Up the Timbers!

Have you ever had a tin, have you ever had a tin
Have you ever had a tin of flounder spread
Here comes your mama with a loaf of bread
Flounder, Oh, Flounder
Buy it in a small tin
Buy it in a big tin
Buy it at the Pike Street
OK!!!

Lousy Junuary weather!

Portland food carts

I'm stealing this from the WW to make sure I can find it again... ExtraMSG's taco truck guide seems to have disappeared. My favorites are Samurai Bento, Lindo Michoacan and the Chaat House. mmmm mmm good, street food!

Can’t afford Vindalho? Try: India Chaat House.

In Hindi, “Chaat” are savory snacks, and this van with a rickety-looking but functional closed-in porch serves up Indian chow that’s less greasy, fresher and more authentic than that at most Indian restaurants in town. India Chaat prepares one honkin’ huge $5 combo meal daily with greatest hits of vegetarian curries and bean dishes, and loads of fragrant basmati rice. Don’t forget the fresh naan breads (the garlic is a standout), mango lassi shakes and samosas. Corner of Southwest 12th Avenue and Yamhill Street, 241-7944. Lunch and dinner Monday-Friday, lunch Saturday.

^Can’t afford Castagna? Try: Garden State.

This super-shiny metal trailer makes some of the best Sicilian-inspired mangiare in the city. Owner Kevin Sandri prepares classics like Italian sausage with grilled peppers on a ciabatta roll, a meatball sandwich, a wonderfully moist and smoky grilled chicken Diablo ($12 for a whole bird) big enough to serve two. The real specialty here, though, is the arancine ($6): four racquetball-sized fried orbs infused with heady saffron and stuffed with either molten mozzarella or a meat ragú that would make Nonna proud. Southeast 13th Avenue and Lexington Street, across from the Sellwood Library. 705-5273. Lunch and early dinner Tuesday-Saturday.

^Can’t afford Typhoon? Try: Thai Basil.

A little bit off the beaten food-cart path, Thai Basil sits nearly alone in a parking lot a few blocks from the busy Pod on 5th Avenue. There are plenty of Thai carts downtown, but most offer the same heavy coconut-laden curries, soggy noodles and oily stir-fries. Not so at Thai Basil. The chili-cashew fried rice, spicy asparagus stir fry ($5), and young green coconut or pineapple curries ($5) are filled with crisp veggies and come with white or brown rice or thin rice noodles. Portions are big enough to eat for lunch, dinner and maybe another lunch. What more can you ask for? Southwest 2nd Avenue and Oak Street, 330-1010. Lunch and early dinner Monday-Friday.

^Can’t afford Biwa? Try: Samurai Bento.

Samurai Bento is one of the grander-looking of the city’s carts, but the menu is pure Japanese soul food. All dishes come with a side of rice, veggies and pickles. The yakisoba is a real steal for $5, with plump noodles stir fried with loads of veggies and chicken, tofu or beef. The katsu don (chicken or pork) is panko-crusted and fried pork or chicken served over rice with soy-seasoned soft scrambled egg and onion sauce. Vegetarians rejoice: Everything is available meatless. Southwest 9th Avenue and Alder Street, 757-8802. Lunch Monday-Friday.

^Can’t afford Screen Door? Try: Flavour Spot.

Why someone didn’t think of this sooner is beyond us: Take a 10-inch-round, freshly baked, old-fashioned waffle—the kind with the little holes, not the thick Belgian variety—stuff it with all sorts of goodness, fold it in half and voila! A breakfast sandwich the size of a giant burrito with enough calories to keep you going for at least the next 12 hours. And what a flavorful sandwich it is, crispy on the outside, then warm, soft and tender in the next bite. Standouts include an oozing cheese and Black Forest ham for $4 and a sausage with organic maple syrup ($4). North Fremont Street and Mississippi Avenue. North Lombard Street between Greeley and Denver avenues. 289-9866, flavourspot.com. Breakfast and lunch daily. Lunch only at Mississippi Avenue location.

^Can’t afford Ken’s Artisan Pizza? Try: Al Forno Ferruzza.

Unless you’re a student at Portland State University, you’ll have to go a bit out of your way to try the pizza and Sicilian treats at this “purple people feeder” (their words, not ours). It’s worth the trek: Owner Stephen Ferruzza makes killer hand-tossed artisan pizzas, calzones ($5) and specials ($5 with bread) like eggplant Parmesan that rival some of the best Italian restaurants in town. Ferruzza, an affable dude in his early 20s, learned the dough trade (he also bakes and sells Italian breads for about $3 per loaf) from his Sicilian kinfolk and has some pretty impressive credentials: He cooked at Lake Placid Lodge in upstate New York. Pies are made in the traditional manner, with dough left to proof and mellow overnight and baked in an 800-degree oven. A large slice is $3, a nine-inch “personal pizza” is $6, and a whole pie goes for $14. Southwest 4th Avenue and College Street, 315-523-3407. Lunch and early dinner Monday-Friday.

