what do I know

It’s been a whirlwind trip, but I’ve come and gone from the great state of Oregon. I spent a week in Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland, at vendor training for one of the biggest MS shops in the financial industry. While the training was very enlightening (more to come on that later), it should come as no surprise that I was excited to try to the local cuisine. Since we ate out at every meal, here are a few local places that I’d highly recommend trying out if you ever find yourself in the area:

• Burgerville - Fast food chain that uses food directly from Oregon with milkshakes that rival those of Chick-fil-A (as far as fast food goes).
• Camp 18 in Seaside - Tasty soups and bread, huge portions, and an amazing location.
• Pizza Schmizza - Gourmet pizza by the slice.
• Imbrie Hall - Great appetizers; try out the Cajun tots for some good bar food!
• Thai Orchid - Great lunch specials and curries. If you like spicy food, ask for “extra hot”; “hot” works out to be a “medium”.
• Old Market Pub - Delicious specials and great atmosphere.
• Mio Sushi - Fresh, delicious sushi as well as awesome Katsu Don and lots of Japanese lunch options.
• Jake’s Famous Crawfish - Classic staple of downtown Portland. Classy place with some of the most amazing salmon I’ve ever had in my life. The halibut is great too!

Please keep in mind, I am stealing all of these great suggestions from our trainer, so thanks to Michael for the excellent suggestions. We also had an opportunity to stop by Rose’s Deli and Bakery and Stanford’s which are descent places to check out as well.

No trip would be complete however without some great beers and Oregon is famous for its microbreweries. Let me just tell you, tasting is believing. Most every local restaurant is equipped with its own brew and I was fortunate enough to get a small sampling of the selection Portland has to offer. Below are the beers I’d recommend at least trying if you’re looking to quench your thirst:

• Imbrie Hall - Some super IPA with triple the hops, Ruby, and the Rubinator (Mix of the Ruby and a stout called the Terminator).
• Old Market Pub - Mr. Toad’s Wild Red Ale, Hot Tamale!, Black Magic Nitrogen-Powered STOUT, and the Honey Root Beer.

Last but surely not least, I have to give a huge shout out to Simeon and Ryan for taking the time out of their busy days to hang out. Both guys have helped out the Adogo with remote presentations, so nothing is better than traveling to meet the people with which you only get to chat. Thanks for showing us around!

Portland is a great city with a cool technical population and a very lay-back vibe. If you ever have the chance to visit, definitely give it a shot. If you have time, check out some of the pictures Zach took on the trip for a good laugh.

When I took my latest job, the president of the company, Doug, took me out to lunch to say welcome. As a force of habit, I got to talking about food. I was excited to find he was just as much of a “foodie” as I am. He kept raving about a former ice cream stand turned into sandwich shop called Rolli’s. I asked around about the place and didn’t hear too much else about it, so I was held off on giving it a try. Boy was that a dumb move. The other day my wife surprised me and took me to Rolli’s before my trip to Oregon. On a side note, she has officially won the wife of the year award (which not surprisingly, she wins every year).

Pulling up to Rolli’s I have to admit, I was a little hesitant. I haven’t had much luck with the sandwich stands in the past but, as always, you can’t complain until you give it a shot, right? After some time looking over the menu, we decided to order the Rolli Original Pork Sandwich (~$6), the Rolli Cheese Steak (~$6), a cup of fries (~$3), and a 24 oz drink (~$2). Doug raved about the pork sandwich so I had to try it. For the Rolli’s Original and Jr. Pork Sandwich, they slice tender, seasoned pork tenderloin onto an egg bun with grilled onions, provolone cheese, and mayo. The flavor behind the sandwich is a little salty at first, but wow, what a great taste; the pork is so tender it melts in your mouth, no matter how big a bite you take. As for the cheese steak, I was really happy to peek over and see them chop and grill a nice rib-eye with onions. The mixture made its way onto a hoagie roll filled with provolone and mayo; we could have done w/o the mayo, but it was good none the less. The fries were skin-on potatoes cooked in what tasted like peanut oil. I would have liked it if they were a little thicker, but worth the order if you like fries. As far as the drinks go, make sure to order the large (24oz) or you’ll have to pay for refills.

Overall, Rolli’s worked out to be a great pick, so thanks to Doug for the suggestion. Every now and then you need a good, reliable place to get a great sandwich and Rolli’s is that place. If you’ve ever passed Rolli’s on your way to the Melbourne mall, don’t waste your time on the crappy food court, turn back around for a great meal.

Rolli’s is located at 620 W New Haven Ave, Melbourne, FL 32901.

NOTE : Keep in mind that Rolli’s only has a 3 or 4 tables and limited parking, so if there is a lunch rush, be ready to take their great food to go.

Well, it’s been a crazy month or so since I’ve posted, but a lot has happened on the Brevard restaurant scene. Here are a few of the tidbits that have crossed my path:

• Islamorada Restaurant, our local Suntree Cuban joint, recently closed for renovation and re-opened as Cocomo’s Grill, a not so Cuban but more island inspired style restaurant. After stopping by for lunch (review to come one day), I found out that the place is under new ownership and has a new wait staff. I think they’ve retained some of the cooking staff since many of the dishes on the menu are from Islamorada’s original menu, but unfortunately tostones did not make it back onto the menu; I also didn’t see any of that amazing key lime butter or panitos on the table. The new menu looks good however, so I’m not that discouraged.
• In crazy, all of Brevard’s restaurants are catching on fire news, Meg O’Malley’s Irish Pub, located in downtown Melbourne, had a fire break out on their rear patio. Smoke damage extended to the building costling about $150K in damages. Here’s the write up on the event for those who are interested.
• Dinners2U, the latest local craze in delivered and prepared meals for the Melbourne area, is doing so well that in the next 6 months, the goal is to open a new location in Viera off of Murrell Road. This is great news for the Suntree area since delivery is not available in our area. I want to order a few more times from Dinners2U before I write them up, but so far it’s home cooked meals for a descent prices (considering all of the food you get with your order). Here’s more info for the curious.
• Leaning Tower of Pizza Restaurant is celebrating 25 years of serving the Melbourne area. They’re running spaghetti and slice specials for the month; buy one of either and get one of the same for $0.25. Leaning Tower is a great establishment and deserves all of the praise that it receives. Swing by, check it out, and show your support for a staple of the city.
• A little birdy told me that the owners of Island Pasta Company downtown have purchased, or are in the process of purchasing, Chowders on US1 in Suntree. From what it sounds like, Chowders will remain a seafood restaurant but look for a new name and menu in the future. Not sure when that future will be, but I’m excited to hear something new will come from that spot. They’ve got a great view and I’d love to go back.
• Cantina Dos Amigos is now back open after being previously closed due to fire. Looks like business is back to normal.

So that’s about all for now. I have some reviews for some Brevard classics coming down the pipe as well as some new establishments with some great potential. Talk to you soon.