Animal-based protein diets increase mortality rate

image: foxypar4

"Animal-based proteins and fats are associated with increased mortality rates, including increased cardiovascular mortality and increased cancer mortality, a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concludes. But low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets composed mostly of plant-based proteins and fats were associated with lower mortality rates overall and lower cardiovascular mortality rates."

via: blogs.cnn.com

sweet "Bye and Bye"

BBQ tofu/brussel bowl & chili pie

If sheer numbers are any indication, and they usually are, then this bar must be great.   We go to "Bye and Bye" all the time, and it's always busy, if not downright crowded.

It's chill, funky and the menu is vegan and amazing.  It seems like most of the patrons aren't vegetarian, let alone vegan, yet everyone has food on their tables.  There is outdoor seating, both in front and in back.

Everything i've had here is fantastic.  The "weeping tiger" sandwich, the meatball sandwich, and my current favorite, the chili pie.   It's all flavorful and their vegan cheese is incredible.

The atmosphere is good, for a bar, and the service always friendly and tattooed.  A line always forms down the middle of the bar, right under the sign that says "do not form line".  It is at the terminus of this line that one orders food and/or drinks. 

go check it out, it may become a regular spot for you, as it has for us.

Bye and Bye (0 to **** (stars), higher=better):

• Food Quality: * * (2 stars, quality prep, great menu, may contain highly processed food)
• Vegetarian menu: * * * * (100% vegetarian) 
• Vegan menu: * * * * (100% vegan)
• Service: * * (very friendly, food can take a while when crowded)
• Atmosphere * * (bar, can get very loud)
• Green: * * (green just due to the menu, but lots of processed and non-local foods)
• overall: * * (beckons with solid and quality cooking, very interesting menu, but it's still just a bar)

new FDA chain-restaurant menu rules

image: cdn.newsone.com

Last February saw passing of the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010" including section 4205 with verbiage on "Menu Labeling Provisions".

Now chain restaurants must show calorie contents adjacent to food on their menus.  Some locales have already rolled this out.  i saw calorie counts on lots of menus when we were recently in NYC.

For these guidelines the FDA considers chains those:
(a) with 20 or more locations,
(b) doing business under the same name (regardless of the type of ownership of the locations, e.g., individual franchisees)
(c) offering for sale substantially the same menu items.

in addition, these restaurants will have to make available further standard nutrition information (calories from fat, protein, cholesterol, etc).

according to the Bill, "Americans now consume an estimated one-third of their total calories on foods prepared outside the home and spend almost half of their food dollars on such foods." 
and "Consumers are generally unaware of, or inaccurately estimate, the number of calories they consume from such foods." 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "approximately 67% of adults, and 31.7% of children ages 2-19 are overweight or obese".

What do you think?  should food retail chains be allowed the freedom to market their food as they see fit?  can consumers be trusted to make informed and healthy choices? 

"¿Por Qué No?", indeed!

 ¿Por Qué No? on Hawthorne  image: ¿por qué no?

I feel silly even posting a review of "¿Por Qué No?".  Everyone has to know about one of portland's top taquerias by now, no? Nevertheless, i feel i should cover all the bases. Though i may have eaten at many of said bases, i haven't reviewed them all. yet.

I found myself at the Por Qué No on N. Mississippi with a friend who is visiting from back east, so it was time for some snapshots and a bit of extra ordering.  it's a tough life.

As per the usual, i got the "Bryan's bowl", veggies, with tortillas.  Fresh tortillas, seasonal veggies, beans, guac.   nom.  I also needed some chips and salsa, of course.  I love their smoky, oniony salsa.   And i got a taco verduras as well.

This place is consistently good always of high quality ingredients and usually nice people taking orders.  It can get a bit busy at lunch and dinner, so get there early to try to poach a seat after you have ordered.

Por Que No's "el patio".  image: ¿por qué no?

They opened more outdoor seating at the N. Mississippi location which is a welcomed addition.  I guess i hadn't been in a while as this was installed at the beginning of the summer.

¿Por Qué No? will definitely remain one of my goto places for quick and tasty tex-mex with a sustainable flair.


