The Sudra | NE Portland

100 percent vegan, Indian-inspired food served in casual digs (order-at-the-counter style) with a giant patio - which is shared with the adjacent two fast-casual restaurants (one's a taco joint, the other a burger place). This, my friends, is The Sudra.

A recent dinner there started with two cocktails: the Beet Generation ($8), made with Volstead vodka, beet and lemon juices, brine, and a pickled bean for garnish; as well as the King Louie ($10), made with Cazadores Blanco, Hot Monkey vodka, Combier Orange, pineapple and lime juices, and a chile salt rim.

The King Louie was wildly refreshing with a healthy kick of spice, while the Beet Generation was definitely earthy (read: beet-y), but still quite delicious.

For an appetizer, the Pakora (price...I don't have #greatblogger) is a must-try. Our medley included crispy-fried broccoli and cauliflower with sauces that I don't actually know the names of, but worked well with the vegetables. (One's a creamy, tangy sauce; the other a thinner, berry-forward sauce). Again, #greatblogger.

For my entree, I went with the Kale-Infused Dosa Plate ($10), which consisted of kale-infused dosa, black-eyed pea korma, potato masala, collards, and pickled Anaheim chiles, with cilantro-lemon sauce and roasted red pepper-cashew chutney on the side. 

The collards, black-eyed peas, and potatoes were cooked and seasoned wonderfully, and the accompanying sauce and chutney were borderline addictive. The kale-infused dosa was good and interesting, but the texture of the dosa itself was a bit dry and crumbly. 

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at The Sudra, and we loved the wide-open patio. I'd go back for the cocktails and pakora alone, although I'm eager to try some of their other dishes, too.

Have you ever been to an all-vegan Indian restaurant before?

Beer Friday: Hallelujah Hopricot by Reverend Nat's Hard Cider

On most Fridays, I'll share a beer I particularly enjoy, and think you might as well. This series will feature beers from all over the U.S. (and when we're lucky, the world). Cheers! 

We're switching gears this week from beer...to cider! And we're talking about one of the best cideries here in good ol' PDX (in my humble opinion).

I've only been to Rev Nat's a handful of times - although I've enjoyed their bottled ciders several times as well - and every time I visit, they always have a wide, unique variety of ciders available. Not usually being a cider person myself (they tend to be too sweet and artifical-tasting for me), I love how Rev Nat's ciders are always crisp, not too sweet, and super spot-on in terms of flavor.

Last weekend, we visited their taproom again and I ordered this year-round gem that's even more ideal for summertime imbibing. (Note: Many of Rev Nat's taproom ciders rotate regularly, but this one is always available).

What: Hallelujah Hopricot by Rev Nat's

Style: Hard Cider

ABV: 6.7%

Tasting Notes: Cascade and Amarillo hops give this cider the dry, hoppy qualities it needs to help balance out the sweetness of the apricot juice and heirloom apples. I loved how crisp, refreshing, and not artificially sweet this cider is, while still letting the apricot notes be the star of the show. I can see why it's one of Rev Nat's best-sellers!

Pairing Suggestion: A huge bonus is that Rev Nat's has Sizzle Pie available at their taproom! But, if you're not hanging out there and just want a bottle to share at home (yes, Hallelujah Hopricot is also available in bottles) I recommend pairing this with a cheese plate. The subtle spice from the hops and sweetness from the fruit would make any cheese pairing that much more epic. 

Where Can I Find It? At Rev Nat's - on tap, in bottles, and/or growlers to-go! Their taproom is located at 1813 NE 2nd Avenue in Portland. However, you can also find bottles at a slew of local gourmet or specialty foods markets in Oregon, Washington, and Southern California. (You may also have luck if you live in Idaho, Hawaii, British Columbia, or Tokyo, Japan. True story). I'd just recommend calling your local shops to see if they carry Rev Nat's ciders.

Are you a cider fan? What's one of your favorites?

The Big Egg | NE Portland

An adorable breakfast spot on NE Alberta that doesn't have a wait for breakfast? I'm in.

The Big Egg is a super cute spot amidst busy NE Alberta, serving up an ever-changing variety of breakfast sandwiches - with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options to boot.

Z and I stopped in last weekend before meeting a friend at Great Notion Brewing right down the road, and we were glad we did.

To start off our meal, the cashier informed me that this chocolate cold brew creation exists. Life. Changed. (I even confessed on Instagram that this is one of my new obsessions).

