Juicy Sandwiches and Surly Waitresses at Grand Central

Look, I know it says 12oz on the menu. You know what a tall is. There's no reason to get snippy. It's not like the coffee is something to write home about anyway (unless you enjoy talking about bland coffee. Which apparently I do).

the chicken salad was juicy

But enough complaining. Now to the good at Grand Central Bakery. The sandwiches. They were good (see, I told we'd be getting to the good stuff soon). One of our party got the soup, just as an excuse to get a whole baguette to go with it. The bread, you see, is also very good. It's their specialty; they're a bakery.

turkey curry, turkey, and chicken salad (clockwise from top left)

Ok, so bread: good. sandwiches: good. coffee: bland. waitstaff: surly. What else? pickles? Ok, they were very crisp. We all agreed that you can't get pickles this crisp in the supermarket, but maybe you could at a farmers market. Exciting, isn't it?

interior

And that about sums it up. It also closes out the 1 day Portland trip. Back to Seattle next time. Next up: Grand Central Bakery (not really, but apparently I went all the way to Portland to try a place that is also two blocks from my office. hooray me).

[where: 2230 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, 97214]

Saint Cupcake

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so sweets have to be especially good to really get me excited. I'm excited about Saint Cupcake.

Mmm. Dots.

It's because the cake is so moist and delicious. A lot of people focus way too much on the icing. Bah! I say. Without a good foundation a cupcake is nothing. Icing shots be damned!

Outside

The icing is good too. It's only as sweet as it needs to be, is the thing. I like an icing that doesn't hurt my teeth.

Inside

I don't know why cupcake places are always pink and frilly. Are they not manly? Is that it? Are us hairy chested macho men going to have to take cupcakes back from the ladies? I hereby proclaim the start of the start of the mancake revolution.

I'm kidding. mancake? That's gross.

A whole box of them!

Ok. Enough distractions! The important thing here is cupcakes. And they are good. Saint Cupcake is my new favorite cupcake place. I wish it wasn't two and a half hours away.

[where: 407 NW 17th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209]