Exploring Food and Movies

       I had the next place recommended to me by two different sources. My dad had been told about it by a friend and gave me the info about it. Then my mom sent me a list of top places to eat in Portland. It was on there too. The restaurant is called Kachka. It is on SE 11th. It is a Russian restaurant. When you walk in it immediately feels Russian. The decor really adds to that feeling. There are window shutters on the wall that look like they were from an old Russian house. There is wallpaper with photos and paintings of Russian landscape. There are kitchen utensils on a wall. The tables have different linoleum table clothes, and old 60s or 70s green leather chairs. It's a mix between a Russian grandma's house and a hipster place. The bar area is more modern. Also the outside is very modern. The floor is cement and there is iron railings leading to the second floor. The music also adds to the feeling. I got a Russian cola. It tasted like licorice and pine cones. I...

     Sometimes I wonder how these restaurants got on my list. Some of them have been on there so long that I don't remember why I put them on my list. The place I went this week was like that. We had lunch at Piazza Italia. It is on NW Johnson St. It is a weird mix of classic Italian restaurant and soccer pub. There were murals on the walls resembling the Sistine Chapel. There were painting and other Italian decorations. Also there was Italian pop music playing. There are soccer jerseys nailed to the ceiling, as well as big screen TVs to watch soccer. It is one of those weird places that closes after lunch and then reopens a couple hours later for dinner. Which I guess makes sense but you feel rushed to get there before they close. You don't want to be that person that gets there 10 minutes before they close. We got there about an hour before they closed but they still seemed annoyed that we were there. The service wasn't very good. We had to wait a while to order. They d...

    The restaurant we went to this week is a diner called Jim Dandy. It is on NE Sandy Blvd. It has been there since 1937. It still looks like it originally did on the outside. The inside is slightly updated. But there are still the diner booths and all that. The food is classic diner food, burgers and milkshakes. They have a lot of milkshake flavors. I got chicken strips and fries. It was fine. Not great but not horrible. There is a lot of Portland memorabilia. Old photos of the coast from the 20s and 40s. Pages of the Oregonian from the beginning and end of WWII, and so much more. Most of that is in the back room. The front room has memorabilia from the 50s. Lots of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. The service was good. I would go back and try a milkshake. Monday: The Girl in White (1952)         This is based on the true story of the first female doctor in New York City. The story begins with Emily and her family moving after her fathers death. Her mom faint...

Tuesday: Sweet Charity (1969)         Charity works as a hostess at a dance hall. She is unlucky in love. Her current boyfriend pushes her off a bridge and steals her purse. The purse contained all the money she had. Charity encounters a famous Italian film star. They spend the night getting to know each other. Nothing comes of it other than a fun night. No one believes that it happened. She is desperate to find another job and start a new life. After a failed interview she gets stuck in an elevator with a nerdy insurance man named Oscar. Despite being so different they fall in love. The plan to get married, but her past life threatens to change that. I liked this movie ok. It was a little cheesy for my taste. It is a musical directed by Bob Fosse. I did like that she became her own happy ending. She didn't need a man to have a happy ending. Wednesday: Marathon Man (1976)      Thomas is a grad student studying in New York. He thinks is brother is j...

         The place I went to this week wasn't officially on my list. I went on Monday and ran into a lot of problems because it was Labor Day. So a lot of places were closed. My sister and I got ice cream at a place called Eb and Bean. It is on SE Division. It is in the D street village complex. It is very sleek and modern with bright colors. They are a organic frozen yogurt place. They also have non dairy options. I got a chocolate and vanilla swirl with graham crackers and hot fudge. It was good. It had a strange consistency though. I've noticed it with other organic ice cream treats. Almost like there is more milk or ice/water than other frozen yogurt. The flavor was almost diluted. But on a hot day it hit the spot. Monday: The Palm Beach Story  (1942)       Gerry and Tom start as a happy married couple. But Tom's continued failure as an inventor puts a strain on the marriage. Gerry believes they are not longer in love and should get a ...