Portland, OR – Oven and Shaker Review

The name refers to the two elements that the restaurant hopes to capitalize on – oven, for wood fired “Neapolitan style” pizzas, and shaker, for interesting cocktails.  This partnership between a local 4 time nominated James Beard candidate and a local renowned drinksmith held great promise when announced, but in my opinion, succeeds at the… Continue reading Portland, OR – Oven and Shaker Review

Los Angeles – Olio Pizzeria

Olio is a word that has a number of meanings:  mixture, spanish stew, some other things.  But in the case of Bradford Kent’s “Olio“, it just means Delicious, with a capital “D.” This newly opened, mid-city Los Angeles pie shop, the brainchild of Kent, a vet of all segments of the food industry, from research,… Continue reading Los Angeles – Olio Pizzeria

Portland – Jo Bar

The food was superb, but we were sorry to be there on the day which, apparently, every single staff member lost a dear relative…or their cat…or…..really, this was the gloomiest set of service personnel I have experienced in years, and generally the mood of a food establishment starts at the top, and filters down…so something… Continue reading Portland – Jo Bar