📍 Address: 39 Cottage Ave, Quincy

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)

Went here for the first time tonight and it was outstanding. I only heard of it because my fiancee went there one night while pub crawling with the girls around Quincy Center... and also because a deal came up for a certificate for Kama Lounge on CoupMe (which is like Groupon). Anyway, we found easy parking considering its location near the Fat Cat and the plaza with the Fours and Texas Saloon. We were greeted at the door by a young guy who promptly seated us and upon request gave us some food recommendations. We had been out earlier in the day with friends and so we were only hungry for a relatively small bite, so we started with drinks. The fiancee ordered a glass of the 14 Hands riesling (which was excellent and quite reasonably priced) and I ordered the special cocktail - a pineapple mojito. Our waitress Gwen promptly jumped behind the bar and made the drinks... and the pineapple mojito was much, much better than anticipated. It was truly outstanding. Plus the wine was accompanied by a small, free cheese plate with tiny pieces of four cheeses, toasted bread and some fresh, red grapes. Mmm! We perused the tapas menu as well as the menu of the connected restaurant Bistro Chi (available for service in the lounge). At our request, Gwen also made recommendations. With that in mind, the fiancee ordered the vegetarian lettuce wraps and I ordered the kalbi style beef skewers with corn salad and the bacon-wrapped scallops in leek soup special. Her wraps were delicious with a bit of a kick. The only downside was that the lettuce was so crisp that it was hard to roll up without dropping bits... but it wasn't a first date after all... we're nearly married, haha. My beef came out first and it was phenomenal. Seriously. I had instant sense memory of Korean BBQ I often had while living in Japan... the sauce was fantastic and the meat was outstanding. The corn salad (sweet corn shaved off the cob alongside halved cherry tomatoes) was better than expected! It blended well with the sauce! I literally cleaned the plate of whatever I could get on a fork. The scallops came out right after, and it was two scallops on a bed of leek soup. Just as the maître d' had explained (much to my disbelief), the leek soup and preparation process somehow toned down the often-overpowering saltiness of the bacon and scallop together. Indeed, it was a much more savory dish, and the saltiness was somehow curbed. The leek soup was outside my wheelhouse, but it was delicious with a fair amount of black pepper in it for a kick. Near the end of the meal, a gentleman started performing acoustic renditions of songs quickly and deftly going from Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" right into Death Cab For Cutie and then into Men At Work, followed by Peter Gabriel. As a musician I really appreciated how he made the material his own, and how these seemingly disparate artists' songs were blended masterfully for a pleasant audio experience. Gwen was an absolute star. She had an awesome personality and friendly demeanor; she knew the menu very well and made a hell of a drink! She is the perfect ambassador for this spot to people like ourselves (young locals just passing through to try it out). I was told that Tuesdays will be an acoustic night from now on, while Thursdays offer an open-mic night style. Saturday is also live music and Friday is a DJ. The vibe of this place is neat. A little modern, a little hipster, a little casual, a little swanky and urban... but not overwhelming. It was conceptually similar to the Foundation Room and House of Blues general vibe, but a lot less of a statement... it's very casual. The only downside is that the place is a bit dark with the dark walls, somewhat dark carpet patterns, dark ceiling, dark chandeliers and dark furniture (tables and chairs). Aside from that, it's a win. Can't wait to get back! I only hope it does well enough to stay open but not so well that we can't get a seat!

📍 Address: 5425 NE 30th Ave, Portland

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)

FOIE. GRAS. BON-BON. This restaurant is straight up sexual. If communal seating, dim lighting, and perfect wine pairings don't scream eat me, I don't know what does. Eddie and J-Bee were quite astute when they booked in advance, cause ya gotta. Aside from one poor wine pairing and over-salted duck leg, I was in heaven. PS don't let all the notes and drawings in the bathroom make you miss a course...

📍 Address: 2838 SE Belmont St, Portland

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4)

In a town where there is just so much great food, Accanto won't really make my list of places to visit again. The wine list leaves so much to be desired, only 2 needs are offered, and the cocktails were far below average. Mix that in with being overpriced and slow and serving tiny pretentious portions so prepare to spend $100 and leave hungry, I'd say really don't bother going over there unless perhaps you live right near by and just want to get some gnocchi to go. My lobster gnocchi was really good, but everything else was really just meh and too expensive to not be good. I'll pay for great food, but this was mediocre food with great food price tag, NOT okay in this foodie town. The appetizers left so much to be desired. When I bit in to my single egg, $5 deviled egg appetizer thinking someone just served me a Cheesewiz stuff egg, I hope I'd find solstice in my $15 glass of wine white was described as bold, fruity, and earthy only to to find no solicit, nor any fruit or earth. Sigh, we can say we tried it and the waitress was very sweet and attentive, but it's never going to make a date night list.

📍 Address: 2035 NE Alberta St, Portland

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

My co-workers have been talking about this place non stop, a few of them went 3 times in a single week. So, with a day off and nothing better to do than check some food destinations off of my list, I decided to venture over to Alberta for a little shopping and some tasty food. I couldn't have picked a better day to check this place out. First of all, I was amazed (and extremely torn) by the flavor choices. Honestly, such unique options... how on earth was I supposed to decide. I saw they had the tasting flight option so I asked the woman working how big the scoops were (it was just me after all). She said they were 2oz, about the size of a golf ball. I figured that would be about two "normal scoops" in any other setting so I decided to go for it. They ended up being pretty generous "2oz scoops" but somehow I found it within me to power through. I settled on the Duck fat caramel, pear and blue cheese, strawberry balsamic with black pepper and the sourdough with olive oil chocolate. All of the tables were full so I planned on finding a spot on the floor where I was out of the way and could dig in. But as I turned around, a woman said she was clearing a spot for me at their table. As I sat down I realized they were employees of Salt & Straw, tasting pastries they are considering adding to their menu. She immediately cut a slice of lemon poppy seed cake (Delicious!) and handed me a biscotti. Everything was delicious and i'm horrified to learn that they will be opening a new location mere minutes from my job.... I'm screwed.

📍 Address: 10225 Research Blvd, Ste 4000, Austin

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

My husband and I celebrated an anniversary at this Truluck's (near Arboretum), because a friend had introduced us to the happy hour here once and we liked it. The whole staff made our night so special. From the host to the waiter to - of course - the bartender while we waited and the kitchen; the food is SOLID- and a spectacular dessert and signed card to remember by. Unfortunately, I was so tipsy from the flight of champagnes and cavas (highly recommend!), that I accidentally undertipped them when I did the math. I was trying to tip them 30%, but I was impaired and tipped less than 10%. We were so embarrassed at our horrible tip when we realized later, we've never gone back! In conclusion: PLEASE treat yourself here for your special occasion based on this review. I'd feel less guilty - and you will have an amazing night focused on the people you're with with staff that is warm and friendly but not overly intrusive, an incredible wine list, and fresh seafood.

📍 Address: 3808 N Williams Ave, Ste C, Hub Building, Portland

⭐ Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

Be ready to wait for two hours, my experience here was not the best to say the least. They seated people who came after us instead (our wait was only suppose to be an hour.) We were 3 people! It's not hard to make a table for 3 people. Also food comes in waves, so If you're hungry this might not be the spot.