Beaverton, Oregon - Pho King Good

Pho King Good was delicious. I guess it lives up to its name that way.

The waiter said that the name gets people into the door, and that's why they have the cheesy name.

I am not sure that "cheesy" is exactly how it comes across, but it does work, and not only can you enjoy your time at the restaurant and check in, you can also buy a T-shirt - either just with the logo, or with "I love" plus the logo - and wear it on your chest. Or you may prefer to call it PKG.

Still, the pho is the point, and it was excellent.

I have not had pho for a long time, and I have been wanting to go since I knew the restaurant was there. My sisters were intrigued by the name. I admit I did not notice them when their name was Pho Wah.

There was a part of me that was reluctant to go with my family though. My sisters aren't as adventurous as I am anyway - beyond the lack of ties to SE Asian cuisine - and we took my mother. You cannot imagine how much of a relief it was when everyone loved it.

And that is reasonable, because the food is delicious. You can take your relatives who are suspicious of Vietnamese food and win them over.

The staff was friendly and the service was fast too. Prices were pretty good. I literally do not have a single bad thing to say about them.

There was something that surprised me; when looking at the menu before going there were none of the baked options I would expect, like hom bao and banh mi, and if I ever get lucky banh bo hap. That may be explained by the presence next door of Best Baguette, a sandwich place with Vietnamese options. I hope to get a chance to try them too. If they are as Good as Pho King, that section of Hall Boulevard in Beaverton is a actually a section of Vietnamese food Heaven.

http://www.phokinggood.net/

Downtown Portland - August Moon

The idea to review it is new, but August Moon has been one of my favorites for a long time.

This started when I was working downtown and would take advantage of their walk-up window. You could get fast and inexpensive to-go meals, and I took advantage of them many times.

They are also conveniently located to Keller Auditorium. When I recently ate their before an opera performance, we got to watch a procession of orchestra members going by, as well as the opera director, from our window-side table.

I am extremely partial to the kung pao chicken, but I honestly haven't ever had anything bad from them.

A word to the wise, though, their is another August Moon in NW Portland, which can be confusing. If you accidentally order from the NW one, they are not at all sympathetic, so make sure you have the August Moon on Clay.

http://www.augustmoonchinesetogo.com/

Cracker Barrel

For years for Oregonians Cracker Barrel was something you would see commercials for, but that you had to travel to get to.

Suddenly, those dreams of home cooking came much closer, with locations in Tualatin, Beaverton, and now Jantzen Beach. And it was really disappointing.

To be fair, I feared it would be worse. I had heard things that made me worry I was supporting a racist institution, but on entry there was a sign saying they welcomed people of all races, and that's great if it's sincere. It doesn't make the food any better.

The decor is busy, but with a definite country theme; sort of a rustic Red Robin or Chili's. They do not make the wait staff wear a certain number of pieces of flair though, so that's good.

Service was kind of slow, but we had a game at our table if we wanted to pass the time.

And then the food came and it looked great, and I started tasting things and that's where it became disappointing.

It was not all bad. The baby carrots were really good, as were the loaded hash browns. Chocolate chip pancakes and biscuits were okay. The scrambled eggs and sausage were surprisingly bad.

The dumplings had kind of an "off" flavor, and the chicken was terrible: dry and flavorless. The mashed potatoes were indifferent. I admit, when I saw that there was no fried chicken on the menu I became suspicious of the "down-home" cooking, but not everyone wants to get into frying.

I did think the individual syrup bottles were cute, but probably wasteful.

Then it was time for why we had been dragged there: the campfire s'more. And it was a well-toasted marshmallow, but the brownie base was funny-tasting too. One of my sisters tried a piece, and said it did not taste like hers, so it may be that they are hit and miss, but I am not seeing a reason to return. (Though those were surprisingly good baby carrots.)

Then it was time to exit through the gift shop, which was also where you entered.

I was not impressed, then I was a little impressed to see the candy sticks, then put off when they didn't have orange. You could get tangerine or sour orange, but not regular orange, and what is the point of that?

You pay for your meal (and add your tip) at the cash registers in the gift shop. At first I thought this could easily shortchange the wait staff, but I guess the cashiers can look at you funny if you skimp on the tip, so maybe it works outs.

There was a display of rocking chairs - also for sale - along the walkway, and I guess they are charming, but at this point I was just kind of over them, even though they were $25.00 off.

And I have to admit that the prices were not bad, and my sisters think I should give them another try ordering something else, which is something real restaurant critics do. Maybe if I tried again I would get a better brownie. However, if their biscuits aren't better than mine and their mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs are significantly worse, I think I am safe writing them off.

But those were really good baby carrots.

https://crackerbarrel.com/

Metro - Neighborhood Collection Events

While local attractions and entertainment can be important for the quality of life in an area, the regular events and amenities are more important. One thing I appreciate here in the Portland Metro Area is a desire to protect the environment and conserve resources that includes curbside recycling.

 Not all waste items are eligible for curbside pickup - especially those that could contaminate the regular recycling or pose a hazard to the collection workers. Those items can be taken to Metro offices, but for greater convenience Metro also holds a series of neighborhood events from March through November.

 You will probably end up in a long and winding line, and as you idle it can be easy to question how good that is for the environment, but miles and time on the road to get to a disposal site may be worse. Putting various items in with regular waste is definitely worse. And they do a good job.

 The proper entrance and path to follow are clearly marked.

 Sometimes they may even demonstrate a sense of humor, as the normal road instruction guy gets his own hazmat suit here.

 There is a large reserve available of various containers, allowing them to deal with your specific waste.

 Oil is popular, as well as CFL bulbs, solvents, paints, and in our case some medical waste and old nail polish.

 Staff is friendly and helpful, and then your path out is clearly marked too.

 

We returned with a new sharps container, the old one safely disposed of. Previously I had to pay pharmacies for the service, and that involved finding one that would take it, as more and more pharmacies stopped wanting to deal with the hassle. These events help me.

https://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-living/garbage-and-recycling/neighborhood-collection-events

Metro serves three different counties, and some recycling options vary. For information specific to Washington County, including their new app, go to https://www.co.washington.or.us/hhs/swr/news/online-tools.cfm