GorMehta

Jolly Rodgers: There is a dearth of sports bars in southern portland, and one mishap after another prevent me from enjoying at a sports bar. I ended up at the TV filled Jolly Rodgers to catch the Wemby vs the Knicks. Luckily it was happy hour, so I was able to sample some cheap eats. I started off with Jolly Balls, which despite the innuendo, were simply hash brown croquettes infused with bacon fat and tiny pieces of bacon. They weren’t as liquid on the inside as I would have preferred, rather retaining a paste like texture. The bacon scent flavor emanated strongly from these deep fried balls, but the pieces of meat were few and far between. More disappointing were the nachos, which came with shredded, rather than liquid cheese. Despite a decent salsa on the side, the light jalapeños, salinity from olives, and other overall mishmash of onions and tomatoes, the nachos could have been assembled by a preschooler. The happy hour crowd was not prepared for the sheer number of transplant knicks fan and the menu showed it. - - 6/10

Town Topic Burger: A Kansas City(Missouri side) institution, Town topic is similar to a steak n shake providing a quick no frills burger in a intimately cramped location, with cooks grilling just feet away from a small dining counter. Not too hungry, I stuck to the humble classic cheeseburger and shared a side of onion rings. The burger came with pickles and onions, while I added ketchup and mustard for some extra flavor. The sweet, untoasted potato bun absorbed the heavy layer of render fat to perfection, balancing the almost over-seasoned(in a good way) burger bite of slight onion and meat. A heavy cheesiness added a rich mouthfeel and was cut by the pickles. Simple and utilitarian, this was like a slightly fresher version of a steak n shake burger, except the untoasted bun created a more enjoyable texture and balanced flavor. The onion rings were audibly crisp and so adherent to the onion that the typical disintegration of the batter did not occur. However, the actual onion was very skinny, the batter easily overpowering its delicate pungent sweetness. Overall, a perfect simple burger but not the best ever. I would give steak n shake a leg up based on pricepoint, but this burger is slightly better due to its wonderful bun. - - 9/10

Tim’s Chome Bar: After trying some of their deliciously herbal meatloaf the night before, I ended up at Tim’s for brunch. Starting off with delicious homemade donut holes, rolled in cinnamon sugar, almost creamy on the inside. After trying some a lightly banana flavored latte with just a hint of fruity sweetness, I got a new iteration of potato hash. The chip crisp potato crumbles had a crunch like no other, oozing a slight oily sheen. Atop of this was a runny over easy egg, avocado, garnished with microgreens, and some sausage. A few bites of the thinly sliced polish sausage tasted a bit old but it was few and far between. Spice was provided by some fresh jalapeños, which were a little hard to fine. The deliciously crispy potatoes became heavily monotonous as the meal progressed, but I was able to try a bite of deliciously fluffy chicken in waffles to manage. Overall, a very good brunch but Skala ruined my appetite as well as my stomach. - - 8/10