^Can’t afford Taqueria nueve? Try: La Jarochita.

Taco trucks are by far the most common carts in town, gathering en masse in the cart “pods” and “rows” downtown and going it alone in scattered parking lots from St. Johns to Southeast 82nd Avenue. La Jarochita is not the biggest or flashiest of the bunch, and the small maroon-colored trailer is easy to miss among its companions on Southwest 5th Avenue, but the food here is some of the best and most authentic around. Look a little bit off the menu at the colorful handwritten signs plastered on the truck for regional specialties rarely found at other carts: sopes from Guadalajara ($1.50 each), like tacos with a thick base made from fried cornmeal “bowls” and topped with beans, meat and salsa; huaraches, a beloved Mexican street treat of thick “paddles” of grilled masa piled with a healthy dose of meats, beans and veggies and smothered with sauces; and tamales ($1.50 each) made Veracruz style, wrapped not in the typical corn husks but in banana leaves. Southwest 5th Avenue between Oak and Stark streets, 421-9838. Breakfast, lunch and early dinner Monday-Friday, lunch Saturday.

^Can’t afford Wong’s King? Try: Asian Station.

A newcomer to the cart scene, Asian Station is a greatest-hits medley of East-Asian street snacks from Shanghai to Singapore. Owner Cindy Margheim based the menu on favorites from her own childhood in Hong Kong. The menu’s still evolving, but look for the likes of flaky Malaysian roti flatbreads served with a smooth yellow coconut curry ($6), pot stickers and shrimp shumai dumplings, and addictively sweet-and-savory caramelized chicken wings served with rice, pot stickers and green papaya salad ($6.50). The signature dish is Shanghai soup dumplings ($6.50 for six), addictive little balls of steamed dough stuffed with ground pork, cabbage and a magic burst of steaming broth. You can’t get these babies anywhere else. They take a while to prepare, so call ahead. Southwest 10th Avenue and Alder Street, 227-5727. Lunch Monday-Friday.

^Can’t afford Al Amir? Try: Aybla Grill.

You know this isn’t your average greasy gyros stand when the owner comes dressed in an impeccable white chef’s coat with his name embroidered on the chest. Syrian-born and professionally trained chef Saied Samaiel makes some of the best gyros, falafel and other Mediterranean treats in Portland. The super lamb gyro ($6) is stuffed with crisp veggies and garlicky lamb, dressed with tzatziki sauce. The falafel is light, tender and flavorful, and can be ordered either as a sandwich ($4) or as part of the large mixed mezza platter ($6, $8 with meat) with stuffed grape leaves, hummus and baba ghanouj. 925 SW Alder St.. 490-3387. Lunch and early dinner Monday-Friday, lunch Saturday.

^Can’t afford a flight to Rome? Try: Spella Caffe.

Andrea Spella is Portland’s Zen master of espresso. No goofy, syrupy, flavored concoctions; $20,000 robot coffee makers; or “foam art” here—Spella takes the classic approach, making his drinks with single-origin beans he roasts himself, a hand-pulled piston Rancilio machine and gentle delivery. Loyal customers have been known to walk from as far away as PSU to get their daily fix. Southwest Alder Street and 9th Avenue, 421-9723. 9 am-4 pm Monday-Friday.

and here is ExtraMSG's taco truck list from August 2007, found it on the PortlandFood board

TACO TRUCKS

Downtown

Chintos
SW 9th & Alder, Portland
some uncovered seating
al pastor, machaca
C-

Jarochita
SW 5th between Stark & Oak, Portland
huaraches, sopes, horchata, tamales, carnitas, al pastor
small covered table
A-

King Burrito
SW 5th & Oak, Portland
carnitas
small covered table
B-

Loco Locos Burritos
SW 5th between Oak & Stark, Portland
large burrito selection
some seating
C+

Loco Locos Burritos
SW 9th & Morrison, Portland
some uncovered seating
carne asada, carnitas
C+

Mr. Taco
SW 5th between Stark & Oak, Portland
can't recommend anything
two seats
D+

Ortiz's/Francisco
SW 3rd & Stark, Portland
can't recommend food, cool painting on the truck
small covered table
D+

