Portland Restaurant: Honky Tonk Taco

What: Honky Tonk Taco
Where: 3384 SE Division
Honeys Heart: Slushi Margs! 

Like any sane person, I love tacos. Luckily here in Portland, we have quite the selection of taco joints. Off the top of my head, I can think of:

1) Por Que No?- greatest of all Portland taquerias
2) Taqueria Santa Cruz & 3) Rose City Taqueria- our prefered taquerias in St. Johns
4) Uno Mas Taquiza- our prefered taqueria when we lived in NW
5) Mi Mero Mole- guisado tacos (and an owner with attitude!)
6) Cruzroom- fusion tacos that aren't as great as they used to be
7) La Taq- Tex-mex tacos (and queso!) that my mom and sister love
8) Stella Taco- we gave them a poor review and now we're not invited to LGP blogger previews
9) Portland Mercado- taco food trucks!

And that's just the tip of the iceburg. All this is to say, do we really need another taco place? Even if it is from Nate Tilden?

Doug and I decided we should investigate for ourselves, especially since Honky Tonk is billing itself as serving "deliciously inauthentic", Austin-style tacos and we needed to know what that meant.

From the looks of the current menu, that means basically nothing since the majority of tacos offered seem pretty basic. You've got your carnitas, chicken tinga, al pastor, lengua, mushroom, and camarones plus one taco that I guess would fall into the "inauthentic"/tex-mex category: carne de res (brisket). 

Doug went for the brisket ($3.25) and al pastor ($3.25) while I tried the carnitas ($2.75) and hungos ($3).

The brisket, al pastor, and carnitas were all quite tasty but those hongos, man. Someone had a very heavy hand when they were seasoning the sauce and I won't be ordering those again.

We also tried the queso fundido ($9), which was just okay. It's hard to go wrong with melted cheese but this version solidified fairly quickly and that kind of takes away some of the fun.

To drink, Doug chose a local microbrew and I tried the slushy margarita ($8). My mom and dad raised me to order my margs on-the-rocks but I'm glad I bucked tradition and went the slushy route. That thing was good! Refreshing and not in-your-face-boozy, but still boozy enough.

So getting back to the question, does Portland really need another taco place? Probably not. But Honky Tonk's tacos were fairly solid and they do have a big patio and delicious margs.

Plus, Tilden says that soon they'll start both hosting "competitive taco fights" and roasting whole goats in an outdoor firepit on Saturdays so people can enjoy fresh barbacoa tacos on Sundays... so that's at least something different!

Sweat & Sip: Portland Rock Gym & Uno Mas

What: Portland Rock Gym
Where: 21 NE 12th Avenue
Honeys Heart: V0 routes

Surprisingly enough, this summer we got hooked on Revocycle, one of our "Sweat & Sip" stops, and haven't branched out much since then - so we're long overdue for another installment in this series!

Over the holiday, my sister kicked my butt at the gym, bouldering, and snowshoeing and after her visit I was inspired and reminded of how fun the rock gym is. I love when a work out doesn't feel like typical gym time where you're talking yourself into staying on the treadmill or skipping the last set of reps, because, well, who cares? Or maybe that's just me?

Anyway, bouldering is awesome because all you focus on is getting to the top of the wall and then once you're up there, you decide if you're close enough to the mat to just fall because your arms are so tired. Or maybe that's just me again?

The Portland Rock Gym (PRG) has a room for bouldering (where you don't need belay skills) as well as taller walls with auto-belays and belay routes for partners. They also offer climbing classes, private lessons, yoga, and a small gym.

We opted for a day pass ($15 + $5 for shoes) for bouldering, but the auto-belays (tried on a previous visit) are fun and I want to do them again sometime. The bouldering routes are marked with tape and the easiest are the V0. The difficulty level increases as the number goes up and despite our efforts we weren't able to complete all the V0s we attempted, but we did have some success!

This is the only rock gym we've tried so we would welcome other Portland favorites or recommendations! If you're interested in exploring this gym - which began expansions this week - check out their rates and hours!

What: Uno Mas
Where: 2337 NE Glisan Street / 1914 W Burnside Street
Honeys Heart: Surtido taco

Uno Mas got a brief shout out in one of Katie's "5 in 5" posts, and it has since become one of our favorite taco places, right up there with Porque No?

After rock climbing we stopped by the West Burnside location. We started with Totopos y Guacamole ($5) that was enhanced with an assortment of Uno Mas salsas available to add to your tacos.

