Portland has so many restaurants worth trying. Sometimes the biggest challenge is getting to them before they close. (As in forever.) Last night’s dinner choice was a winner, and here’s hoping The Observatory sticks around for awhile.
Saturday night had turned into laundry night, and smack-dab between wash and dry I got a spontaneous e-mail from a gal-pal. “Whatcha doing?” She offered to pick me up for a quick bite. The problem? All I had were ‘laundry clothes.’ Are there any dining establishments on the east side that allow sweat pants and tomato-red tee shirts on their dress code?
Thank you, Observatory.
My biggest problem has been remembering the name of the place. It opened about the same time as Departure, so I kept thinking Aperture, etc… Fortunately I remembered the address, (go figure) so we took a chance. Observatory. Observatory. I used visual stimulation; I pictured one of my favorite comics from the teen years, Griffith Observatory. Now, thanks to that and the food, I will have no further problems remembering the name.
My friend had the baked halibut, which looked excellent and got raves from her. I had a burger made of lamb, medium rare with a touch of Greek. My experiences with lamb are limited, (ba-a-ad joke there somewhere) so I have little to compare it to, but it was delicious.
The starters were tasty, and almost an entree in themselves. The whitefish spread came with a small pickled salad assortment, including possibly the dillest pickle I’ve ever tasted. Picture Laura Bush watching 2 Girls 1 Cup. That’s the expression I was wearing.
Ah, dessert. My friend had chocolate cheesecake covered with strawberries soaked in Gran Marnier. (I managed to nibble a couple without going into DTs.) I was gifted with the white/milk chocolate topping, which kept the sweet tooth at bay until my dessert arrived: Bourbon caramel bread pudding. Oh…my…gawd. Once I found out there were no raisins in it, there was no other choice. (Want to scare me to death? Send the California Raisins into my room at night.) It was served with a small dollop of ice cream and a tiny pitcher of caramel sauce, in case I wanted to”go crazy.”
I went crazy.
The Observatory makes for a great Saturday night casual dinner date. Prices were moderate, especially for the ambience and quality of the food. (If you need cheaper, McD’s is half a block away.) The staff were wonderful, attentive and quite kid-friendly. We sat on the sidewalk, but the inside is not-too-cramped, and the table-waiting area has comfy couches and room for drinks, which are praiseworthy.
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