At The Big Egg, you order at the counter and then endure a short wait for your food (ours was about 15 minutes, but it seemed like that was only because it was a Saturday/busy). I ordered the Breakfast Wrap, which was filled with scrambled eggs, organic crimini mushrooms, organic green onions, house-made fire-roasted poblano sauce, organic yogurt-lime sauce, and white cheddar (although you could also get it with gorgonzola instead). I could have also added my choice of Olympia Provisions pork breakfast sausage, applewood smoked bacon, or Field Roast apple-sage vegetarian sausage for an additional charge, but opted not to.

The Breakfast Wrap was delicious and incredibly flavorful - the yogurt-lime sauce really made it for me, and I loved the buttery, grilled wrap. 

Z had ordered The PDX Sandwich with over medium egg, local stone ground mustard, fresh organic chives, white cheddar, and Field Roast sausage (he added to it) on grilled brioche. While the flavor was fantastic, he was disappointed in how small the sandwich was. He was hungry not too long after we left, and he typically gets fuller faster than I do!

Overall, we really enjoyed our casual breakfast at The Big Egg, and we will be back. We'll just plan to order a little more food next time.

Oh, and you can't beat a short walk after breakfast to sip on Great Notion beers in the sunshine, am I right?

It was a great [late] Saturday morning indeed!

Have you checked out any new-to-you breakfast spots lately? 

The Bye and Bye | NE Portland

You know those restaurants where, before even taking your last bite, you vow to visit again soon? Yeah...that happened to us at Bye and Bye.

Located right up the street from one of our favorite Portland breweries, Bye and Bye features all-vegetarian eats in a casual yet oh-so-Portland setting. You order at the counter and take your order number to the table of your choice, which, for us on this sunny day, was at one of their outdoor, dog-friendly picnic tables.

Ice cold pints of Engelberg Pilsner - from Portland's own Upright Brewing - started the meal off right.

For our meals, I went for the Weeping Tiger Sandwich ($9), made with tofu cutlets, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, jalapeño, and Sriracha and miso mayo on Grand Central bread.

Z went for the BBQ Brussel Bowl ($9), made with BBQ tofu, Brussels sprouts, and brown rice - and he opted to add fresh avocado for a well-worth-it extra dollar.

Um...the only way to say this is that every bite - of both of our meals - was next to perfect. My tofu was seasoned and cooked perfectly, and everything down to the chips and salsa on the side was spot-on and delicious. Z also raved about his BBQ bowl for the remainder of the night, enamored with the well-seasoned rice (which he's typically not a fan of) and the ideally cooked and sauced tofu.

After our delectable meals, we took the quick walk over to Great Notion for a few more brews before Game of Thrones. Perfect Sunday indeed.

My only gripe? I haven't visited here sooner!

Where was the last almost-perfect meal you had?

Beer Friday: Juice Box by Great Notion Brewing

On most Fridays, I'll share a beer I particularly enjoy, and think you might as well. This series will feature beers from all over the U.S. (and when we're lucky, the world). Cheers! 

When Z and I first moved to Portland from the East Coast, we immediately missed our juicy, super fresh IPAs. Tree House and Trillium were our go-tos back home, and the IPAs here in the Pacific Northwest just weren't cutting it (yet...).

Enter: Juice Box by Great Notion Brewing, one of the newest breweries to grace Portland with their brewed magic. (Great Notion also makes an equally juicy beer called Juice Jr., which has a little lower ABV than this here powerhouse).

Here's why this IPA can quench your thirst - and give you a buzz at the same time:

What: Juice Box by Great Notion Brewing, Portland, OR

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 8.2% 

Tasting Notes: So many hops (Juice Box is brewed with over four pounds of hops per barrel) are nicely balanced by the juicy, fruity flavors in each sip - think peaches, mango, apricots, and a teeny bit of citrus. For a double IPA, this brew goes down a little too easy - it honestly tastes like [hoppy] juice!

Pairing Suggestion: Breakfast, obviously - when's a better time for juice? But since an 8.2% beer first thing in the morning can really derail your day, may I also suggest pairing this with fish tacos, or a bomb egg sandwich (which can be had for lunch or dinner, not just breakfast!).

Where Can I Find It? At the brewery only, folks. It's almost always available on tap, and for crowlers to-go, if there's enough left on that day. The taproom's a great casual spot, with food on the premises to boot. (I haven't eaten there yet, but the food always smells delicious).

What have you been sipping on lately? Any beer recommendations I should try?