On Saturdays and Sundays, Uno Mas features breakfast tacos in addition to their existing menu until 3pm (through the winter, 1pm in the summer). We tried the Huevo con Choizo en Salsa Verde ($2) which was good, but I wouldn't choose it over the Surtido ($2), a Katie favorite filled with chorizo, chicken, and beef. I opted for one seafood taco, the Majo de Ajo ($3.75) with rockfish and garlic lime marinade. Though it was good the Surtido was the overall winner.

After our fitness, three tacos seemed like a good idea but we would have been good with two. Plus our arms were tired and holding the tacos was hard. Seriously.

Also, sorry there's no sip to this post. We could have had some margs (they're pretty decent there, but not as good as PQN) but we were trying to be healthy. Sorta.

Sweat & Sip:

• Burncycle & Pink Rose
• Vega Dance Lab, Water Ave Coffee, & Canteen
• YoYoYogi's Boot(y) Camp & Coopers Hall  
• Revocycle & Sisters Coffee Co. 
• Booty Bar at Aspire Total Fitness & Sip

Portland Restaurant: Stella Taco

What: Stella Taco
When: 2940 NE Alberta St
Where: 11am - 10pm Daily
Honeys Heart: The vibe

Katie and I made a deal when we started the blog. We would use it as an excuse to regularly go out to eat and drink (you know, "for the fans") and we would always be honest in our posts. The being honest part kind of sucks sometimes, but it must be done.

Katie and I attended Stella Taco's launch party on Tuesday evening and here's the deal: owners Ian and Becky Atkins and Chef Matt Fields (formerly of Little Bird) seem/are great, the vibe is really laid back and welcoming, but the food - at least what we sampled - left us wondering "would we leave our usual taco spots (Uno Mas, Por Que No) to come here?"

The answer: no, not based on what we had.

We started our Stella Taco experience with a Paloma de Juarez ($5.50) made with Olmeca Altos Blanco tequila, triple sec, grapefruit Jarritos, and lime. Definitely a funky take on a marg, maybe something for next year's 4th of July party?

The Frozen Margarita of the Day ($5.50) was a pineapple margarita. Tart and tasty. Not sure either were better than Por Que No's margaritas, but the price point is way more reasonable!

At the opening we tried the Elote ($3.50) which is roasted corn with fresh crema topped with lime salt, chili powder, and cheese crumbles. Katie and I both like corn, so we thought this was good- even if it was a fairly simple dish.

For tacos, Stella started us off with the Cancha ($2.50) made with crispy organic corn kernals, re-fried black beans, sliced red onions, and crema. It was sort of like a corn nut taco... which was weird, but sort of good, but really just hard to chew. I think the corn kernals either needed to be a little softer or a little crispier because our jaws felt a little sore. We wondered if we were being overly critical, but the man next to us voiced his agreement without any prompting.

The second taco we were served was the Brisket de Matamoros ($3) made with Painted Hills brisket that is dry-cured, coarse-ground, and slow-roasted and then topped with toreados chiles and pickled red onions. Not a bad flavor, but the choice to grind the brisket seemed a little strange to us. Why not slice it to show off its tenderness? Points for uniqueness though? I would also be curious about portion size. The taco seemed a bit small to us for $3- but this was just a sampling so maybe that was intentional.

Looking at the other taco offerings, I wish we could have tried the Lamb Barbacoa ($4.50) or the Chile Colorado ($2.75) with pork shoulder stewed with red chiles, tomato, and onions and topped with matchstick potatoes. It seemed Stella picked the more unique tacos for their tasting, but that might have been a risky decision, at least from our standpoint.

There were also Flautas ($8) floating around with a tomato broth for dipping. We didn't end up getting to try these though. They looked crispy...

Oh yes, and for dessert we had a Sopapilla ($3.50) which is a fried tortilla pillow with cinnamon and sugar and local honey.

The take-a-way here: Stella Taco was good, not great. It didn't convince us to give up our usuals, but it was an opening and we know those can be stressful and don't always reflect all that restaurants can do. We may need to give it another try and get some additional opinions. Stay tuned - there may be an update to this one! 

Portland Restaurant: Tamale Boy

What: Tamale Boy
Where: 1764 NE Dekum St
When: Tues-Fri 11am-9pm-ish, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-3pm
Honeys Heart: Cochinita Pibil 

Oh to be young again. Well, younger back when we still had "summers" and our parents helped us pay for stuff. My cousins, Kendall and Reed, stopped in Portland towards the end of their month-long (yep, month-long!) sibling road trip around the country and of course we needed to take them to a Portland hot spot. I still hadn't made it to Tamale Boy so we decided to make the trek to NoPo.

