Thursday, February 18, 2010

Is there such a thing as too much food?

I have been eating out lately. A lot. There are too many good places to eat in Portland. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Columbian Cafe is a little place in Astoria, Or near the coast. There are three booths and nine chairs at the bar which is really the kitchen where you can see the stove and the chef at work. He is a funny guy whom we overheard telling bar jokes about tequila.

We were lucky enough to come in right after a couple had left so we got one of the coveted booths, and people after us were turned away or asked to wait. They brought us some bread and oil and vinegar which was so delicious. The bread was dense, sweet, and moist. Different from what you would normally soak in oil and vinegar, but very tasty. We ordered and they brought us our drinks. I had honey milk, which is warm, and I have since made myself many times.
Next, the waitress brought us some texas toast style bread with an assortment of homemade jellies. Garlic, habenjero, jalapeno.There was also a very spicy pico de gio. I tried and loved them all but the garlic was so sweet and garlicy that it was the best.
When our food came they placed the dungeness crab, with lemon zest over fetticini in front of my friend Jared, and the portabella mushroom plate in front of me. With salmon. I do not like salmon and I did not order it. Almost immediately (probably at the sight of my surprised face) the waitress asked if that was wrong, and whisked it back to the kitchen, which is righ behind the bar, not four feet from us. She gave it to the chef who mumbled something about making a mistake, and set the plate on the stove. hard. it broke. I felt so bad, but his mood didn't last long, and the apologetic waitress soon brought me a brand new dish. Portabello mushrooms and garlic over hand rolled fetticini noodles. Now, I am a little newer to liking mushrooms, so I am very picky. These were the BEST I have ever had. they had been marinated and were think meaty slices. so robust! ha ha. They were excellent. I even tried the dungeness crab, which I don't like, and I loved every lemony bite! We should all head to Astoria this summer to check out the breakfast, which is supposed to be even better.

3 comments:

  1. Sign me up!!! The front looks like a little European cafe.... ah, the memories... I'm totally going to plan a trip to OR after that rave review. Hope you're ready for visitors!

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  2. what the h is pico de gio?
    could it at all be related to the mexican favorite, pico de gallo?
    haha i'm only jealous, sister.

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  3. Jame, I think the reason that we did not like seafood growing up is because we did not live in a place where it is really good. Ever since I started at Magleby's I have like it. It might also be that kids do not like the best things always, as Melody pointed out in her earlier post. We'll have to go next time I visit.

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