Stumptown's Burgers

It’s no secret to those in my inner circle that I love burgers. I’m somewhat obsessed. Give me a big rare juicy burger, a half dozen napkins, and I’m a happy camper.

All of the burgers listed below get a shiny gold star by my basic criteria:

1) Cooked to order. When I say "rare" I beg you, I implore you, please cook it rare.

2) Meat to bun ratio: I'd like the patty to hover in the 6-8 oz range. Burger should be visible on the outer edges of the bun.

3) Meat quality: Don't cut the fat. In fact, add fat. Bonus points for pork fat. It must be juicy and well seasoned.

4) Bun quality: The bun must be hefty enough to hold up to a big juicy patty without being too big, too dry. Brioche is a plus.

5) Accessories, please: Artisan cheese, aioli perhaps? House made pickles? All I ask is that you class it up a little.

AND MY LIST GOES LIKE THIS:

Most decadent: Grüner

This one's gonna get messy, but it's so worth it. It goes beyond juicy. The patty surely has a high fat percentage and is tasty on its own. Add in smoky bacon, pickled veggies, cheese, greens, and house ketchup and the combination is near explosive. The burger is only available at the bar, and reservations are not an option, so grab an expensive beer and watch everyone else chow down while you wait.

Best Hangover Burger: Foster Burger

The Foster Pile Up to be precise. Every available burger topping is piled high. This includes a fried egg, pickled beets, applewood smoked bacon, roasted jalapenos... need I go on? The beef is house ground, the beer list is short but sweet. Order a tall boy of PBR to make the experience complete. *Bonus: Foster Burger nabbed a spot on a national top 10 list of burgers by Bon Appetit mag.

Pro's Pick, Best with Booz: Little Bird Bistro

The infamous Le Pigeon burger! Before the advent of Little Bird, it was in short supply - and high demand - at Le Pigeon. Chef Gabriel Rucker set a limit of 5 to the nightly manufacturing efforts of this burger, enabling his team to focus on Le Pigeon's NW-French cuisine. Order away at Little Bird! Open 'til 12am, they'll crank these babies out all night, with marrow fries on the side. http://eater.com/tags/little-bird

Best Breakfast Burger: Produce Row

From their brunch menu- although I'm sure the Row burger brings it, too. A whopping 8 oz local beef patty with white cheddar, bacon, fried egg, and hash browns! Topped with hollandaise and served on a toasted brioche bun. As if that's not enough, cottage cheese and fruit is served on the side, for nutritional value, I'm sure. Have your server bring extra napkins.



Best Late Night: Biwa

Drunk munchies after a night out on the town? Perfect! The Biwa burger, only served late, offers the goods to re-fuel you. They throw a slab of pork belly on it and smear on a generous layer of kimchi mayo (Biwa being a Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant, this serves as the burger's tie-in to the menu). Pickled goodies and potato salad on the side. Not my favorite potato salad, but you can't complain with that burger - and the sake cocktails are to die for.


Most Unique: Grilled Cheese Grill

As any good Portlander knows, food carts rock! And when it comes to burgers, the Grilled Cheese Grill concocted a doozie. A WTF burger, if you will. Admittedly, this one really doesn't fit the 5 criteria I outlined, but it is too fun to not include. Step 1.Take two grilled cheese sammies (suspiciously made with American cheese) Step 2. Use them as buns for your burger - which, I may add, boasts a slice of melted cheese of its own. Traditional in topping, this is not for the connoisseur so much as someone who just wants to have a little fun - and a lot of cheese.


Best International: Broder

Mmmmmm, lamb. A Swedish joint in the Clinton neighborhood, Broder has a variety of traditional Scandinavian delights. I, of course, also visit for their burger. Lamb burger. Some of the goodies: pickled veggies, roasted tomato relish, chevre, and a fantastic house made curry ketchup. Brioche bun, nicely done. Stop in for lunch (Middag) daily, but they are only open for dinner Thurs-Sat.


Best Traditional: Little Big Burger

Micah Camden strikes again, this time in the Pearl District. I'd get 2-3 of these little gems, not only due to their size, but because the cheese selection is too good to get just one. House-made ketchup seems to be a theme in Portland; they have theirs for sale by the bottle, and it's one of the best. Truffle oil fries? Whoo hoo! Perfect to drop in for a bite while out shopping in the Pearl, although you may have to wade through a line. Coming real soon ... Mississippi location!


Long Lost Love: Slow Bar

They still claim to have the best burger in Portland, but a lot has happened since Portland monthly crowned the Slow Burger with the title in 2008. That cover story had me running over to SE Grand to scoop it up. I heard angels sing with my first bite. Between the meat's seasoning, the sauces and relishes, the cheese, the big fatty onion rings inside ... there was no picking my favorite ingredient. It all just came together so perfectly. So what happened? New chef? New suppliers? While still satisfying, I found my last trip for a Slow Burger lacking in sizzle. But as I am a forgiving person, I have a feeling I'll be back again, searching for that first love buzz.

Everybody has their favorite burger joint. This list represents the best Portland has brought me so far. As I continue on my burger journey through Stumptown, I'm sure I'll have more to blab about.

Obsessed with Oregon "vino-culture"? - A great place to read about Oregon Pinot Noir.

Pleasure to Meet You, Mr. Ned Ludd

Allow me to make your next meal out decision a little easier: Introduce yourself to Ned Ludd.

