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Failure to eat may result in death, so enjoy the experience :)

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Tiger's Garden

 312 W 8th St
Vancouver, WA
 

Tigerlicious :)

I have eaten at Tiger’s Garden too many times to list and every time has been outstanding. This great little Thai restaurant is located on West 8th Street on the north side of Esther Short Park in Downtown Vancouver. The area is replete with activities in and around the oldest public square in the Pacific Northwest. This location is decidedly urban with office and condo mid rise and high rise buildings surrounding the park. It is a delightful setting. The dining area is tastefully decorated and very nice, the waitstaff are courteous and fairly quick even when busy, which is almost always. I am no expert on Thai food and in fact am somewhat of a spicy wimp. When Tiger’s Garden says it’s hot, they mean business. The best I can handle is mild. The food is absolutely delicious. The prices are fair and the overall experience is top notch. I have had the yellow curry and a few of the fried rice dishes. Each entree has always been fabulous.

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Tres Hombres

 151 Petaluma Boulevard South
Petaluma, CA
 

Tres Hombres was a Pleasant Surprise

I was visiting family and friends in my old hometown several weeks ago and ended up at Tres Hombres for a light dinner and some drinks. This great little cantina style restaurant is located in Downtown Petaluma in the recently redeveloped area east of the Great Petaluma Mill. The ambiance was lively but a touch noisy. The waitstaff was excellent attending to my every need and the food was muy bueno. The prices were quite reasonable. The margarita I ordered was just a touch too tangy. My only real complaint was that the restaurant shares its restroom with other businesses in a common corridor that I had to exit the building to get to and it was marginally kept.

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El Gaucho

 319 Sw Broadway
Portland, OR
 

The Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of Portland Steakhouses

I have enjoyed a meal at El Gaucho several times. If my wallet was a tad better stuffed, I would eat here once a month. But alas, nay is the case, so El Gaucho remains an occasional treat with the occasions far too infrequent. The El Gaucho experience is complete with valet parking, a fantastic downtown location, more tuxedos than Oscar Night in Hollywood, fabulously attentive waitstaff, a delightful ambiance and of course beautifully prepared steaks that are so thick and juicy your mouth is watering as you make your way to your table to start the night. Let there be no misunderstanding, you may need to refinance your house after receiving the El Gaucho bill at the close of your evening. But you won’t be angry at the restaurant, rather, you might be thinking about a part time job you could take so you can afford additional visits. I have ordered the same thing on each visit, the Filet Mignon. The steak is as tall as it is wide and tempts every food fantasy you have ever had. El Gaucho is simply the best steakhouse in Portland.

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Hooters

 11875 N Jantzen Dr
Portland, OR
 

Hooters has a great Happy Hour

Hooters restaurants are well known but yet most people have formed an opinion of the business without even trying it. Yes they have young ladies dressed in very short shorts and little tops, but the place has a fabulous happy hour deal that’s hard to beat. My father-in-law loves this place. Hooters doesn’t pretend to be anything that it is not. With a slogan like, “Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined”, they haven’t a drop of pretentiousness in them. I think the food is fair and atmosphere is your garden variety bar and grill but the happy hour prices are unbelievable. The waitstaff is not just eye-candy. They are prompt and courteous and greet you at the door with a hearty welcome. I have had the 20 wings for $8.99 in assorted varieties including “Cajun”, “Hot”, “Terriaki”, and “BBQ” as well as the chicken quesadillas. Both were hot and reasonably prepared. Hooters has a great Happy Hour :)

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Portland City Grill

 111 Sw 5th Ave
Portland, OR
 

City Grill Still Has It

It has been a while since I had been up to the 30th floor of the US Bank building to enjoy the awesome city panorama at Burnside and SW 5th. So last week I enjoyed dinner and some drinks with a good friend who was up on business.

City Grill has a great bar that enjoys a southern and eastern panoramic view of Downtown Portland and the Cascades including Mount Hood. The Dining area features similar vistas to the east and also the north taking in Mount St Helens, Mount Adams and Vancouver, WA. This fabulous setting provides an ambiance difficult to find anywhere else in the greater Portland area.

I had the Pork Tenderloin and it was perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. The presentation was good and the service was outstanding. The only thing that might sting just a touch is the bill, but the experience is worth the coin. You won’t spend as much here as you will down at El Gaucho, but the experience is just as good, giving up a touch of El Gaucho’s grandeur and elegance in exchange for a breathtaking view.

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Twilight Pizza Bistro

 224 Ne 4th Ave
Camas, WA
 

Pizza Delizioso!

I would strongly recommend eating in for this pizza. Clark County is flush with excellent pizza restaurants, so why drive out to Camas for this one. Fine dining, my friends, fine dining. The location on 4th Street in downtown is charming and quaint. The interior offers an elegance rarely seen in a pizza restaurant. The wine and beer list is extensive and the ambiance is warm and inviting. The noise level can rise when the house is packed but not so much that conversation is a yelling match.

