Dirty Oscars brings bar brunch to a new level

Having brunch at Dirty Oscars, and if you like food you gotta check these guys out.Rich, silky chorizo broth with shrimp and grits that were pefectly prepared.

This old street side bar in West Tacoma is bringing its A game when it comes to brunch, and I'm happy to say it's best id's far better than anything else I've had in the area.  The grits were perfectly cooked, soft and creamy.  The velvety smooth broth was crafted with just the right amount of butter to enhance the texture.  Mixing chorizo and bacon into a traditionally southern recipe like this was a gamble that paid off big.

If you wake up in Tacoma looking for brunch after a long night on the town or a concert asst the dome, head west and find parking.

Portland's "Iron Chef" raises the bar again, this time for Seafood

Being named runner-up in a newspaper's "readers poll" of new restaurants may not seem very prestigious, but when the paper is Willamette Week and the city is PDX it's really saying something special.  Portland has more than it's share of amazing chefs and fabulous dining experiences opening every year.  One of those chefs is Vitally Paley, and when he opens a new joint people will always show up.  To keep them raving and coming back takes skill that few chefs possess, but Chef Paley has been doing it for years, and his 4th restaurant is truly something special.

When the Heathman shut down their lobby restaurant in 2016 there was a lot of attention, and it went up a few notches when it was announced that Chef Paley and his wife and business partner Kimberly Paley would be opening a seafood restaurant there.

I finally had a chance to visit this week, and it definitely lived up to it's reputation.  Featuring a few staples like fresh clams and mussels, an amazing seafood tower, and an amazing 14oz steak would be enough to keep people coming back.  Adding amazing catch-of-the-day specials and live crab and lobster along side a "Russian Tea Experience" on Sunday afternoons makes it a must visit.  Chef Paley has another winner and the city is better for it.

When you do it perfectly, a steak can stand by itself on any dinner plate

I had the amazing 14oz ribeye from Brandt Farms, served simply rubbed with roasted garlic before being grilled to a perfect medium rare and accompanied by a wonderfully creamy Sauce Bernaise.  The steak was perfectly cooked and not choosing to clutter the plate with a lot of side dishes or garnish shows the understanding of the ingredients that the staff has in the kitchen.  It's surprising how few chefs in this city are willing to let a gorgeous steak be a steak without dressing it up too much.

I ordered the braised market greens and sweet corn grits as side dishes, and both were great if not what I expected.  The greens had a decidedly asian flavor with the combination of coconut milk and chilies.  The sweet corn grits I expected to be ground sweet corn grits, but ended up being whole kernel corn prepared the way grits would be.  It was a surprise but perfect in it's flavor profile and simple presentation.

The braised market greens were soft and creamy

The sweet corn grits were a pleasant surprise

Overall it was a great dining experience, and one I will have again soon.  Headwaters is definitely "Fat Boy Approved"

One pen to rule them all

I get a lot of products to review here at Fatboy HQ, but pens are fairly rare.  This one is rarer than most in quality and design. 

Ian Schon at SCHONDSGN has been making these for a few years, but just launched a version with a pocket clip for the first time and it makes it much more useful than his earlier design for me. 

As you can see, packaging is pretty well done, with the pen arriving in a nice folding box secured to a card with your ownership information and a custom fold-flat pocket notebook. 

The pen has a great weight and feel, with a Fisher space pen refill providing exceptional writing on any surface and at any angle. 

the SCHONDSGN CLIP looks just as great in black as it does in aluminum

Ian sent me two pens, one anodized black and the other polished aluminum.  Both are exceptional pens that would fit anyone's EDC needs.

You can find them online now at the SCHONDSGN website. 

Burger mecca launches first franchise in Happy Valley

Saturday the first franchise in the Killer Burger chain had their "Friends and Family" night, and my wife and I were on the guest list. Located at 147th and Sunnyside Rd. in Happy Valley this newest location is sure to bring local diners to the Killer Burger bandwagon.

With a Killer new design esthetic and a full bar this is my kind of burger joint! 

A fresh faced young crew works the main food counter, but grizzled veterans run the bar and keep the peace.  With a great selection of punch drinks and beer on the menu and a full bar for those over 21 it's a burger joint concept for a new generation.

