Hmm… maybe I should have a catchy title for my Rediscovering Portland series, but I haven’t come up with anything yet. I like the comment from my last post that suggests a sort of couples counseling. Based on the feedback so far, Portland could use some couples counseling with more than a few of its citizens.
There is one thing that would absolutely improve my relationship with downtown Portland and it’s also a business opportunity for anyone savvy enough to give it a go. I won’t even ask for a finder’s fee. Here’s the set-up:
I work downtown near the scary-ass Safeway and my lunch break is often clouded with a heady mix of confusion and frustration. Why must the salad bar at Safeway suck so much? Is it some sort of mandate from corporate? The nearest sandwich shop to my office is the Spicy Pickle. The Spicy Pickle is also all kinds of wrong. Who uses loose corn nibblets as a sandwich topping? And, of course, in my neighborhood I can’t walk two blocks without someone asking me for spare change. Lunch should not be this hard.
But wait! There exists a perfect solution to my lunchtime woes. It’s a sandwich shop that sells little canapés like this:
This sandwich shop is perfect in almost every way, although it does have one major drawback. It’s located in Budapest.
I finally made it to Europe last fall and one of the cities we visited was Budapest. I loved Budapest – it’s a very fast paced, hip city that has yet to be overrun by tourists. I highly recommend it as a travel destination. While in Budapest we happened upon this little sandwich shop that sold a wide variety of yummy little canapés. The storefront of this shop was one big window showcasing all of the little sandwiches on trays. There were so many enticing options. I didn’t understand a single word of the menu but it didn’t matter. Delicious is an international language.
You can take a look at their menu here. Google will even translate some of the Hungarian for you, although somehow one of the canapés is translated as “cancer.”
Cancer aside, I think a similar sandwich shop would be a huge hit in Portland. It can’t be too difficult, can it? Canapés are basically bread slices with various toppings. And think of all the great toppings available in the Willamette Valley alone: hummus spreads, cheeses, salmon, eggs, and a smorgasbord of locally grown fruits and veggies. Really, the whole thing just screams locavore.
My needs are really very simple; a canapé shop near Pioneer Square. Make it happen for me Portland, and we will be many steps closer to reconciliation.
{ 1 comment }
Well … not sure where exactly downtown you work, but chances are there’s at least one really great food cart nearby.
But seriously, yeah, a nice Hungarian restaurant / sandwich shop would be wonderful.
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