12.14.05
Posted in Food at 6:49 am by Leopoldo
This food review was originally posted on PortlandFood.org
I met some friends for after work drinks at Oba! http://www.obarestaurant.com/home.html on NW Hoyt and 12th this last Wednesday. We were supposed to be there for Happy Hour, however that plan was thwarted by a HH cutoff of 6:30pm and by a bar full to overfilling. The joint immediately started to score points against it: The place was overcrowded (and by extension loud), the people were hip to the point of over-pretentious, the prices were high and most annoying of all a steady Latin beat was constantly heard over the loud din of the crowd, just soft enough to make out nothing but the base line and just loud enough to be insidious. The hostess (who was absent for the first five minutes of my arrival) was unable to answer another customer’s query as to whether they would extend the HH time given his inability to squeeze in, but was at least able to say she did not know with a smile and some grace.
The mood (and score card) brightened when the hostess offered to make room for my party in the already filling restaurant section, no reservations requested, again when the nice and friendly wait person came by for my drink order and more so when the drink arrived. Sure I was paying $7.50 for the cocktail but at least it (unlike some recent cocktail experiences I have had) tasted like a well mixed and well leaded drink. I was hoping for a bowl of soup of the day, however being allergic to sea-food a Shrimp soup sounded like a quick ticket to the emergency room (as did half of the menu), instead I settled for a Queso Fundido (think Yuppy version of chips and cheese dip) that was quite delicious. The first cocktail, a Metaxa Mango Sidecar had a good kick without being overbearing. The second, a Prickly-Pear Margarita was sweet and strong, the way I like it. More points were scored by having an unprotected WiFi access point available though not many since getting a smidge of signal required hanging my laptop out the end of the booth.
Overall I found Oba! A bit expensive and not comfortable enough to entice me to return. I thought the quality of both the food and the drinks was quite high and I was very impressed with the service.
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12.07.05
Posted in Geekdom, Music at 5:32 pm by Leopoldo
Take some time and let your computer drift to a dancer without a body.
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12.06.05
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:00 pm by Leopoldo
… I miss my brain the most. It is a sort of a mixed blessing. On Monday night as I headed out of the office and to my car I noticed my Tungsten T Palm Pilot was missing from the coat pocket. Figuring I must have left it on my desk I decided to head on out and retrieve it the next day. Well the next day has come and gone and the above mentioned device, which I nicknamed ‘my brain’ because while I cannot keep track of phone numbers, appointments or other info, my brain can, has failed to materialize. Woe is me though not fully woe as the three and a half year old beasty was sort of dying on my anyway. The good news is that Palm has a new bit of hardware for me to salivate over: the Palm TX. The TX is really just a Tungsten 5 but with (drum roll please… WiFi! Yup, I am already a heavy hot-spot browser and the idea of being able to connect anywhere there is an unprotected network… well lets just say it makes me smile.
A bit of PDA Porn
The bad news is that having been unemployed for some while I am hardly in the position to be buying tech toys. I am pretty sure the palm will be bought though; after all I am really nothing without my brain.
Now, if I can only figure out a way to get me one of them pretty little Video iPods…
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Posted in Humor at 6:42 am by Leopoldo
A short Quiz that is worth taking.
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12.05.05
Posted in Food at 4:04 pm by Leopoldo
This food review was originally posted on PortlandFood.org
Having recently started a new work contract at the Montgomery Park building in NW Portland (http://www.billnaito.com/pages/montgomery.html) I found myself once again on the hunt for the best of the local cuisine. Even with the close proximity to Northwest 21st and 23rd avenues (or as an old co-worker of mine used to call them ‘trendyfirst’ and ‘threndythird’) the cold weather and rain have discouraged much walking and the lack of close by parking makes driving out for lunch impractical. Given those limitations I have been sampling the offerings of feederies located closer in. This is what I hope will be the first of a number of mini-reports on nearby food.
Food in Bloom (http://www.foodinbloom.com/) is the name of the catering business and local cafeteria for Montgomery Park. Located in the second floor of the Montgomery Park office building it is an easy location both for building office workers and nearby workers / residents. For being a ‘work cafeteria’ the offerings are both surprisingly broad and good while a bit expensive. There is a supply of fresh sandwiches prepared each morning and saran wrapped for quick pickup that runs out by around 1pm each day. The sandwiches are freshly made with fresh ingredients and are of a better quality than the presentation would suggest. The FiB grill is ready to prepare a hamburger or quesadilla any day but the real treat at the location are the daily specials. For $5 to $6.50 (depending on the dish and whether you opt for the side salad or not) you will get a heaping plate of chicken enchiladas, beef stew with mashed potatoes or various other dishes. So far every entrée I have tried has been amazingly well prepared and tasty. Eating in the open 135 foot, glass encased atrium of the building is rather pleasant, particularly with the daily musical accompaniment (a rotation of good local artists playing jazz and classical tunes on the piano, flute and other instruments). The price may seem a touch steep for a cafeteria line fare with plastic ware (there is metal silverware, if you know to look for it next to the specials counter) and self-bussing tables but the quality of the food makes Food in Bloom worth patronizing.
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12.01.05
Posted in Humor at 11:34 am by Leopoldo
Feeling a bit under-decorated this Christmas? Well check out this Syncronized Christmas Lights Display and then think about just how much time you can put into decorating.
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