Tito's Burritos
SW 3rd & Washington, Portland
carnitas
one covered table
B

Taqueria Villanieva
SW 3rd & Oak, Portland
pastor, asada
one table, plus covered counter for standing
B

North Portland

Cabana Rolling Grill
N Vancouver & MLK, Portland
carne asada
no seating
C-

La Chiquita
(formerly 3 Hermanos)
N Killingsworth & Interstate, Portland
fresh tortillas, birria de chivo, sopes, pollo, salsa verde
covered seating
A

Northeast Portland

La Estacion Express #2
NE Lombard & Killingsworth, Portland
panuchos, huaraches, cochinita, cabeza
covered seating
A-

Taqueria Mendoza
NE Killingsworth & 57th, Portland
carnitas, carne asada, al pastor, beans
some seating
B

Southeast Portland

El Brasero
SE 12th & Hawthorne, Portland
barbacoa de borrego estilo DF, consome, birria de chivo, pollo, tamales
covered seating
A

Los Gorditos
SE Division & 50th, Portland
Carne asada en cebollada, nachos
covered seating
B+

Lindo Michoacan
SE Division & 34th, Portland
fresh tortillas, oversized sopes, tamales de elote
covered seating
B+

Torres de Morelos
SE Powell & 31st, Portland
offal, specials
covered seating
B

Taqueria Pardo
SE 7th & Division, Portland

Eastside

La Catrina (Tortas Gigantes)
9684 SE 82nd, Portland
tortas, torta cubana, carnitas, carne asada
covered seating
A

Dos Amigos
SE Powell & 122nd, Portland
ceviche, pollo, encurtido, champurrado, horchata
covered seating
B+

Morelia
SE 82nd & Lambert, Portland
salsas, champurrado, birria de chivo, deshebrada, carnitas, postres, gorditas, flautas, enchiladas, chicharron en salsa roja
some seating
A

Taqueria El Cazador #2
SE 82nd & Ash, Portland
seafood, encurtido
covered seating
B-

Washington County

Ely's
SE 11th & Walnut, Hillsboro
fresh tortillas, empanadas, sopes, birria de chivo, carnitas
no seating
A

Ely's
Aloha Shopping Center
18565 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy, Aloha
fresh tortillas, birria de chivo, carnitas
some seating
A

Mely's
10th & Maple, Hillsboro
fresh tortillas, huaraches, cabeza
no seating
A

Mexico Lindo
Aloha Shopping Center
18565 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy, Aloha
fresh tortillas, huaraches, carnitas, cabeza, buche, champurrado
some seating
A

Rico's Tacos
Aloha Shopping Center
18565 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy, Aloha
carnitas
some seating
C+

HOT

Rip City Rising!

This is wicked AWESOME
skateboards + explosions + M83 = Sweet!

Pitchfork hates it, must be good! mmm! mmm!

Noticed this little gem on Pitchfork this morning, apparently they don't like it. I guess they don't understand it, that's too bad for them. I suppose thats because Does It Offend You, Yeah? have a sense of humor and like to have fun. Not nearly enough angst and self pity for Pitchfork. Do check DIOY,Y? out. Fun, indie style techno bashing. Definitely a good rollick, some good craic! Recommended if you like: Vive La Fete, Kasabian, upbeat MGMT and Pony Pony Run Run. disclaimer: not that I've heard the whole thing, it's not even out in the States, just checked out what's on their myspace page.