Fast food burger joints with full bars? Bye bye McDonald's  

With burgers ranging from the basic "Purist" (with just onions, pickles, lettuce, mayo, and ketchup adorning the 1/3rd pound patty) to the "Barnyard" (which adds bacon, ham, egg, and a second patty along with Smokey house sauce in place of mayo)  these burgers are built to appeal to every craving.  Every sandwich includes unlimited fries as well.

" The Lineup" 

I went with the above mentioned Barnyard, and overall was impressed.  The burger itself was juicy and full of flavor, with plenty of fat to deliver the flavor you would expect from a premium burger.  Constructed with a great balance of toppings  there wasn't too much lettuce or too little sauce, and the tomatoes were firm and flavorful. I would have preferred a fuller flavored pickle, but no burger is perfect.  In my opinion, an egg on a burger should be runny so that the yolk creates a sauce for the burger and this was served over medium and firm, again a matter of preference not a deal breaker.

" The Barnyard Burger" 

The fries were crisp and delicious, cooked all the way through in the center without being too starchy. 

Overall it was a great dining experience in a great new venue that will spell a great new future for a PDX favorite.  Franchisees Wes and Coral Welterman can be proud of their new project.  If what I saw tonight it's any indication they have a hit on their hands.

Coral and Wes Welterman pose in front of the kitchen at Killer Burger - Sunnyside  

Country Cat takes flight

Mar 2, 2017

Service was great when I seated myself, and my order was promptly taken at Country Cat's new second location in the E concourse at PDX just as you clear TSA hell.  Country Cat's great menu of southern flavored comfort food is pared down a bit for. this venue but loses none of it's quality.  I was served a wonderful plate of Beef Hash and my cocktail was delivered quickly.

From then on I became invisible.  40 minutes later waitress checked back for the first time to take my dish and ask if if I wanted another drink. After a 20 minute wait in a fairly empty restaurant my second cocktail is yet to arrive. After 35 minutes it finally got there, but that's not acceptable.

​The beef hash was amazing, with soft and tender beef mixed with crisped and deliciously crunchy potatoes and served beneath a perfectly poached egg. Hash is rarely done this well, and it would be worth a return trip of service were better.

Extremely different, in every way

This week I was provided an interesting contrast in two bluetooth headphone products, the long awaited Apple AirPods and the BB Air wireless headphones from German firm Blomm & Berger.

Most of us watched the introduction of the AirPods during the WWDC keynote this September and were surprised to see Apple miss their shipping date in October.  They finally started getting retail production going before the end of the year but are still on substantial back order.

The AirPods are small.  Very small.  Easy to lose small.  So easy to lose that Apple actually assumes that you will lose one of the pair and has listed the replacement cost ahead of time ($69 with AppleCare).  The whole pod is the size of a roll of dental floss.  Don't let size fool you though, there is some great tech inside that little pod.

At the opposite side of the spectrum are the BB Airs.  Big hearty headphones optimized for EDM and featuring both on-ear and over-ear earpads to allow for comfort and flexibility.  Custom manufactured in Europe for the German based company that has made a name for themselves sponsoring dance parties and FIFA matches.  They didn't have the money to startup manufacturing of the new product line so they turned to Kickstarter and Indigogo for support.

There isn't a lot to say about the sound quality of the AirPods.  They sound about the same as the EarPods that ship with every iPod and iPhone.  That in itself is pretty remarkable in true wireless headphones at this point but from an audio standpoint these aren't going to blow anyone out of the water. 

Blomm & Berger's BB Air's are another matter entirely when it comes to sound quality.  Even with the smaller pads placing them on your ears instead of over them these things sound very good.  When you increase the size of the soundstage by completely surrounding your ears with the larger ear pads you get one of the best wireless sound experiences we've encountered so far. 

As we all have heard, the Air⋅Pods have the same size and fit as the standard earpods, which quite a few people find uncomfortable.  I don't mind them usually for short to medium listening, but they aren't comfortable past the two hour mark for me.  This is fine, because battery life is only rated at three hours at 50% volume, so getting past two hours without needing to take them out to charge will be rare for most of us. 

In contrast, I found the BB Air with the over-ear pads to be comfortable throughout a five hour flight from Portland to Houston without any problems at all.  Usually even if they are not putting pressure on my ears (a rarity even for headphones designed to be over the ear given the size of my auditory appendages) my ears are feeling hot and uncomfortable by the three hour mark but somehow this didn't happen.

