impress and ends up doing both." Try it; you'll like it. (6/23/06)

Coyote Cafe; Sisters, OR: The menu was surprisingly extensive; the food was delicious; the wine was fairly-priced and the staff - prompt and courteous. It's the best place in Sisters. (6/6/06)

Irby's; Battle Ground, WA: Sit in a barber chair while you have a drink! Or two. This cool place, hidden away in "Old Town Battle Ground". That's the dumpy part of town that the city is trying to revive.

On Thursdays, Irby's offers a bargain seven-buck wine tasting with three selections and free hors d'oeuvres. The prime rib is excellent. The decor is unforgettable and there are some interesting offerings on the menu. Steve Irby is a gracious host and the wine selection is extensive.

My sole gripe is that, sometimes, the red wines are served at too warm a temperature for my liking. (6/6/06)

Leonardo's; Battle Ground, WA: When the former Dante's was sold, we were concerned that the new owners would ruin everything. Not so. The name has been changed and the menu has improved. I especially like the minestrone soup, lasagna, focaccia bread and Leonardo's signature pizza offerings.

My primary complaint is about the meatballs. Dante's used to have spectacularly-flavored ones. Leonardo's has been screwing around on-and-off with the recipe and I am classifying its spherical blobs-O-meat as "surprisingly variable". We've noticed variance in some other dishes, too. Stick with the pizza. (6/6/06)

Pagliacci's; Victoria, B.C.: Located on Bond Street, this place was recommended by two different friends. They gave me good advice - the food was outstanding. Portions were generous and dishes had names like 'Salmon Enchanted Evening' salad, 'The Hot Transvestite' - a sautéed chicken, described as "the Queen of Dishes", 'Feta Fatwah', claimed to be Salmon Rushdie's favorite. I had 'Meat John Doe' - a helping of linguini with four large and delicious meatballs. Go early - Pagliacci's doesn't take reservations and lines quickly form down the block. (6/23/06)

Penny Farthing Pub; Oak Bay, B.C.: This much-hyped establishment was a disappointment. The service was indifferent and the food - just OK. Meanwhile ... The Irish Times Pub in downtown Victoria was much better - exceptional but authentic pub food, served promptly by friendly staff. Both places are owned by the same people. Go figure. (6/23/06)

Salty's; Portland, OR: One of the most consistent restaurants we've ever experienced. The food is always well-prepared and delectable. Salty's specializes in seafood but the steaks are some of the best in town. We've never experienced less-than-perfect service - in 20 years of patronage. Drinks are generous and the wine list is decent enough. The view of the Columbia River is spectacular. Self-parking is limited, so arrive early unless you want to have a valet park your car.

On weekends, Salty's often features the Mel Brown Quartet, an exceptional mainstream jazz group with a strong Portland-area fan base - including me. (6/6/06)

Skamania Lodge; Skamania, OR: The food and service are generally pretty good but everybody comes here for the view of the Columbia Gorge, not the edibles.

Arrive early, grab a window table and linger. The drive to/from Skamania on Highway 14 varies between scenic, interesting, challenging and treacherous, depending on the weather. (6/6/06)

Waddling Dog Pub; Sidney, B.C.: We had lunch here. Great name, zero ambiance but good food. (6/23/06)

---- 2005 and earlier ----

The Windseeker; The Dalles, Oregon (10/17/05): For the past 15 years or so, we've patronized Cousins for lunch in The Dalles. But on our last two visits, the food and service were sub-par. So, we tried The Windseeker - a restaurant perched on the edge of the Columbia Gorge. We had a window table with a pleasurable Gorge view. The food was very tasty. It's our new Lunch Place. The Windseeker is also open for dinner.

Burgerville; OR & WA (6/30/05): If you live in a lucky-enough area of the Pacific Northwest, be sure to visit your local Burgerville. It's Walla-Walla Days (an annual event running from late June through mid-August) and the battered, fried Walla-Walla onion rings and Walla-Walla Cheeseburgers are pure heaven.

My wife and I just dined at the one in Battle Ground. We'll go back again before the Walla-Wallas are gone. Maybe several times!

Doubletree's Corporate Idiocy (3/15/05): If you want to buy a gift certificate for one of the Doubletree Inn's restaurants, you can't get them at the restaurant. You must call an 800 number and you'll be charged an extra $7.50 for mandatory FedEx shipping. Is that nuts or what?!

CJ's Grill; Battle Ground, WA (2/15/05): If you run a restaurant, you need recipes. Some restaurants pay food developers for them; others come up with their own. But successful recipes are precious and must be treated as a valuable asset.

CJ's Grill opened in August 2004 in Battle Ground. At first, we liked it. And went back again and again. In November, we dined there and the food was awful. We vowed to never return. But someone gave us gift certificates as Christmas presents. So, we went back there in early February, 2005.

The dining room was empty when we arrived. The waiter confessed that the chef quit in October and took all the recipes with him. (Didn't anyone keep copies?) A new chef was brought in who changed everything (and not in a good way, either). The waiter said that many customers stopped coming by and several waitpeople quit. The kitchen staff has been replaced and our meal was very good - back to CJ's pre-November standards.

Less than two weeks later, we went there for Valentine's Day. Our dinner was a mess - sheer incompetency and bad service.

We're never going back. 'Nuff said. (Update 1/07: Out of business. Not surprised.)

Portofino Bistro Italiano; Quebec City, Quebec (10/14/04): This wonderful Italian restaurant is in upper Quebec City. Excellent food ... and the walls are covered with Ferraribilia. One night, the owner's red 348 TS was parked out front.

Nearby, the pricey Restaurant Auberge du Tresor offers good cuisine but very poor service. Avoid it.

The Cliff House; Tacoma, WA (8/30/04): It's the finest restaurant in Tacoma, with spectacular views of both Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier. I hadn't been there in 20+ years. I remembered that the road to the elevated cliff on which the establishment sits is quite treacherous, especially in the dark. Particularly when driving a long-wheelbase '77 Dodge Van while half in the bag. (Aaaahhhh, the '80s - those days of navy pinstriped suits, yellow power ties with little red dots, early-middle-aged aggressiveness and multiple bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon. And those feelings of Invincibility!)

This time we dressed casually, dined quietly on Chateaubriand and sipped Merlot in moderation. And watched the sun go down. Sweet.

Les Diables au Thym; Paris, France (6/15/01): I highly recommend Les Diables au Thym (Devils with Thyme), an upscale yet reasonably-priced restaurant in Paris. Cuisine Traditionnelle. Fine food, good wine selection, friendly & impeccable service.

Call for reservations, because it's a small establishment with limited seating. English-language menus are readily available. Located at 35 rue Bergere, 75009 Paris.

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