Power Ballad Killed the Metal Star

Something very important and very serious has been bothering me for quite some time. This has been nagging me and eating at my very existence. That it was allowed to continue altered the very course of my being. I am of course talking about the metal power ballad. A musical genre that rallied around high energy chord changes, screaming fast guitar solos, and wailing vocals, reduced to dust by sappy feelings. This comes up now, having grown up in the early Eighties listening to Twisted Sister, Kix, Ratt, Def Leppard, since I decided to dig out some of the golden oldies: Out of the Cellar, Shout at the Devil, L.A. Guns, Long Cold Winter, Pyromania. But as I listened along, and really dug some tunes that I had forgotten about over the last decade (crikey I'm gettin old), every so often, some insipid fluff would spew forth from the speakers, ackk, what the hell was that. Damnit, I wanna rock out, and some jackass is crying about how he lost the girl or is a long way from home... fuggetaboutit, I want my ass kicked! Now in the digital age its easy enough to go through and delete all the ballads, which is exactly what I did, but back in the day, it always seemed that the monster hit was the stupid ballad, at least 1 on every album. So a genre that is 90% wall to wall obnoxiously loud noise got best known by the most mellow, most vapid garbage ever laid to tape? This killed, yes, killed, hard rock or hair metal or glam rock, whatever you wanna call it. Some mellow folks bought rockin albums cuz they heard a ballad they liked but couldn't stand the rest of the beautiful, glorious noise, then folks like myself got tired of fast forwarding past the damn ballad, wouldn't have been so bad if they had just always put them at the end of the record. Like, hey, we know this song sucks but its gonna make us a ton of money, so we'll put it on at the end, and you can pretend that the album finishes one song earlier. Somehow, Ratt got away without having a ballad, and on each of their first 3 albums they got harder and louder, sweet! I'm not sure who to blame for this, now this is America so someone must be at fault. Possibly Zeppelin with Stairway, was that the first power ballad? Motley Crue surely hit the big time with Home Sweet Home in 85, and GnR struck platinum with Sweet Child O' Mine, so I suppose at lot of folks were trying to emulate those bands. So there you have it... Led Zeppelin, Motley Crue and Guns and Roses shall stand guilty for Metal's sins against Rock and paving the way for a buncha whiney babies filled with angst post Nirvana.

March Madness

Go Vikings
Go Ducks
Go Hoyas

Its that time of the decade again! Time to check in on the kids at Punk Voter and see whats up!

Pazz & Jop 2007

Portland
Italy
France
Netherlands
Germany
Switzerland
Belgium

If there was any doubt about the Blazers' legitimacy in the Western Conference - or their newfound superiority over the Warriors - it all dissolved in an opening blur of dunks and three-pointers.

Portland Trail Blazers Playlist

This includes stuff they play at The Rose Garden and some of my own pump ya up style tunes

Young Jeezy - Standing Ovation (The first 3 picked by players during warm-ups)
Birdman - Pop Bottles
Jibbs - King Kong
The Who - Who Are You (who is the visiting team???)
Daft Punk - Harder Faster Better (Deadmau5 Edit) (Pre-intro warming up)
Carl Orff - Carmina Burana - O Fortuna (One of the intros, the other is GNR... boring)
Run DMC - Walk This Way (Def Beats)
Jim Noir - Eanie Meany (Fat Boy Slim Mix) (The World Cup 2006 Adidas Comercial song)
The Game - Compton (Def Beats)
Spoon - I Turn My Camera On (the Blazers cuz they is rollin)
DJ Food - Dark Lady (Def Beats)
Timo Maas - To Get Down (One of my favs)
Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (Ay Oh, Let's Go)
Junkie XL - A Little Less Conversation (Def Beats)
Republica - Ready To Go (The Blazers are always ready to go)
Randy Newman - I Love LA (When Lamarcus Aldridge scores)
Outkast - Hey Ya (What's cooler than cool??? The Blazers!)
Dubfire - Rib Cage (Def Beats)
Groove Armada - I See you Baby (shaking your a... watch your mouth, I'm just talking bout Blazers)
Modest Mouse - We've Got Everything (NW represent)
Nelly - Hot In Here (Def Beats)
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer (Heard this at an Auburn game)
Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At (I didn't know Kevin Pritchard could get down)
LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House (How come they don't play MY house?)
Black Box - Strike It Up (Dumb early techno/house, but it gets people going)
Dusty Kid - The Cat/The Kitten (Def Beats)
Ennio Morricone - The Good The Bad & The Ugly (When Travis Outlaw scores... The Good!!!)
Gary Glitter - Rock n Roll Part 2 (Necessary at sporting events)
Gorillaz - Re-Hash (Def Beats)
Blur - Song 2 (Loud)
THX (Lets grill, lets grill, lets grill 'em!!!)
Lyrics Born - I Changed My Mind (Def Beats)
Ole Ole Ole (When Sergio Rodriguez scores - He's Spanish, he must like soccer)
Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So (Also loud!)
Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People (Def Beats)
The Isley Brothers - Shout (A little LOUDER now!!!)
2 Unlimited - Get Ready (dumb lyrics, but not bad if you edit them out)
2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone (see above, plus good riot inducing early techno/house)
AC/DC - Hells Bells (Rock the bells, geetar pumpin)
BTO - Taking Care of Business (The Blazers have done just this 11 out the last 11 games!!!)

NYTimes Baked Eggs

GO BLAZERS!!! 9 in a row!!!

Orange Confit from the NYTimes

I love this quote from Tyson Chandler about the Rose Garden after an ugly Blazer's win, "(The Blazers) are playing great at home. They definitely have home-court advantage because you couldn't hear anything out there."

NYTimes on carving a turkey