Overall I think both of these headphone devices are going to make buyers very happy.  Apple already is having a hard time keeping Air⋅Pods in stock and I don't see that changing until another true wireless competitors products catch up with marketing.  We'll have to wait and see if Blomm & Berger get enough marketing behind their own line to gain any major market share with what is a great product almost no one has heard of yet.

Serendipity ala Groupon brings Indian pizza home for dinner tonight

I was trying to decide what I wanted to do about dinner tonight when Groupon popped up telling me there was an offer nearby.  I pulled off of Cornell and up came an offer from Curry & Crust, an Indian restaurant with a twist...pizza(?!?) of all things.  I had seen the name driving past a few times but had never had a chance to stop before so I decided to give the offer a try. 

I got my large Butter Chicken Pizza to go and took it home. 

The pizza was topped with Home made sauce with  Onions, Green Peppers, Cheese,chicken  and topped with makhani sauce.  I have to say that first of all Butter Chicken is one of my favorite Indian dishes.  Putting it on top of pizza is a gimmick for sure, but one that works.  The flavor was smooth and creamy, with just enough curry and chili to balance the butter and make this a winner.  They got me there with the intrigue of pizza, but I'll be going back in to try a more traditional Indian meal with a variety of dishes after the flavor and quality of this pizza.

If you want a unique pizza experience or are just looking for great Indian food give Curry & Crust a try.

Whisky Review: Lagavulin 16yo Distillers Edition

Tonight a good friend that I don't get to spend much time with due to geography came by to catch up, and we decided to sample a few whiskys while he was here.   

As a big scotch guy Lagavulin is one of his favorites, so when I pulled this off the shelf his eyes bugged out.  Labeled bottle 4/504 and distilled and barreled in 1998 this is a double matured Scotch that was sure to meet our expectations. 

As an "Islay" Single Malt Lagavulin is known for a strong smokey flavor, and this bottle did not disappoint.  Straight from the bottle the nose had notes of dried stone fruit and burnt sugar.  The taste started with smooth but strong smoke, which was quickly joined by leather and mild tobaccos before fading into smooth caramel and vanilla.

As my readers know by now I'm not typically a single malt fan, but this will stay in my cabinet for special occasions. 

How can soup get any easier?

I'm sure you have all seen the adds for this device in newspapers and on TV for months, but I never knew anyone who actually had tried one until I received the Big Boss Blender & Soup Maker from Amazon this week.​

I decided to use one of the recipes included in their cookbook instead of one of my own to make sure I gave a product I was pretty sceptical of a fair chance.​

Soup the easy way: add ingredients and press a button.  The Blender & Soup Maker heats, cooks, and blends automatically. 

The recipe was for Corn and Chicken Soup, and the directions were pretty simple.  Add the ingredients, hit a button and 30 minutes later I was supposed to have soup for four ready to eat.​

The first soup from our new soup maker actually came out amazingly good with almost no effort. 

It seemed a ​little thin, but actually was pretty decent, and was cooked through and blended in exactly thirty minutes.  The family was quite impressed, and I was blown away that it actually worked as easily as described.

If you love soup and want a way to make it easier and with almost zero effort, this is an awesome idea that deserves a spot on your counter top.​

Will SlingTV kill cable

In January at CES Sling announced a partnership with several cable television networks including Disney and CNN to offer a monthly subscription service which promised to bundle together the most popular cable television networks into a single streaming service they dubbed "SlingTV". 

Including such popular networks as ESPN, FOOD Network, and CNN into a $19.95/month service the announcement rocked the internet and cable television worlds at the same time. 

The promised service launched today with a 14 day free trial, and I've been using it on a variety of platforms for a few hours to see how it works. 

My first notice that SlingTV was live today came via my FireTV, not a press release.  This ad greeted me when I turned my TV on this morning. 

The biggest limitation for most families is going to be that only one device can be logged in to the service at a time.  Logging in on my iPad deactivated my viewing on my TV, actually logging me out and forcing me to log back in with email and password to begin watching again.  For families with a multitude of screens like ours this is a serious limit with such a hefty price tag.  A $20 subscription per family member would make cable television cheaper and give us a wider range of programming. 