Tamale Boy has you order at the register, get a number, and take a seat. The five of us took some time with the menu but finally settled on some food and drinks. Adam kept it classic with a Margarita ($9) and I went for a sweet and spicy El Diablo ($9) with jalapeño vodka and mango puree. Both were refreshing, but Adam's won the vote for favorite by the rest of the table. I still stand by my choice. I'm a sucker for mango. 

Kendall's friend from USC, Ian, went for the Tamarind Whiskey Sour ($9) with Burnside Bourbon, tamarind puree, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg whites, which was also good, but almost too tart. Surprising coming from me, I know!

For food, Reed opted for two Carne Asada Tacos ($2.50) and the Cochinita Pibil ($4.50) a Oaxaquenos tamale, aka a banana leaf wrapped tamale, with slow roasted pork cooked in citric juices and spices. Adam and I got both of these items also and were definitely happy about it. The banana leaf wrapped tamale seemed to have less masa than the corn husk wrapped versions which I thought provided a bit more balance. The tacos were also a favorite. Adam could have had more of those!

There were a couple special tamales on the board and Kendall decided to go for the Tamale con Kale and Brussels ($9) wrapped in kale with brussels sprouts and capers on the side. I definitely liked the kale wrap on this tamale, but at $9 it was a bit pricey compared to the other options and probably not as filling. If you're looking for "bang for your buck" I would probably stick to the main menu.

Ian opted for another one of the specials, the Quesadilla. I don't think you can ever really go wrong with a quesadilla and this was no exception. The meat inside was flavorful, and a little spicy, and it came with a verde sauce and a spicy sauce.

It already sounds like a lot of food, but we also shared a few tamales from the Norteno Tamales ($3.50) section of the menu, or cornhusk wrapped tamales. To really experience the menu we went with one of each. A Chile Verde with pork cooked in a green tomatillo sauce, a Tinga de Pollo with chicken cooked with onion, garlic, and chipotle in adobe, and a Rajas with roasted pasilla peppers, onion, corn kernals, and queso fresco.

The Chile Verde was my favorite from this bunch (the tamale on the far left of the photo below). The tomatillo sauce made it the most moist of the three, while the other two were a little dry.

Not pictured, we also ordered the Guacamole ($8) that claimed to be made tableside. It wasn't, and for $8 it was not nearly as big as I wanted it to be. I'd skip that next time. Overall, the patio was great and the food and drinks were good. If you navigate the menu so you don't spend so much on guac and specials, it's also a pretty affordable option. I'd definitely recommend it on these warm summer nights!

5 in 5: Uno Mas, Two Tarts, Cafe Castagna, Dove Vivi, and Basa Basa

Alright guys, there were some complaints (from Doug) about my last 5 in 5 and how some of my descriptions are confusing or don't give a complete enough picture of the restaurant. But really, you should be fine with it (Doug) because if I don't do these quickie posts, this blog will sit sad and alone for much longer periods of time and no one wants that... 

Uno Mas
Occasion: We loved 24th and Meatballs so we wanted to give another Ocean restaurant a chance.
The Five: Cheap and super tasty tacos.

Two Tarts
Occasion: My parents were in town so obvs sweets were a must.
The Five: Lemon bars: good. Macarons: eh.

Cafe Castagna
Occasion: We'd heard very good things about their happy hour burger. 
The Five: Amazing burger, awesome bartender.*

Dove Vivi
Occasion: We've been conducting our own informal Portland pizza-off.
The Five: Corn pizza. Do it now.

Basa Basa:
Occasion: Another Ocean restaurant
The Five: Stick to meatballs and tacos.

*Had to write a little more our bartender at Castagna as he was so friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely a great guy to chat with. He usually only works weekends but we were happy we managed to catch him on a rare weekday!

Portland Restaurant: Mi Mero Mole

What: Mi Mero Mole
Where: 5026 SE Division St
Honeys Heart: Rajas con Crema taco

The girls and I have mostly been hitting up happy hours on our (almost) bi-weekly girls nights so we decided to switch things up by getting actual dinner instead.

I have been wanting to try Mi Mero Mole FOREVER so I was happy when the girls agreed with my suggestion.

At Mi Mero Mole, the focus is on guisados, which are essentially stews and stir-fries. You can order them as the filling in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, or as part of a plate.

