The good news about Blossoming Lotus is that the food is decent. And the bad news is that the portions are small, it's kinda pricey, and it's slower than molasses in February.

Now that my beloved is vegan, I jump at the opportunity to go out to eat, and it tends to be places where we know the lay of the land, so to speak. So, we ended up at Blossoming Lotus yesterday.

Now, BL is in the reception area of a Pearl yoga studio, and it manages to be both high-end enough that you see the ladies that lunch (or yoga and lunch), as well as hippy girls with dreadlocks, and crusty vegan punks.

You grab a menu, and then stand in line to order; then grab a table if you are lucky. Because there's going to be a wait.

I've never seen folks in a kitchen move so slowly. I'm reading Michael Ruhlman's The Making of a Chef, which is all about culinary school and the urgency of getting the food made and made correctly and efficently, and believe you me, there is none of that hurry going on at BL.

Still, I like the food, and I liked it even when I was a bit unsure about vegetables.

The menu is made up of appetizers ($5-$6), salads ($6-$8), soups ($4-$6), sandwiches and wraps ($7-$8), bowls ($7-$9), and entrees ($8-$12). Raw food adherents will find options here, as well as juice enthusiasts and smoothie fiends.

We ordered the Cilantro Lime Paté ($5, made with sunflower seeds), served with flax crackers, slices of cucumber, and the ugliest pink cardboard tomato I've ever seen. I asked about the Thai Bowl, which is carrot, bell pepper, cabbage, broccoli stems, baked tofu, peanuts, fresh herbs and rice noodles tossed in a ginger-lime-peanut sauce, served cold ($9) — could it be made without the bell pepper? No, because everything is pre-assembled. So we still ended up with one Thai Bowl, and a Spicy Avocado Sandwich ($8, with chipotle aioli, baked tofu, lettuce and sprouts). These plus a lavender lemonade set me back $25 before tip.

And then the wait began.

Finally, after 45 minutes, we got our paté -- which basically just needed to be plated, right? Maybe 5 minutes after that, we got the thai bowl (again, just needed to be plated), and the avocado sandwich, the only thing that we ordered that actually needed to be made. Oh, and we got some serious attitude from the young woman who brought us our food who had exposed infected body piercings (oough!)

They say everything tastes better when you're hungry, and we certainly were hungry, and mine, at least, was great. My beloved wasn't that impressed with the thai bowl, and I think the dragon noodles at Red & Black are better (as well as faster, cheaper, and less surly).

I'm not saying I won't go back, but at least I'll try not to be hungry before I do.

This may be the best cheap lunch or dinner in town.

Of course you can buy groceries at New Seasons. But at their deli, you can also get hot food. Yay!!

We've been long time fans of the New Seasons deli, ever since we figured out that eating before shopping means we spend a lot less. But really, the food prices here can't be beat.

For example, tonight we tried the hot wok ($6.95 and up). Yum! You get a metal bowl and fill it as high as you can with goodies: noodles, rice, garlic, ginger, tofu and veggies. You can also add chicken, beef or shrimp, or white or brown rice to your wok bowl for a little extra. Now, choose from the 8 different sauces: most are vegan, a good number are gluten-free, so you have options. You can also get them to ratchet up the heat. Just a few minutes later, you have a huge hot meal on a plate. Grab a drink from the cooler, stop at the cashier, and then make your way to the dining area, stocked with condiments and magazines and lots of tables.

You can get a huge salad for $6.99 from their salad bar. Or if you prefer, they can make a caesar for you ($3.95 and up). They have 2 pastas each day, one veggie, one meat for $4.95 (and up). And two soups a day, one veggie, one meat.

You can get a bagel with lox, or cream cheese, or whitefish spread, or tofu paté (warning, not vegan!), or hummus, and veggies. You can even get your bagel toasted!

And then there are sandwiches. You can build your own from coldcuts, or tuna or chicken salad, or even grilled veggies. They have hamburgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, chickenwiches, even groovy hot dogs. And there's some specialty sandwiches as well.

If this isn't enough, there's always rotisserie chicken and chicken quarters, always pizza, always some type of roasted potatoes, and always some other yummy stuff. Chips and sweets are close at hand.

While the chicken and pizza leave me cold, the hot wok, salad bar, and sandwiches are consistently great, as good as you'd get in a restaurant -- but cheaper.

The only drawback is, if you're hungry and you're having them make you a sandwich or some other type of non-instant gratification, waiting may make you crazy. But no crazier than shopping with an empty stomach.

It makes perfect sense to me that the first week of spring should feature snow flurries and hail. But spring means so many things - the end of the grey season, the beginning of our surroundings looking alive and colorful again, time for crushes and baseball and asparagus!

For those of us who are trying to locavore, spring also means finally vegetables that aren't root veggies or greens. Not that either is bad, it's just, well, it's nice to eat something else.