That being said there is a lot to like here.  Even with what I am sure is a huge look-in audience on launch day there were no quality issues on any of the devices I tried.  Playback is smooth and full HD quality, a must at this price point. 

At launch Sling also offers a sports add on pack featuring 10 additional channels including ESPNews and Universal Sports for an additional $5, with the promise of more add on packs such as family and movie packs to come as deals are made with production studios. 

In all it is a compelling if expensive service that delivers exactly what it claims if not anything more.  Give the trial a spin and if you find yourself using it enough it may be worth the price tag for your family. 

Review: Lomography's latest camera brings instant photos back to the party!

The Lomographic Society is a global organization that is trying to keep interest alive in film photography, and their latest effort is to revive the tradition of instamatic photography with their newest product, the Lomo Instant.

Dead simple to use, and very easy to get decent pictures while still flexible enough to allow for some wide ranges of creativity in settings of aperture and shutter speed that you wouldn't expect to find in an instant camera.

My first two selfies taken with the Lomo Instant

The Lomo Instant they sent me is a limited edition called the Sanremo, and the kit includes the camera and the "Lomo Instant Lens Kit".  This lens kit contains a fisheye lens, portrait lens, and close up lens.  These lenses give you even more flexibility than you ever had with that old Polaroid.

The bottom of the camera has a chart to help you find the right flash and shutter settings on the go 

The Lomo Instant uses FujiFilm instax mini instant film, an instant film that is easily found online.  It develops fast with strong clear images and is fairly inexpensive.  

The last thing they include in keeping with the societies goal of reviving the lost art of manual photography is a set of cards with photos and tips on how to get similar results with your camera.  They range from the very simple to some very advanced techniques in the 18 card set and are a very nice group of tips.

As with their last major project, the Impossible Instant Lab, this became a reality after a successful run on Kickstarter.  This is why Kickstarter is such a great idea.  It launches great projects like this into the world on a regular basis.  Here at Fat Boy Heaven we love Kickstarter, and we will keep bringing new and successful projects to your attention.  

Whiskey Review: Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky

Another of the new whiskys I just received from Caskers.com is this new Maple Rye from Tap 357.  Canadian Rye is aged 3-7 years before being mixed with fresh maple syrup and being aged an additional 6-12 months.  The process leaves a wonderfully full bodied whisky that actually tastes like maple sugar instead of like someone mixed maple syrup into your shot glass as some other products on the market do.

Maple is the first and strongest note on the palate, followed quickly by a light spice from the Rye and notes of tobacco and leather.  The finish smoothes into the lingering feeling that you have just been drinking with the crew from a maple syrup farm.

Not my favorite drink but I'll hold onto the bottle for the holidays.

FeastPDX Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting

FeastPDX is the Northwest's premier food and beverage event.   Founded in 2012 by Mike Thelin and Carrie Welch, Feast Portland showcases local culinary talent and Pacific Northwest ingredients alongside internationally recognized chefs, culinary professionals and industry leaders. Feast Portland is also a festival with a mission, donating its net proceeds towards ending childhood hunger in Oregon and around the country through Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Share Our Strength.

The centerpiece of the festival is the Oregon Bounty Grand Tasting, a two day event in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.  

This is the second year Fat Boy Heaven has attended this amazing event, and this year was even better than last year.  It is easy to see why everyone from Zagat to Forbes has lauded it as one of the nation's premiere food events, and while naming it one of America's top 15 food events Fodor's Travel said it was "done to such perfection you’d think one of the Pacific Coast’s biggest-catch food events was in its 30th year.”

I could write for days about the flavors and sights of this amazing event, but wiser men than I for generations have said a picture is worth a thousand words so I will give you- the sights of Feast Portland:

Bambuza was making fresh shrimp spring rolls that amazed even a meat and potatoes guy like me

BatchPDX specializes in handmade chocolates

Featuring sweet and savory baked goods Pacific Pie served an amazing sausage roll.

redDuck Foods brought some great sauces, but the most interesting was their Pumpkin Spice ketchup

Whole Foods, a featured sponsor of the event had a large tent set up on the upper level of the square featuring local products they were debuting in their styles from Portland vendors.

And there you have it, the sites and food of Feast Portland's Grand Tasting for 2014.  I'm already looking forward to next year's event. Up next, a new event for this year, the Tillamook Brunch Village.