This User Rated

Was this tip helpful?

0.0 (0 members)

Report a Problem

BEST grilled cheese sandwich in PDX!

I don't know what magic they use but this is the absolute best grilled cheese sandwich in portland....it must be the blend of cheeses they use and the awesome bread. Pair it with the homemade tomato soup and you are in comfort food heaven!

Keywords: Dress casual, Brunch, Bar, Restaurant, Everyone, Cheap (US$ 5 - US$ 10), Dinner, American, Lunch

This User Rated

Was this tip helpful?

0.0 (0 members)

Report a Problem

Loved it!

Country Cat has a great menu for the hearty appetite.

Keywords: Restaurant, Moderate (US$ 11 - US$ 20), American

This User Rated

Was this tip helpful?

4.2 (4 members)

Report a Problem

Country Cat For City Slickers

If you're someone who thinks that anything good about Portland stops at the west bank of the Willamette and the only time you head east is to go to your ski chalet on Mt. Hood, then you're reading the wrong blog. Readers of GoodStuffNW know that this city, and I mean north to south and east to west, is full of enchanting, surprising and downright amazing places and people.

In the last couple of years, one of the new hot spots for development has been the Montavilla neighborhood along SE Stark above 76th. They have their own farmers market, a Portland status symbol akin to getting a Starbucks in your neighborhood (so last century!), a restored movie theatre (the Academy) that's become a community landmark and some very Portland, very groundswell places like the Bipartisan Cafe, Cellar Door Coffee Roasters and The Country Cat.

The interior tends toward mid-century modern, with lots of wood and cork used to carry the theme. There's a good-sized dining room on one side and a well-stocked bar on the other, with booths around the perimeter.

The menu is definitely Southern homestyle with an upscale twist and the prices are in the reasonable range. One day for lunch I really wanted to order something large and carbo-loaded but decided on the hickory-smoked duck leg on a bed of spinach salad. Now, they would have impressed me there, but they added balsamic marinated peaches and fresh chevre, which sent the whole dish, and my mouth, into orbit. The tangy sweetness of the peaches, the smoky duck, the creamy chevre and the greens...egad!

Fried chicken is a signature dish on the dinner menu, and it was definitely something to write home about. Perfectly fried chicken was rich, juicy and meaty with enough oomph to quell those hunger pangs.

And I'm not a big fan of breakfast as a meal, but when we walked in the other morning I saw a Bloody Mary float by looking oh-so-delicious. And when the menu came, what did I see but a hash of home fries and house-smoked meat on a bed of chard topped with two poached eggs. Needless to say, I was a goner. As yet their weekend breakfasts haven't been discovered by the hordes, so get in there and get your day off to a fabulous start.

It looks like this cat is going to be a keeper!

Keywords: Southern, Dress casual, Bar, Restaurant, Everyone, No smoking, Dinner, Pacific Northwest, Moderate (US$ 11 - US$ 20), "In" place / People watching, American, Comfort Food, Lunch, Breakfast