And so, locavores rejoice: the Saturday Farmers Market at PSU will be back this Saturday! And, in honor of that, the altportland Farmers Market section is now fully up-to-date with 2008 information.

In the last two months, there has been a ton of activity in the East African restaurant business on NE MLK. It's doubled, and there may well be more in store.

At the corner of NE Russell & Rodney is a new restaurant that it appears the Queen of Sheba folks are involved in. At least, when I chatted with them, they neither confirmed nor denied.

Selam Market, previously known as the only place to buy crack baggies for blocks around, is now a restaurant.

The cursed location formally known as Aunties' Kitchen is now Sengatera Ethiopian Restaurant.

And the former locale of Horn of Africa is Burqitu, a halal breakfast, lunch & dinner place.

All of the restaurants had heavy, home-made curtains in the windows. None of these have menus or hours posted, so for all I know, they aren't even open yet. But I'll be curious to hear what you think if you visit any of these.

I wasn't planning to take three weeks off. But, there you go.

photo by Furiousgeorge81

Michael Rollins from The Oregonian answers all the questions you might have about red light cameras or gatsos in the city of Portland. For example, photo radar -- it's another thing entirely.

The article/blog entry, A red light camera, Portland's 8th, went active this morning at S.E. Washington and 103 includes a list of all 8 locations AND a googlemap, as well as some fun facts about the whole operation.

While Portland is known as a vegan-friendly place, it's harder to find vegan food downtown at night than it should be. Here are some suggestions:

Food Carts (generally weekday lunch only)

Aybla Grill
SW 9th and Alder
SW 2nd and Alder
503/490-3387
ayblagrill.com
Levantine/Mediterranean

Dreamer's Cafe
SW 5th at Stark

Fuego
SW Yamhill at 6th
SW 2nd at Morrison
SW Market at 2nd
SW 4th at Madison
(all over downtown, the Pearl and NW)
vegan burritos

India Chaat House
SW 12th & Yamhill
503/241-7944
Indian

No Fish Go Fish
SW Yamhill at 5th
nofishgofish.com
Everyday, they have at least one, and up to three different vegan soups, plus at least two kinds of little warm cornmeal sandwiches

Tabor Czech Food
SW 5th & Oak
503/997-5467
schnitzelwich.com

The Whole Bowl
SW Alder at Park
"Whole Bowl has 3 food carts around the city and they all serve only ONE thing (yes, only one): a big, hearty bowl layered brown rice, red and black beans, fresh avocado, salsa, black olives, ..., cilantro, and tali sauce (their handmade signature sauce which tastes lemony and garlicky), " according to VegGuide.

Restaurants Downtown

Backspace
115 NE Couch (at 5th)
503/248-2900
backspace.bz
Monday-Wednesday, 7am-11pm
Th-Fri, 7am-12 midnight
Sat, 10am-12 midnight
Sun, 10am-11pm
free wifi on site

Habibi
1012 SW Morrison St
(503) 274-0628
habibirestaurantpdx.com
Levantine

Higgins
1239 SW Broadway
503/222-9070
upscale, local-seasonal foods, always something vegan on the menu

Karam
316 SW Stark St
(503) 223-0830
Levantine

Veganopolis
412 SW Fourth Ave
503/226-3400
veganopolis.com
open Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm... or is it 9:30-5? Call to be sure
free wifi on site
raw as well as vegan options, lots of fake meat, beer & wine.

Vegetarian House
22 NW Fourth Ave
503/274-0160
vegetarianhouse.com
open 7 days a week, 11am-9pm
Chinese vegetarian & vegan food - thanks to the Supreme Master

In the Pearl:

Blossoming Lotus
925 NW Davis St
503/228-0048
blpdx.com
Sun-Th, 8am-9pm
Fr-Sa, 8am-10pm
raw as well as vegan options, beer & wine.

1. Visit Powells
   what, do I have to sell this? They're the largest bookstore in the US, for cripes sakes. They have a coffee shop for reading, wifi-ing, and people watching.
   1. Visit Powells Technical Store (if you're a techie)
      Our beloved Fup no longer walks among us, but PTS is an awesome place to visit, or camp with your laptop.
2. go to Voodoo Doughnuts
   No, they're not the world's best donuts, and if that's what you're looking for, you're missing the point. No, this is just the world's funkiest donut shop. You can get vegan donuts, non-vegan donuts, donuts in the shape of unmentionables, and even, a couple of years back, donuts with nyqyil in them. Marc Acito notes, "Let's not forget the donuts with bacon at Voodoo Donuts. Yummy and good for the arteries. LOL."
3. Leave downtown and visit the east side
   If you're a foodie, know that the majority of excellent food options is on the east. The majority of ethnic food is on the east side (exceptions being Indian most notably). The best pubs, and some of the best brewpubs, are on the east side. The inner eastside is easily and quickly reached using TriMet, our local public transportation.
4. Go for a ride on the tram
   Portlanders love to complain about the tram, but if you really want a good view of Portland, there is none better. McAuliflower of Brownie Points notes, "The tram is free to ride down (the #8 bus will take you up to the top), otherwise you need to buy a $4 tram ticket to ride it up." Course, if you're scared of heights, how's about checking out Council Crest, the city's highest point, and a lovely one, too, as Randy suggests.
5. Go for a walk!
   You don't have to go all the way to Forest Park to get a good walk in. I have some suggestions for walks that are adjacent to downtown...