¿Por Qué No? (0 to **** (stars), higher=better):

• Food Quality: * * (2 stars, quality prep and ingredients)
• Vegetarian menu: * (decent, but far more meat options) 
• Vegan menu: * (decent, leave out the cheese, sour cream, not sure on guac)
• Service: * * (very friendly, fast, bus own tables, togo boxes in dining room)
• Atmosphere * (rustic)
• Green: * * * (they really do make almost every effort they can, local ingredients, solar hot water, veggie oil powered vehicle, etc.  cons: parchment tray liners, paper napkins)
• overall: * * (beckons with solid and quality cooking)

"Ford Food and Drink" opening this Tuesday

Ford bulding. image: Portland Architecture

from the Detour cafe folks, Becky and Scott, comes "Ford Food and Drink" in the old Ford building at 3035 SE Division Street.  They are set to open this coming Tuesday 07 September, 2010.  According to pdx.eater.com, in the meantime you can checkout the space and they are serving espresso and pastries.

At opening, they plan to have lots of the breads and pastries from Detour, plus some new stuff including soups, beer and wine.  Hours are so far unknown to us.
Check out the Detour cafe's menu!  lots of veggie and vegan options.  They also have a long history of serving vegetarian and vegan "family dinner"s.

this sounds like it could be an expansion on a good thing!  maybe they'll be open for dinner?

Tapatio vs. Cholula Hot Sauces

cholula.

tapatio.

when I became a man, I put away childish things; in this case it was my beloved Frank's Hot Sauce.  I had graduated to the subtle yet bold taste of Cholula.  However, recently i have been prefering Tapatio to Cholula.   It's far cheaper, more easily available in large bottles, and somehow i just like it better.

Anyone else care to venture an opinion?
I should find something organic, local, and with no preservatives.  This does not seem likely, i guess i will end up making my own.

dated wine stopper. why?

dated wine stopper. image: designboom.com

i ran across this wine stopper that can record the date of opening a bottle.

if you can't remember when you opened it, one of two things, or both of the following, are happening:
1: you should stop drinking
2: the wine is already starting to turn to vinegar

a "Lincoln" for SE?

according to pdx.eater.com the founders of "Lincoln" on N. Williams have signed a lease in the new "reliable building" on SE Division.  Jen and i loved Lincoln when we ate there a few months ago.  Decent vegetarian selection, excellent food, great service, interesting atmosphere, and unique drinks.  hopefully this is something new and different rather than a dilution of their current brand and service

reliable building. image: urban development partners

Gravy for Breakfast

Gravy.

It was a long night, the need for a good brunch was obvious in the two of us.  We knew a wait was inevitable this saturday am. "Gravy", on N. Mississippi, fit the bill. 

As we expected adding ourselves to the list just inside the door implied a decent wait.  We strolled back up the street to get coffee at "Fresh Pot".  They brew Stumptown and my soy latte was extremely bitter.  We returned to loiter outside of Gravy and it turned out the wait was only 10 more minutes or so.  I drank my coffee and we talked about bikes (there is a shop next door). 

The menu is extensive.  I decided on a blue cheese (which they spell 'bleu'), onion, and mushroom omelette, and a side stack of blueberry pancakes.  They don't offer a single side pancake unless you replace your side potatoes with one. Jen had a scramble with cream cheese and scallions.  We also had the biscuit and veggie gravy and a side of hash-browns (on top of each of our egg's side of home fries).  Suffice it to say we had a ton of left-overs, which we brought home in their compost-able recycled-paper containers.

The omelette was fantastic, and of my own creation.  They have several to choose from but also offer the ala carte option with lots of ingredients, including veggie sausage (which is marvelous).  The scramble was great too, the eggs were nice and creamy and cooked well, and the combination of cream cheese and scallions was brilliant.

Gravy: pancakes, biscuit, gravy, fake syrup

The pancakes were disappointing.  They were a bit chewy, and if "Gravy" had real syrup, they didn't offer it.  However, the biscuit and gravy were amazing, as per usual.  The gravy is savory and complex.  I don't think i can go to this restaurant without getting a biscuit and gravy.  It tastes like the best parts of thanksgiving.

A word of caution and disappointment on the bloody marys: They contain anchovies and the mix is made ahead of time, so you can't order one without Worcestershire.  Maybe if enough of us ask, they'll use a veggie Worcestershire?

The home fries were great, with onions and seasoning.  The hash-browns were a nice and crunchy but a bit lack-luster in the flavor department.  I'm sure some people like their hashbrowns to-the-point. 

Gravy (0 to **** (stars), higher=better):

• Food Quality: * * (2 stars)
• Vegetarian menu: * * (it's breakfast, there better be lots of options)
• Vegan menu: * (eggs replaceable with tofu in scrambles)
• Service: * * * (very friendly, fast)
• Atmosphere * * (visible kitchen, open dining room, cheap chairs)
• Green: * * (cons: paper napkins, pros: recyclable to-go container)
• overall: * *