The menu is pretty extensive with over 50 different guisados, but only around 10 are available each day, which is helpful for those of us who are not the best with dinner decisions (aka, me and Kel).

We stared off with Chips & Salsa ($2) and margaritas.

I ordered the Jamaica Margarita ($6/$9), made with housemade hibiscus syrup, even though I was warned that it was sweet. Should have listened because, yeah that thing was way too syrup-y for me.  Next time I'll try their classic marg instead...

For dinner, I decided to try 3 tacos: Cerdo en Adobo (pork in pineapple chile sauce), Nopalitos y Papas (cactus and potatoes), and Rajas con Crema (roasted chiles with onions, sour cream and cheese).

Rajas con Crema was my favorite (so creamy and delicious!) but the other two guisados were tasty as well. I also loved the tortillas. They were nice and thick, similar to the ones I had when I visited Doug in Guatemala.

Kel and Jen ordered tacos too while Gina and Dana went with quesadillas.

Confession: I was feeling pretty under the weather at our dinner so I didn't do my due diligence as far as sampling dishes other than my own or bugging people about what they thought of their food.

But that just means I have an excuse to go back with Doug and get his opinion! I'll keep you posted...

P.S. Fun fact: Mi Mero Mole is owned by Nick Zukin, "Zuke" of Kenny & Zuke's and the brains behind Extra MSG and PortlandFood.org. The more I learn about the Portland food and restaurant scene, the more I see what a small and interconnected community it actually is. Don't believe me? Check out this fun infographic from MIX Magazine's April issue. I know, right?

P.P.S. Mi Mero Mole just announced that they're starting a food and drink happy hour Tuesday-Friday from 4-5:30pm. Would prefer it go to 6pm so I could actually take part in it... but oh well.

Portland Happy Hour: Cruzroom

What: Cruzroom 
Where: 2338 NE Alberta St.
When: Sun-Thurs, 4:30-6:30pm and Fri & Sat, 4-6:30pm
Honeys Heart: Pork belly taco ("Green Acres")

So, surprise! Doug came back from Guatemala two weeks early!

To celebrate, we headed out to Cruzroom on NE Alberta (which, not coincidentally, is also one of the stops on my first Dishcrawl) for some happy hour tacos.

We started out with drinks. Cruzroom is big on infusions and during happy hour they're only $4.

I'm currently on a spicy-drink kick, so I opted for the "Deathstar" Ancho Chili-Apple Vodka mixed with ginger ale.

Bad call on my part. I guess I forgot that I don't like spirits flavored with apple. Also, ancho chilis are actually pretty mild so I didn't get that kick I was looking for either. And, if I did ever order this drink again, I wouldn't do it on a hot, summer day. It's much more suited for late autumn or winter.

Doug tried the "Colonel Potter" Double Fig Scotch mixed with 7UP. I was worried that 7 UP might be too sweet to pair with the fig scotch but it was actually pretty delicious. Good choice, Doug.

For food, we started with some Titos ($4): made-to-order tortilla chips tossed in asiago cheese and pico de gallo spice with a side of guajillo salsa and cheese sauce.

Loved that the chips were homemade and the combo of asiago cheese and pico de gallo spice was tasty and unique.

Happy hour tacos are only $2. I tried the Green Acres ($2) with roasted pork belly and apple-vinaigrette slaw topped with cotija cheese and the Broken Bean ($2) made with Halloumi cheese fried extra crispy and served over citrus black beans and topped with a roasted corn and chipotle salsa.

I love anything with pork belly so the Green Acres was the obvious favorite. However, the Broken Bean was also very tasty. I was surprised to find that they used the tortilla as a little bowl, but it worked. The crispy cheese was delicious and nicely complimented by the citrus-y black beans.

Doug ordered the Phuket ($2) with marinated Thai lemongrass chicken fried with a splash of coconut milk and topped with a peanut Asian slaw, the Green Meanie ($2) with slow braised pulled pork in a green tomatillo chili sauce topped with a roasted tomatillo poblano chili slaw and the Green Acres ($2).

He liked the pork belly best ("it's one of the best tacos I've ever had") and liked the Thai one as well. The pulled pork taco was good too, but being the most traditional, it wasn't quite as exciting as the other tacos we tried.

Overall, Doug and I very much enjoyed the food at Cruzroom. As Doug was quick to point out (being an expert about these things), most of the tacos are not at all authentic... but they're still delicious. I'll definitely be back both with Dishcrawl and on my own.