Winning rave reviews all around, Ned Ludd is a true Portland gem; a cozy little romantic restaurant nestled on NE MLK.

The decor, decisively Pacific Northwest: Reclaimed timber, retro fixtures, big wooden barrels lounging around ... you almost expect a lumber jack to come lumbering into the dining room. Luckily, the image of bearded men in plaid flannel shirts is romantic to the femmes of P-Town. Another very Portland-y quality; Ned Ludd uses nothing but locally sourced cuisine - some as close as the restaurant's backyard. It's simple and ever changing, boasting charcuterie made mere miles away, greens and herbs that meet the criteria of whatever is available outside.

Owners Ben Meyer and Jason French took over the space of a former pizzeria and stuck with the wood oven, cooking exclusively with it. Ain't no fancy machines taking over this Ned Ludd. Despite everything being cooked in a wood fired oven, the menu is satisfyingly not monotone and divided into four sections:

forebits
kaltbits
warm bits
plats

Let's dig in!

Forebits: Monsieur Boy and I greedily nab the biggest charcuterie plate on the menu. The kitchen selection board is home to an extravagant mix of prescuitto, salumi, rillette, and cheeses of different textures and creatures. The usual crudites included, pickled, and in top form. A good charcuterie plate is a wonderful way to explore a medley of flavor with a fellow foodie, comparing combinations to create best practices for future bites.

Kaltbits: The friendly wait staff explains what "kaltbits" means in a non-condescending way (German, "cold" bits - salads, to be precise). We go with the arugula with duck confit, what else? The rich, fatty element of the confit plays off the bitterness of the arugula so well. And staying true to the locale, hazelnuts add a crunchy, earthy component to tie it all together.

Warm Bits: Meat pie! (the ! is on the menu; much deserved). Ned Ludd, you are quite the matchmaker. This is the perfect creation for a carnivore such as myself. The pie is filled with .... get ready ..... FIVE different beasts! Cow, swine, lamb, rabbit, and chicken. There was no way I was not ordering this dish. A flaky, buttery crust encompasses the meaty filling, aromatic with red wine.

Plats: My fish-o-choice was smoked cod, with a satisfying portion of mussels swimming around in a delightful smoky-sweet broth. Moist and bursting with complex flavor, not a bite was left on my plate, as even the last drops of creamy sauce were sopped up with bread. M. Boy goes for the ruby trout with a confit of fennel, sipping his sauv blanc between mouthfuls.

Balancing well with both meat and my cod dish, why a delicious full-bodied glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. Earthy and fruity notes compliment the smokey, spicy complexity of the cod and the rich meat pie with ease.

Oh yes, I nearly forgot the rearbits; dessert items garnering their own menu. Rearbits, dear reader, you will have to discover for yourself. This food face was so full from rounds 1-4, the last sip of pinot was the perfect ending.


3925 NE MLK
* parking on the south side of the building
http://nedluddpdx.com/

Obsessed with Oregon "vino-culture"? - A great place to read about Oregon Pinot Noir.

Scrawny Birds and Fish Eyeballs: I Heart Olympic Provisions

Monsieur boy and I attended another delightful Portland Audubon presentation last night, which got us thinking ….. about marinated quail a la plancha, a staple at Olympic Provisions.

The Quail a la Plancha- literally translated to “grilled on a plate”- is made right before your eyes, as is everything at Olympic Provisions, if you are fortunate enough to nab a seat at the bar. Watching the chefs at work is like watching performance art. There is a fluid, symbiotic relationship between the cooks that is just fascinating to observe. Their grilling plate is the cooking surface they use to create most of their meat/fish dishes. Order Up! One quail, and one seared sardine.

But of course, we must start with cured meats! The charcuterie plate is a must, as Olympic Provisions is Oregon’s first USDA certified meat-curing facility. Links of chorizo, sopressatta, and other salamis dangle oh-so-fetchingly behind the kitchen. Add to it their creamy pork liver mousse and rillettes, cornichons, and what appears to be house-made mustard. Mmmmm …. must …. get …… meat ….. now. I am a sucker for “rustic” or “old world” cuisine, and these guys have it down pat; pure and simple, but certainly not primitive.

Now the quail dish enters the scene. The first bite I plunge into, I get a salty, bacony resonance with the tender meat. Next bite, filled with a fantastic stuffing primarily of pine nuts and raisins. The kicker: Basmati rice with cilantro yogurt. Bright and tangy. I’ve never had rice quite like this. I am ready to lick the ramekin clean.

I recover with a sip of wine and carry on. Sardines! Seared with pickled raisins and tomatoes. Crispy, flaky skin lightly topped with vinaigrette gives way to the briny little treasure inside. You can’t be afraid of ingesting a few minuscule bones – you’ve got to get every morsel of flesh these little guys have. Speaking of every morsel, it’s time for a dare; fish eyeballs. Being a fan of Andrew Zimmern and his bizarre food adventures, I know that you are required to try everything at least twice before giving your final appraisal. Thus, I am committed to two sardine eyeballs. Not too bad, once you get over the challenging texture. It’s kind of like eating a mini, peeled Concord grape, complete with seed inside. Congratulations from boy, more wine, and back to the good stuff.


107 SE Washington
Olympic Provisions is in the industrial district, within the old B&O warehouse that has been remodeled into the Olympic Mills Commerce Center . The building now hosts local art, a fabulous looking (though rarely open) wine shop, and other enterprises.