Food + Drink Goals

208 New Places in One Year

June 27, 2011

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Since my last 52 new restaurants post, I’ve been to 52+ more, which kind of blows my original “Go to 1 New Restaurant per Week” goal, out of the water. Definitely a fun experiment this past year, of making an effort to try new places. So without further ado, here are some places I’ve checked since March… now I really need to return to cooking more!

  1. Bijou cafe – meh
  2. La Bonita Taqueria – tasty
  3. Mississippi Studios
  4. Bar Bar – friiies
  5. Jade Teahouse
  6. Veritable Quandary – Chilaquiles with Queso Fresco. Yum.
  7. Bella Faccia Pizzeria
  8. Vita Cafe
  9. Besaw’s – oh the French toast. Besaw’s is one of my favs now.
  10. Oasis Cafe- pass
  11. Bumblekiss
  12. Savoy Tavern & Bistro
  13. Iorio – I bought this Groupon before they stopped offering deals to good places :P Excellent dinner
  14. Circa 33 – went for the Kopstooje drink and had potato chip nachos…. rich. I should have listened to the little voice in my head that said “You already had nachos 3x this week”
  15. Byways Cafe – snagged brekkie here after the wait at Besaw’s was too long. Tasty.
  16. Cilantros, Lahaina, Hawaii
  17. Ono Gelato, Lahaina, Hawaii (& again in Paia!)
  18. Thai Chef – Yelp you have failed me *tear*
  19. Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar, Kapalua, Hawaii – Yelp, you have been redeemed. One word: Butterfish. Ok, and Karaoke :)
  20. Honolua Store, Kapalua, Hawaii – great lunch option before heading north
  21. Fish Market Maui – not a restaurant, but they sell the best butterfish here! Ended up stopping by twice
  22. Kihei Cafe, Kihei, Hawaii – Banana Macadamia Nut French Toast. No words necessary.
  23. Hula Cookies, Maalaea, Hawaii – tasty ice cream sandwiches
  24. Star Noodle, Lahaina, Hawaii – please become a chain restaurant and open in Portland. k thx bai. Our waiter here was from Eugene! True sign of an Oregonian: she said “How long have you lived in Portland?” heh :) Yes, yes, I know, I’m not an original Oregonian since I spent my first 11 years in Washington. Back to Star Noodle. Hello Vietnamese crepe! I loved this place so much, I put it on my 10 Things Loved in April list!
  25. Julia’s Banana Bread, Kahekiki Hwy, Hawaii – best banana bread in the world? Definitely amazing, that’s for sure. :) Note: There were no rental cars taken on this “highway”
  26. Aloha Mixed Plate, Lahaina, Hawaii – so apparently this place has the same owners at Star Noodle. Yawn! My meal fell into the “meh” category
  27. Maui Tacos, Napili, Hawaii – chain Mexican restaurant. Did the job.
  28. Flatbread Pizza Company, Paia, Hawaii – really tasty wood-fired brick oven pizza on the main street in Paia
  29. Aunty Sandy’s, Hana Hwy, Hawaii: don’t tell Aunty Sandy, but Aunt Julia makes better banana bread. Still a great place to take a break and grab a fruit shake & snack on the Hana Hwy.
  30. Random food truck – fishn’ chips
  31. Makawao Sushi & Deli, Makawao, Hawaii: expensive for what it was, but still a tasty option. Also, I like to say the word “Makawao”… quite a lot.
  32. Charley’s, Paia, Hawaii: a reasonable breakfast. Not spectacular, not bad.
  33. La Jarochita Mexican food cart, (yep, back in Portland!): definitely be back to this cart.
  34. Courier Coffee – I’ve walked past this place so many times and never noticed it. Love the window seat.
  35. A Roadside Attraction – porch swing. I’ll be back.
  36. Fresh Pot
  37. Space Room Lounge – grabbed a drink before the last show of Bridgetown Comedy Festival. I was mesmerized by an awkward first date in progress, and the local elder folk. Character.
  38. Eagles Lodge – here, here for laughter
  39. Built to Grill (food cart)
  40. Kokomo Beach Smoothies
  41. Basha’s Mediterranean Cuisine food cart – at the PSU Farmer’s Market. I’d never noticed this one before.
  42. Two Tarts Bakery @ Farmers Market – macarons! Now a default stop on my farmer’s market trip
  43. Koi Fusion (food truck) – hey, look who finally went to Koi fusion. And I’ve been a few times since. :P
  44. Toast – Tasty potato cakes.
  45. Off the Griddle (food cart)
  46. Alma Chocolate – Thai peanut butter cup, I adore you.
  47. Migration Brewing – <3 picnic tables and sunshine and the cheese plate (Brie, apples, honey, almonds) = nom
  48. Red Fox – a cool space, if they wouldn’t have served up some waaay old and nasty asparagus (and then stare and said  “Yeah” when it was returned.) i might have been a fan. Eww.
  49. Sila Thai
  50. Yorgo’s Tavern – for when you want to see people pass out drunk by 9pm. How does this happen?
  51. Compote Cafe – cute space. granola and homemade yogurt is a nice simple breakfast
  52. The Nest – ping pong! fun!

What new places have you checked out lately?