Vacation Food Recap

I ate out a lot during the last month (I was only home 6 days between July 11 and Aug 10), and I've had some fantastic food (the scale agrees). Here are some highlights (and maybe a couple of lowlights):

The Best Fish ' Chips

1. The Lumberyard, Cannon Beach, OR ( http://www.thelumberyardgrill.com/ ). I had a mix of Salmon and Halibut pieces, and they were the best I've ever had. The Lumberyard also makes a mean Mochatini.

2. Pilchuck Drive-In, Snohomish, WA (no website, but here's a review: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-reviews-22219337R-prod-travelguide-action-read-ratings_and_reviews-i ) . This is the drive-in we went to when I was a kid- they had 5 cent ice cream cones (hard scoop, or soft serve). The fish 'n chips are served exactly the way they were 40 years ago, in a cardboard tray with another one rubberbanded on top, lots of fries and a piece of buttered Texas Toast. We ate there 3 times while in Snohomish, and each time, the fish was wonderful. I have it on good authority that the burgers are great too.

3. Ecola Seafoods, Cannon Beach, OR (http://ecolaseafoods.com/ ) : I had the Salmon Fish 'n Chips and it was wonderful. The Crab Melt was fine too, though it would have been better on better garlic bread.

The Worst Fish 'n Chips

Ivar's in the Everett, WA mall. bleh.

The Best Meals

1. Jake's Famous Crawfish, Portland, OR (http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/locations/portland-oregon/portland-oregon/sw12thave.aspx ). This may have been the best meal. Ever. I had the NW Grill (with salmon, halibut, and a crab/shrimp cake). My dinner companions had crab stuffed halibut, and sauteed crab legs with artichokes. They were all fabulous. The price-tag was fabulous too, but worth every penny.

2. Screen Door, Portland OR (http://www.screendoorrestaurant.com/ ). Absolutely fantastic southern food, at a very reasonable price.

The Best Desserts

Tie: Jake's Famous Crawfish, Portland OR (http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/locations/portland-oregon/portland-oregon/sw12thave.aspx ), where we shared the Marionberry Cobler, and the most amazing Walnut Apple Pie; and Papa Haydn (http://www.papahaydn.com/dessert.php )where we shared Raspberry Gateaux (dense chocolate cake, raspberries, and dark chocolate ganache) and Boccone Dolce, which mostly defies description. Check the pictures on the website.

Best Smoothie:

Burgerville, Portland OR (http://burgerville.com/our-food/ )- Triple Berry Smoothie. Wonderful.

The Only Place on either Trip Where anyone Was Rude to Me, and other Customers:

Burgerville, Portland (2 blocks up from the Oregon Convention Center, on MLK). The 2 counter people were snappy, snotty, and outright rude to me, and to the other customers in the store (note: it is not okay to roll your eyes at customers when they don't understand that being told to go to a counter for your drink does not exactly mean that) (and no, it wasn't the lunch rush- there were only 4 of us at the counter, and they were nasty to everyone) (and no, I'm not being oversensitive- the kid actually said in a totally snotty tone, "well, if you'd told me that earlier, you'd be out of here by now" and the other one said "Someone better step up here and order right now" as we were trying to decipher the menu and making our choices (no one was in line behind us, so we weren't holding up anyone else). The experience nearly ruined the wonderful smoothie. I did mention to the young men that they were very impolite. I doubt it made a difference.

The Place That Looks Exactly the Way It Did In 1970:

King Charley's, Snohomish, WA- we didn't eat there, but the exterior hasn't changed one bit since I graduated from high school.