Cheesemonger Finicky: Mozzarella

Name: Part Skim Mozzarella
Origin:???
Maker: Precious http://www.preciouscheese.com/
Milk type: cow's milk
Cheese type: Mozzarella
Words: I saw an ad, then a coupon. It's regular grocery store cheese. Meh if your dish's super star ingredient is mozz, otherwise for like lasagna or cheese sticks it fine.

Beer: Cavatica Stout

Beer: 16oz Cavatica Stout
Brewing Co: Fort George Brewing Company (Astoria, Or)
ABV: 8.8%
Rating: 4 out of 5 impressive stars
Price: $2.99??ish (Plaid Pantry)
Words: I love the name. Bonus. This beer is a fantastic dark beer. Luscious. And packs a nice buzz. So far I have loved all the Fort George beers I've tried. Some more than others but that's to be expected.

Mini beer review

Brewing Co: Bridgeport Brewing Co. (Portland, OR)
Beer: 12oz Kingpin Double Red Ale
ABV: 7.5%
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Words: This beer grows on you. It's easy to not notice the 7.5% ABV until you're Mr. or Ms. Tipsy.

Brewing Co: Bridgeport Brewing Co. (Portland, OR)
Beer: 12oz IPA
ABV: 5.5%
Rating: An enthusiastic 4 out of 5 stars.
Words: This wonderful beer is what I consider a quintessential IPA. It has a lovely hop presence but not overdone. Better yet it doesn't sit in your stomach. An excellent session beer.

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Food Review: Pine State Biscuits

Pine State Biscuits
Hours & Locations:

3640 SE Belmont Street (503) 236-3346 Open 7 days a week, 7am - 2pm
2204 NE Alberta (503) 477-6605 Open 7 days a week, 7am - 2pm
Fri/Sat late night 6pm - 1am!!

http://pinestatebiscuits.com/

Price: $-$$
Rating: 4 out of 5 (A low, low 4)

Pine State Biscuits is definitely a much hyped Portland food spot. Especially with it’s Food Network recognition. Was it worth the hype? That depends.

The food was delicious. Their signature biscuit sandwich is “the reggie” and all wedgie jokes aside this is a hefty beast. Lovely in construction, but better in my stomach. Fried chicken, bacon, cheese, gravy on a biscuit. The gravy was porky and mildly pepperish. The chicken was tender. The thick sliced bacon, my favorite part, was perfectly cooked to withstand the gravy.

Basically all other sandwiches are a combination of the ingredients in “the reggie”, along with other kinds of cheese, some steak, fried green tomato, and other condiments. Sides included hash browns, extra biscuits, meat sides, etc.

I tried the hash browns. They were alright. I loves me some hash browns most of the time. These were almost great. Nice crispy thin top with moist but firm potato insides. Then they went and threw a dusting of sweet paprika on top. I thought it was just kinda hipster decoration/flavoring. Not because paprika is bad but because the dish didn’t need it. I know what the chef was going for but I’m finicky like that. Solid buttery browns would have been enough to put me into shovel mode. But instead “oh look my hash browns are sweet, oh what is that. Yeah paprika, meh. Oh I’m so different look at me”.

But the worst part is there’s no place to sit. And it’s first come first seated, after ordering at the counter. I like being served. If I wanted to stand up and eat I’d get a slice pizza. The place had barely any table seating and a wall of maybe 5 bar stools. Super, super crowded thus diminishing from the experience. Food just doesn’t taste as good when people are constantly bumping into you and asking to move so they can get to the one empty seat.

In total it’s a quaint place to go for food tourist but I don’t see it so phenomenal that I would endure the crowdy-ness again. Unless someone is visiting and had it on their list.