And here are some ideas that aren't for everyone, but, you know, might be right for you

1. Go to Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade for some classic video-gaming
   home to video games from the 70s on, and the largest and best-maintained collection of pinball machines. After 7pm, you can have a beer with your game...
2. See a Timbers Game
   The Timbers are our professional soccer league. And they have an army. Just saying.
3. go to Forest Park
   there are trails, an arboreteum, mountain views, and, um, trails. You can mountain bike on Leif Ericksen, and run and walk just about all the rest
4. History buffs must check out Pittock Mansion
5. Check out the liquid of your choice vice
   We are the craftbrew center of the world. We're surrounded by some of the best vineyards (and wine producers) in the world. We're known by coffee lovers around the country as a hotbed of coffee roasters and master baristas. We even have shops devoted to the pursuit of tea, and restaurants that specialize in old-fashioned sodas.
6. Visit a garden
   We have two rose gardens in Portland. We have a Chinese Classical garden, and a Japanese Garden. We have an arboreteum, and a rhododendron garden. And, we have the world's smallest park -- right downtown.

So, Portlanders, what do you consider the universals, that every visitor should do when they come to town?

Aaron wrote me awhile back, asking about BC2. So like a good reporter, I dropped everything and went there for lunch. And then sat on it until this week.

BC2 is a tiny place tucked in on the Madison Street side of the Multnomah Building. From the outside, it looks like just another bento/rice bowl shop. But that's where the comparisons end.

BC2 is a place with a following. Many folks who work in city or county government are devotees, for obvious reasons. And thus, many news reporters from the Oregonian also make this a necessary lunch stop.

They offer an assortment of cookies, naturally. And coffee. But I didn't pay any attention to that, because the lunch options are worth crossing town for. Of course they have an assortment of chicken bentos, shrimp, salmon, and tofu as well. Nothing really exceptional there.

But where you can you get unagi kabayaki? Or ginger pork bento? Or udon soup? Hawaiian bento? Mexican or spring roll or potsticker bento? Octopus Mt Vege bento? Sesame seaweed? Kimchee? Fish Cake? Bibimbob? or the Hi-Pro Lo-Carb? You know where I'm going, don't you?

On my first visit, I ordered the Octopus Mt Vege bento ($6.75)—that's an octopus salad, made up of pickled ginger & seaweed, with a cabbage & carrot salad and your choice of white or brown rice. Both types of salad were delicious, and I love having a choice of rices. And it was a perfect amount of food -- enough to sate, but not enough to make you sleepy the rest of the afternoon.

On the second visit, I saw someone enjoying the unagi kabayaki (that's grilled eel to you, $6.75). I decided to try something more pedestrian, like the tofu bento ($5.50). This is a traditional bento with steamed veggies and your choice of rice. The tofu was heated and doused in teriyaki, and thery were very generous with it. The veggies had seen a bit too much time in the steamer, but they were still had a little flavor.

With all the bentos ringing in between $5.25-$6.75, this is a very reasonable lunch downtown. Add a cookie for a $1, and, well, you have a cookie.

There are two vegetarian options and one vegan, so vegetarians, this is probably not the place for you.

Us Portlanders are proud that the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is here in Portland. So, if you've come to Portland for the show, we hope you'll take advantage of some of our bikey hospitality.

Since the NAHBS is at the Oregon Convention Center, you might appreciate some tips about the Oregon Convention Center: coffee shops near by, bicycle parking at OCC (including supersecret parking!), and restaurants near by.

Of course, NAHBS is offering indoor bike parking: this just in from bikeportland.org:

NAHBS is pleased to announce free indoor bike parking on Friday 8th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th February.

Access to the bike parking is from Lloyd St, on the south side of the Oregon Convention Center. Look for the Bike Parking signs.

If you're looking for bike-related shindigs, bikeportland.org has a full calendar -- and be sure to check out the benefit for bikeportland.org:

Pints and Prizes: A Benefit for BikePortland.org
Plan B (1305 SE 8th Ave)
9:00pm - ?
$1 raffle tickets (proceeds go to BikePortland.org)
Win prizes from Ortlieb (messenger bags), Keen (shoes), SRAM (a Rock Shox Fork), Castelli, Maverick, Zipp, Vittoria, and massages from Gretchen Kloeppel, LMT.