There are several interesting pizza combinations on the menu and they are very tasty indeed. The pizza is fresh and bold with high quality ingredients.

I would say Twilight is among the three best Pizza’s in Clark County and with as many top notch pizza restaurants as we have, that is quite an achievement.

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Beaches Restaurant & Bar

 1919 Se Columbia Way
Vancouver, WA
 

Beaches is a Fun and Tasty Waterfront Delight

If you are looking for a quiet, elegant dining experience… then you are done reading this review.

Beaches is noisy, fun, exciting and a great place to eat, drink and be merry. The restaurant is located on a perch over the Mighty Columbia River on the Vancouver waterfront. During the warmer months there is ample patio seating over the water.

Beaches offers in my opinion the best happy hour experience in The ‘Couv’. The food is awesome, drinks are fast and furious and the price is right.

For dinner or lunch I have found the Beaches menu to be fresh and different from any other restaurant I have visited. The entrees are quite creative and there are several that you are not likely to find on another restaurant’s menu.

As is my custom, a large portion of my pleasure is tied to the dining experience much of which is intangible. Beaches is a great place to hang out with friends and family. The view from just about anywhere in the restaurant is fabulous. It is a cantina atmosphere that is fun and exciting. The wait staff at Beaches have always been top notch with a great attitude and sunny disposition. Don’t expect to have your water glass full every dining second and your every need attended at a moments notice. That is not what the Beaches experience is all about. Do expect a bouncy and vibrant ambiance with lot’s of laughing, chatter and plate clanking noise. Expect good food, great people and a big smile when you leave. The prices for entrees are a tad on the spendy side for the fare, but always well prepared with a nice presentation.

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The Grant House

 1101 Officers Row
Vancouver, WA
 

Full of rich history, The Grant House is OLD and GOLD.

The Grant House was constructed in 1849 (or so) as an officer’s residence on the grounds of Fort Vancouver. Fort Vancouver is the oldest European settlement in the Pacific Northwest with origins dating to 1825. The house is named for Ulyssess S. Grant who served as Quartermaster at the Fort from 1852-1853 but never actually resided in the home.

The setting for the Grant House is spectacular as the grounds on officer’s row are impeccably maintained. The restaurant overlooks the National Park Site, the Columbia River and across to Portland, OR. The interior is well decorated with a subtle elegance and yet with a very historic feel. The kitchen is purported to be haunted by a soldier named “Sulley”. My wife and I have not been accosted by any spirits in any of our three visits to the restaurant.

The Grant House menu is not particularly deep but offers a variety of entrees with enough range to provide a satisfying plate for most people. On my last visit, I had the Kobe Beef entree and as one would expect from Kobe, the beef was delicious and in this case, beautifully prepared by the chef. The beef was actually served over fries which I thought was a bit strange but according to the manager this is a customary serving of the dish. The fries were tasty but it seemed like an odd companion for such a succulent meat dish.

Dinner is served with a la carte entrees. This does tend to drive the price up a touch if you are looking for the multi course experience.

I have always placed a high value on service and ambiance at any restaurant. I am a fairly good cook and frankly good food is not hard to find across virtually any price range. When I dine out at a “fine” restaurant, I expect an experience, not just a good plate of chow. This is where The Grant House shines like the summer sun. From the moment you enter the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site you are bathed in history. As you drive down officer’s row, the gorgeous manicured grounds provide a setting like that of an old English Lord’s Estate. Grace and beauty permeate the landscape. The Grant House itself is inviting and most of the staff is warm and courteous. Looking out any window or over the upper veranda provides a stunning panorama of elegance and class. They could serve you a twenty dollar hot dog and you could say it was a value.

So how is the food? I would say the food rates 4 stars. The staff rates 5 stars and the overall service rates 4 stars. It is the intangibles that drive my rating to a five star overall.

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Catedral Tapatia

 707 SE 164th Ave
Vancouver, WA
 

Best Mex in the 'Couv'

I routinely eat at this restaurant and I love it. The five stars I bestow upon it can be significantly attributed to its overall value as much as any specific element of the experience.

My favorite pick on the menu is Tacos al Carbon. The beef is tender and borders the realm of spectacular. The Fajitas for two are another favorite for my wife and I.

The restaurant is easy to spot on SE 164th near the corner of Mill Plain by the prominent bell tower atop the three story building that resembles a church. Inside the decor is tasteful and colorful with murals depicting old world mexico. The ambiance is a touch noisy with a family style atmosphere. There is dining upstairs looking out over the main dining area and a cantina on the lower floor with dancing and music.

The wait staff are courteous and diligent in their duties as one would expect at a more expensive restaurant than this one. The food is prepared quickly and is always delivered promptly and piping hot.

This is by no means the best Mexican food I have ever had, but the combination of a great place with great food and great service all at a very reasonable price makes Catedral Tapatia the best mex in The ‘Couv’.

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DuckTales Kitchen

 612 N Devine Rd
Vancouver, WA
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