Chef Naoko Bento Cafe

The Chef Naoko Bento Café is a true gem…in fact just writing this makes me crave it again! By far one of the best lunches I have ever had, not only in Portland, but anywhere. The restaurant is located in the unsuspecting row of mediocre places located at 12th/Jefferson. It has a tiny storefront, and the interior has roughly 6 small metal tables and some counter seating that faces the street. The walls are painted a calming green, with some scattered pictures/information about Chef Naoko. She has specialized in organic and natural cuisine in her home country of Japan since 1976, and has now started her US Corporation in Portland (she also handles catering, consulting and cafeteria management services).

The menu is simple and traditional, and includes tofu, poultry and meat dishes. They have daily specials as well, all highlighting seasonal items. The food here was impeccably fresh, locally-sourced, and prepared with the utmost care. They clearly take pride in every item served, and orders are perfectly presented in wooden trays which hold smaller glass bowls containing each of your included menu items (protein, rice, salad, tofu piece, and desert). We chose the Farmers Chicken Bento (grilled chicken and seasonal vegetables with house tomato sauce) and the Umi Fish Ginger Bento (grilled wild salmon with house ginger teriyaki sauce). Both were literally melt in your mouth amazing, with the house made sauces stealing the scene. Portions were enough to put you into the happiest food comma ever, yet not leave you immobile.
It should to be noted that Chef Naoko is SO good, she only needs to be open from 11am-3:30pm, Tues-Sat. Plan accordingly; you absolutely cannot let another week go by without trying this wonderful establishment.

The server/cook was very sweet, making sure to clear our trays and graciously asking how our meal was. My guess is that she knows her regulars and was interested to see what her new patrons thought. At a cost of $6.75-15/meal, this is amazingly reasonable for the quality of food you receive. We left feeling full of wonderfully healthy food, and talking about when we could return.

*Jayne

Apizza Scholls

See review from the last time I went below, but Apizza Scholls is infamous in Portland, and has some of the best pizza I have ever had in my life. Armando, Kyle and I spent the perfect rainy Friday evening drinking Anchor Steam and munching on a ridiculous blend of pizzas (you have to check out the website for full descriptions): Coastal, Apizza Amore and Pig and Pineapple. AMAZING!

Apizza Scholls – visited 11/25/09 w/my Mom

Apizza Scholls, you steal my heart every time! Finally I get to write a review to prove my deep appreciation for this wonderful establishment. Some people may complain about the standard wait for a table here, or the fact that they close when they run out of dough, but for me it just adds to the experience and anticipation. I love to enjoy one of the many beers offered and watch from the window benches as the hoards of hungry people chow on their pizzas.

There is nothing new that I can say about this pizza, but I will state the obvious: handmade dough, the freshest ingredients, crafted with care. The crust is always a slightly soft/crunchy blend, and never too thick. Toppings are always generous. Service is not something they focus on based on the volume of people that come through, but the staff is always friendly when you catch them in conversation. The owners are always running around somewhere, and truly run the business as a hands-on operation.

I love this place so much I didn’t even care when they completely botched our order last night. We ordered a ½ margherita, ½ sausage/onion/pepper pizza, but were served an entire sausage/onion/pepper pizza. Bummer because my mom isn’t the biggest meat fan to get so much of it. The server offered to cook us another, but after already waiting 35 mins already, we were starving and just dug in. Hopefully us being so nice about it will bring good food karma in the future!

Apizza is a bit pricy, but the food and comfortable atmosphere worth every penny. I do wish they would open the back patio to the public for the Summer…it looks so cute! If any of you have seen the Anthony Bordain Portland episode from a few years back, you know what I am talking about.

Again and again, Apizza is my go-to for consistent, delicious pizza!

*Jayne

Melt

It’s always great when a fun new place opens up right in your neighborhood, especially when that place serves solid sandwiches. Melt is getting much deserved praise from my fellow Yelpers, and I am officially on the bandwagon. It is a small, comfy place with maybe 8 tables, some window seats, and a few bar stools. Some colorful lights greet you on the exterior of the building, and inside is an eclectic blend of modern touches.

They have a great menu of 10 sandwiches, making it almost impossible to choose between them (pulled pork, pot roast, or the tuna melt? AHHH!). My boyfriend tried the pot roast, and it really was yummy. Tender and moist, although it did need a bit of a kick (he added hot sauce and made it perfection!). I had the chicken and rice soup (nothing to speak of, tasted canned) and the veg sandwich. The sandwich was exactly what I wanted – fresh veggies with a flavorful yet not overpowering basil/chick pea spread served on toasted ciabatta bread. We also tried the widely praised parmesan fries, and although tasty, the sandwiches still prevail as the highlights. Melt also has local microbrews on tap, as well as a full bar. Service was friendly, and our food arrived quickly (granted there were only 4 other people in the place on a Monday night at 8pm). Pricing is not cheap for a sandwich shop, but really what would you expect in good old NW PDX? Definitely worth a try for the novel menu items and chill vibe.

The Happy Hour menu looks fabulous; I will be back for that!

*Jayne